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Eaton County resident urges pause and public vote before large Brown Drain culvert work
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Summary
A resident told the board that proposed upsizing of culverts on the Brown Drain could increase flows to his property and urged a new Board of Determination so landowners can vote on a larger drain project.
EATON COUNTY, Mich. Jan. 29, 2026 During public comment at the Eaton County Board of Commissioners' special meeting, resident Jerry Frazier of Carmel Township urged the board to slow down planned work on the Brown Drain and to consider holding a new Board of Determination so affected property owners can weigh in.
Frazier said recent plans would replace multiple small culverts with much larger structures, possibly including a "12 by 6 box drain," and warned that enlarging upstream culverts could increase the volume of water flowing downstream onto his property, which he described as the "Creepy Swamp" on 5 Point Highway. "They're going from small culverts... to a 12 by 6 box drain, which is extremely large compared to what we have," Frazier said.
Frazier asked the board to consider a new Board of Determination (BOD) to give the drain district population a chance to approve a substantially larger program than the work done under a prior BOD around 2018; he said the prior BOD work was smaller in scope and that recent road projects may change how the drain functions.
A commissioner noted Frazier previously held a seat on a road commission and clarified he had been involved in prior road efforts; the board did not take action on the drain during the meeting. The comment was recorded as part of the meeting's final public comment period.
