6520 Center Street, PO Box 68
Ellsworth, Michigan 49729
Phone: 231-588-6126
Email: bankstownship@bankstownship.net
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Planning Commission May 2018

Banks Township Planning Commission

Regular Meeting Minutes
May 8, 2018
6 pm

  1. Call to order by Chair Miles at 6 p.m.
  2. Roll/Recognition of visitors
    1. Present: Don Miles, Tom Cooper, Wm Austin, Joni Wieland
    2. Absent: Steve Parafin, Irene Shooks
    3. Also present: Claire Karner, Andy Veenstra, 6:05- Marvin Rubingh
  3. Approval of Minutes: April 10, 2018 Meeting – MMS by Cooper, Austin to approve April Minutes- MC
  4. Public Hearing– None
  5. Public comments: Marvin Rubingh told us that he is withdrawing his application for the gravel pit. He would like the commission to consider changes to the ordinance that would be less costly for a small scale operation.
  6. Response and comments from commissioners– Discussed some thoughts of possible increase in amount an owner could extract without a permit. This will be discussed more in future.
  7. Reports:
    1. Zoning Board of Appeals: Don reported on hearing held on 5/7 with Bryan and Anita Hoeksema with variance out on US 31. It was granted.
    2. Zoning Administrator: Andy V has 3 applications out, and 1 was the variance that was granted above.
    3. Township Board representative: Tom Cooper went over township board minutes.
    4. Planning Consultant: Claire Karner went over her letter to commission regarding her email to commission about upcoming Master Plan. Additional names added to her list of mailings.
  8. Old Business:
    1. Update on Sand & Gravel Extraction Application- Marvin Rubingh had told in public comments that he is withdrawing his application. Claire will look into information on amounts that other townships have dealt with regards to extractions.
    2. Report on Short Term Rental Guidelines-Steve- delayed
    3. Review of Greenbelt educational brochures- Steve- delayed
  9. New Business: Announcements and Correspondence-
    1. Discussed meeting that Bill/Steve went to on the No Serious Consequences- Interesting – lawyers in attendance
    2. The month of May should be election of officers for this commission- Motion by Austin/seconded by Wieland to hold the election at July commission meeting- MC
    3. Discussed the need for footnotes to section 6.09 to account for section 4.19 on zoning. Will need to look at this in detail and make changes in accordance with other ordinance updates/changes.
    4. Discussion with Claire on upcoming Master Plan work. Our June 12th meeting will be joint with the township board. We will meet in the big room at 6 pm. Went over the survey that Claire presented. Added questions about industrial development and commercial development which has been in our Master Plan objectives.
    5. We went over the timeline of working on new plan. She gave us maps to bring back to July meeting colored for future land use. The Master Plan will be only agenda item on the June meeting. Both Don and Tom Mann will open parts of the meeting. Claire will go over the objectives/plan for updating, timeline, public input survey, and deliverables for the process..
  10. Public comments– none
  11. Next meeting– June 12th Joint Session with Township
    1. Board to discuss Master Plan process
  12. Adjournment– MMS Cooper/Austin to adjourn at 7:47pm. MC

Draft- jsw