As the dispute over a proposed wastewater treatment plant heats up, the Cass County Election Board approved the language in a petition to recall five of the seven members of the Ontwa Township board at the Law and Courts Building Friday.

The board, consisting of Judge Susan Dobrich, Cass County Clerk/Register Monica Kennedy and Cass County Treasurer Linda Irwin voted 3-0 to approve the language on the petition.

The dispute stems from a Feb. 10 vote to proceed with building a wastewater treatment plant.

A citizens group called Save Our Resources and Environment (SORE) filed the petition on May 12 to recall Ontwa Township Supervisor John Brielmaier, treasurer Meryl Christensen, clerk Paula Ralph and trustees Norman Krupp and Nathan Brousseau.

Nick Donis, who represented SORE at the hearing, had no comment when Dobrich asked if he would like to say anything.

Brielmaier did not have a comment, but Christensen and Ralph both questioned why trustee Jerry Marchetti was not named on the recall petition despite the fact he voted in favor of the project.

When Dobrich asked Donis if he would like to respond to the question, he said, “the reason stated on the petition speaks for itself.”

The recall language reads, “On Feb. 10, 2014, Ontwa Township (insert office) voted to approve a contract between Ontwa Township and Cass County (acting by and through the Cass County Board of Public Works) for the acquisition, construction, and financing of a wastewater treatment plant with a total estimated project cost of not to exceed $8 million.”

Dobrich said that even if there were other political reasons for the recall, they did not apply to the board’s decision on the language.

After the unanimous vote that the petition was “clear and factual,” Dobrich informed Brielmaier, Christensen and Ralph that they, along with Krupp and Brousseau, could appeal the election board’s decision.

The Ontwa Township board members have 10 days to file an appeal with the Cass County Circuit Court, during which, the recall petition cannot be circulated.

“I am happy with the outcome and it was what I expected would happen,” Donis said.

Even with the approval of the language, the recall effort still faces several hurdles, including the collection of 457 signatures on each of the five petitions within a 60-day window.

If Donis and SORE can obtain those signatures and the Cass County Election Board approves them, the recall would be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Ontwa Townships officials and SORE have been at odds for several months over the proposed plant. At its Feb. 10 meeting, the township board voted 6-0 to enter into a contract with Cass County to build the facility. Jerry Duck was absent from the meeting.

At its May 12 meeting, Ontwa Township voted to put the sewer treatment plant on hold for a period of 120 days or until the newly formed sewer board gives a report to the township board on whether or not they should move forward.