Moran Twp. Board Considers Ski Hill Logging, OK's Bridge Events
By Paul Gingras

At its regular meeting Wednesday, February 7, the Moran Township Board of Trustees gave its approval to the Mackinac Bridge Authority to conduct a celebration for the 50th anniversary of the Mackinac Bridge, which will take place Friday, July 27, and Saturday, July 28, on property in the township.

Bob Sweeney, executive secretary of the Bridge Authority, visited the board to discuss any potential problems the board could foresee regarding the celebration.

"We anticipate no major problems," said Trustee Mark Spencer. Bridge Authority property is in Moran Township, although it is under the authority of the state, Mr. Spencer explained.

Organizers have no way to calculate how many people will participate in the celebration, but the event could draw "from 2,000 to 10,000," Mr. Sweeney said.

Vendors will sell goods at Bridgeview Park during the celebration. The park is likely to be occupied by vendors from Wednesday, July 25, through Wednesday, August 1. The board suggested forbidding the sale of alcohol in the park and suggested requesting increased police patrols in the area.

The township board's main concern is parking, Mr. Spencer said. The Bridge Authority will set up no parking signs on Boulevard Drive and Densmore Drive and will work with local businesses to set up nearby parking areas.

Camping on the beach near the bridge could become a problem, Mr. Spencer said. Some areas of the beach are owned by residents, and others are owned by the state, such as the Sand Bay area. Residents complained about campers on the beach during past events, including the St. Ignace Car Show and the Labor Day Bridge Walk.

Mr. Spencer suggested increased policing around the beach during the event, so police can make sure that campers are not on private property.

In other news, Moran Township voted to discontinue liquor inspections run by the township board. The local government will turn over the authority to the State of Michigan, which will collect liquor inspection fees formerly paid to the township. Prior to the change, sufficient revenue was generated to run the inspections locally, said Township Clerk Kris Vallier, but sales have slackened. Few small townships conduct these inspections now, she added.

The board also voted to pay its full share of a new ambulance requested by Allied EMS, Inc. The ambulance will serve Brevort, Moran, St. Ignace, Hudson, and Hendricks townships and the City of St. Ignace.

Owing to a $10,000 donation to the project by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the contribution expected from Moran Township was reduced from $16,200 to $14,342.03.

The board also voted to set up a municipal Web site, to be designed by Craig Reiter, owner of Reiter's Web Design, Inc. of Gulliver. The township will pay $750 to develop the site and $38 per month for maintenance by Mr. Reiter. The site will link to other municipal Web sites in the Upper Peninsula. Mr. Reiter's template offers pages for elected officials, township employees, fire departments, election information, registered voters, meeting schedules, meeting minutes, and community pages.

The township is considering contracting area resident Dean Reid to evaluate timber and set up a selective cutting project at Doc Holle's Silver Mountain. Mr. Durm said this could potentially generate revenue for the ski hill and improve the forest.

"The remaining trees would grow bigger. Rather than having a lot of trees growing in one small area, fewer trees would be healthier."

"There is no actual expense to township residents, and I believe for that reason this project would not have to go out for bids," said Mr. to build a combination community center, library, and fire hall. The third vote, in 2006, proposed a community center and library, without an attached fire hall.

The cost of a community center and library, plus a fire hall, or a combination of the three elements, has driven Mr. Roggenbuck's disapproval of the township's building plans. The last proposal, for a community center and library, estimated at $450,000, was turned down by voters last summer.

Mr. Roggenbuck said the township is becoming a retirement community and has little need for facilities to host children's activities.

Fire Chief Mark Peterson reported that a fire hall cannot be built with the fire fund alone. At the January board meeting, Chief Peterson had said he thought the department could construct a new fire hall with existing fire funds, but after conducting more research, he discovered that costs for a new building are higher than he expected.

Anthony Esson, a representative of DEM Architects of Gaylord, attended the meeting. Mr. Esson has been working with the fire department on plans for a fire hall and reported that, in today's market, the simplest, smallest, most cost-efficient building that DEM can design is a 60 feet by 60 feet, woodenframed building. After consulting with a contractor regarding his design, DEM estimated the cost of a new hall at $323,090, a figure that includes site preparation and reserve cash for unexpected expenses.

Regarding the final plan for the building, Mr. Esson said, "It's about as basic as you can get."

DEM's estimate amounts to more money than the fire department has in its fire fund. Firefighters are also concerned that depleting the fund could be troublesome if a major repair is needed on the township's aging fire trucks.

The need for repairs is likely, Chief Peterson said, especially while the trucks remain in the damp fire hall, which he cited as a danger for the department's electrical equipment, including 800 megahertz radios.

"We are responsible for them," he told the board, and "not only that, we depend [on our fire equipment] for life and property in this township."

If equipment fails during a house fire, where there is "somebody trapped or somebody's property is in there, that bothers me," he added, "and I feel it is part of my job to protect that. We've got to move forward. Yes, it is expensive, but we've got to protect the money that we have already invested. We are being pushed into the future, whether we like it or not."

Residents and the board discussed ways to further reduce the size of the building, but Mr. Esson said that even reducing it by one third would not lower the estimated cost enough to be covered by the fire department's fire fund, nor would it significantly cut down the cost of site preparation, which he presented as a major expense.

David Craig, who chairs the building committee, said his group has been preparing plans for a community center with the idea that the fire department had enough money for its own building. He agreed that the need for a fire hall is pressing and said he would back out of the community center and library project if the township board asks.

He also agreed with Mr. Roggenbuck that Brevort Township is becoming primarily a retirement community, but said the community is "still alive," and residents need a place to congregate.

"There are a lot of retirement communities in Florida that have a lot going on," he asserted, "but you can't have them going on unless you have a place to meet."

The building committee has developed plans for a building estimated to cost $250,000 for the basic structure. The committee's design is for a structure 36 feet by 80 feet. The committee reported the township's building fund could cover the costs of site preparation, both for the community center and the fire hall.

The prospective building would house a library, a room large enough for a public gathering, and include a portable wall that could be moved back and forth when extra space is needed. It would take one mill for 15 years to generate the $414,000 needed, he added.

Dr. Craig asked the board not to vote on the building committee proposal until August, to give his committee time to educate the public about the project.

A community center is a source of pride and respect in a community, he said.

Dr. Craig responded to Mr. Roggenbuck's assertion that facilities for community events are unnecessary, in part, because there are fewer children in Brevort Township than in the past.

"Any time that a parent has to drive the kids to St. Ignace to use the library," he said, "or to do anything else, it's taking money and their time. If we had some of those facilities here, it might only affect a few people, but they are our people in our community, and they deserve just as much as [older township residents received] right here in this building."

Earlier in the meeting, Mike Grogan, an archery instructor, highlighted challenges to conducting children's activities in the area. Mr. Grogan sought approval regarding his use of a $500 donation by the township for an archery club. The grant was intended for township youth, he said.

Four Brevort Township children are learning archery. Until recently, they practiced in the Community Center's basement, where township meetings are held, but the floor is frequently flooded during winter.

In response to these conditions and low student turnout, Mr. Grogan moved his classes to the St. Ignace Middle School cafeteria, where they will remain for the winter. The four Brevort Township participants are still involved, he added, and an additional 16 from the city have signed up for the Saturday classes.

Mr. Grogan sought to reassure the township that he continues to make a point of including Brevort Township's youth in the archery club, and of the original $500, he has $348 left, and he believes he has spent the money wisely.

In other business, the board announced a special meeting with Mark Wilk of Allied EMS Systems Inc., to take place Monday, February 12. The board and Mr. Wilk were to discuss Allied's request for $9,900 from the township to help purchase a new ambulance that would serve Brevort, Moran, St. Ignace, Hudson, and Hendricks townships, as well as the City of St. Ignace.