Waterloo Township Board Unapproved Meeting Minutes 28 February 2023 7:00 P.M.

Call to Order and Pledge: 7:00 p.m.

Present:  Lance, McAlister, Kitley, Walz, Beck.  Also present: 3 residents and Deputy Jim Moore.

Public Comment: None

Consent Agenda: Kitley motioned with support from McAlister to accept the consent agenda as presented.  Aye/all; no/none.   Motion carried.  Deputy Moore’s report for January was as follows:  Deputy Moore and deputies assigned to Waterloo Township worked 184 hours and patrolled 2072 miles.  Deputies responded to 15 calls for service.  Deputies conducted 8 traffic stops and issued 3 citations.   Deputies investigated 1 fatal and 3 property damage traffic crashes. The Sheriff’s Office responded to 15 calls for service.  The Michigan State Police responded to 9 calls for service.

Correspondence:  Lance read a letter from Rosemary Tanner of Jackson regarding free money from U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence.  She is saying it is not free and asks townships to discourage it.  He also read an email from Jim Cole, Department of Transportation regarding the type of repairs we want to do to roads.  Lance asked Kitley to respond to him referring back to December 20 email and do skip paving and let him know that we do not want to do private roads and dead-end roads first, and do roads that serve the most people traffic wise.

Old Business: None

New Business:

Parks & Recreation:  Walz reported that the fence is completed at the Clear Lake County Park. They are working on the Artisan Market taking place in June.  Fliers are ready and applications.  There will be a coffee truck there and they are looking to have a food truck there.  It should be a good event.

Planning Commission: Meeting for February was cancelled.

• Lance motioned with support from Kitley to approve the Land Division for Wahl Family Trust as presented. Aye/all; no/none.  Motion carried.
• Beck motioned with support from McAlister to give Building Clerk, Deputy Treasurer, and Deputy Clerk 4 paid holidays each year. Holidays covered are July 4, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The total cost for all would be $688 a year.  Roll call vote:  Yes/McAlister, Walz, Kitley, Lance, Beck.  No/none.  Motion carried.
• Kitley will check around for newspapers to publish in that will fit the compliance regulations. It will be discussed further at the March 28 meeting.
• Lance motioned with support from Walz to approve the Poverty Exemption Guidelines for 2023 using the 12-31-2019 income standards for 2023. Aye/all; no/none.  Motion carried.

Any Other Business That Comes to the Board:

• Lance motioned with support from Beck to authorize Kitley to write a letter of support of a Comcast Grant for Broadband. Aye/all; no/none.  Motion carried.
• Lance read a letter regarding asking for funding to help provide an officer for the Stockbridge Schools, $6,500 a year for 3 years. Because there are questions, we need more information to make the commitment.  Kitley and Beck will meet with authorities to get questions answered before anything is done.   The following questions need an answer:

1. What happens when the grant is done in 3 years.
2. Is the school prepared to give more financial assistance.
3. Who decided to get the grant funding for an officer.
4. What does the officer do during summer when no school is in session.
5. Other entities supporting this?
6. Is Village commitment a one-time offering or per year for 3 years.

• Beck brought up the information from Schumacher requesting money to help the Stockbridge Education Foundation due to their losses from Covid. This Foundation gives grants to students for college.  Walz motioned with support from Lance to budget $40,000 ($10,000 per school in our Township) from ARPA funds providing they submit their 501 C3 established proof, paperwork showing loss due to Covid and how they make decisions on who gets a grant and the qualifications and an application with documentations by December 31, 2023.  Roll call vote: Yes/Walz, Kitley, Lance, Beck, McAlister.  No/none.  Motion carried.
• Beck spoke of side by sides on the road and if they are legal. Will check with other Townships to see what they have in place.  Following Motor Code Act 300 1949 257.657A.  We can pass an ordinance, if wanted.
• Lance spoke of opening our Township facility for use by electric power restoration people and for residents without power to come in to use restrooms, get warm and have coffee, etc.
• Lance motioned with support McAlister to adopt the amendment to our current Blight Ordinance with a new number for amendment being O-23-02-28-1 as presented. Yes/all; no/none.  Motion carried.
• Lance motioned with support from Walz to support Michigan Class Resolution amendment with a new number being R-23-02-28-1. Yes/all; no/none.  Motion carried.

Public Comment:  Richardson expressed his opposition to the handling of so many items presented at the meeting that were not on the agenda. It was explained that the items were just received the day of the meeting and required handling.   He also stated that he approved of the letter from Ms. Tanner regarding elections and opening the Township as a warming center.  He supported the request for support of security officers in the schools.  Questioned the $40,000 for schools and would it cut out putting a fire truck pole barn on our property.  Lance assured him that the pole building is still in the works and will happen.  Richardson also asked about the gravel pit on Clear Lake Road and was it affected by the land division.  It will remain an intact piece of property.  That property will be sold.  Heatley spoke about push texts to help with announcing the warming center.  Walz said she would check into it.

Adjournment:  Walz motioned with support from McAlister to adjourn at 8:30 p.m.  Aye/all; no/none.

The next Planning Commission meeting will be Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.  The next regular board meeting will be on March 28, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.  Minutes will be published in the Stockbridge Community News at the end of each month, on our website waterlootwpmi.gov and on our Facebook page at: waterlootownshipmichigan.

Submitted by: Janice Kitley, Clerk