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Macomb County loan could be approved for Fraser sinkhole repairs

Posted at 5:10 AM, Feb 09, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-09 08:41:57-05

The bills are piling up in Macomb County for the Fraser sinkhole construction work.

The Macomb County Public Works commissioner tells the Detroit Free Pressthat they haven't been able to pay anyone anything yet.

But a new agreement might help pay some bills. 

That new agreement is a $20-million dollar low-interest loan from the county.

The round-the-clock project is going to take $150-million to complete. Without federal funds, folks who live out here will have to pay out of pocket to pay off this construction and loan.

Candice Miller, the county public works commissioner, says they would have to issue a $150 million bond and people would pay 8 to 9 percent more on their sewer bills.

She tells us that's about $40 more a year, per family, for the next 25 years.

The broken sewer line under 15 Mile that caused this sinkhole, and it impacts about 400,000 people in Macomb County.

Three homes were permanently condemned because of the sinkhole. 

Miller will speak today at the board of commissioners meeting this afternoon.

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