Manchester Township Board Meeting report

Manchester Township Hall

by Sybil Kolon

All board members were present at the May 14 board meeting except Kim Thompson. Also present were fire chief Bill Scully, Carl Werner, and several other members of the public.

Lt. Al Hunt with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department provided information on services provided by the department in the past month and the general level of coverage provided. Lt. Hunt explained that as a non-contracting entity, Manchester Township is served by two at-large deputies who respond to calls if the Michigan State Police are not able to respond in a timely manner. In addition, the county provides animal control throughout the whole county. There were 22 calls for service from Manchester Township in May. The City of Manchester and Lodi Township contract with the department for one deputy for $177,000 per year. That officer will go to the surrounding area if there is a life-threatening emergency when other deputies are not in the vicinity. The department is down 10 positions and will pay for training successful applicants.

Fire chief Bill Scully provided the monthly report for April. There were 45 calls for service, including 28 EMS responses, two fires, and two HAZMAT incidents. They have a potential buyer for the old fire truck.

Zoning Administrator Carl Macomber reported that zoning permits were issued in April for four pole barns/garages, one pool, and one residential rooftop solar installation. Some cleanup is being done to address recent blight violations. Macomber attended the pretrial hearing regarding a dog attack on livestock last year. A hearing has been scheduled for June 3. Macomber reported that two dogs that attacked rabbits and sheep are still present. The owner of the livestock wants those dogs removed. This case was discussed later in the meeting.

The township attorney has sent a letter to the property owner and tenant for continued blight issues on Lakeside Drive. Macomber stated that a wooden fence is being erected and there has been some cleanup of the blight but there are still several vehicles in various states of disrepair that are likely unlicensed. Supervisor Ron Milkey indicated the resident on Lakeside Drive had not responded to the township attorney’s letter, which informed the occupant of the township’s intent to pursue litigation if the violations are not corrected. Milkey discussed the blight case with the township attorney, who proposed continuing to issue violation notices that would increase the fines to obtain compliance. Two other options for taking the case to court were considered. After much discussion, the board voted to have the township attorney file a lawsuit asking the court to issue a judgment without a hearing.

Milkey reported that progress is being made on asset division between the city and township and he hopes it will be agreed to by the end of June. The township has been in touch with the contractor who is upgrading the parking lot across from the township hall after delays. Last month, the board decided the initial size of the parking lot was not adequate and needs to be widened.

Milkey indicated that the terms of two planning commissioners are ending. Carl Werner had just been appointed to the planning commission in the past few months. The board voted to reappoint Werner to the planning commission. The term of Sybil Kolon has also ended. She had submitted a letter agreeing to serve another term. Milkey advocated for appointing Kolon to the Manchester Community Joint Planning Commission. This would be an at-large position and that person could not also be an elected or appointed official. The City of Manchester must also approve this appointment. Kolon indicated she is willing to serve on the MCJPC. The board voted to appoint Kolon to the MCJPC. The township will again post the vacancy on the planning commission.

The board appointed Tom Ash to serve on the zoning board of appeals.

The board voted to set a special budget workshop to discuss how the village becoming a city affects the budget for Monday, May 20, at 5:30pm. There will be another budget workshop on June 17 at 7 pm and a budget hearing on June 24 at 7 pm to decide on the township budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.

Milkey was contacted by the owner of the partially demolished house on West Austin Road. The township has been seeking action on this case for over a year. The demolition began this winter with the removal of asbestos siding, but no work has been done since. The Western Washtenaw Construction Authority issued a violation due to lack of a demolition permit. The township had also issued a violation of the dangerous building ordinance for lack of progress, including a $50 fine. The owner requested the township to waive the fee on the township violation because he didn’t believe he should have to pay that and the WCCA fine. The owner has now received a demolition permit and expects work to begin within a few weeks. The board voted to enforce the violation and require payment of the $50 fine.

The board discussed the case regarding the dog attack on neighboring rabbits and sheep. The owner of the animals that were attacked has asked the township to enforce the state dog act of 1919, which requires the township to hold a hearing to determine if the dogs should be destroyed. Both parties were in the audience and participated in the discussion. Macomber had also visited the premises where the dogs are kept and confirmed the owners have taken measures to better contain their dogs and the owners indicated they are planning to do more.

The plaintiff would like the two dogs to be removed from the property, as there had been one other incident with the same dogs a year earlier. The township agreed to hold the requested hearing. If the parties can settle the matter between themselves the township board will not need to hold the hearing. There were a few public comments.

Neighbors of the blight on Lakeside Drive indicated appreciation for the planned court action. There are also issues with loose dogs and the junk cars continue to be a visual and safety concern. It was noted that two current trustees had not filed to run in the August primary but that there is still the opportunity to file to run as an independent sometime in July.

There was another comment on the history of Iron Mill Pond.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

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.