topic: "paying off" HERON COVE MEMBERS

IT IS A FALSE statement that "FLTF tried to cut a side deal with the Heron Cove Association by offering to lower their assessments." We are not sure of the source of the rumor, but if Heron Cove members are suggesting this, they should check with their lawyer.

TOPIC: ANNUAL ASSESSMENT​

IT IS FALSE that the assessments can increase by 10% each year. FLTF has no authority nor does law permit general increases. Any increase in the computation of costs of the project would need to be approved by the counties. The county already approved the future new project costs and 5-year operations and maintenance costs.

TOPIC: Lake ownership and Private use​

IT IS TRUE the lakes are county-owned public lakes. It is also true there is no path forward for individual communities to buy these dams and lakes.

​Properties in the SAD that allow public access, such as the DNR, marinas or Midland Sanford Park are assessed in the district. Approximately 45% of the capital project is funded by state funds. The counties and townships participate in the Operations & Maintenance Assessment.

tOPIC: SHARING OF STATE FUNDS

IT IS FALSE to say Secord is paying for Wixom. It is also false to say that Secord is being funded solely by the grant. 

This is the same for any lake, but this rumor seems to come mostly from Secord. As background, the dams of the four lakes system all had to be redesigned to include significantly more flow capacity for storms. Design of the northern dams advanced earlier than the southern dams because their flow capacity had to be established so they could accommodate the new design flow rates. There is no privilege that Secord receives over the other dams. Work simply started there first since the four dams had to be designed in sequence.

The $200 million was granted to FLTF for the Four Lakes Special Assessment District. The methodology recognizes this a four-lake system that is managed as such.

There was no hope of bringing lake levels up on any of these lakes without the county's intervention. It is simply a false narrative and a distraction to argue about which lakes get more of the state grant. There has been no proposal from any lake community to suggest they can bring these lakes up on their own.

TOPIC: Lake designation and downstream properties​

IT IS TRUE the lakes are for recreation. They are not flood control dams today and they were never designed for flood control. There is no federal or state agency that claims otherwise.

The lakes have legal winter and summer levels which protect shorelines where there is ice accumulation during the winter to spring transition. However, this provides no benefit to downstream communities of the four lakes.

Likewise,​ it is not economically feasible to place hydropower on the dams. There is no legal or physical logic that qualifies downstream properties on the Tittabawassee River to be in the Four Lakes Special Assessment District. There is no regulatory or contractual requirement to operate the river flow to benefit properties downstream. 

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