Residents raise sewage odor and absentee ballot concerns during public comment

Two members of the public spoke during the board’s public-comment period.

Rick Davis of Eastman Lane described persistent sewage odor from a lift station near his home in the Chain of Lakes area. Davis said the problem has worsened, that he cannot sit on his porch without smelling sewage and that the issue is damaging to his property. He said he was not an engineer but believed the lift station was not adequately handling sewage and asked county officials to address the problem. The presiding officer replied that the matter was a city issue and said the county would continue to bring it to the city's attention.

Cheryl Nicks of Clay Township said a neighbor received an absentee ballot with only one clerk initial — which, she said, would render the ballot invalid — and an instructional letter that lacked a full contact phone number. Nicks said she phoned on the neighbor’s behalf and that it took a week to get instructions. She urged the clerk’s office to ensure absentee envelopes include both initials and to correct the instruction letter to provide a complete phone number. She said she would email the clerk and asked President Baxmoor to follow up.

The board did not take formal action on either public comment during the meeting; commissioners acknowledged the concerns and said they would pass them along to the appropriate offices.