Please take a minute to read the following open letter from Andi Creek. Like Andi, please consider writing to our representatives and ask them to take action on the Grassland Sewer Project!
Contact Info District 8
Jack Walton: 373-3346 - jack@jackwalton.com
Greg Davis: 791-7683 - gregd@williamson-tn.org
Contact Info District 9
Mary Brockman: 794-5177 - marymcbrockman@gmail.com
Ernie Williams: 794-9749
____________________
Hello –
I have written to you all before about the septic system issue in Grassland, and you have responded that you are supportive of this project. I realize it may be bothersome to have us contact you multiple times, but we do not hear anything otherwise. Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to this letter of concern.
I have numbered my questions throughout this letter to assist you with your response---you can just number your answers according to the number of the related question. When you reply, please “reply to all” so the core group of residents I have copied here (who helped with the easement signings and follow-ups) can also read your responses.
1) There are several residents who have emailed you all over the past two years of waiting (all copied on this email)--would one of you please volunteer to send us periodic updates on the status project status and when there are meetings that we could attend to show support?
We need your help to push this project forward faster. As you know, we did what the County asked and collected signatures on nearly 70% of the easements before July 1, 2007,---more than required—to move forward with this project.
Nearly two years later, the County finally acquired the rest of the easements and gave up on Lynwood to pursue Franklin’s help, which, thank goodness, they agreed to give last October.
Still, FIVE months after that vote of support by the city of Franklin, I am told by fellow resident Mike Felts that a resolution is to be submitted to the Williamson County Commission on March 9, and that contract talks with the city are ongoing.
2) How long is this going to go on?
3) Do you know that some of the signed easements may be expiring before the end of this year?
4) Will that mean we have to have them signed again? It was very hard to convince some residents in the first place; after waiting more than two years and nothing happening, we may not get some to sign again without more court costs.
5) Are you going to include any residents or ask for our input on the agreement with the city? I do not understand why you do not solicit input from those of us living in the area when there is such a huge impact on us.
6) What kind of searches are you doing for grant money or maybe stimulus money to help us offset costs?
7) Can you point us to resources so that we can apply for assistance? Most of this area is not in a wealthy part of Franklin---$4000 just to have the option to tie on, plus another $10,000 – 15,000 to tie on is not even possible for some residents and an extreme hardship for most---and I am sure with all the delays costs may be even higher now.
Many of us have serious septic issues. I am one of them---there is sewage coming up in the middle of our yard, (the words we got from the city when they came to look was “well, we have never seen anything like this before”—not very comforting). After we residents got the % of easements required signed by July 1, 2007, we were told that work would probably start in Fall of 2007. The sewer project was supposed to take 18 months. That means the project would have now been nearing completion, and residents could be putting thousands of dollars toward tying on and installation of a permanent sewer solution instead of throwing it away on a temporary fix of failing systems.
8) What can we do to help move this forward faster?
9) What steps are you taking as our representatives to push this forward? This is an urgent issue, not just for me, but many residents in this area, and, frankly, for anyone using water from the Harpeth, which continues to be polluted by raw sewage from failing septic systems.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully,
Andi Creek
302 Stable Road
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