City passes new sewer ordinance; C. Roy’s could hook up
By Dave Fredrick
The Yale Expositor
YALE — After three hours of hearing from experts, legal counsel and a large contingent of the public on Monday, June 1, Yale City Council approved a new 165-page sewer ordinance, with modified language, that appears to allow C. Roy’s meat processing plant to connect to the city system, once a permit has been purchased.
The meeting originally was planned for city hall. Once word of the meeting and the issue at hand became known, word began to spread quickly on social media. City officials were able to arrange having the meeting changed to the Father Larry Dunn Hall to accommodate a potentially large crowd.
An outpouring of public support for the Yale business, to the tune of nearly 200 people, filled the hall and shared their concerns with city council over how they felt the hundred-year-old business was being treated. Also present was a contingent of four Yale police officers and a St. Clair County Sheriff’s deputy.
At the center of the issue is what has been placed in the sewer system from C. Roy’s for decades. The longtime Yale business owners say they have taken numerous steps in recent months to help alleviate obvious discharge products.
For years, however, despite city officials allegedly being told by a former city employee that “everything was fine” with the city’s lagoon system, it in fact, was not.
City Manager Lorrelei Natke told The Expositor on Friday: “The city has been in constant communication with the department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) since summer 2023, and continues to do so.”
Previously, Natke and council members had been told by the city’s attorney they could not comment or respond to questions from the public on the issue, due to potential litigation.
However, all bets were off last week in an emotionally charged atmosphere where residents and other interested parties voiced their opinions, and became frustrated with a faulty sound system that caused delays early in the meeting.
“We tested this system earlier in the day and it worked fine,” City Clerk Ashley Aldea stood and told the crowd.
A panel of engineering experts who had intended to join the meeting via Zoom were not able to connect properly to participate in the meeting nor hear citizens’ concerns.
At the start of the meeting, Mayor Brenda Krzak read a statement to the large crowd telling them: “We are not here to put C. Roy’s out of business, as some of you think. We here on council, we all love C. Roy’s, just like you do. We have to come together and see if there is something we can do to correct this issue. Thank you all for coming and we look forward to hearing what you have to say.”
First to the podium was Lucas Tilley, a global operations manager for Recoup Technologies. He was contacted by C. Roy’s to address the council with what he feels is a potential solution to the issue.
“With this process, the only liquid that would be going into the City of Yale’ s sewer system would be untreated drinking water out of the cistern. By EGLE’s definition, the liquid would not be considered effluent,” Tilley said.
“This solution would work to satisfy all parties involved and balance what is getting discharged into the lagoons, which once they are serviced and brought back up to operational standards by the city.”
Tilley said he could not speak for any other business other than C. Roy’s, “but with the reporting and treatment process we are going to potentially install at C. Roy’s, they will be part of the solution and not the problem. In talking with Mr. (Dick) Roy, he is fully committed to this project and wants to continue to be a big part of the City of Yale and operate for years to come with the next generation.”
According to a “rough draft” plan of correction, C. Roy’s would utilize the two existing 2,500-gallon tanks they have already installed, which are lined and sealed. All discharge from the business would go into the first tank, which would be designated as a holding tank.
“The discharged fluid would then run into a standalone waste treatment system,” Tilley explained. “During the process, fats, grease and oil would be separated and recycled separately through a third part.”
According to Tilley, the remaining fluid would be processed through the wastewater treatment system, and discharged into the second holding tank, which would be used as a cistern.
“C. Roy’s will have the capacity to use the recycled water around the facility,” he told council.
C. Roy’s had a legal representative at the meeting, who suggested adding language to the new ordinance that would allow the business to connect to the city’s sewer system, pending the successful purchase/issuance of a permit that would outline requirements to be met.
The council voted 5-1 to pass the new sewer ordinance with the additional language proposed; Council member Sharon Krosnicki voted no. Voting yes were: Mayor Pro-Tem Tammy Hazel, Shelley O’Brien, Eric Kleitch, Anthony Hackett and Josh Jedrzejczak.
