Manchester Township Board meeting: CRC presentation, warming center discussed

Manchester Township Hall

by Sybil Kolon  

All board members except John Seefeld were present at the March 14 township board meeting. Also present was fire chief Bill Scully, assistant fire chief Mike Kouba, Dave Tamagne, Carol Wotring, Carl Werner and Matthew Bednarski.

Dave Tamagne, president of the board of the Community Resource Center (CRC), and its executive director, Carol Wotring, provided an update to the board about CRC activities.  The CRC is a nonprofit serving the village and four surrounding townships. Their mission is to empower individuals and families and to improve their quality of life. They serve residents In need who meet certain income limits. Much of their funding comes from Washtenaw County and the United Way. The CRC’s food pantry is one of their major programs. Other programs include assistance applying for state programs, use of computers, resume assistance, services for senior citizens and financial coaching, among others. They plan to do a pop-up food pantry in other locations. The board was impressed with the services offered. The CRC asked the township to help get the word out about their services.

Fire Chief Scully provided the monthly report for February. There were 103 calls for service, including 61 during the ice storm. There were five fires, 27 EMS responses and 55 HAZMAT incidents. The board agreed to hire Matthew Bednarski as a probationary firefighter on the recommendation of Scully.

Supervisor Ron Milkey provided a brief report on zoning activity.  Permits were issued for two barns/garages. One variance was approved and one address issued.

Trustee Mike Fusilier, the township board’s representative on the planning commission, provided a summary of the last meeting. Work on amending the zoning ordinance for camping and use of cargo containers as storage units continues. The land preservation meeting last month was well attended. This topic was on the agenda later and the board agreed the planning commission should investigate programs to assist the township with farmland and natural area preservation. 

The township hall had been opened as a warming center during the extended power outage from the ice storm. Efforts are underway to locate suitable locations for warming centers in the greater Manchester area to be able to quickly provide such assistance in the future.

The board approved the ride schedule requested by the Huron Valley Night Hawks, who are allowed five ride dates each year under the terms of a consent agreement with the township. The approved dates are April 23, May 7, July 16, September 17 and October 1, with make up dates on May 21 and October 8.

Carl Werner is working to update the organization of the zoning ordinance, which has been amended many times since it was adopted in 1998. He is making good progress and expects to be done in a few months. The final product will not change the zoning ordinance but is intended to make it easier for township officials and the public to use and interpret. 

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.