Manchester Township Board meeting: FD calls are up; road repairs needed; and more details on remaining segment of Watkins Lake Trail

Manchester Township Hall

by Sybil Kolon  

All board members were present at the January 13 board meeting except Mike Fusilier. Also present were fire chief Mike Kouba, planning commissioner Jim Carpenter, and a few members of the public. 

There were public comments about a proposed sand and gravel mining operation in Norvell Township adjacent to Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve. It was noted there is an adjacent 80-acre parcel in Manchester Township owned by the same gravel company.

Kouba provided the monthly report for December. There were 70 calls for service, including two major fires. There were 640 calls for service in 2025, an increase of 16% from 2024. The December and 2025 incident totals were both the highest ever. Kouba mentioned the need to consider adding daytime staff. Meetings and trainings were completed as required. Kouba reported continued issues with the fire truck. The extended warranty was up in December and issues continue. Supervisor Ron Milkey explained the two major issues are the pump capacity and many electrical issues. The township is working to extend the warranty.

Milkey reported that zoning administrator Carl Macomber had issued a zoning permit for one deck. The previous blight on Stonyfield is being cleaned up by the new owner. Additional violation notices sent by registered mail to the resident and property owner on Lakeview Drive regarding the ongoing blight issues were not picked up and the matter has been referred to the district court for enforcement action.

Milkey reported on two new complaints in the Twin Lakes area on Lakeview and Lakeside drives, one of which involved dredging that may be affecting a neighboring property and the other of which involves access at a dead end. 

After comments about the proposed mine in Norvell Township made at the planning commission last week, Milkey spoke with the supervisor, Bill Sutherland, who assured them they are taking the proposal seriously. He offered to talk in more detail and Milkey plans to visit him to get more information.

The Washtenaw County Road Commission has recommended up to one million dollars of road repairs, not all of which there are funds to cover. The board plans to meet with them in March to finalize, and agreed to finish the rest of Herman Road, which was delayed a few years ago when the large-scale solar facility was proposed and damage was expected to the road during construction. That project is no longer being considered.

The board approved $12,500 to cover a contract with OHM, who will assist the township in developing grants to fund the remainder of the trail west of Grossman Road to connect to Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve. This will be reimbursed by existing grants. An application to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is in the process. If that is awarded, additional grants up to $184,000 will be needed. A source has been identified. The best-case scenario for completion of the trail is late 2027. 

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

by Sara Swanson

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