Middlebury Township PO Box 622, Ovid, Michigan 48866 Regular Board Minutes Middlebury Township Hall 7627 W M21, Ovid Michigan Wednesday December 14, 2016 at 7:00 pm Call to Order: Clerk Rose Brown called the meeting to order at 7:01 pm with a pledge to the flag and a prayer led by Richard Semans. Board Members Present: Supervisor Michael Herendeen-arrived at 7:07pm, Clerk Rose Brown, Treasurer Carolyn Stevens, Trustee Gary Kiger and Trustee Richard Semans Guests Present: Carl Chalker, Karl Heckman, Margaret White, Mike and Diane Dowler, Deputy Clerk, Susan Swan. Scheduled Comments: None Public Comments: Opened at 7:02 pm Closed at 7:27pm Carl Chalker stated he would like the board to consider reinstating the planning commission board. He would like to have the township do their own ordinance and zoning. Trustee Semans stated to have the township run their own zoning would be very costly. Supervisor Herendeen support Semans statement with the cost in enforcing the zoning and the legal issues. Margaret White spoke on how upset she was about the wind turbine coming to the township. She stated that it was suspicious the planning commission board was ended when wind turbines came to the township. She would have not purchase their house if they have the knowledge of the wind turbines. She wanted to know why we didn’t know. Supervisor Herendeen stated the wind turbine issue is a private contact with private individual and so no knowledge was brought to the township. No permits have been issued from the county to have any turbines built. Herendeen continued by stating there is legislation being done at the state level to encourage “green” energy. These projects are subsidized projects and will have a hard time to survive without taxpayers’ money. Motion to Approve Agenda: Treasurer Stevens made a motion to approve the agenda with the addition of item 9. Review and Ratification of amend articles of Incorporation and Communication: Road Commission Supervisor meeting. Trustee Semans seconded the motion. Yes: All Nay: None Carried Motion to Approve Minutes Clerk Brown made a motion to approve the minutes from November 9, 2016 meeting as presented. Trustee Semans seconded the motion. Yes: All Nay: None Carried Motion to Pay Bills Treasurer Stevens made a motion to approve paying of the bills in an amount of $7,183.83 with checks 4102-4114 and 3 efts. Clerk Browns seconded the motion. Yes: All Nay: None Carried Communications: Park and Recreation-No updates, Library- Presented audit report and computers are being updated. MTA- Wind Turbines was the discussion. Burns Township is hosting the next meeting. OMESA- Amendments to the Articles (Ovid township and the city approved) with a start time of January 1, 2017. New truck in service. Assessor- Not too much to inform the board, but Diane Dowler has been checking on new construction in the township. BOR (Board of Review) meeting was held with only one item on the agenda. Diane Dowler contacted Steve Pease regarding building or barns structures fires throughout the whole year. Her cutoff date is December 31, 2016. She needs to know when structures have burnt and been rebuilt. Road Commission Supervisor Meeting-Dave Arnett is now our area supervisor for the road commission. Supervisor Herendeen presented the 2017 road project suggestion. Middlebury is number 12 in the rotation for the gradall use this next year. Mineral Brine was rebidded. The prices are going up. The suggested total on road repair is estimated at $166,210.00 for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. January 11, 2017 is when the Road Commission board will be coming to the township meeting. Business: 1. Trustee Semans made a motion to approve Jeff Swan. Gordon Taylor, and David Sovis to the Board of Review board. Clerk Brown seconded the motion. Yes: All Nay: None Carried 2. Treasurer Stevens made a motion to approve the appointment of Susan Swan to Deputy Clerk and Lynn Given to Deputy Treasurer Positions. Clerk Brown seconded the motion. Yes: All Nay: None Carried 3. Trustee Semans made a motion to approve up to 40 hours per month for the Deputy Clerk to work. Treasurer Stevens seconded the motion. Yes: All Nay: None Carried 4. Treasurer Stevens reviewed the CD and the balance in our General fund. Treasurer Stevens feels the board should move some from the checking to another CD at the first of the year. 5. Clerk Brown wants everyone to review the directory and to make sure everything is ok. Board members gave Clerk their preferred method of communication. 6. Tax Foreclosure Property Tax, it is a .25 acres and it is land lock. A letter has been sent to the people adjacent. It is a low assessed value. So right now if the township turns down the property it will be owned by the state. We will need to write a letter to decline the property that it will cause a hardship to the township to own. Trustee Seman made a motion to decline the property. Treasurer Stevens Seconded the motion. Yes: All Nay: None Carried 7. Clerk Brown mentioned to the board to start thinking about the next fiscal year budget. 8. Five year plan of the plan for road work for state roads was included in the packet. 9. The amend articles of Incorporation for the Ovid-Middlebury Emergency Service: the reformation and reconstitution of the OMESA board. It will be two people to represent each entity. The townships and city will be providing their own ambulance service. The Ovid Township and City of Ovid will join Clinton County Ambulance Service. OMESA will be collecting 1.75 mils of the emergency service and the remaining mils will go for ambulance service. The actual is 1.75 mils times the taxable property value will be the set amount. 2016-08 Resolution: The Adoption of the Amended Articles of Incorporation for Ovid- Middlebury Emergency Service Authority. Supervisor Herendeen moved the resolutions and supported by Trustee Semans Roll call vote: Aye: Herendeen, Brown, Stevens, Semans, Kiger Nay: None Arlene Pesik asked about OMESA building across from the cemetery. Supervisor Herendeen would like to see the OMESA build on their property. With the Ratification of the Articles of Incorporation, 1 representative is the Supervisor and 1 at the board’s choosing. Trustee Semans has decided to resign from the position. Supervisor Herendeen made a motion to nominate Treasurer Stevens as a representative for Middlebury Township and the motion was seconded by Trustee Semans. Yes: All Nay: None Carried Supervisor Herendeen moved that on any date that the Treasurer is scheduled to take payments at her home that the township board pays for the plowing of her driveway. Clerk Brown seconded the motion. All Ayes Nays: None Final Comments: Opened at 8:38 pm Closed at 8:38 pm None Motion to adjourn the meeting: Adjourned at 8:38 pm Without objection the supervisor adjourned the meeting at pm. X Susan Swan Deputy Clerk-Middlebury Township