Spring
Arbor Township Board Minutes: October 11, 2004
The
regular meeting of the Spring Arbor Township Board was held Monday,
October 11, 2004, at 7:31 p.m., with the following members present:
Supervisor Will DeGraaf, Clerk Randi DeVries, Treasurer Gloria Melchiori,
Trustees Troy Ganton, Patricia Short and Brent Williams. Trustee
Marston Fortress arrived at 7:37 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance
was led by Supervisor DeGraaf.
Guests
were: Joe Filip, Bruce Wallace, Todd Zeller, Charles Ragain, Tim
McEldowney and Jeff Kurfess.
Public
Comment: Public comment opened at 7:34 p.m.
Joe
Filip introduced himself as a candidate for District Court Judge.
Public comment closed at 7:38 p.m.
Expenditures.
Motion was made by Short and supported by Williams
to approve the following expenditures for September 2004: General
Fund vouchers #41154-41296 totaling $53,276.65; Fire Department
Fund vouchers #41155-41298 totaling $29,500.67; Street Light Fund
expenditures totaling $2,970.79; Public Improvement Fund expenditures
totaling $62.54; Building Inspection Fund expenditures totaling
$5,726.92; Falling Waters Endowment Fund expenditures totaling $220.25;
Sewer O & M Fund expenditures totaling $40,703.68; and Water
O & M Fund expenditures totaling $2,693.84. Roll call: 7 yes.
Consent
Agenda. Motion was made by Williams and supported
by Short to approve the following items under the consent agenda
consisting of the regular meeting minutes of September 13, the financial
report for September 2004, Policy & Communication minutes of
February 9 and September 30, Sewer & Water Committee minutes
of August 23, Planning Commission minutes of September 7, Park Committee
minutes of September 9, Land Use Subcommittee minutes of September
9, and the Senior Center Advisory Board minutes of September 21;
carried. The financial report showed the following balances as
of September 30:
General
Fund Cash
$49,399.25
Certificate
of Deposit
197,241.32
Fire
Operations Cash
(38,381.43)
Fire
Operations CD
30,237.44
Street
Light Fund
(2,553.94)
Public
Improvement Fund
(21,460.14)
P.I.F.
Certificate of Deposit
114,142.29
Building
Inspection Fund
55,167.31
Falling
Waters Endowment Fund
(973.42)
Falling
Waters Endowment Fund CD
11,624.20
Sewer
Funds
1,294,142.55
Water
Funds
181,275.92
Trust
& Agency Funds
0.00
Current
Taxes
473,429.24;
motion
carried.
REPORTS:
A.
Police and Fire Report. There were 34 medical rescue
runs, one fire alarm, no mutual aid calls, four fire runs, one carbon
monoxide incident, and no bomb threats or Hazmat responses during
September. Police statistics include: 198 complaints, nine accidents,
46 tickets, 33 verbal warnings, five arrests, three semis ticketed
and eight back-up calls to other departments.
B.
MTA E-News for October 2004. The MTA E-News for
October included information regarding the Diamond award given to
MTA for the web site, emerald ash borer tree removal program, grants
and conferences, a broadband grant program, legal counsel opinion,
upcoming workshops, annual conference information and how to E-mail
the MTA.
C.
Strategic Planning Goal #1. Goal #1, assigned to
Supervisor DeGraaf, was to expand the sewer and water systems.
DeGraaf reported that letters will be sent out soon for the water
expansion program in King Rd. Subdivision with a due date of November
8.
D.
Strategic Planning Goal #10. Goal #10, assigned
to Clerk DeVries, is to analyze township operations. DeVries suggested
getting the financial aspect of the sewer and water funds automated.
E.
Supervisor’s Report. Advised the board: of the
status of ongoing projects; of the planned construction of a right-turn
lane at M-60 and Emerson Rd; of a resolution to increase royalty
fees to Millennium Digital Media; of an ordinance to control grass
and noxious weeds; of information received from the Enterprise Group;
of repairs to the water tower by Summit Township; of the current
status of problem resolution with the new fire truck; and, of construction
at M-60 and Dearing Rd. for a traffic light in the fall of 2005.
UNFINISHED
BUSINESS:
A.
1976 Fire Truck . The board members discussed the
offer received from Pulaski Township for the 1976 fire truck that
the township has for sale. Motion was made by Short and supported
by Williams to table the issue for now regarding the bid; carried.
B.
Web Site/Newsletter. Discussion was held regarding
the option of sending a newsletter to township residents. A suggestion
was made to include in the December tax bills, a notification that
paying taxes and or sewer and water bills with a credit card was
available online at the township web site. Motion was made by
Short and supported by Williams that in lieu of distributing a newsletter,
we will insert with the tax and sewer bills, and explanation of
how a resident can use either a credit or debit card to pay his
or her taxes, sewer and water bills; carried.
Suggestions
for news articles on the web site: update on parks, fire truck,
new basketball court, traffic light on Dearing Rd., and any new
history connections (Becky Cunningham).
NEW
BUSINESS:
A.
Hours for Deputies. Motion was made by Short and
supported by Williams that in an emergency situation when an officer
needs more hours from his deputy or secretary, she/he may have the
authority to grant those extra hours at regular pay per hour or
for comp time, and that at the next Board meeting, the officer shall
report the number of hours, the method of compensation, and the
rationale; carried.
B.
Financial Audit for 2003-04 and Recommendations. Motion
was made by Ganton and supported by Fortress to accept the audit as
prepared; carried. Motion was made by Short and supported by Ganton
to have the Budget Committee review the recommendations and bring
back to the board at the November meeting; carried. Motion was made
by Fortress and supported by Short to purchase the Fixed Asset Software
from BS&A for up to $2,800. Roll Call: 7 yes.
C.
Conditional Use Permits for Norfolk Development.
Motion was made by Ganton and supported by Fortress to accept the
recommendation of the Planning Commission to approve the Conditional
Use Permit application made by Norfolk Development (C04-3) for parcel
#000-12-01-226-003-00; carried. Motion was made by Ganton and
supported by Williams to accept the recommendation of the Planning
Commission to approve the Conditional Use Permit application made
by Norfolk Development (C04-4) for parcel #000-12-01-226-005-00;
carried.
D.
Resolution to increase royalty fee. Motion was
made by Short and supported by Williams to approve the resolution
to increase the royalty fee to Millennium Digital Media. Roll
Call: 7 yes.
E.
Grass & Noxious Weeds Ordinance. Motion was
made by Ganton and supported by Fortress to approve the Grass &
Noxious Weeds Ordinance. Roll Call: 7 yes.
F.
Used Car Lot Renewal Application. Motion was made
by Ganton and supported by Fortress to approve the renewal application
received from Sheila Sayles for the operation of a used car lot;
carried.
G.
Extra Hours for Deputy Clerk. Motion was made by
Fortress and supported by Williams to approve 25 to 30 extra hours
for the Deputy Clerk to work on the November election; carried.
H.
Extra Hours for Deputy Treasurer. Motion was made
by Melchiori and supported by Williams to approve up to 15 hours
for the Deputy Treasurer to work on placing the assessor street
lights on the tax roll; carried.
I.
Budget Committee Appointment. Motion was made by
Short and supported by DeVries to have Brent Williams appointed
to the Budget Committee for a one-year term; carried.
J.
Halloween. The Supervisor asked for the board to
establish trick-or-treat hours for Halloween. The board declined
to establish hours.
K.
Policy Amendment. Motion was made by Fortress and
supported by Williams to have the Supervisor, Clerk and Treasurer
develop a vacation policy as part of the benefits package and to
report to the board by the December meeting; carried.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Building
Permit Report. The report of building permits issued
during the month of September showed new homes and miscellaneous
permits for a total value of $959,000.00.
Assessing/Building
Report. During the month of September, six new home
permits were issued, for a total of 55 year to date. The Assessor
reported that a permit was also issued for the addition to the Art
Building on the university campus. He also reported on the increase
to the State Equalized Value and will be working on the residential
roll and reviewing new construction through the end of the year.
Z.B.A.
Meeting of September. The Zoning Board of Appeals had
no variance requests.
Sewer
& Water Committee. Unapproved minutes of the
Sewer & Water Committee meeting of September 20 included replacement
of a check valve at the College St. lift station, leaks at the water
tower, a request for the township to pay the cost difference between
an 8" main and 12" main for the King Rd. Subdivision water
expansion plan, and a note that the developer (Arborwood) will take
care of the water main from Village Green Blvd. to Stonehaven Rd.
Land
Use Subcommittee. Unapproved minutes of the September
23 meeting of the Land Use Subcommittee included a futuring discussion
with local business people.
Planning
Commission. Unapproved minutes of the October 5 meeting
of the Planning Commission included a Site Plan Review for Magnolia
Park and two Conditional Use Permits for Norfolk Development Corp.
Township rezoning was also discussed, along with copies of the
zoning ordinance for further study.
Senior
Center Newsletter. The Senior Center Newsletter of
September 1, 2004 was received.
CORRESPONDENCE:
Thank-you
notes to the fire department from Stan Gibbs.
A
thank-you note to the fire department from the family of Fire Chief
Williams (Somerset).
Thank-you
letters to Leland Prebble, Lloyd Ganton and Spring Arbor University
for donating time and/or materials used in the new park.
Thank-you
note from Laverta Umbaugh for changes made in the cemetery.
Thank-you
card from Ed & Ellen Hunt for their new blacktop road (Hammond
Rd.).
PUBLIC/BOARD
COMMENT--GENERAL: Public comment opened
at 9:14 p.m.
No
public comment.
Adjournment.
Motion was made by Ganton and supported by Williams
to adjourn the meeting at 9:15 p.m.; carried.
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