The Torch Lake Township Board met for its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23. All board members were present.
Interest Rates
Treasurer Diane Zurcher has continued to work on finding the best available interest rates for the township's deposits. She arranged for the two larger general fund accounts to accrue interest at 2%. Tax bills will go out the first week in July.
Refuse Workers Handbook
Clerk Karen Rovano provided a copy of the proposed working agreement to replace the one that had expired years ago. Supervisor Brian Cadwell asked Karen to submit it to the township attorney for review, with the view to approving it next month. It would be effective for five years.
Reassessment Status
Matt Arko reported that the improved weather allowed the remaining field work on the reassessment to be completed. Office work is continuing, and the resulting cards will be mailed with the December tax bills.
Don Bode reviewed the progress in mid-May and approved the work.
Matt answered questions concerning the reclassification of property as residential when it contains only a small structure without electricity. Matt explained that all property with structures had to be classified as residential according to the law. However, the property itself is not taxed on its classification but on its value.
Fire Departments
Bootjack Chief Dan Sarazin reported that spring testing of dry hydrants found two that will need to be repaired. The full extent of the work required is not yet known.
Brian reported that the Hubbell Fire Department will be honoring Don Beauchamp for his long and faithful service. Work is progressing on the new addition, with the floor having been poured early in May.
Hydrants in the north part of Hubbell had been turned off, but the problem was found and the valve turned back on.
The jaws of life were used in an extraction on Upper Point Mills Road on April 26.
Commercial Use of Township Property
The board voted to prohibit the use of township property for commercial activity, unless the board gives prior approval.
School Bell
The board discussed what to do with the large bell, thought to be from the old Lincoln School closed in 1954, now stored in the township garage. The County Museum is interested, but Diane opposed giving away a significant piece of Hubbell history. The board decided to consider the matter further before making a decision.
Other Items
- Brian Cadwell will be attending a workshop on financing roads.
- The board voted to donate $200 toward the Hubbell-Tamarack 4th of July celebration. (The amount is budgeted.)
- The board approved fixing three bad sections of blacktop road in Hubbell. The township buys the blacktop (about $3000) and the county applies it.
- The board approved using labor from Camp Kitwen if needed.
Public Comment - Court Ruling
Lawrence Jukuri confronted the board with a court decision concerning the uncapping of property taxes. The court ruled (as I understand it) that if a parcel was owned by a parent and a child jointly, and both names were on the deed before 1995 (the start of Proposition A), then the property could not be uncapped when the parent died.
Mr. Jukuri felt that this ruling had not received sufficient publicity in the local media, nor had the board done anything to alert taxpayers of its impact. He asked the board to set up classes for citizens on the process of and laws concerning property taxes.
Brian said that the board would allow Mr. Jukuri to use township facilities to provide such classes, but that the township would not pay for an outside consultant to come in. He explained that different consultants came with differing viewpoints on controversial issues, and that the township could not pay for biased teaching (even if it had the money).
Matt Arko explained that the court decision Mr. Jukuri referred to had limited application, and that the legislature was already looking at changing the law in that area. Matt also recalled that very few attended the classes that he and Dave put on about the reassessment.
Next Board Meeting
The next Torch Lake Township board meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, 2008. It will take place at the Bootjack Fire Hall.
Lynn Torkelson