Banks
1. The meeting was called to order at
2.
The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. Supervisor Mann offered prayer.
3. The minutes of the July Regular
Board meeting were reviewed. MOTION
Rubingh, DeKorne, CARRIED to approve the minutes as presented. The minutes of the July Special Board meeting
were reviewed. MOTION Mann, Rubingh,
CARRIED to approve the minutes as presented.
4. The treasurer’s report of incomes
and balances was given. General Fund
Balance: $201,090.30 with $160,000.00 due from the Fire Fund; Fire Fund:
$114,794.64; Liquor Fund: $1,178.86; Road Fund: $25,322.59; Grand Total:
$342,386.39. Summer Tax Collection is
in progress. Approximately 24% of the
taxes have been collected, a total of $178,637.77.
5. Public Comment: Sue Kessler was
introduced to the Board by the Supervisor.
He informed the Board that Planning Commission chairman and ZBA member
Nancy Ritsema has resigned for personal reasons. Sue is his nomination for PC member. He continues to look for a ZBA candidate, possibly will be the
new chairman of the PC.
6. Public Comment: Jacob Veenstra
addressed the Board on the issue of speed within the village zone of
Atwood. He suggested the speed limits
should be 45 MPH due to the congestion and foot traffic created by the businesses
along US 31 on the north end of Atwood.
Currently, the speed is reduced only through the central portion of
Atwood. Supervisor Mann will contact
MDOT to see what can be done about this situation.
7. Planning Commission: Supervisor appoints Sue Kessler to the
Planning Commission to replace Nancy Ritsema.
Sue’s term is effective immediately and extends through
8. Pension Plan: Postmus reported on
the proposal & information she has gathered. The Township Board sets the participants, contribution percentage
and requirements as well as the vesting period for the pension plan. Questions arose regarding the ability to opt
out of the FICA program and if the fees are negotiable. Postmus will contact Amber from Burnham and
Flower agency and schedule a meeting with her to answer questions. Discussed inviting other area townships who
do not have pension plans to join us.
(Chestonia, Star & Warner)
9.
Township Hall: The painting project is at a standstill. Postmus will contact Judy VanderArk to see
if she would prefer to have us find someone else to complete the job. Air Conditioning project is completed. The units are working extremely well. The upstairs was cooled within 3 hours! Discussed need for further improvements at
the hall. A committee was appointed to
prioritize and bring the ideas to the Township Board. Committee: John Hastings, Katy Postmus, Jenny Aenis, Sherry Mann,
Donna Heeres.
10.
Cemeteries: DeKorne reported
that Matt Heeres has agreed to plow the Atwood Fire Hall this winter. The Ellsworth Cemetery Veterans’ Memorial
has been repaired. The Atwood Cemetery
Veterans’ Memorial plaque has been ordered by Phil Edwards. The Board discussed placement of perennials
& landscape blocks around the rock.
Postmus & DeKorne agreed to work on getting this landscaping done. VanderArk had contacted Heeres with request
for a new hedge trimmer, at a cost of approximately $250. This is within budget, and is approved.
11.
Audit: Report was distributed.
The fees were substantially higher this year with the additional requirements
of the GASB 34 act. The Michigan Dept
of Treasury has also issued a letter of request for deficit reduction plan
related to the internal funds loan for the fire trucks. The auditor explained that if it were a bank
loan, the plan would not be necessary.
12.
Elections: Primary Election ran smoothly with 298 voters. The HAVA AutoMark station was used minimally
but worked well. The new tabulator was
flawless. The Road Millage passed. Supervisor Mann & Trustee DeKorne were
nominated and will appear on the November Ballot. One candidate for trustee without party affiliation, Brad
VanderArk, will also appear on the November Ballot.
13. Announcements:
14.
Roads: Meeting was held August
12 with property owners of
15. Library Funding: Supervisor reports that he has not heard
from the librarians with a proposal.
16.
Bills represented by the attached list were presented for approval for
payment. MOTION Rubingh, DeKorne,
CARRIED to approve the bills as presented.
17.
The meeting was adjourned at
Respectfully submitted,
Donna L. Heeres