Waterloo Township Board Meeting Minutes April 27, 2021
Call to Order and Pledge: 7:00 p.m.
Present: Lance, Kitley, Walz, Morency, McAlister, 5 Residents and 2 Stockbridge visitors.
Public Comment: None.
Consent Agenda: Kitley motioned with support from Walz to accept the consent agenda as presented. Aye/all; no/none. Motion carried. Kitley motioned with support from McAlister to pay the bills as listed on the Post Audit report in the amount of $2,022.78. Roll call vote: Yes/Morency, McAlister, Walz, Kitley, Lance. No/none. Motion carried. There was no police report due to a new officer not being assigned to us. Officer Ben Roe gave his retirement notice to the Sheriff Department.
Correspondence: None
New Business: Walz stated that the Parks and Recreation Committee met in April. Parks & Recreation Plan is almost completed. She is working on formatting to get it finished. About 20 boy scouts and parents came Saturday and planted 3 trees donated in memory of Bob Burgess, on the township property and did some cleanup, being done to earn their badges in scouts. The next Parks and Rec meeting will be May 11 at 9:30 at the Munith Lions Park to assess needs and do cleanup and plant new plants. Still trying to identify a spot for the rain garden.
Walz stated that the road millage proposal is still being worked on. She stated that she had sent email to Lance regarding the road millage issue but received no response.
New Business: Morency reported on the Planning Commission meeting held on April 20th. They discussed Article 19 concerning shared driveways. Working on short term rental issue. Looking at ordinances from other townships. They reviewed Zoning Ordinances 11:03 through 11:05. They asked if the board would prefer a yearly report or if monthly minutes were enough. It was stated that monthly minutes were enough. They have also updated the Topics to Review list.
Mowing Bids: Walz motioned with support from Morency to accept the mowing bid of Pathways as presented. Roll call vote: Yes/McAlister, Walz, Kitley, Morency. Abstain: Lance. No/none. Motion carried.
Kitley motioned with support from McAlister to pay the yearly stipend of $1,000 to Munith Cemetery, Mt. Hope cemeteries and $800 to Waterloo Cemetery. Roll call vote: Yes: Walz, Kitley, Lance, Morency, McAlister. No/none. Motion carried.
Budget workshop meeting will be held on May 20th at 6:30 p.m.
Other Business That Comes Before The Board: It was decided to let the hall tables and chairs be rented out again as long as they are well cleaned up and sterilized before returning them. Walz stated that she is concerned about that we are not progressive and work at everything slowly. We need a strategic planning group. She thinks the Glenn Farms request to turn their business into a marijuana growing facility and the failure of Dollar General location were wrong decisions. Spot zoning is already in our township. She also said we were unfriendly, especially in turning down Farmers State Bank regarding the Dollar General proposal. We need to do more to prepare our residents for the future as far as jobs, safety and good viable places to live. Lance stated that Glenn Farms does have recourse to change their position. Walz said we need to do more to attract people to come and live here. McAlister said we seem to be anti-change. We need to move forward. Lance said we need to maintain rural character of township along with growth pressures. Morency stated we are basically bound by the Master Plan as a guide to our planning.
Public Comment: Mallory Glenn said her emails and calls to Lance were unanswered much like Walz. Township is not proactive. She said Munith has really become run down with empty buildings, etc. compared to what it was when she was growing up. She asked what our plan for the future is. Cynthia Richardson stated that the Master Plan should be read. Lance said Master Plan is the mission statement of managing the growth of the Township. Nate Glenn made derogatory statements regarding some information given. There was a lot of contentious back and forth talk. Walz referenced the township as a “vast nothingness” when being driven through compared to other townships. Mallory Glenn calls our Township dilapidated and run down and nothing happening. Walz said we need a strategic planning group that would work with other communities to find out how they are moving ahead. Nate Glenn stated that they would offer 100 $45,000 minimum wage jobs in a new marijuana growth business. Cynthis Richardson read information on Michigan Law regarding marijuana growing facilities. Bill Richardson said he likes “vast nothingness” and moved out here for the rural surroundings, trails and beauty roads. Other entertainments are not that far away from our township. He likes the quiet. Al Knightly and Peggy Knightly are Stockbridge residents. Knightly’s feel we are very closed minded regarding the marijuana growth issue. John Bentley introduced himself as a Waterloo resident of Waterloo Township, having moved here 3 years ago. Morency stated her reasons for holding back on marijuana issue. She feels it is too much liability for this township. Mallory Glenn stated that Stockbridge is having no problems due to their growing facilities. Nate Glenn stated a facility would stop the black-market facilities.
Adjournment: Lance motioned with support from Walz to adjourn at 8:13 p.m. Aye/all; no/none. Motion carried.
The next Planning Commission meeting will be on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. The next regular Board meeting will be on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Minutes will be published in the Stockbridge Community News at the end of each month, on our website and on our Facebook page at: waterlootownshipmichigan.
Submitted by: Janice Kitley, Clerk
