Manchester Township Board discusses event barns, new fire truck, and wireless grants

Manchester Township Hall

by Sybil Kolon, Community Reporter Corps

Editor’s note: This article has been updated from a previously published version to more accurately reflect information regarding potential legal action.

The October 13 Manchester Township board meeting was held in person at the Manchester Township Hall. All board members were present, as well as fire chief Bill Scully. There were about 14 other members of the public in attendance, including Village President Pat Vailliencourt. Chairs were spaced to provide distance between people and everyone was observed to be wearing masks.

There was no discussion during the meeting regarding the need for social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. In a conversation subsequent to the meeting, Trustee Ron Milkey indicated that Clerk Danell Proctor was very concerned with social distancing to meet current guidelines. Using the square footage of the room, the board required a few people to listen from adjoining areas in order to comply with the guidelines.

Fire chief Bill Scully provided the monthly report. A grant was received to provide additional pay for fire fighters during the pandemic. A new fire truck is needed. Bids will be solicited and the process is expected to take up to a year for approval. The department is one of several in a group that has received a grant for $1.4 million to purchase specialized extrication equipment that will be available to participating departments.

Scully also discussed the ambulance that is housed at to fire hall to provide better ambulance coverage. It has been used only a few times and coverage from adjacent areas has increased, so he plans to return that unit to Huron Valley Ambulance to make room for storing more equipment in the fire hall.

The Zoning administrator was not present and no report was discussed.

Trustee and planning commission representative John Seefeld reported on the recent planning commission meeting. There was discussion and public comment regarding event barns. The effort several years ago to permit an event barn is still on the mind of those neighbors. At least one member of the public was interested in allowing farmers to have additional activities, as long as they weren’t disruptive to neighbors. The discussion about accessory dwelling units was also discussed. Any proposed changes to the zoning ordinance will come to the township board for approval. The township board and planning commission will hold another joint meeting on November 12 at 7 pm to discuss enforcement.

Trustee Lisa Moutihno said that Mercury Wireless had received a grant that will provide wireless internet to some portion of Manchester Township. Details are unknown at this time.

There was public comment on two major issues. There were a few comments about concerns with event barns, as discussed under the planning commission report.

Andy Bobo spoke for the duration of his time at the initial public comment session and again at the final one, regarding the operation of a house he built on the island in the Iron Creek Mill Pond. He did not understand the reason for the board’s vote last month regarding his activities. The approved minutes of the September township board meeting state the board had voted to file “a lawsuit in Circuit Court for the zoning and building code violations on AshKay Island, including the operation of a short-term rental” and to join “the current litigation against AshKay Island in the Court of Appeals as recommended by the Township attorneys.” Five people spoke in favor of Bobo’s operation on the island and did not support or understand the reason for the township’s actions.

Trustee Milkey indicated in a subsequent conversation that at least a few members of the board are aware of the need for the township to clearly communicate regarding the reasons for the proposed litigation. He later indicated the township will be providing information to The Mirror regarding the township’s involvement with the matter.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.