Township Board Minutes – May 8th, 2014
Helena Township Board Meeting
May 8th, 2014
Meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM with the Pledge of Allegiance by Supervisor Rick Teague. Present: Catherine Rice, David Peterson, Bonnie Robbins and Butch Bartz. Motion to approve agenda by Robbins with support by Bartz and motion carried.
Conflict of Interest: None
Public Comment: Sheriff Dan Bean gave the board a copy of the countys 2013 annual report for the Sheriffs Department and the monthly report for April.
Approval of minutes: Motion by Robbins with support by Bartz to approve Marchs board meeting minutes with a correction and motion carried.
Treasurers Report: Township: Beginning balance as of April 1, 2014 $528,532.97
Receipts $40,235.88
Disbursements $26,665.54
Bank balance 04/30/14 $542,103.31
Motion to approve the Treasurers report by Teague with support by Robbins and motion carried.
Presentation of bills: April 1-30, 2014 – $17,226.10 and May 1-8, 2014 2,659.63
Speakers: Bob Logee, assessor, gave an update for the analysis for the equalized valuation for Helena Township for the assessment year: 2013/2014.
Communications: Spring clean-up day for Helena Township residents is June 7th, 2014 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon at the Depot parking lot in Alden. Notices will be put up including newspaper ads and township web page. A proposal from TLA for benthic barriers to be placed on the bottom of Aldens Safe Harbor in order to reduce the growth of Eurasian Mil Foil was discussed. Becky Norris provided additional information.
Committee Reports:
Zoning – Zoning Administrator Molby gave report for April.
Planning Commission Trustee Robbins reported that the meeting of the subcommittee to review the Walker Shores Site Plan Application has been rescheduled for May 28th at 5:00 PM. The regular meeting of the Planning Commission will be at 7:00 P.M. on May 28th.
Ambulance Authority No updates. Teague reported that the Ambulance Authority millage request from 0.65 to 1.0 mil will be on the August ballot.
Parks and Recreation Committee Steve Dell presented board with a proposal and estimate for a minor repair at the tennis courts. Hentco, tennis court specialist, gave an estimate of $250.00 to make the repair. Rice made the motion to accept the $250.00 proposal from Hentco with support by Teague and the motion carried. Steve Dell to contact Hentco.
Roads Bartz reported that Paige Road had been cleaned up and had additional gravel added.
Old Business: Teague reported that township has not yet received an estimate for the repairs to the community center unpaved driveway near the recycle bins and rear of the community center.
New Business: Teague presented estimate from Arndt Electric for replacing the damaged street light in front of the Methodist Church for $5,780.00. Bartz made the motion to accept Arndt Electrics estimate of $5,780.00 to replace the damaged street light in front of the Methodist Church with support by Teague and motion carried.
Teague presented board with a letter to decline to co-sign Walker Shores permit application for the construction of a centralized sewer system as defined under Part 41, Sewerage Systems, of the NREPA, P.A. 451 of 1994, located in the Walker Shores Development. For clarification, the Board has no position on the merits or demerits of the project. The reason for declining to co-sign the application is that it is the Townships intention to not assume any liability for the operation and maintenance of the system in the future. Rice made the motion to opt out/ decline to co-sign Walker Shores permit application for the construction of a centralized sewer system as defined under Part 41, Sewerage Systems, of the NREPA, P.A. 451 of 1994, located in the Walker Shores Development with support by Robbins and the motion carried.
Teague informed board that there are several trees at the Cemetery that need to be removed; some are in the countys right of way. Three estimates to be obtained for the tree removal.
Additional Public comment: Jim Gurr made comments about the good work that the assessor does.
Motion to pay bills: Bartz made the motion to pay the bills with support by Robbins and motion carried.
Meeting was adjourned at 7:45 PM.
Respectfully submitted, David G. Peterson Jr., Helena Township Clerk
David G. Peterson Jr.