The Torch Lake Township Board met for its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16. All board members attended.
Proposed Burning Ordinance Available for Public Review
Supervisor Brian Cadwell and the Fire Chiefs from Bootjack, Hubbell, and Dollar Bay have been working on an Outdoor and Open Burning Ordinance for our township. The proposed ordinance was presented to the board, which voted to make it available for public review and comments before passage.
The ordinance requires a locally issued permit for outside and open burning. Because of changes in the DNR procedures, this is the only way to ensure that our fire departments can learn in advance which fires are planned and controlled.
You can download the proposed ordinance for review. Copies are also available at the Hubbell Community Center.
The board plans to pass the ordinance at the next board meeting (February 20), so you should notify Brian of any changes you'd like to see with enough lead time (at least a week) to allow them to be reviewed by the chiefs and incorporated by the next board meeting.
Rice Lake Property
Brian explained that no serious offers have been made for the Rice Lake property offered for sale by the township. (There was one offer of $40,000 for the entire parcel.)
The existing contract with Century 21 is about to expire, and the board decided not to renew it. (Brian noted that the listing agent worked hard to sell the parcel.)
Upon the recommendations of Matt Arko and Dave Peterson, the board decided to offer the listing to Josh Stein of Statewide Realty. Mr. Stein has a Forestry Degree from Michigan Tech and specializes in selling vacant land. Even in the dead of winter, he takes prospective customers to parcels in remote locations and has had success in selling the parcels.
Reassessment
The board voted to pay DPM Assessing 50% of the remaining $25,000 due on the down payment for the reappraisal. To do so, the board voted to borrow $12,500 from the garbage fund.
Denise Lepisto expressed concern about the township's financial situation, and about the need to make sure that this loan -- and the other short-term loans -- can be repaid before the money is actually needed from the funds being tapped.
Treasurer Diane Zurcher pointed out that this is the time of year that the township has extra cash on hand. Brian stated that, by law, townships cannot take out bank loans except to purchase real property. He explained, however, that repaying the short-term loans will be addressed directly in the upcoming budget process.
Assessor Matt Arko brought up the need to have another meeting with County Commissioner Dennis Barrette to complete financial arrangements agreed upon in earlier meetings. Matt explained the background:
During the reappraisal, our assessors located many parcels and improvements that were not recorded in the county records. Adding these updates to the records will increase county tax collections substantially. Normally, only a tiny percentage of the increased collections return to Torch Lake Township, but the county agreed that the township should receive a substantial portion of the "found" money -- perhaps 50% -- for the coming fiscal year (only).
To make that specific, however, it is necessary to establish a current baseline against which the amount of the "found" money can be calculated. And it is also necessary to agree on the exact percentage of the "found" money that the township will receive. The township will use the additional money to help defray the costs of the reappraisal that actually generated the additional tax revenue. Brian agreed to arrange a meeting with Commissioner Barrette to complete the arrangements.
Matt also explained that he presented the results of the timberland reappraisals to Equalization Director Partanen and obtained approval for them. Next week he will present the results of the commercial reappraisals for approval.
About 30 parcels previously classified as timberland were found to be residential, and have been reclassified accordingly. In addition, 19 new addresses were added to the 911 listing. These updates will not only bring in more tax revenue, but will increase the amount collected for garbage collection and fire protection as well.
In the meantime, the assessors are working to verify that all the maps, cards, and photographs are completely synchronized. (Dave Peterson might need a new eyeglass prescription before this is over.)
Hubbell Fire Department
Construction on the new addition is well under way. The concrete floor will be poured in the near future, and the doors are on the way.
The radio situation, though, is again in a state of flux because of changes introduced by the 911 system. Greg Budweg explained at length the problems being faced by the responders and his concerns about the impact of those problems. Brian will assist in resolving them and in negotiating for money from the 911 system to help recover township expenditures forced by the 911 changes.
Other Items
- The Michigan-American Water Company is raising its rates 13% to pay for infrastructure improvements. Hubbell residents will be affected.
- The increase in refuse tipping costs to $65 per ton will cost the township an additional $5000 per year. However, this increase will mostly be offset by the additional garbage fees found during the reappraisal.
- The last payment on the sewage loan is being made on January 17.
- The board raised the parcel dividing fee from $60 to $100 to bring it in line with other local jurisdictions.
- The board will include a note in the tax bills alerting property owners of the new burn ordinance.
Next Board Meeting
The next Torch Lake Township board meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20, 2008. It will take place at the Hubbell Community Center.
Lynn Torkelson