Manchester Township board hears of county plans

Manchester Township Hall

by Sybil Kolon

All board members except John Seefeld and Krista Jarvis were present at the February 14 township board meeting. Also present were fire chief Bill Scully, assistant fire chief Mike Kouba, county commissioner Shannon Beeman, and a few other members of the public.

Scully provided the monthly report for January. There were 48 calls for service, including 25 EMS responses, four fires, and one HAZMAT incident. Scully had reviewed the proposed contract renewal from the Clinton Fire Department, which the township has contracted with in the past to provide coverage for car accidents and other relatively minor incidents in parts of Manchester Township to which Clinton is closer. He recommended that the township not renew the contract, as the costs under the proposed contract could vary significantly, depending on the number of incidents. He confirmed the mutual aid between the departments for major fires will not be affected. Scully believes the township fire department can provide adequate coverage for about a dozen incidents a year in that area. The board agreed with his recommendation.

County commissioner Shannon Beeman, who serves our area, provided an update from the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. Beeman indicated there is additional funding through the Water Resources Commission using American Rescue Plan Act funds that could be used for culvert replacements. The township board will work with the road
commission to determine the need for such work.

Beeman also provided information about the county effort to establish an Advisory Council on Reparations. Township board members and the audience had several questions about that. Beeman explained that there are ongoing problems in the Black community the advisory council will address. The advisory council will develop a reparations plan. Beeman explained that people should not assume such efforts are focused on direct payments. The summary document provided has the following statement of intent of the reparations plan: “The plan will highlight ways that County policies have harmed Black lives and include specific actions to address redress [i.e. remedies] in the sectors of home ownership and access to other quality affordable housing, increasing business ownership and career opportunities, strategies to grow financial equity and generational wealth, closing the gaps in health care, education, employment and pay, neighborhood safety, and fairness within criminal justice.”

Another topic addressed by Beeman was the possible establishment of a Western Service Center in Chelsea where routine county business could be made more accessible to the west side of the county. The county is also creating a group to look at public transit for the west side of the county.

Supervisor Ron Milkey provided a brief report on zoning activity. A permit was issued for one residence. Two civil infraction violations were issued, including one to the homeowner on Lakeside Drive where there has been an ongoing blight issue. The second violation was for a house on West Austin Road that has been determined by the building inspector to be unsafe and should be demolished. The property owner has indicated they will cooperate.

Trustee Mike Fusilier, the township board’s new representative on the planning commission, provided a summary of the last meeting. After over a year of discussion, an amendment to the zoning ordinance to cover Agri-Tourism has been recommended to the township board for approval.

Milkey reported that the recycling bins being provided by WWRA no longer include bins with a separate glass-recycling compartment. Glass should be placed with the other materials. There is a question as to whether the glass mixed with other recyclables will be recycled, as any broken glass will not be put through the sorting system, due to potential damage. A security camera to monitor activity has been mounted. A decibel meter has been purchased to determine if any noise exceeds the limits in the village noise ordinance. An alternative location for the recycling bins has not been identified.

The board approved an additional $500 to help furnish a new senior citizens activity room at the former Ackerson School. Last month the board contributed funding to continue to help provide meals for senior citizens. All of the surrounding townships, the village, and the county had contributed to that effort.

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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.