MINUTES
OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE GEORGETOWN
CHARTER TOWNSHIP BOARD HELD FEBRUARY 13, 2006, 7:30 p.m.
The
meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Chairperson Bill Holland.
Prayer
for guidance by D. Dale Mohr
Pledge
of Allegiance to the Flag
Roll
Call
Present: Bill Holland, Daniel Carlton, R. J.
Poel, Del South, Richard VanderKlok,
Dale Mohr, Stanley Sterk
Absent: none
#060213-01 - Public Comments
No one was present to make public comments.
#060213-02 - Approval of
agenda as
presented for February 13, 2006
Moved by Richard VanderKlok,
seconded by R. J. Poel, to approve the agenda
as presented.
MOTION CARRIED.
#060213-03 - Communications,
letters and reports: Received for information, to be filed:
A. Code Enforcement Officer’s January
2006 Monthly Report
B. Zoning
Board of Appeals minutes for January 25, 2005
C. Senior
Center Monthly Activity Report for January 2006
D. 211 of
Ottawa County 2005 Year End Report
E. Planning
Commission meeting minutes for February 1, 2006 (ordinance action)
F. Office/Building/Zoning February
2006 Quarterly Report; and Permit
Totals 2004-2005
G. Assessing February
2006 Quarterly Report
H. Sheriff
Department Report for January 2006
I.
DPW Report for January
2006
#060213-04 - Consent agenda
Moved
by Del South, seconded by Dale Mohr, to approve the consent agenda as
presented.
a. Approval of minutes
of the regular board meeting held on January 23, 2006
b. Approval
of the regular Monthly
Bills
MOTION
CARRIED.
#060213-05 - Ordinance Amendment -Sec. 22.2(B)
Requested by Champion LLC, 4433 Byron
Center Ave. SW, Wyoming, MI
Moved
by Daniel Carlton, seconded by Del South, to deny the proposed ordinance
amendment to Sec. 22.2(B), as follows:
Sec. 22.2(B)
B. Utilities:
All PUD's shall be served by public water and
sanitary sewer facilities (installation of dry sewer mains fulfills this
obligation on installed sewer) (Planning Commission may waive this requirement
of being served by public water and sanitary sewer facilities in areas outside
of the Master Planned service districts). Stormwater must be coordinated with the county
drain commission.
Note: The Planning Commission recommended denial
because this would encourage
premature
development of parcels, as well as create enforcement problems with
hookups. It also could create problems
with locations and elevations for future lift station. In addition, it is not consistent with the
intention of the Master Plan in respect to the statement that development
should occur contiguous to existing developed areas to ensure efficient
utilization of existing utility lines, or the developer would be responsible to
bring the utilities to the location.
MOTION CARRIED.
#060213-06 - Initiate Zoning Ordinance Amendment to
Sec. 20.4(H)(1)(f), 25.6(A)(6) and
Footnote (k)
Moved
by Del South, seconded by Richard VanderKlok, to approve initiating a Zoning Ordinance
amendment to Sec. 20.4(H)(1)(f), Sec. 25.6(A)(6) and Chapter 24 footnote (k) as
follows:
Sec. 20.4
(H) Commercial soil removal.
(1) No soil,
sand, gravel, or other earth material shall be removed from any land within the
township without special land use approval, with the following exceptions:
a. When the earth removal is incidental to
an operation for which a building permit has been issued by the township;
b. When the earth removal involves any
normal landscaping, driveway installation and repairs, or other minor
projects;
c. The earth removal involves less than
100 cubic yards;
d. The earth removal is for the purpose of
constructing a swimming pool;
e. The earth removal will not be in
violation of any other section of this ordinance, other Township ordinance,
Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Act of 1972, or any other applicable
state or federal law.
f. A
mineral mining license has been approved by the Mineral Mining
Board and the operation complies with the terms and
provisions of
the mining license.
Sec. 25.6
(A) Residential Districts. The following types of signs are
permitted:
(6)
PORTABLE SIGN, one (1)
portable sign per parcel, not exceeding thirty-two (32) square
feet in area per sign and set back at least ten (10)
feet from the road right-of-way line or distance as required in Chapter 24(b)
(revised 1-24-05). No electrical cord
attached to the sign shall extend more than six (6) feet from the power source
to the sign. Such sign shall not be
displayed for more than seven (7) consecutive days and shall not be permitted
more than six (6) such display periods during the calendar year. A separate permit and fee shall be required
for each display period and the permit sticker shall be affixed to the sign for
the entire display period.
(6) PORTABLE
SIGN, subject to the following restrictions:
The sign shall be set back at least ten (10) feet from
the road right-of-way line or from the distance as required in Chapter 24(b). No electrical cord attached to the sign shall
extend more than six (6) feet from the power source to the sign. A display period consists of a maximum of
seven (7) consecutive days. A separate
permit and fee shall be required for each display period and the permit sticker
shall be affixed to the sign for the entire display period.
a. Per
parcel (unless a business center)
1.
One (1) portable sign
displayed at a time not exceeding thirty-two (32) square feet in area per sign;
2.
Such sign shall not be permitted
more than four (4) such display periods during the calendar year;
3.
If all display periods for
a calendar year have been used and evidence is submitted to the Township that a
new business has commenced on that parcel, one (1) additional display period
shall be permitted in that calendar year;
4.
The additional sign shall
be permitted only during the calendar year in which the business change takes
place and must be taken out by the new business only.
b. Per
business center
1.
One (1) portable sign displayed
at a time not exceeding thirty-two (32) square feet in area per sign;
2.
Each business center unit
shall not be permitted more than a maximum of one (1) such display period per
calendar year;
3.
If all display periods for
a calendar year have been used and evidence is submitted to the Township that a
new business has commenced in a unit of a business center, one (1) additional
display period shall be permitted in that calendar year for that unit in a
business center.
4.
The additional sign shall
be permitted only during the calendar year in which the business change takes
place and must be taken out by the new business only.
Chapter 24
(k) Except for necessary drives and walks the required front
yard for a depth of thirty (30) feet shall be landscaped and shall not be used
for parking, loading, or accessory structures. Required off-street loading areas shall not
be provided in the front yard.
Note: The Finance
Committee recommends approval for Sec. 20.4(H)(1)(f) to consolidate
the
process for a mining application so that an applicant would only have to submit
one application rather than duplicate the process with both the Mining Board
and Planning Commission. Also, the
mining ordinance is more stringent than the Zoning Ordinance and all requirements
of the Zoning Ordinance are handled in the Mining Ordinance. The Finance Committee recommends approval for
Sec. 25.6(A)(6) to allow each business unit in a Business Center to have one
portable sign, plus a new business moving into a spot in the Township would be
allowed to have one portable sign. The
Finance Committee recommends approval for Chapter 24 footnote (k) because it
appears that the elimination of the requirement for a streetscape in the HS
district is merely an oversight and the amendment would require a 30 foot
landscaped area, consistent with all other commercial and industrial
districts.
MOTION CARRIED.
#060213-07 - Accept the Bid and Approve the Purchase
of a Pick Up
Moved
by R. J. Poel, seconded by Daniel Carlton, to approve accepting the bid of
$17,997.00 from Fox Ford and to authorize the purchase of a pick up.
Note: The Finance Committee
recommended approval for accepting the bid because
there
is extra storage behind the seat with small door access and tailgate assist.
Attachment: Bid Sheet
MOTION CARRIED.
#060213-08 - Public Comment
No one was present to make comments.
#060213-09 - Board Open Discussion
Daniel
Carlton provided information regarding either updating the current phone system
for $17,000, which has been running for eleven years and the hard drive is
starting to die, or to purchase a new digital system for $30,000 which would
provide service for the Township Office and library and be compatible with the
computer system. The item was referred
to the Finance Committee to be returned to the Board with additional quotes.
Bill
Holland proposed to form a committee of Dale Mohr, Del South and himself to put
together the method to accept proposals to privatize the ice arena.
The
reasons for the proposal to privatize the arena had been provided to the Board
as follows:
·
The Township does
not want to compete with local retailers.
·
Independent
businesses can run more efficiently and at a lower cost than the Township can.
·
Selling retail is
the wrong business for the Township to be in and the Township does not compete
with, for instance D & W, Meijer, Family Fare, Wal-Mart, Target, Speedway,
Mobil, DeWitt’s Auto, Rosewood Auto, Walgreens, RiteAide, Gemmens, Century 21, Westdale or Five Star.
·
Why should the
Township compete with Superior Sports Store or other stores with the Township
store at the ice arena?
·
Why should the
Township’s concessions compete with food services?
·
Why should the
Township compete with private arenas like Southside, the Edge in Holland,
Standard Federal or others?
·
Privatizing the
arena would benefit the Township and arena customers because the ice arena
would still be available.
·
Another benefit is
that better services could be offered and it could run more efficiently.
·
Another benefit
is that private business could have more uses for other parts of the property.
·
Another benefit
is that the Township would collect property taxes on the arena.
·
Another benefit
is that tax dollars would be returned to the tax payers by reducing the tax
rate in 2007.
·
Another benefit
is that the same services would be maintained.
·
The Township
would retain the corner property for possible future use.
#060213-10 – Add an Item to the Agenda
Moved
by Bill Holland, seconded by R. J. Poel, to add an item to the agenda.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#060213-11 – Establish Ice Arena Committee
Moved
by Bill Holland, seconded by R. J. Poel, to form a committee of Dale Mohr, Del
South, and Bill Holland, and to authorize the committee to compile a method to
accept proposals to privatize the Ice Arena.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#060213-12 - Board Open Discussion Resumes
Del
South said that he had talked to Sgt. Bill Ward and asked him to compile a news
release that would make people aware that there is no charge to call the
E-Unit. He said that some people who
needed medical attention did not call for help because they were under the
mistaken impression that they would be charged for the service.
Dale
Mohr said that information could be dispersed to the Township residents by
providing information in tax bills.
R.
J. Poel recapped some MTA resolutions.
Sgt.
Bill Ward stated that a week and a half ago the E-Unit responded to a Meijer
employee and saved her life. He also
stated that two dead dogs were found on Township property.
#060213-13 - Announcement of any scheduled meeting of
interest to board members
Del
South said that the Services Committee would meet on Monday.
#060213-14 - Reports from Standing Committees
Finance
Committee meeting minutes of February 10, 2006
#060213-15 - Meeting adjourned at 8:08 p.m.
William Holland, Supervisor
R.
J. Poel, Clerk