Helena Township Board Meeting
July 14, 2011
The meeting was called to order at 7:01 PM by Penny Wagner and pledge of allegiance was said. Present: Wagner, Peterson, Gurr, Teague and Rice. Motion to approve agenda with additions under old and new business by Wagner with support by Gurr, motion carried. Six people in audience.
Conflict of Interest: None
Public Comment: Jim Swan commented on the landscaping at the car wash that the plantings were small and looked dead and there was no irrigation. Board directed the zoning administrator to investigate.
Michele Mac Master commented on the previous informational meeting (Helena Township Library becoming a district library) held by the Helena Township Public Library and the Helena Township Boards and does not support the proposal to become a district library.
Approval of minutes: Gurr made motion to approve as written the minutes from with support from Wagner and motion passed.
Treasurer’s Report: Library beginning balance as of June1, 2011 $84,220.25
Receipts $353.41
Disbursements $8,466.59
Bank balance as of 05/31/2011 $76,107.07
Two CD’s; $48,258.93 and $15,718.44
As of 06/30/2011, 2011 Total Assets $140,084.44
Total 2010 Millage $102,370.00
Township beginning balance as June 1, 2011 $333,586.68
Receipts $21,088.97
General Fund Disbursements $23,935.54
Cemetery & Bldg. $72,864.16
Total Disbursements $96,799.70
TOTAL BANK BALANCE as of June 30, 201 $257,875.95
Motion to approve treasurer’s report by Gurr, support by Teague, motion carried.
Presentation of bills: Township: June 1-30, 2011: $86,153.91 and July 1-14, 2011: $23,578.41
Speakers: None
Communications: Sheriff’s report reviewed
Committee reports: Zoning administrator. Molby gave report. Questions from audience member Jim Swan were referred to Molby who will contact car wash owners.
Planning Commission: Audience member Jim Swan, chairman of Planning Commission, reported that the Planning Commission reviewed zoning ordinance language changes provided by Bzdok. The commission has yet to receive final draft from Bzdok’s office. The Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing for Wednesday, August 3rd for the zoning ordinance changes. These changes to the zoning ordinance will be on the Helena Township web page.
Ambulance authority: Rick Teague reported that the final building inspection for occupancy has been completed for the renovated fire dept. building in Mancelona.
Parks & Recreation: Peterson reported, that at the previous Parks and Recreation meeting, he informed the committee that there is a real threat to the native plants at Coy Mountain due to extensive areas of garlic mustard; an invasive species. There needs to be a coordinated effort next spring to go in and pull garlic mustard plants.
Old business: Wagner presented board with the revised lease for the Helena Township Public Library for the period of July 1, 2011 through June 30th, 2014. Discussion followed. Wagner made motion to approve the library lease as written with support by Rice and motion passed. Lease to be sent to the Helena Township Public Library board and will contain June’s CPI for the amount the rent will be increased when available by the state.
Gurr made the motion to make the final payment (6% withheld from original contract) to Pete’s Contracting for the new docks at the Alden harbor. Support from Teague and motion passed.
Wagner informed the board that money could be saved by publishing a synopsis of the monthly township board meetings. It is the board’s desire that a synopsis of the monthly board meetings be published in the Antrim Review. The deputy clerk, Bonnie Robbins, to be responsible for updating the Helena Township web page with the complete township board monthly meeting’s minutes. Complete Helena Township board monthly meeting’s minutes are also posted outside the Helena Township Public Library on the bulletin board each month.
New Business: Board discussed the proposal from the Helena Township Library to become a district library. Comments from board members and audience members were listened to. It is the general consensus of the Helena Township Board that the request by board member Jim Gurr be sent in writing to the Helena Township Public Library board in lieu of a vote. Gurr recommended that a letter be sent to the library board indicating that the Helena Township Board feels it is inadvisable for the Helena Township Public Library to pursue becoming a District library.
Announcements: Rice informed the board that Bob Logee, assessor, needs to replace his printer with a new laser printer and that Helena Township and Custer Township would split the cost of the new printer. Rice made the motion for Logee to purchase the laser printer, approximately $50.00 per township with support by Teague and motion passed.
Additional Public Comment: None
Motion to pay bills by Wagner, support Gurr, and motion passed.
Meeting adjourned at 8:16 PM.
Respectfully submitted, Helena Township Clerk
David G. Peterson Jr.
David G. Peterson Jr.