Spring
Arbor Township Board Minutes: September 13, 2004
The
regular meeting of the Spring Arbor Township Board was held Monday,
September 13, 2004, at 7:30 p.m., with the following members present:
Supervisor Will DeGraaf, Clerk Randi DeVries, Treasurer Gloria Melchiori,
Trustees Marston Fortress, Troy Ganton, and Brent Williams. Absent:
Trustee Patricia Short. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Supervisor
DeGraaf.
Guests
were: Barb Pohanka, Stan Lyon, Ellie Johnson, Steve Brigham, Russ
Ratkiewicz, Tim McEldowney and Jeff Kurfess.
Public
Comment: Public comment opened at 7:31 p.m.
Steve
Brigham asked about the progress of the letter that they are waiting
for from the Sewer & Water Committee regarding water in the
King Rd. Subdivision. The Supervisor responded that the board
should be approving the letter on the October agenda. Public
comment closed at 7:48 p.m.
Expenditures.
Motion was made by Williams and supported by Ganton
to approve the following expenditures for August 2004: General Fund
vouchers #41035-41153 totaling $59,092.78; Fire Department Fund
vouchers #41037-41152 totaling $8,588.61; Street Light Fund expenditures
totaling $2,871.13; Public Improvement Fund expenditures totaling
$20,379.00; Building Inspection Fund expenditures totaling $6,689.10;
Falling Waters Endowment Fund expenditures totaling $273.25; Sewer
O & M Fund expenditures totaling $45,106.08; and Water O &
M Fund expenditures totaling $29,428.69. Roll call: 6 yes.
Consent
Agenda. Motion was made by Fortress and supported
by Ganton to approve the following items under the consent agenda
consisting of the regular meeting minutes of August 9, the financial
report for August 2004, Planning Commission minutes of July 6 and
August 10, Park Committee minutes of July 8, August 19, and September
8, Sewer & Water Committee minutes of July 26, and the Land
Use Subcommittee minutes of August 12 and August 26; carried.
The financial report showed the following balances as of August
31:
General
Fund Cash
$ 6,253.46
Certificate
of Deposit
197,143.60
Fire
Operations Cash
(8,882.58)
Fire
Operations CD
30,207.05
Street
Light Fund
416.85
Public
Improvement Fund
(21,397.60)
P.I.F.
Certificate of Deposit
114,027.59
Building
Inspection Fund
55,898.23
Falling
Waters Endowment Fund
(753.17)
Falling
Waters Endowment Fund CD
11,612.52
Sewer
Funds 1,302,301.08
Water
Funds
180,401.04
Trust
& Agency Funds
0.00
Current
Taxes 465,175.61;
motion
carried.
BOARDS
AND COMMITTEES:
REPORTS:
A.
Police and Fire Report. There were 53 medical rescue
runs, five fire alarms, no mutual aid calls, eight fire runs, and
no bomb threats, carbon monoxide incidents or Hazmat responses during
August. Police statistics include: 199 complaints, 11 accidents,
25 tickets, 26 verbal warnings, 6 arrests, one semi ticketed and
10 back-up calls to other departments.
Chief
Ratkiewicz reported that they have continued to stay busy for the
summer. He informed the board that Officer Adams is now working
four 10-hour shifts per week, staying on until 1:00 AM. The department
was able to charge a couple of kids with larceny for a break-in
at the University, and two felony warrants were signed last weekend.
Motion was made by Williams and supported by Melchiori to accept
the police report; carried.
Chief
McEldowney reported that their department was also busy this last
month. Most of the fires that they responded to were small.
Additionally, the fire department met with new students at the University
to discuss fire alarms and how they should react in the situation,
and the importance of staying out of the fire lanes (not parking
there). Motion was made by Ganton and supported by Williams to
accept the fire report; carried.
B.
MTA E-News for September 2004. The MTA E-News for
September included information regarding online workshop registration,
several conference opportunities, online permitting programs, legal
counsel opinion, upcoming workshops and district meetings, annual
conference information and how to E-mail the MTA.
C.
Strategic Planning Goal #11. Goal #11, assigned
to Trustee Fortress, was to review and revise the zoning ordinance
and long range land-use plan. Trustee Fortress reported that the
Land Use Subcommittee is working on the long range land-use plan
with hopes to have it completed by the end of the year. A presentation
will be made of their findings. The Site Plan Review section has
been rewritten in the zoning ordinance, but still waiting approval
from the Planning Commission.
D.
Strategic Planning Goal #13. Goal #13, assigned
to Trustee Short, is to improve communications with township residents.
Trustee Short was unavailable for a report.
E.
Supervisor’s Report. Advised the board: of the
status of ongoing projects; of a fireworks display permit application;
of a request from Arbor Hills Country Club; of a bid for the fire
truck listed for sale; of a request to investigate Crouch Cemetery;
of a mutual police training consortium agreement; of the current
status of received revenue sharing; of correspondence related to
problems encountered with the new fire truck; of the final agreement
for Ogle Community Tennis Courts; and, of vandalism that was committed
at Gallagher Park. Additionally, a search warrant has been issued
for Mr. Cope’s property. A meeting has been scheduled with him
to include Chief Ratkiewicz, Building Inspector Joe Smith, Electrical
Inspector Ed Allen and Mechanical Inspector Carl Janson. The board
members discussed the correspondence received regarding the problems
with the new fire truck. Motion was made by Williams and supported
by Fortress to have Chief McEldowney, Supervisor DeGraaf and Robert
Grover, township attorney, work with E-One on the new fire truck
to come up with a resolution and bring back to the fire committee
to make a recommendation to the township board; carried.
UNFINISHED
BUSINESS:
A.
Repeal of Cemetery Ordinance No. 39-B . Motion
was made by Ganton and supported by Williams to repeal the Cemetery
Ordinance, No. 39-B; carried.
B.
Cemetery Ordinance No. 39-C. Motion was made by
Ganton and supported by Fortress to approve the Cemetery Ordinance,
No. 39-C, amending Section VIII, from 40 years to 60 years. Roll
Call: 6 yes.
NEW
BUSINESS:
A.
Jackson Community GIS. Information was received
regarding membership benefits in the Jackson Community Geographical
Information System, along with the membership fee of $3,000.00.
The board members discussed the benefits to the township. No
action was taken at this time. It was suggested to consider it
in next years budget.
B.
Fireworks Display Permit. Motion was made by Fortress
and supported by Williams to approve the Fireworks Display Permit
application from Western High School on October 15, 2004; carried.
C.
Arbor Hills Country Club. Motion was made by Fortress
and supported by Ganton to communicate to Arbor Hills Country Club
that the township understands the situation, and that we are willing
to work with them and will keep an open mind towards any reasonable
requests that are made; carried.
D.
Bid for 1976 Fire Truck. The board members discussed
the current situation and agreed to keep the 1976 fire truck at
this time.
E.
Crouch Cemetery Request. A request was received
from a group to investigate a haunted spirit at Crouch Cemetery.
Motion was made by Fortress and supported by Williams to deny
the request; carried.
F.
Police Training Agreement. Motion was made by Fortress
and supported by Williams to approve the police training agreement
to join the Southern Michigan Criminal Justice Training Consortium
Agreement; carried.
G.
Ogle Community Tennis Courts Agreement. Motion
was made by Ganton and supported by DeVries to approve the first
amendment to the restated Ogle Community Park Agreement; carried.
H.
Delinquencies for Winter 2004 Tax Roll. Motion
was made by Ganton and supported by Fortress to approve the authorization
to place delinquent sewer and water usage on the Winter 2004 Tax
Roll along with the street lights and road maintenance; carried.
I.
Appointment to Park Committee. Motion was made
by Williams and supported by Ganton to approve the recommendation
of the Park Committee to appoint Jack Ripstra to fill the vacancy
with a term ending on May 31, 2007; carried.
J.
Recommendation of New Firefighters. Chief McEldowney
presented three names for consideration of the board to appoint
as new firefighters in the Spring Arbor Fire Department. He discussed
several current firefighters that are nearing the end of their careers
with the department creating the need for new firefighters. He
then discussed the costs of training for each of the individuals,
Ben Parker, Doug Blume and Tom Kick. The costs for Parker and
Blume would be $765.00 for Firefighter I and II and the medical
portion. Mr. Kick would only need the training for medical.
The chief suggested that the applicants pay half of the cost with
the township paying the other half, and then reimburse the cost
to the individuals upon completion of the training. Motion was
made by Ganton and supported by Williams to appoint Ben Parker,
Doug Blume and Tom Kick to the Spring Arbor Fire Department with
the township paying half the cost of the training expense, with
the other half of the cost reimbursed to the applicants upon completion
of the training; carried.
K.
Southwest Sewer Transportation. The Supervisor
provided copies of minutes of the Sewer & Water Committee from
October 7, 2002 and November 18, 2002. Both minutes had been previously
approved by the township board at their regular monthly meetings.
The Supervisor asked if the motions approved in the minutes were
representative of the township’s intent for negotiating with the
Southwest Regional Utilities Authority. The board members agreed
that it was the intent. Motion was made by Fortress and supported
by Williams that the motion from the October 7, 2002 meeting of
the Sewer & Water Committee represents the position of the township;
carried. Motion was made by Williams and supported by Fortress
that the motion from the November 18, 2002 meeting of the Sewer
& Water Committee represents the position of the township; carried.
L.
Street Lighting Contract. As Spring Arbor University
is closing a section of College St., they requested that four street
lights be removed. An authorization for change to the standard
street lighting contract was received from Consumers Energy. Motion
was made by Williams and supported by Ganton to approve the Authorization
for Change to the Standard Street Lighting Contract to remove the
four street lights at locations 6, 9, 10 and 11; carried.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Building
Permit Report. The report of building permits issued
during the month of August showed new homes and miscellaneous permits
for a total value of $910,000.00.
Assessing/Building
Report. During the month of August, four new home
permits were issued, for a total of 49 year to date. The Assessor
reported that the township attorney has completed the counsel conference
with the Westbrook Townhouses attorney and that we are waiting for
requested information. The Assessor has also been in the field
reviewing new construction as well as areas that have not been reviewed
in several years.
Z.B.A.
Meeting of August 19 & 26. The Zoning Board of
Appeals meeting for August had one variance to consider. V04-3,
Sally Arnett, 7461 McCain Rd., for a variance from the front yard
setback. Meeting was adjourned with no action on the 19th and
rescheduled for the 26th. Variance request was denied.
Planning
Commission. Unapproved minutes of the September 7
meeting of the Planning Commission included a Site Plan Review for
Chapel Heights Site Condos and a Site Plan Review for Norfolk Development
Corp.
Land
Use Subcommittee. Unapproved minutes of the September
9 meeting of the Land Use Subcommittee included a vision statement
and goals, along with discussions from the Park Committee and agricultural
interests.
Park
Committee. Unapproved minutes of the September 9 meeting
of the Park Committee included discussions regarding parking in the
new park and a recommendation to fill the vacancy on the Park Committee.
CORRESPONDENCE:
A
thank-you letter to the police department from The Manufacturing
Academy (Learning Fair).
A
thank-you letter to the fire department from The Manufacturing Academy
(Learning Fair).
A
thank-you letter to Spring Arbor Lumber for donating materials used
in the new park.
PUBLIC/BOARD
COMMENT--GENERAL: Public comment opened
at 9:24 p.m.
Trustee
Fortress. Trustee Fortress suggested that a note
of condolence be sent to Pat Rombyer. Motion was made by Fortress
and supported by Williams to approve the suggestion; carried.
Adjournment.
Motion was made by Ganton and supported by Williams
to adjourn the meeting at 9:27 p.m.; carried.
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