After years of sewage violations, the village of Beulah in Benzie County is trying to find a way forward in the new year.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy ordered Beulah to upgrade its sewage system back in 2022. But Jeri VanDePerre, the village president, says it’s been difficult to find ways to pay for the updates.
“The estimate for this project was $12.5 million, which is a huge amount of money for the small village of Beulah,” said VanDePerre. “We have less than 400 customers. So financially, it has been a really big deal of, 'How do you afford to pay for a project like this?'"
VanDePerre says a lack of grant funding has led to inevitable hikes for Beulah’s few hundred residents, including a 20 percent increase in sewer rates that took effect January 1.
Despite that, VanDePerre says the village council has been working to find the bulk of the project funding elsewhere.
The village secured a $2 million grant from a state public health fund. VanDePerre says that money will help pay off many of the mandated repairs and upgrades Beulah has already made.
She says the village council hoped to fund most of the project through grant money in the state’s clean water fund. But high property values around Crystal Lake drive up Beulah’s median income, making the village ineligible for that grant money. (It’s still eligible for low-interest loans from that fund.)
VanDePerre says the council is applying for other funding options, like a grant and low-interest loan through the state’s rural development arm. She says a millage proposal in 2024 would also go entirely to funding the sewer upgrade.
“I lose a lot of sleep. I'm also a village resident, I also pay the same as everybody else here. And it hurts my soul, to see the impact – the financial impact – on our village,” she said.
The project must be completed by 2026. VanDePerre says small improvements have already been made, but the costliest part of the project – updating the village’s sewage lagoon – is still ahead.
A public meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 9 will talk about the project and its cost. That’s at 7pm at the Mills Community House in Benzonia.
