Manchester Township honors former trustee, Carl Macomber

Manchester Township Hall

by Sybil Kolon, Community Reporter Corps

The May 11 township board meeting was held in person. All board members except John Seefeld were present. Also present were zoning administrator Carl Macomber, fire chief Bill Scully, and a few members of the public.

At the beginning of the meeting, supervisor Ron Milkey read a resolution recognizing Carl Macomber’s service to Manchester Township. The board thanked him “for over four decades of dedicated leadership to our community and wishes him a well-earned retirement that is both fulfilling and enjoyable.” Macomber was very appreciative, but did not offer any statement. Macomber stepped down as a board trustee last year, and was replaced by the appointment of Mike Fusilier, who was subsequently elected to the position in November.

Fire Chief Bill Scully of the Manchester Fire Department provided the monthly report for April. There were 43 calls for service, including eight fires and 21 EMS responses.

Macomber reported eight zoning permits were requested, including two residences, one garage, and two swimming pools. He is also working to resolve some blight issues.

In the absence of John Seefeld, the township board representative on the planning commission, Milkey reported receipt from the planning commission of proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance to allow accessory dwelling units. He asked the board to review for action next month. Sybil Kolon was reappointed to a three-year term on the planning commission.

Milkey reported having met with two members of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s department. Milkey told them “we don’t have a lot of call for police services” but acknowledged some speeding issues on West Austin Road and issues with vandalism at Reynold’s cemetery on Ely Road. The sheriff will make an effort to swing by periodically. Due to county staffing issues, the WCSO has only one of two county-wide patrol cars available for portions of the county that don’t contract for service.

Trustee Lisa Moutinho reported the county broadband task force had presented information to the county board of commissioners that the broadband grant received does not cover about 1,000 parcels in the county, including more than 100 in Manchester Township. Commissioners were open to using some of the county’s American Rescue Plan funds, expected from the federal government, to address this gap. The task force will request quotes to serve these parcels for consideration by the county.

Milkey reported the new owners of the Manchester Market expect to purchase the vacant parcel east of the market and want the recycling bins to be moved. The board discussed various options, including moving them closer to the township hall on township owned property. There has been an issue with people leaving trash there, and the need for monitoring was discussed. Milkey will meet with the manager of the WWRA to discuss possible locations.

Moutinho proposed the board adopt a policy for appointments to various committees. She believes the board should establish a more transparent process. It was mentioned that most people won’t consider applying unless asked. Moutinho stated, “having someone come and ask you, it perpetuates ... the ‘good old boys’ network.” There was general agreement that a more transparent process could help to encourage more participation. Moutinho agreed to draft a policy for consideration.

Milkey reported briefly on the public hearing by the state boundary commission regarding the Village of Manchester’s petition to become a city. There were relatively few comments. The board is expected to issue a decision on Aug. 25. If approved, the process is still expected to take more than a year, subject to a vote by village residents.

Milkey reported the AshKay Island issue is not yet resolved. The court has determined reservations for short term rentals made before January could be honored. However, the township is not precluded from taking enforcement action. The property owner, Andy Bobo, had sent a letter to the township stating he intends to continue renting for 30-day periods, which is not allowed under the current township zoning ordinance. The board passed a motion to authorize the supervisor to set up a meeting between the parties, including attorneys, to discuss the issues.

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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.