HANDY TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2007
The regular meeting of the Handy Township Board of Trustees was called to order in the Handy Township Boardroom by Supervisor Denby at 7:30 P.M. Member present: Eisele, Tesch, Vaupel and Redinger. Members absent: none. Also present: Township Attorney-Kehoe, Zoning Administrator-Anderson, Jon Koets-Hartleb Insurance, Ken Cousino-Engineering Technologies, Kevin Shopshire and residents: Larry Hummel, Frank Munsell, Art Munsell and Wayne Moulton.
Approval of Agenda
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT VAUPEL TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED.
Brief Public Comments None
Pending Business
Discussion with insurance agent and attorney concerning sewer backup liability. No action taken.
Open Show Cause Hearing
MOTION VAUPEL SUPPORT EISELE TO CLOSE REGULAR BUSINESS SESSION AND OPEN THE SHOW CAUSE HEARING FOR ELNORA MUNSELL, 6850 MASON ROAD AT 7:45 P.M. MOTION CARRIED.
Zoning Administrator Anderson gave pictures, some aerial, to Board showing the progression of equipment being collected. Board discussed concern with the large amount of items being collected. Mr. Frank Munsell was present for his mother Elnora. He purchases items and reuses and recycles them to be used at the farm. Trailers are used for storage, bus engine is same as in tractors, semis are used to haul roll bales of hay, I beams will be used for construction of a barn at some later date, various pieces of equipment have been used for bagging sunflower seeds and corn. Mr. Munsell does not believe that he has any more stuff than any other farmer but because he keeps weeds and brush cut down and it is not spread out it is more obvious to passersby.
MOTION VAUPEL SUPPORT REDINGER TO CLOSE THE SHOW CAUSE HEARING FOR ELNORA MUNSELL AND RETURN TO REGULAR BUSINESS SESSION AT 8:14 P.M. MOTION CARRIED.
Handy Township Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Minutes of 7-10-07
Page 2
MOTION VAUPEL SUPPORT REDINGER TO CLOSE REGULAR BUSINESS SESSION AND OPEN THE SHOW CAUSE HEARING FOR FRANK MUNSELL, 6068 MASON ROAD AT 8:15 P.M. MOTION CARRIED.
Discussion continued with Mr. Frank Munsell concerning the equipment that is also on his property. Mr. Munsell stated that the equipment is useful to his farming operation.
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT REDINGER TO CLOSE THE SHOW CAUSE HEARING FOR FRANK MUNSELL, 6068 MASON ROAD AND RETURN TO REGULAR BUSINESS SESSION AT 8:21 P.M. MOTION CARRIED.
Close Show Cause Hearing
Board requested that Mr. Munsell carefully look over equipment to see if there are some things that could be gotten rid of so as to improve the look of the area and maybe some trees could be planted that would camouflage the equipment from the road. Mr. Munsell suggested that some equipment could be moved further back on the property so that it is not so visible from the road.
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT TESCH TO FIND ELNORA MUNSELL,
6850 MASON ROAD, NOT IN VIOLATION OF THE HANDY TOWNSHIP ZONING ORDINANCE CHAPTER 16, SECTION II, AS THE RESIDENT
HAS PROVEN THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE EQUIPMENT
ON THE PROPERTY IS USED IN THEIR FARMING OPERATION.
MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT TESCH TO FIND FRANK MUNSELL,
6068 MASON ROAD NOT IN VIOLATION OF THE HANDY TOWNSHIP ZONING ORDINANCE CHAPER 16.II AND 15.2(b)7 AS THE RESIDENT
HAS PROVEN THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE EQUIPMENT ON THE PROPERTY IS USED IN THEIR FARMING OPERATION.
MOTION CARRIED.
Minutes
Minutes of Regular Board Meeting of 6-12-2007
Page 4 First Tuesday should be changed to Second Tuesday
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT REDINGER TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF
6-12-07 AS AMENDED. MOTION CARRIED.
Minutes of Special Board Meeting of 6-19-07
MOTION REDINGER SUPPORT EISELE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF
6-19-2007 AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED.
Handy Township Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Minutes of 7-12-2007
Page 3
Approval of Bills
Clerk Eisele recommended a transfer of funds to close out the last budget year.
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT TESCH TO TRANSFER THE REMAINING BALANCE IN FUND # 101-890-999 CONTINGENCY FUND OF $19,993.45 AND FROM # 101-101-727.1 OFFICE SUPPLIES OF $244.47 TO #101-265-978.1 HALL AND GROUNDS FOR THE 2006-07 BUDGET YEAR. MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT TESCH TO PAY THE BILLS OF 7-10-2007 IN THE AMOUNT OF $72,393.31 FROM THE APPROPRIATE ACCOUNTS. MOTION CARRIED.
Pending Business
Ken Cousino-Engineering Technologies presented the report. County rejected the bids received on the W. Grand River project and they are now advertising for bids to finish the project west of Nicholson Road.
Presented Pay request E-16 for approval of payment
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT REDINGER TO APPROVE PAYMENT OF PAY REQUEST E-16 TO ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES IN THE AMOUNT
OF $8,479.76 AND TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERVISOR’S SIGNATURE.
MOTION CARRIED.
WWTP project all but one has now been paid. County hopes to final out project next week. Presented Pay request Mears #1 for approval of payment.
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT REDINGER TO APPROVE PAYMENT OF PAY REQUEST MEARS #1 IN THE AMOUNT OF $116,758.00 AND TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERVISOR’S SIGNATURE. MOTION CARRIED.
Presented Pay Request E-28 for approval of payment
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT TESCH TO APPROVE PAYMENT OF PAY REQUEST E-28 TO ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES IN THE AMOUNT
OF $2,350.01 AND TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERVISOR’S SIGNATURE.
MOTION CARRIED. ABSTAIN-VAUPEL
Chestnut Meadows final site plan approval was denied, must have the municipal sewer and water available before it can be approved. Mr. Cousino had sent a letter with three options for getting the sewer and water to the site but has had no response.
Handy Township Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Minutes of 7-12-2007
Page 4 (Pending Business cont.)
Zoning Administrator Anderson received a letter from the Post Office concerning building their new building. Attorney Kehoe has reviewed the letter and the information is substantially correct. He suggested that Mr. Anderson respond to the letter and request further information on the statutes that exempt them from any fees. Also if there are any problems with set backs it would be important that it is on record.
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT TESCH TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH WOLVERINE STATE ASSESSING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2007-2008 IN THE AMOUNT OF $62,000.00 AND TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERVISOR’S SIGNATURE. MOTION CARRIED.
Nothing further to report.
No report
No report
Current project is finished.
New Business
A RESOLUTION WAS OFFERED BY EISELE AND SUPPORTED BY VAUPEL TO ESTABLISH THE MILLAGE RATE OF 1.8697 FOR THE 2007-08 FISCAL YEAR. ROLL CALL VOTE. DENBY-AYE, VAUPEL-AYE, TESCH-AYE, REDINGER-AYE, EISELE-AYE. AYES-5, NAYS-0, ABSTAIN-0, ABSENT-0. RESOLTION DECLARED ADOPTED.
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT REDINGER TO ADOPT THE ZONING AMENDMENT Z-47-07, SIGN REGULATIONS-HISTORIC BARNS TO BE EFFECTIVE 7 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION. MOTION CARRIED.
Handy Township Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Minutes of 7-10-07
Page 5 (New Business Cont.)
Brief discussion of County’s recommendation to add “Set back” under item 7 after the phrase “required yard”
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT REDINGER TO ADOPT ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT Z-48-07, TRUCK TERMINALS, AND TO ADD SET BACK UNDER ITEM 7 AFTER REQUIRED YARD TO BE EFFECTIVE 7 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION. MOTION CARRIED.
Brief discussion concerning the cost to purchase or lease the units. Clerk Eisele will be looking into furnace filters and rezoning the heat and air conditioning in the building. Board had no problem with continuing to rent the units but would like information concerning other options before making any decisions.
No report
Report presented and reviewed. Because of the holidays not all the accounts have been balanced this month.
Utility billing is getting busier. Clerk would like Board approval to look into cell phone for Zoning Administrator Anderson, he is often out in the field and there is no way to get a hold of him, which can be important if he is meeting someone who has called to say they are late or won’t be able to make the meeting. She also feels that it is not right that residents call the Supervisor’s personal phone, the Township should provide one to her for township business. Board would like Clerk to check into phones and plans.
Extended Public comments
Larry Hummel, Handy Township Planning Commission Chair, in reference to zoning amendment Z-48-07, stated that the reason that the term set back wasn’t in Item 7 is because required yard is already defined in the ordinance as having specific set back requirements so the phrase was redundant.
Handy Township Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Minutes of 7-10-07
Page 6
Adjournment
MOTION EISELE SUPPORT VAUPEL TO ADJOURN AT 9:25 P.M.
MOTION CARRIED.
Respectfully Submitted,
Pamela J. Hibbard
Handy Township Deputy Clerk
Laura A. Eisele
Township Clerk