By Phyllis Rose
From salaries to soccer fees, the Schoolcraft Township Board covered a lot of ground at its March 12 meeting. Because the Township’s fiscal year ends on March 31, much of the meeting was devoted to organizational items such as approving salaries, setting meeting dates, and passing budget amendments.
Salaries for Township Clerk Virginia Mongrieg and Treasurer Teresa Scott were set at $55,335. Township Supervisor Don Ulsh will receive a salary of $52,500. All were 5% increases.
Nine budget amendments were approved for accounts ranging from election expenses to snow and ice removal. Supervisor Ulsh explained they have to approve the budget amendments to show the auditors where they’ve spent more than was originally budgeted. Meeting dates for 2024 were set for April 9, May 14, June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, October 8, November 12, December 10, and in 2025, January 14, February 11, and March 11.
In other business, Clerk Mongrieg brought up the issue of township charges for the use of its soccer fields. In the past, it has charged $250 for four days. After checking charges with another local municipality and learning it charges $130 for four hours, she suggested a change in the fee structure. The Board decided to change the fee to $100 for four hours.
During public comment time, Dave Pawloski, vice-chair of the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County, spoke about the advantages of roundabouts. In previous meetings, residents have spoken out against a planned roundabout at 23rd St. and East TU Avenue which is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
Pawloski cited studies which show the increased safety and cost effectiveness of roundabouts. Research, he said, has shown that roundabouts reduce traffic collisions by 37 percent and fatalities by 90 percent.
Roundabouts also reduce the costs related to traffic signals and during power outages, the roundabouts function without the need for police officers to direct traffic, he said.
“We don’t have that much traffic at that intersection,” said Clerk Mongrieg.
Supervisor Ulsh asked about the intersection of U Ave. and Portage Road where it’s thought that a roundabout would be more beneficial.
Pawloski said he would bring that up to the Road Commission Board.
He also informed them that the Road Commission’s new facility at 4400 S. 26th Street is open. For the first time, all the Commission’s vehicles and offices will be under one roof, he said. The Commission’s old building, which dates to the 1940s, has been sold and will return to the tax rolls.
The Township’s Master Plan, Trustee Tamra Stafford said, is not ready for a public hearing due to the many errors in the project being conducted by a representative from the W.E. Upjohn Institute.
“It’s an embarrassment,” she said of the errors. “We’re pretty upset about it.”
Mongrieg reported that in the recent primary election only 21.84 percent of the voters cast ballots.
“The turnout was terrible,” she said.
She spent two days working the polls and noted that some days there were many more inspectors than there were voters. “It’s going to get better,” she said. “It’s going to take some time.”
The issue of short-term rental housing was also brought up by Mongrieg, who noted that there are three already in the Township. The Township currently has no policy on short-term rental housing, said Treasurer Scott.
Noting the related issues of noise, partying, and drinking, Mongrieg said that Holland is sorry it has allowed the short-term rentals.
Supervisor Ulsh brought up the issue of changing the newspaper used for official notifications. Costs for publishing in The Pennysaver are about one-third the cost of the Kalamazoo Gazette, he said.
Trustees noted that they need to find out the circulation of The Pennysaver or the Climax Crescent before making a change. If they do change, they would need to let people know possibly through information published in the South County News. No action was taken on this issue.
“Our goal is to be as transparent as possible,” said Scott.