Politics & Government
Lake Orion Council Considers New Water Meters, 'Super Drunk' Law and More
Here's a recap of Monday evening's meeting at Village Hall.
A plan to purchase a new water meter reading system was presented at Monday's Village Council meeting at .
In a village report from Lake Orion's Department of Public Works, the current meter reading system was noted as "obsolete," stating that due to its age parts are no longer available to fix those that are broken and it requires more than 250 hours annually to obtain the various meter reads throughout the village.
A new system is deemed more efficient and requires fewer labor hours annually.
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No action was taken at the meeting in regard to the meter readings after council members voiced concern about awarding a bid in the amount of $164,759.
"This is really very costly and I think it's just a bad, bad time," President Pro Tem John D. Ranville said.
Find out what's happening in Oakland Township-Lake Orionwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Paul Zelenak, village manager, noted that though it seems like a lot of money now, in the long run the village would be saving money. Zelenak expects the investment to pay for itself in eight-10 years because with the current bid on the table from Michigan Meter Inc., he estimates savings of $10,000-$15,000 per year.
Village Council President Ken Van Portfliet said he would like to see more bids before further considering changing the system.
Other meeting highlights include:
- The council voted in favor of asking Orion Neighborhood Television to televise its upcoming budget meetings.
- The council accepted the first reading of a proposed ordinance 2.33, which would be an amendment to the Michigan Vehicle Code Ordinance. The ordinance would allow the to issue a "super drunk" ticket to drivers operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .17 or more, instead of having to seek charges from the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office. This allows the village to obtain a portion of the costs and fines for the arrests. The second reading and possible adoption of the ordinance is scheduled for April 23 when public comment on the subject will be heard.
- It was also decided that would open sooner if possible due to recent favorable weather conditions instead of waiting until April 23 as scheduled.