MINUTES
LAKE CHARTER TOWNSHIP
BOARD MEETING
January 17, 2005
7:00 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The meeting was called to Order by Supervisor
John Gast at 7:00 p.m. The meeting
opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
ROLL CALL
Clerk Payne called the roll. Board members present were John Gast,
Supervisor; Gloria Payne, Clerk; Betty
Korcek, Treasurer; Terry Eichler, Trustee; William ABill@
Geukes, Trustee; Fritz Wolf, Trustee and Trustee Tom Carson. Ten visitors were present in the audience.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA & AGENDA AMENDMENTS
It was moved by Korcek seconded by Eichler to
approve the agenda. All ayes, motion
carried.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes -
Regular Board Meeting December 20, 2004
Minutes - Special Board Meeting December 29,
2004
It was moved by Korcek seconded by Carson to
approve the minutes of the regular December 20, 2004 board meeting. All ayes, motion carried.
It was moved by Geukes seconded by Eichler to
approve the minutes of the Special Board meeting December 29, 2004. All ayes, motion carried.
PUBLIC COMMENT
James and Suzanne Russell were present and
offered samples of junk car ordinances.
They are concerned about a neighboring property that is an eyesore. They offered to sit on a committee to draft
an ordinance for Lake Township to rectify this situation.
APPROVAL OF BILLS
After a few explanations, it was moved by
Korcek seconded by Wolf to approve the December 2004 bills totaling
$218,949.82. All ayes, motion carried.
COMMUNICATIONS/CORRESPONDENCE PACKET
The following information was included in
board members packets: MTA Faxes; Lake Township Water Filtration Plant monthly
report; Lake Michigan Mailers postage savings statement; Galien River Sanitary
Sewer District Authority meeting minutes and project status update; Medic I
Agenda and bills; Baroda Township minutes and bills; Bridgman Public Library
meeting minutes; Southwestern Michigan Commission Twin CATS Technical Advisory
Committee and Policy Committee agenda and minutes; Minutes of the Utility Board
and Lake Charter Township 2005 Budget Summary Income and Expenses.
Letter from Southwestern Michigan Commission;
a magazine publication spotlighting Medic I Ambulance; Letter from
International Union of Operating Engineers regarding the sewer expansion
project; Letter from Lakeshore Schools; Letter from McKeel Construction; Letter
from Wightman & Associates, Inc., Letter from the United States EPA.
REPORTS
B.
Supervisor=s Report
Supervisor Gast reported as follows:
a.
Attended Galien
River Sewer District Authority meeting;
b.
Attended Medic
One meeting;
c.
Attended
Utility Board meeting;
d.
Attended Park
Committee meeting;
e.
Attended Growth
Alliance meeting;
f.
Attended CEO
Cornerstone meeting;
g.
Attended Twin
CATS Transportation Planning meeting;
h.
Attended
Supervisor=s meeting;
i.
Attended
Library Board meeting;
j.
Attended Fire
Chief Committee joint meeting with City/Township;
k.
Attended
Bridgman Chamber of Commerce meeting;
l.
Attended
Brownfield meeting;
m.
Attended
Special meeting.
B.
Clerk=s Report
Clerk Payne reported as follows:
a.
Attended
Special meeting on December 29, 2004;
b.
Attended
Brownfield meeting on December 30, 2004;
c.
Met with
Bridgman Schools and signed the agreement for the School election to be held in
May, 2005;
d.
Attended
Community Growth Alliance meeting January 6, 2005;
e.
Hosted a voting
equipment demonstration with Louise Stine, Berrien County Clerk on January 7,
2005;
f.
Met with
Chikaming Township regarding River Valley Schools election to be held in May,
2005;
g.
Attended
Chamber of Commerce meeting on January 14, 2005.
C. Treasurer=s Report
Treasurer Korcek reported as
follows:
a.
Attended
Special meeting on December 29, 2004;
b.
Attended
Utility Board meeting;
c.
Attended Growth
Alliance meeting.
Collected winter taxes totaling
$712,469.58.
D.
Planning
Commission Report
Trustee Wolf reported the Planning
Commission chose their five member board.
Received an updated plan on the Barn Creek PUD. Held a public hearing for St. Joe Tool
regarding rezoning. Held a public
hearing for Carl Companion on a rezoning request.
E. Water Superintendent=s Report
Water Superintendent Beach
reported he attended the Utility Board meeting. The brick work on the reservoir is complete. Dave Kunde has looked over the job and
declared it Awell done.@ The water plant personnel is in the process
of scraping and grinding #1 clair cone.
F. GRSD Sewer Authority
Report
There was nothing reported under
this agenda item, due to no meeting held.
G. Police
Department
Trustee Eichler reported work is
being done on the 2005/2006 budget.
Additional investigation is being done on the additional B&E=s that have occurred.
H.
Fire
Department/Fire Chief
Trustee Eichler reported Jeff Moses held
training for the firefighters on the new fire truck. Four individuals have requested first responder training and
three individuals have requested training in ice and rescue.
IX.
Park Report
Trustee Wolf reported the shingles on the
pavilion are underway. The masonry work
is a little behind due to inclement weather.
Twelve moles have been trapped and killed. Paving will take place as soon as the weather breaks.
J.
Library Report
In the absence of Lillian Svitil, Carol
Siewert reported the architect is going through the final list. The roof has been corrected after concerns
regarding leaks were detected. Carol
publicly thanked Tom Carson for generously offering to make a bench, to scale,
for the children in front of the cottage reading area.
K.
Utility
Committee Report
Supervisor Gast reported the board met with
Larry Merritt and asked him to produce cost estimates for upgrading from
12" main to 16" main which encompasses Snow Road and California west
to the railroad tracks. The water
contract with Chikaming Township was reviewed and suggested language changes
made. It was also suggested to renew
for a 20-year period. Received
information of a service that cleans the water tower with a robotic arm. A suggested list of contractors was
presented and suggested to be used for township projects.
AGENDA ITEMS
A.
Year-End Building Department Report
Supervisor Gast presented to board members
the 2004 Building Department report which was placed on file.
B. Roster of
Fire Department Officers
Supervisor Gast presented to the board the recommended
officers for 2005. Harold Heyn,
Assistant Chief; Dan Scheer, Captain, Tony Jones and Jeff Burch, Lieutenants,
Gerald Wasko, Engineer, Dan Daniels, Medical Officer and Dwight Hays, Safety
Officer. It was moved by Eichler
seconded by Korcek to adopt the 2005 Lake Charter Township Fire Department
Officers as presented. All ayes, motion
carried.
C. First
Responder/Ice Rescue Training
Supervisor Gast brought before board members the
request for training in ice rescue and first responder. Jenine Lewis, Derek Warnke and Tony Jones
have requested ice rescue training at the Berrien Springs Fire Department
$100.00 per student, to be held February 13, 2005. Brian Thomas, Brenda Smith, Jason Winegardner and Darin Hays have
requested medical first responder training at Chikaming Township Fire
Department $300.00 per student, to be held February 7, 2005 through April 27,
2005. It was moved by Payne seconded by
Wolf to approve funding for first responder and ice rescue training. All ayes, motion carried.
D. Application
for Fire Department
Supervisor Gast presented an application for
employment for the position of firefighter.
After discussion, this agenda item was tabled since the applicant is 19
years old, still in high school and to check with our insurance carrier
regarding age limitations and to check with the fire departments bylaws
regarding how old an applicant must be.
It was moved by Eichler seconded by Carson to table this agenda item
until the February 21, 2005 board meeting.
All ayes, motion carried.
E. Replacement
of Water Main
Supervisor Gast brought before board members the
preliminary cost estimate for the Snow Road Water main replacement. Larry Merritt of Merritt Engineering, Lake
Charter Township=s engineer provided pricing for this project for
alternate pipe sizing from 12 inch to 16 inch.
After discussion is was recommended that a special board meeting be set
to discuss what to put into a bid to let bids on this project.
F. Rezoning
Request - Companion
Supervisor Gast brought before board members the
rezoning request of Carl Companion, Parcel #11-11-0030-0019-01-7 from Res/Ag
Residential to L1 Limited Industrial.
This was reviewed by the Lake Charter Township Planning Commission and
they have recommended approval of the
request. The Berrien County Planning
Commission reviewed the request and they agreed with the Planning Commission
and recommended that the adjacent parcel be re-zoned to make a continuous
industrial area. After discussion it
was moved by Carson seconded by Wolf to accept the Berrien County Planning
Commission=s recommendation for rezoning of the property and set
a public hearing for February 21, 2005 for rezoning of the adjacent property,
Property No. 11-11-0030-0019-01-7 from Red/Ag to L1 Limited Industrial. All ayes, motion carried.
G. Rezoning
Request - St. Joe Tool
H.
Attendance to 52nd MTA Educational Conference
Supervisor Gast reported that the 52nd MTA Educational
Conference is scheduled to be held in Detroit January 24 - January 28,
2005. Board members wishing to attend
include Supervisor John Gast, Clerk Gloria Payne and Trustees William ABill@
Geukes and Fritz Wolf. It was moved by
Korcek seconded by Wolf to approve attendance of board members to the 52nd
MTA Educational Conference. All ayes,
motion carried.
I.
Resignation of Fire Chief Elwood ASkip@ Munson
Supervisor Gast presented to board members a letter from Elwood ASkip@
Munson, resigning as the joint Fire Chief of Lake Charter Township and City of
Bridgman effective April 1, 2005. It
was moved by Carson seconded by Eichler to accept the resignation of the Fire
Chief Elwood ASkip@
Munson. All ayes, motion carried.
J.
Laptop Computers for Water Department
Supervisor Gast presented an estimate from 2nd Look Laptops
for two (2) laptop computers each at $1,779.00 for the water department outside
maintenance personnel. The laptops
would be used in conjunction with the GIS arcview software showing where water
lines, sewer lines and telephone lines are buried. It was moved by Payne seconded by Korcek to approve the purchase
of two (2) laptop computers for $3,558.00 for water department personnel. All ayes, motion carried.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Mike Jasper asked whether Lake Township had contacted Chikaming
Township regarding whether they are willing to share in the cost of the
oversized water main pipes? Supervisor
Gast responded they had discussed this issue and Chikaming Township would
either share in the cost or make it up in the sale of the water.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The next regular meeting is scheduled for February 21, 2005 at 7:00
p.m., Lake Township Hall, Bridgman, Michigan.
Lake Charter Township Planning Commission is scheduled for February 7,
2005 at 7:00 p.m., Lake Charter Township Hall, Bridgman, Michigan.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further objection and no further business it was moved by
Korcek seconded by Carson to adjourn the meeting. All ayes. Motion
carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
Dated:______________ _______________________________
Gloria A. Payne, Clerk
Dated:______________ _______________________________
John Gast, Supervisor