Committee recommends prepayment of $1.162M Dryden Drain special assessment; Day of Review notice published

The Lapeer County Committee of the Whole on May 14 authorized the finance department to prepay the Dryden Drain special assessment in the amount of $1,162,500 and approved the related budget amendment.

The motion to prepay the assessment was moved by Commissioner Bryan Zender and supported by Commissioner Kevin Knisely; it carried. The packet attached the Dryden Drain "Notice of Day of Review of Apportionments," which sets the Day of Review for Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Lapeer County Complex Building (Caf Ray, basement). The notice explains that the estimated apportionment is the county's estimated percentage of the total project cost, that interest is not included in the estimate, and that assessments are collected in the same manner as property taxes and will appear on the winter tax bill.

The notice also states that property owners may prepay the assessment in full, including any interest to date, and avoid further interest charges by contacting the Drain Commissioner's Office no later than May 15, 2026. It provides the Drain Commissioner's contact information and instructs that comments on apportionment may be submitted in writing before the Day of Review or provided verbally at the Day of Review; appeals of apportionment determinations may be taken to Lapeer County Probate Court within 10 days of the Day of Review.

Andy Wagner, Lapeer County Drain Commissioner, was identified in the packet materials; counsel and staff materials on drains at large were provided to the committee during the meeting packet review. The prepayment and attached notice give affected property owners explicit instructions and deadlines for review and appeals.