Benton Twp Water Lawsuit Could End Soon

A judge this week told lawyers for Benton Township and Benton Harbor to reach a settlement in a water lawsuit they've been fighting. The township is suing the city for about 400 thousand dollars in unpaid water debt, and had asked the Berrien County judge on Monday to make a ruling. Seems the city stopped making its payments on that debt about a year ago by mistake. However, the judge this week said that a recent 100 thousand dollar payment from the city to the township might indicate that Benton Harbor is once again making a good faith effort to pay off its bill outside of the suit. Emergency Manager Joseph Harris tells us that officials from both sides will have to meet to work something out, and that he could see a return to the old payment plan they'd been following. Such an arrangement would be satisfactory to him, as it would mean a gradual paying off of the debt, rather than having to do it in one lump sum.