Manchester Township discusses SWWCOG, new website, and more

Manchester Township Hall

by Sybil Kolon

All board members were present at the October 13 board meeting. Also present were fire chief Mike Kouba and a few other members of the public.

Kouba provided the monthly report for September. There were 66 calls for service, including one fire, 47 EMS responses, and five hazmat incidents. Regular meetings and trainings were held. Fire department personnel attended a safety day at Freedom Township Hall regarding pipelines in the area. About 70 people attended the open house held at the fire department on Sunday, October 11.

Supervisor Ron Milkey reported that zoning administrator Carl Macomber issued four permits for barns or garages and one for remodeling. Progress on driveway-access problems on Yonge’s Drive at Iron Mill Pond is proceeding slowly.

Milkey reported several items under the supervisor’s report. The tire-recycling event on October 10 was successful. Several firefighters assisted. The gravel bike race will come through Manchester Township on October 17.

Milkey reported that he was elected to be chairman of the Southwest Washtenaw Council of Governments (SWWCOG). Several members of the Western Washtenaw Regional Advisory Group (WWRAG) attended the SWWCOG meeting. WWRAG is a group similar to SWWCOG around the City of Chelsea. Both groups are interested in collaborating and holding additional joint meetings. Concern was expressed by both groups that the western part of the county does not receive enough resources from Washtenaw County.

Milkey subsequently met with John Paul Williams-Soriano, staff from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF), who attended the SWWCOG meeting. AAACF is a philanthropic organization focused on enriching the quality of life throughout Washtenaw County. They provided funding for the recently erected multi-generational playground at the Manchester Senior Center. Milkey discussed possible funding AAACF might be able to provide to complete the final phase of the trail between Manchester and Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve.

Treasurer Kim Thompson presented a preliminary version of a new website for Manchester Township. She went through several pages, highlighting improved access to information and documents for the public. Many additional suggestions were made by board members. Thompson and other board members will do a detailed review and will request additional updates. Their goal is to make the new website available to the public by December 1.

There was public comment at the beginning and end of the meeting regarding the situation with access on Yonge’s Drive discussed during the zoning administrator’s report. There was detailed discussion by the board after the public comment, including additional comments from three of the property owners involved.

Milkey and others noted that not all easement-access agreements are recorded and that they were done many decades ago. Two of the property owners indicated they could provide copies of these easements for Yonge’s Drive. Fire chief Kouba indicated that large fire trucks often don’t have adequate clearance or turn-around areas. In addition, road names and address numbers are often not adequately marked and can result in the fire department being unable to find or access areas when emergency services are needed. One property owner stated they have ordered additional signage to help alleviate that problem.

Milkey indicated that the township wants to work with the parties in a constructive way in hopes of avoiding legal problems for all concerned. It was noted that under some circumstances the township does have the authority to mandate changes based on public safety.

by Sara Swanson

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