Lyon Township has a new DPW director.

The board met Monday night and voted to offer a contract to Bob Martin, who is currently the longtime Water and Wastewater Department superintendent for the City of South Lyon. He becomes the township's first DPW director. Board members commented that he brings a wealth of industry knowledge and various certifications.

A committee reviewed applications and interviewed two candidates but members said they came to the conclusion they found the right man for the job as Martin stood out above and beyond. Martin attended the meeting and said he was proud to be a part of the team set up in the growing community and he’s going to work really hard to meet everyone’s expectations. It should be a smooth transition as Martin already knows some board members and others in the township he’s worked with over the years. He joked during the meeting that after his wife and family, his life is water – both clean and dirty.

The board said they were excited to have Martin start and were comfortable setting a salary of $65,000, standard township benefits and three weeks of vacation time. The township will also pay for Martin to keep up on his certifications.

Supervisor John Dolan told WHMI they’re excited to hire Martin and his experience will bode well for the township, especially since the municipality is in the process of constructing two water treatment plants. It recently authorized up to $17 (m) million in bonds for the improvements to the township water supply system. The township continues to experience growth and development, and additional demand on the current water system is driving the project. There is no firm start date for Martin yet, but that will be finalized in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, it was noted that the township maintained its AA+ bond rating. That will be beneficial for the community in bonding for the two water treatment plants. Ohio-based Artesian of Pioneer is designing the plants, and an update on progress was also provided Monday night. Owner Ed Kidston told the board progress is continuing as are meetings with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality about acceptable softening options. Basic design plans were also shown to the board and public. Photo: TPO Magazine. (JM)