County administrator says EGLE ordered drawdown; public hearing set on White Cloud dam repairs
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Summary
Newaygo County officials said Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) told the City of White Cloud to draw down a municipal impoundment until engineering concerns are fixed. The county will attend the city’s public hearing May 19 as local leaders and EGLE negotiate next steps.
Newaygo County officials said the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has told the City of White Cloud to lower the impoundment behind a municipal dam until structural concerns identified in an engineer’s report are addressed.
The county administrator told the Board of Commissioners that EGLE’s direction was conveyed after an engineer’s inspection found “moderately significant concerns,” and that the state agency “essentially” told the city that “until those are fixed, you have to drain the backwaters.” The city scheduled a public hearing for Monday, May 19, in the county courthouse to review next steps.
Why this matters: The directive would reduce a community recreation resource and could impose immediate costs on the city, which county officials described as having limited capacity to finance large repairs. County leaders said they are monitoring the situation and plan to attend the city hearing to coordinate assistance and community engagement.
Details from the meeting: County staff said the city complied with EGLE’s requests to hire an engineer, and that the engineer’s report raised concerns EGLE believes require significant repairs. EGLE also asked for a permit that county staff said would cost about $40,000, an amount the county official described as “catastrophic” for a small city. The administrator said EGLE has not yet pursued enforcement action but is considering further steps.
County officials and some commissioners urged more communication between state officials and the local community before large actions are taken. The administrator said the county will continue communications with the city manager and the state representative and will attend the May 19 hearing to represent county interests.
What the county can do next: County leaders said they will work with the city and state representatives to identify options that avoid an immediate, full drawdown if possible, while ensuring public safety. The administrator described the situation as evolving and urged residents to attend the city’s public hearing.
Ending: The board did not take a formal vote on the matter at the meeting; county officials said they would follow the public hearing on May 19 and report back to the board.