Declaratory judgment sought in sinkhole case

Last Thursday, the board of the Oakland-Macomb Interceptor Drain Drainage District (OMIDDD) authorized the filing of a lawsuit seeking a court ruling that it is not responsible for the Macomb Interceptor Drain Drainage District’s (MIDDD) 2016 sinkhole in Fraser.

The suit, which was filed in Oakland County Circuit Court, asserts that the MIDDD “failed to operate, maintain and repair” a deteriorating sewer which subsequently collapsed in Fraser in late 2016 causing catastrophic damage of more than $70 million.

Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller, who chairs the boards of both the MIDDD and the MCWDD, also serves on the OMIDDD board. She did not participate in last Thursday’s meeting.

Notwithstanding the deteriorating condition of the MIDDD, Miller claims the sewer collapse was caused by OMIDDD and wants it to pay for the damage. OMIDDD officials dispute that. They say MIDDD’s negligence and failure to inspect or adequately maintain its infrastructure not only caused the sewer to collapse, it negatively impacted OMIDDD resulting in substantial costs associated with delays in completing work on the Northeast Sewage Pump Station.

Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash, who serves on the OMIDDD board, said the suit was filed to protect the OMIDDD rate payers of both Macomb and Oakland counties.

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