Funding for Trout Lake Fire Dept. Discussed
Moran Township
By Paul Gingras

The Moran Township Board of Trustees discussed, but took no action on, a suggestion by Ozark area residents for the township to provide monetary support for the Trout Lake Volunteer Fire Department at its Wednesday, November 7 meeting.

To help protect residents at its northern and western edges, Moran Township earlier provided a stipend to augment the Hendricks Township Fire Department and offered a similar stipend to the Brevort Township Fire Department. Brevort Township has not responded to the offer.

Trout Lake is roughly five miles away from Ozark and often arrives on the scene first in that area, said Moran Township Supervisor Jim Durm. Astipend is not critical, since mutual-aid agreements among area fire departments will ensure that Ozark is protected, he said.

Trustee Lonnie Heuer said the matter should be investigated, prior to any expenditure. Clerk Kris Vallier suggested the township wait and see if Trout Lake requests a stipend, noting that Hendricks Township did so, and Brevort Township did not. Trustee Mark Spencer suggested the board split the $3,000 stipend it offered Brevort Township between that municipality and Trout Lake.

Board members agreed that they will not make any expenditure this fiscal year, which ends in March 2008.

In other business, the board approved the purchase of a $360,000 bond through First National Bank of St. Ignace to pay for small road projects for the next five or six years. Originally, the township had planned to borrow roughly $350,000 but added $9,500 to pay for bond counseling through the Miller-Canfield bond company.

The township has spent most of its road fund on area projects, including the recently completed project on Pte. LaBarbe Road.

With a combination of state, federal, county, and township funds, the $660,000 project included grinding down and replacing 3.5 miles of the road's surface, as well as replacing culverts.

The board authorized Mr. Durm to sign an renewal agreement with the City of St. Ignace for the township's mutual participation in the recreation program. The agreement comes up for renewal every four years.

Moran Township collects 0.25 mills a year to contribute to the city program. This year, the township will collect approximately $30,000, most of which will go toward the recreation plan. The township is saving some of the funds to develop a park on Lake Michigan, Mr. Durm added.

Moran Township's participation entitles its residents to use T-ball and softball facilities, the municipal swimming pool at St. Ignace Area Schools, and Little Bear East Arena and Community Center, for the same rate that city residents pay.

The township held off on renewing a separate agreement with the city regarding its mutual support of Doc Holle's Silver Mountain Ski Hill. Moran Township collects a separate 0.25 mills for Silver Mountain, producing approximately $30,000 to pay for maintenance and equipment there.

The township is waiting for a review of an addendum to the agreement by Steve DuFresne of St. Ignace, creator and unofficial manager of the disc-golf course. Mr. DuFresne could not attend the Ski Hill Committee's October 9 meeting when the committee reviewed it.

"The addendum formalizes what Steve has been doing at the Ski Hill," Mr. Durm explained. It creates an unpaid disc-golf manager position and delegates maintenance activities to ski hill manager Jake Tamlyn.

The addendum enables maintenance to be paid through the township's millage, while allowing the manager to remain involved with organizing events at the course. He may remain involved in maintenance, if he chooses to, Mr. Durm added.

Mr. Durm reported that committee members agreed to purchase a replacement pump for the snowmaker, which broke down in mid- February. The pump cost approximately $4,800. The cost will be split evenly between the township and the city. The replacement pump is expected to arrive soon, Mr. Durm said.

Ideally, it is nice to have in place by Christmas break, he said.

In other business, the board agreed to pay a $55,000 bill to the Mackinac County Road Commission for work on 28 Mile Road, and a $6,666 bill for work on Koski Road.