Plans are moving ahead to secure money for the demolition of the old Bradford building in Moran to make way for a parking lot to serve new businesses, said Township Supervisor Ed Serwach. Township residents could see action on the new project by the end of the month, he said, pending a Michigan Economic Development Corporation grant for 90 percent of the project's costs.

The township now officially owns the property and is seeking bids from area contractors for both demolition and re-paving, but there is one hitch. Runoff from the new lot will flow into an old drain installed nearly 70 years ago in an effort to get residents back to work during the Great Depression. The drain runs under the old hardware store, cuts under M-123, and flows into a pond known locally as Mud Lake. The drain has been problematic for the township's sewer system, Mr. Serwach said, because no one in Mackinac County had any record of it until the sewer project was underway and Brian Peterson awoke in 2000 to find gallons of water rushing into his basement.

Since no authority knew the drain existed, it was not properly maintained and must be thoroughly cleaned out before development can proceed.

"Its not just a matter of knocking down a building and paving over the lot," Mr. Serwach said. "If we don't have proper drainage, there will be standing water on the lot and probably flooding in nearby yards."

Mr. Serwach hopes the Michigan Department of Transpiration, which now cleans catch-basins in the area, will handle the procedure. If not, the township will assume responsibility. Speaking to township residents, Mr. Serwach said, "If you notice water on the street in front of the bar, don't worry, we're on top of it."

Although the township's sewer system is finally functioning well, its legacy continues in the form of litigation. Trustee Bernie Sorrels (who served as project manager during the sewer's installation), Mr. Serwach, and Trustee Vern Erskine will meet with representatives from U.P. Engineers and Mackinac County officials Monday, April 24, to resolve the company's claim that Brevort Township still owes $250,000 for the once-problem-ridden system. Township officials allege that the company has not explained precisely what this bill is for.

Township officials continue to wait for Frontier Insurance Company to emerge from reorganization status after going bankrupt during the sewer project. If the company officially goes bankrupt, the township will seek aid from a state fund designed to handle these kinds of problems. If the company emerges from bankruptcy, however, the township will sue to recover costs, Mr. Serwach said. Midwest Contractors went bankrupt before the sewer was finished. Frontier (which had insured the project) also went bankrupt before it was completed.

The filtering system installed to handle odorous sewer gas appears to be working, Mr. Serwach said. In fact, there is virtually no odor near the lift station, leading the township to suspend plans to add ferrous chloride (a chemical to eliminate sewer odor) to the system. The township is concerned that the chemical will settle to the bottom of low-lying water mains in the area, necessitating more flushing and associated expenses that the township could not handle. Maverick Construction has replumbed the entire lift station system, Mr. Serwach said. Since then, he added, the sewer has worked better than ever.

Township officials are also dealing with litigation by Woods Edge Development Company, which has sued the township for refusing to grant tax-free status to a parcel in Brevort Lake Estates, which company officials want to develop into a park. According to Mr. Serwach, the township cannot exempt the parcel from taxation unless it is designated a "public park," in which case it would be open to everyone. The company insists the company-owned park should be open only to subdivision residents.

"This is just money out the window," Mr. Serwach said. "We will end up spending more defending ourselves than we would have collected in taxes, but as a municipality, if someone sues us, we have to do what the taxpayers elected us to do and protect the township."

Woods Edge Development Company developed some of the most valuable land in the area, he added. The first million-dollar home in Brevort Township is in Brevort Lake Estates.

In other news, nine of 19 fish cribs built to provide habitat for spawning fish have sunk, as intended, Mr. Serwach said. The Brevort Lake Association and the Straits Area Sportsman's Club made the structures out of wood and cement and placed them on the ice. As ice thaws, the cribs sink to the bottom, providing protection for fish that spawn in shallow water during spring.