Oakland Co. candidates spar over water issues while Pontiac weighs charter changes - Detroit News

Oakland Co. candidates spar over water issues while Pontiac weighs charter changes
Hannah Mackay

Oakland County voters are set to head to the polls Aug. 6 for primary elections where residents will decide who will face off for county water resources commissioner in November, where Pontiac makes changes to its city charter and whether to approve local millage and bond proposals.

The water resources commissioner is the only county-level seat that has two contested primaries, with two Republicans vying to take on the winner of the Democratic primary where challenger Jim Stevens is taking on three-term incumbent Jim Nash. Early voting begins July 27.

Nash, 67, of Farmington Hills, oversees around 380 employees and an $850 million budget to operate and maintain water and sewer services in 23 communities, run sewer interceptors serving roughly 1.5 million people, and operate three sewage plants and four retention basins.

Climate-change resilience and affordability have been among Nash's top priorities in office. In an effort to reduce fossil fuel use, the county's wastewater treatment plant in Pontiac began using a pretreatment process that breaks down solid waste so bacteria can convert it into methane that is used to help run the plant, he said.

The county has also partnered with the city of Detroit and the Great Lakes Water Authority. The GLWA agreed to treat 10 million extra gallons of Oakland sewage every year in Detroit in exchange for Oakland County's help in building a green infrastructure project in a southwest Detroit park, Nash said. The green infrastructure project will hold 100 million gallons of stormwater before it flows into a Detroit storm drain to avoid overflows, he said.

In May, the county launched a program to provide households at 300% of the poverty level going through specific hardships with short-term help to prevent shutoffs. They also began a pilot grant program offering rebates for green infrastructure on residential properties in southeast Oakland County.

"We need to address these extreme weather storms that are coming our way," Nash said. "We can't just do that through building more gray infrastructure, which is the pipes underground and the tanks and the pumps and all the things that it takes to do because they're very expensive. ... There's always a bigger storm."

Continuing to apply for federal and state grants to fund these initiatives would be a priority for Nash if reelected.

Democratic challenger

Rochester-area resident Stevens is challenging Nash for the Democratic nomination after failing to beat him as the Republican water resources candidate in 2020 as Nash prevailed 57%-43%. Stevens said he switched parties because he thinks Democrats are more focused on environmental issues.

"I just feel that they are more in touch with their focus on the environment. ... They're more nature-friendly," said Stevens, 62. "I really think that this type of position doesn't really need to be party-oriented."

If elected, Stevens said he would like to focus on improving septic field maintenance; regulations for underground fuel oil tanks on residential properties, especially those near rivers and lakes; and making sure businesses located along rivers and lakes are not contaminating them.

"I'm a supporter of a clean environment," Stevens said. "I think that everybody needs to just keep a close eye on any potential polluters, or if they see issues ... those items need to be reported."

At-home heating oil tank regulations in Michigan are currently overseen by the state Department of the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

Stevens also wants more checks and balances to ensure developers consider neighbors and property owners before beginning construction, and to lower water prices or help households that are financially struggling.

Republican primary

Steve Johnson of Highland Township is seeking the GOP nomination for the second time after losing to Stevenson in the 2020 primary. Pollutants like PFAS, a group of synthetic chemical compounds that don't break down easily and have been linked to harmful health effects, as well as microplastics and nanoplastics are among his top concerns. Microplastics and nanoplastics are small particles that pollute the environment and have been linked to several toxic effects after entering the human body.

Johnson would like to see new technologies adopted in Oakland County to better filter out nanoplastics and PFAS from the water supply. He also supports Nash's use of methane to power some sewage systems and wants to expand it.

If elected, Johnson said he would look into better stormwater infrastructure that makes use of the county's natural topography and wetlands to mitigate flooding. He'd also like to establish basic, low water-service rates for all residents.

"What I would like to do is to find a way to provide a base level of water for everybody, residential customers," Johnson said. "They get that at low cost or no cost. But the people that go over that ... they're going to pay big. ... So for the person that you know lives modestly ... doesn't have to fear getting that water bill."

Johnson's opponent in the Republican primary is 37-year-old Steve Klein of Waterford Township, who runs a nonprofit called Conservation of Waterford Lands.

"The Water Resources Commission — there is nothing more important. There are things that are equally important," Klein said. "What I would bring is an awareness of sustainability and fiscal responsibility. ... It's not partisan for me. It's just take what we have and make sure it's sustainable."

Klein said he is a frugal person and would make sure that all of the commission's projects are justified and sustainable.

Pontiac charter changes

Pontiac voters will decide whether to adopt a new city charter or stick with the current one that was last revised in 1982, when it switched the city's government from a city commission and city manager style of government to its current strong mayor system, City Council President Mike McGuinness said.

Voters elected nine charter commissioners in 2022, and they drafted a proposed, updated charter with more safeguards and new government positions that voters will now have the chance to approve. A revised charter was last put on the ballot in 2014 but was rejected.

"What I feel like happened (in 2014) was there wasn't a specific outreach to residents," Charter Commission Chairperson Tameka Ramsey said. "People don't come to you; you have to go to them. And so that's what we've been doing, going to the people and educating them in hopes that this charter passes unlike the last one."

The current charter needs logistical updates to reflect how technology has changed since 1982, Ramsey said. The revised document also would create an office of public integrity to investigate waste, abuse, fraud and corruption as well as a five-member board of ethics.

"I think the biggest things that we have done is put some checks and balances in the charter, taking out some of the vagueness that we had, and was very clear on some of the ordinance and powers of the executive office and the legislative office," Ramsey said. "We have updated this charter to better serve the people, to better hold elected officials accountable, to better give the power back to the residents."

The proposed charter would keep the seven city council positions, which are part-time jobs elected by district residents, but would make one of the seats a full-time, at large position elected by all of the city's residents.

"If I'm having an issue and my council person is a teacher, then I can't get in contact with them during the daytime. Sometimes I can't even get in contact with them at night, so then I feel like I have no representation," Ramsey said. "Having this one at large just allows people to have an advocate all the time."

The revised charter would make the city council president a full-time position and tighten the meeting attendance requirements for sitting council members, McGuinness said. It would not significantly change the existing strong mayor and city council system of government, he added.

"The important takeaway is that it is not proposing a fundamental restructuring of city government," McGuinness said. "Pontiac has a directly elected mayor who is the chief executive of the city." Former State Rep. Tim Greimel is the current mayor.

hmackay@detroitnews.com