BY BRIAN McGILLIVARY
bmcgillivary@record-eagle.com
TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County will investigate a septage hauler who officials said didn't dump waste from portable toilets used by the Traverse City Film Festival at the county's treatment facility.
The waste, under county ordinance, must go to the county septage plant for treatment. County officials allege Houdek's Pumping Service of Lake Leelanau didn't bring the waste to the facility, and asked attorney Scott Howard and the county prosecutor to investigate. Violation of the county ordinance is punishable by a $500 fine for each occurrence.
"The law is clear, anything generated in this county needs to stay here," said K. Ross Childs, interim manager of the county Department of Public Works. "We know he had different installations at these events and there was no deposit of waste for several days. This isn't something you let sit around in your truck."
Co-owner Jim Houdek said Childs is pressing the issue because "he's not a good businessman" and the plant is losing money.
"What little pumping I do up there I take it up there (to the plant) when he's open," Houdek said. "I do the best I can to accommodate his poor business hours there."
The plant charges 12 cents a gallon to treat septic tank and portable toilet waste. It's expected to lose $400,000 this year. The townships of East Bay, Acme, Peninsula, Garfield and Elmwood will have to cover at least half if not all of the losses out of their operating budgets. Grand Traverse County has discussed covering the other half.
Deb Lake, executive director of the film festival, said it used Houdek's company for two or three special events because it offers deluxe portable toilets. The Open Space and other festival venues were serviced by two different companies.
Houdek said he picked up his toilets on Sunday, when the plant is closed, and they had about 200 hundred gallons of waste.
"The plant isn't designed to take my little portable toilet trucks in their sewer plant, it's only designed for big trucks," Houdek said. "I have to take it home and put it in a big truck to haul it back. Would you turn around and make a special trip for about $4.80 worth of sewage?"
The charge for 200 gallons at the plant would be $24.
Childs said Houdek also serviced last weekend's Micro Brew Festival held at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons in Traverse City and hadn't brought anything to the plant since.
Houdek said it's stored at his business and he planned to bring it in this week. He said the county is just looking to divert attention from its main problem — it overbuilt the plant and there isn't enough volume to operate it.
"I feel bad for them, they bought a Cadillac when all they needed was a Ford," Houdek said.
