Clark Township residents will get a one-time extension to pay their next quarterly sewer bill.

The Clark Township board unanimously approved a 30-day extension for the first increased sewer bill at its meeting Thursday, November 13. Quarterly sewer bills will be increased from $46 to $72 starting next month owing to an amortization error discovered this summer. Bills will be sent out Monday, December 15, and will be due by Monday, February 16, instead of mid-January.

"It's something that we can do to try to make things a little bit easier for taxpayers and for the members of this community," Township Treasurer Katie Carpenter said.

The $26 quarterly residential equivalency unit increase was approved at the board's September 18 meeting. Regular quarterly billing cycles will not change for subsequent sewer bills.

The township board also decided to continue to advertise the vacant Sewer Advisory Board position, vacated by Steve Autore in September, because no letters of interest for the position were submitted.

"That was during when there was a lot of political ads going on and people might not have even noticed it," Township Supervisor Linda Hudson said of the vacancy.

The board unanimously decided to advertise the vacancy with a 3 p.m. deadline Monday, December 8. The decision to continue to advertise will allow the incoming board, which takes office Thursday, November 20, to make the appointment.

Money approved for training,

server, and shredder

The board unanimously approved spending for incoming board members' training as well as for continuing education for township Building Inspector Frank Sims.

Several incoming and current board officials expressed interest in attending an all-day training session in Sault Ste. Marie to familiarize themselves with policies and procedures for running a township board. The board approved spending for up to eight people, at $89 each, to attend the training on Thursday, December 11. Supervisorelect Gerald Hill and clerk-elect Mike Miller both expressed interest in attending the session.

Also approved was $352 for travel, lodging, and registration for Mr. Sims to attend a weekend training session in Gaylord December 4 and December 5. The Northern Michigan Code Officials Association training will keep Mr. Sims up-to-date with new state coding regulations.

Twenty-five percent of the cost will be billed to Marquette Township because Mr. Sims is the building inspector there, as well.

The board also approved spending $3,392 for a new computer server and $129 for a paper shredder.

Money for a new server was approved because the current server is almost full, according to the office of the township assessor. The cost will include software installation and the transfer of data from the old server.

The purchase of a paper shredder will put the township in compliance with Michigan Tax Commission guidelines, which require all municipalities to use a shredder that cuts in two different directions. All township offices will have access to the new shredder.

Bid to plow airport accepted

A bid by Mathews Excavating of Hessel to plow the Albert J. Lindberg Airport runways this winter was accepted by the board. The accepted bid was the only one submitted for the contract.

The board approved to pay the excavating company $550 per plow, however, will counteroffer the $100-per-hour price to push back snowbanks at the airport when necessary.

Ms. Carpenter said a counter offer will be made to keep the cost similar to last year's prices, which were $525 per plow and $85 per hour to push back snowbanks.