An ordinance expanding road access for off-road vehicles (ORVs) was passed by the Moran Township Board at its regular meeting Wednesday, September 7. It is modeled after a county ordinance, which was requested in August by a local group of ORV enthusiasts and adopted by the Mackinac County Board of Commissioners Thursday, August 25. All townships and cities within the county now have the option to adopt it or reject it. The ordinance will allow ORVs to be driven on unpaved areas of county roads, but not on U.S. highways, state highways, or highways in cities or townships that do not approve it locally.

In other business at the Moran Township meeting, Joel Scheffer of Brevort was appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. Scheffer had previously served as a Planning Commission alternate trustee for the township.

A tentative deadline of January 1, 2006, was set for new 911 identification signs to be installed in the township. About 820 signs for house numbers and 160 signs for roads will be installed, beginning this month. The project’s goal is to make it easier for emergency responders to quickly find township addresses.

Phase II of the water project, which has been in the works for the township all year, moved forward as board members submitted a draft of a grant application to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The project, in its entirety, includes extending a water main on US-2, from Pte. LaBarbe Road to Gros Cap Road, and replacing an obsolete line from the city limits to the corner of Old Portage Trail and South Portage Road, said Jim Durm, township supervisor. The project has an estimated cost of $700,000, with approximately 45 percent of the total anticipated to come from USDA Rural Development grants.

Five applicants for the position of township assessor will be interviewed next week, said Kris Vallier, township clerk. The position will become vacant December 15 when the current assessor, Ron Cotton, retires after almost 16 years of service to the township. Salary for the position is negotiable, Ms. Vallier said, and will be discussed with applicants at interviews. It is anticipated that the township’s current assessor salary of $18,500 must at least double to meet current salary demands for this type of position, she said.