Today, the Roscommon County Board of Commissioners voted to approve two resolutions related to the newly established lake level special assessment district on Houghton Lake. The first resolution provides authorization to the delegated authority to negotiate a contract for a lake level study, and the second allows the delegated authority to acquire interim financing.
These resolutions mark the next step in the special assessment district process for Houghton Lake after Judge Robert W. Bennet amended the 1982 lake level order in a Dec. 8 Roscommon County Circuit Court hearing to include the boundaries of the special assessment district.
In addition to the Houghton Lake resolutions, the Board of Commissioners also voted to approve resolutions initiating the process to establish lake level special assessment district boundaries for Lake St. Helen and Higgins Lake. Currently, there is no funding mechanism to pay for the operation, repairs and maintenance of the lake level control structures, which are expected to exceed the reach of the County’s general fund.
“Each of the resolutions represents an important step forward in the safety and sustainability of the Higgins Lake, Houghton Lake and Lake St. Helen lake level control structures,” said Jodi Valentino, county controller for Roscommon County and delegated authority for the special assessment districts. “The repair and modernization of each of these structures ensures that reliable lake levels can be safely maintained for generations to come.”