COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING MINUTES

Type of Meeting:

SPECIAL

Date of Meeting:

Tuesday, June 22, 1999

Supervisor Beckwith called the Special Meeting of Columbia Township Board to order at 7:00 p.m. Present Beckwith, Speicher, May, Harrington and Landers.

Location: Bangor Community Fire Department

Purpose: Splitting the BBACG assets:

Action Taken by Township Board: None

DISCUSSIONS

Attorneys met at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the settlement. The following was offered:

Drop legal action for Superintending Control.

Cash on hand: $ 200,083

Acct Receivables 20,445

Columbia Twp 60,156 Columbia disputes this figure

$ 294,051

Amount owed to Geneva $ 42,121

May Expenses (actual) 14,624

June Expenses (estimated) 15,000

$ 71,745

Cash at end of June $ 222,306

Equipment Assets 684,986

Total Asset $ 907,292

Disbursements to Columbia Township

Owed to Columbia Township (907,292 / 4) $ 226,823

Grand Junction Fire Station $ 20,000

Misc. Items in Station 15,000

1995 Pumper / Tanker 165,083

$ 200,083

Owed to Columbia Township $ 26,740

Columbia Township Tax Levy $ 60,156

Certified Check to BBACG $ 33,416

$ 60,156

Columbia Township Board Discussion
  1. Consideration was not given to Columbia Township for original conveyance of property and equipment provided to the BBACG. Required by agreement. Disagree with having to pay $ 20,000 for the Grand Junction Station and $ 15,000 for the contents as they were originally conveyed to the BBACG for $10.00 by Columbia Township.
  2. The $ 60,156 of tax money is in dispute as State Law requires the township to be provided a value for value for expenditures, budget approval by municipalities not obtained and question the amount of funding required (1/5 operating and maintenance cost verses 1.6 mills on SEV).
  3. Board believes the Township’s invoice for $155,000 is an unresolved issue.
  4. The BBACG has diminished Columbia Township’s fire protection services which violates the joint fire agreement.

Speicher (Fire Board Representative) was directed to wait until a motion and second, then during discussion on motion state: 1) Columbia township disagrees with owing the $ 60,156.00, Columbia township is not receiving consideration for the building and equipment originally conveyed and fire protection services have diminished since joining the BBACG. Then on vote of the BBACG fire Board Speicher shall obtain and not place a vote on the settlement.

Board wanted an official invoice from the BBACG for the $ 60,156 and BBACG treasurer provided an invoice without Fire Board approval.

Fire Board accountant has not provided any accounting of records to Columbia Township and without the records Columbia Township has no way to verify the calculations made by the BBACG are accurate.

The Columbia Township Board took no official actions during this session. It was felt that the only way to remove us from the BBACG was to not agree, and if necessary, continue with court action at a later date. Columbia Township Board understood dropping current court action, only involved requests for "Superintending Control" and "Writ of Mandamus" and would not prevent the Township for seeking civil damages for the overpayments and breach of agreement (consideration for originally conveyed property and diminished services).

Kenneth J. Speicher

Columbia Township Clerk

Minutes approved by Board, July 6, 1999