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Harrison Township board advances canal-dredging special assessment after mixed public comment
Summary
The Harrison Township Board adopted resolutions to move forward with a special assessment district to remove sediment and aquatic weeds from Archer, Lakeshore and Pardee canals, approving an engineer's estimate of $1,333,547.03 and setting a second public hearing for April 13, 2026. Residents submitted both oral comments and numerous written objections.
The Harrison Township Board of Trustees on March 9 adopted a resolution directing the township clerk to prepare a proposed special assessment roll for dredging the Archer, Lakeshore and Pardee canals, and set a second public hearing for April 13, 2026 to receive further objections and finalize assessments.
The board adopted Resolution No. 3 after a first public hearing that included oral testimony both for and against the project and dozens of written objections. The engineer's estimate for the work is $1,333,547.03. That estimate was presented to the board as an equal division among 131 benefited lots, an estimated assessment of $10,179.75 per lot and an illustrative annual payment of $1,318.32, pending final construction costs and adjustments. The resolution describes removing an average of two to three feet of organic sediment from roughly 4,860 linear feet of canal.
Why it matters: the work is intended to restore canal depth and address aquatic weed accumulation, but it carries a direct cost to property owners in the affected special assessment district. The board's action advances the formal Act 188 process required in Michigan for special assessments by authorizing preparation of the assessment roll and scheduling the statutorily required second hearing.
At the March 9 hearing, Clerk Adam Wit explained the notice process used before the hearing. Public comment included named residents speaking on both sides: Ken Mulder and Christopher Swift were among speakers recorded in favor of proceeding; James Clark, Molly Zapatelli, Jason Jackson, Nik Karpowitsch and others spoke against the assessment or raised concerns. The board also received numerous letters opposing the project, which the clerk and board accepted into the record. The board approved removing three Riverdale parcels from the assessment roll as part of Resolution No. 3.
Trustee David Bratto offered the resolution and Trustee Liza Brown supported it; the board voted unanimously with Trustee Lawrence Tomenello recorded as excused. The board subsequently approved Resolution No. 4 to file the special assessment roll, publish notice as required and hold the second hearing at Rosso Memorial Hall on April 13, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
The resolution and the board's public record note that final assessed costs will be based on actual construction and related costs. Property owners seeking more information or copies of the proposed special assessment roll were directed to the Clerk's Office and to the township website. The second hearing will give affected property owners another opportunity to object before assessments are finalized.
