July 14, 2011
The regular meeting of the Cohoctah Township Board was called to order at 8:00 pm with the pledge to the flag. Present: Fosdick, Thurner, Bock, Buckner, Meek, Z.A. T. Thomas, Assessor Groce, 7 citizens.
Agenda: Motion by Thurner, support by Bock to approve agenda with addition under New Business of G. assessing update. Motion carried.
Minutes: Motion by Thurner, support by Buckner to approve June regular meeting minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Treasurer's report: Motion by Thurner, support by Buckner to receive treas. Report as presented. Motion carried. Copy placed on file.
Fire Authority: Fire hall lease agreement reviewed. Questions by twp. board the previous month concerning the lease were answered by Fire Chief Pless. Motion by Fosdick, support by Bock to sign one year lease agreement as presented. Motion carried. Chief Pless asked for the parking lot to be chip sealed when the county does the Oak Grove project. Supervisor is to coordinate. Leave on agenda.
Rd Commission – Leave on agenda.
Hall – Birds in overhang taken care of. Door/rails work is in progress. Leave on agenda.
Cemetery – Leave on agenda.
Parks and Rec – 5 yr Rec. Plan, leave on agenda. Park building demolition, to be completed in October, leave on agenda. Tree removal-Clerk to continue working on.
1934 Cohoctah Road - Leave on agenda.
Township internet service – Sites proposed by service provider, Hidden Lake Wireless. Moving forward to Planning commission with the required forms/information to be reviewed and public hearing date to be set at regular P.C. meeting in August.
Zoning Administrator backup – no backup appointed at this time.
Dashboard – Leave on agenda.
Consumers Energy streetlighting options – Leave on agenda.
Property Transfer fee waive request – Motion by Meek, support by Thurner to deny request by Cheli & Lyshak, P.L.C to waive fees for late filing of property transfer affidavit. Motion carried.
1st Quarter Budget report – received.
IRS mileage increase – Motion by Thurner, support by Bock to increase the mileage reimbursement rate in accordance with the IRS recommendation to 55.5 cents per mile effective August 1st, 2011.
Charter township eligibility – Motion by Bock, support by Thurner to adopt by resolution to oppose the incorporation of Cohoctah Township as a charter township. Roll call vote: Ayes-Meek, Fosdick, Thurner, Bock, Buckner. Nayes-none. Motion carried.
August 4th special mtg with Rep. Denby – Board directed Supervisor to contact Denby’s office and try to schedule the meeting during the regular September board meeting. Leave on agenda.
Newsletter/Sr. discount on trash slip – Information on newsletter to be bold print to be more prominent.
Assessing update – Assessor required to begin doing internal assessing evaluations on homes in township as the State Tax Commission will not accept the “drive-by” method any longer. Beginning in late July, the assessing staff will start verifying measurements of improvements and requesting an interior review of the dwelling, beginning in Section 30. In addition, the STC has the expectation that all fences and hard surface driveways are to be measured and valued. Letters will be sent to property owners prior to on-site inspections. Residents have the right to refuse both the interior and exterior inspection. If inspection is refused, the resident will be asked to sign a refusal form. Additional maps are needed in the assessing office to be in compliance with the STC guidelines. Assessor will begin work on this project as well as utilizing the County’s GIS mapping to calculate all parcels that are classified as agricultural to ensure the accuracy and consistency between equalization and the assessing office.
Reports - ZBA, none.
Planning Comm – Medical Marijuana public hearing to be held at the August 4th P.C. mtg.
Violations – None.
Complaints – Written complaint by Jarvinen concerning 11594 Durand Road received at meeting. Complaint forwarded to Zoning Administrator Thomas to be researched and reported back at August meeting. Trustee Thurner to assign complaint number and forward to Z.A. and the Clerk.
Expenditures presented, listed at end of minutes. Motion by Buckner, support by Thurner to pay expenditures as presented. Motion carried.
Meeting adjourned, 9:50 p.m. Next meeting date August 11, 2011.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda L Meek
Cohoctah Township Clerk
EXPENDITURES - JULY 2011ELLERY FRIESS / $ 156.00
NEIL WOODWARD / $ 250.00
FRED BUCKNER / $ 449.41
ASSESSOR / $ 2,458.34
AT&T / $ 222.42
FREEDOMNET / $ 134.85
CONSUMERS / $ 630.43
ALCHINS / $ 2,400.00
ATTORNEY / $ 244.19
PRESS AND ARGUS / $ 475.00
ELITE LAWN CARE / $ 1,759.50
MBH MARKETING / $ 27,029.61
ECONOPRINT / $ 360.37
MASTER MEDIA / $ 239.98
GORDON MUNSELL / $ 150.00
COHOCTAH TWP / $ 1,135.51
CHERYL REED / $ 156.00
CAROL BANFIELD / $ 156.00
REX PECKENS / $ 156.00
ALBANESE CONFEC. / $ 51.00
4IMPRINT / $ 146.58
KEEP AMERICA BEAUT. / $ 65.94
ALYSSA ANDERSON / $ 40.00
TAMI BOCK / $ 92.30
MARK FOSDICK / $ 61.06
KAREN THURNER / $ 796.28
TODD THOMAS / $ 27.00
FRANCIS PALMERTON / $ 39.50
US POST OFFICE / $ 308.00
PHIL DEBORD / $ 200.00
SUB TOTAL / $ 40,391.27
T BOCK / $ 1,419.96
T THOMAS / $ 167.11
K THURNER / $ 84.58
M FOSDICK / $ 1,348.19
D GRAHAM / $ 862.48
B MEEK / $ 1,236.36
NATIONWIDE / $ 529.36
W/H / $ 394.04
BENEPAY / $ 38.00
SUB TOTAL / $ 6,080.08
TOTAL / $ 46,471.35