Residents petitioned the Livingston County Drain Commissioners office to establish a county drain near Kern and Crofoot Roads in Iosco Township due to the inundation of septic fields and flooding of basements.

Proceedings have taken place to establish the Livingston No. 29 Drain Drainage District and the drain itself, which will convey water to the Red Cedar River in order to protect private property from flood damage.

The total project cost is estimated to be $770,000. The project will be funded by special assessments levied against benefitting property owners and public corporations within the Drainage District, including Iosco Township and Livingston County. Drain Commissioner Brian Jonckheere told the county’s Board of Commissioners at a recent meeting that the Drainage District intends to issue a note to finance part of the project cost in anticipation of collecting installments of the special assessments. Jonckheere proposed that the county purchase the note from available funds on deposit in the Drain Commissioners’ equipment revolving fund. Iosco Township had already agreed to prepay its at-large assessment of $269,500, which the county will match.

County commissioners voted unanimously to purchase the note and prepay the county’s apportionment for the project. By prepaying their apportionment, the county will be able to purchase the note for an amount not to exceed $250,000, as opposed to $550,000 if they had decided against prepaying. The purchase of the note will also reduce interest rate costs for property owners in the Drainage District where the drain will be constructed.

The project is expected to begin this month and be completed in the spring. The scope of the project includes a combination of open ditch and a plastic pipe taking water from east of Kern Road to a basin on the west side of the road. The basin will incorporate infiltration into the ground and ultimately discharge to the wetland area adjacent to the Red Cedar River.