COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING MINUTES

COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING MINUTES

Type of Meeting:	REGULAR
Date of Meeting:	September 17, 2002-7:30 PM

The Regular Meeting of the Columbia Township Board was called to order by Supervisor Beckwith. Present were Beckwith, Burgett, Fogarty, Hurley, and Harrington. In attendance were 34 citizens.

Treasurer's Report:

General Fund	123,581.59	Road Fund	7,599.62
Fire Fund	154,384.24	Ambulance Fund	68,011.54
Trust & Agency Fund	4,099.72	Tax Fund	2,386.47
Liquor Control Fund	4,996.68	Housing Rehab Fund	42,699.60

Consent Agenda: Regular Meeting Minutes-August 20, 2002; Special Meeting Minutes- September 6, 2002; bills through September 16, 2002; Treasurer’s Report. Motion by Burgett, seconded by Hurley, to approve the Consent Agenda. Carried unanimously.

Clerk: No Report

Guest Speaker: District Judge Candidate-Art Clarke.

Public Comment: None

Additions/Corrections: None

Supervisor: No Report

Sheriff: 85 complaints received in August: 1 breaking & entering, 2 traffic related, 2 drug related, 7 larceny, 9 suspicious activity, 16 general assist, and 7 false alarms.

State Police: No Report

County Commissioner: Open house October 7, 2002, at 5:00 PM.

Fire Chief: 4 calls in August, including 2 structure and 2 good intent. Average response time since January 1^st is 6.8 minutes. This is the time of year to service your furnaces and clean your chimneys. Columbia Township Firefighters attended several memorial services on 9/11. Columbia Township currently has 9 trained firefighters and 12 trainees. 2 youths have signed up for the Cadet Program.

Planning Commission: No Report

Neighborhood Watch: Next meeting-October 3, 2002-7:30 pm. Neighborhood Watch currently has 300 + members.

Book Station: $849 was made at the Spaghetti Dinner in August. Tickets are on sale for the Book Station raffle.

Hospital: The telephone system at the hospital has been upgraded. Construction is now beginning on several of the renovation and building projects.

Recreation/Cemetery: George Harrington has been cleaning up Thompson Cemetery.

Zoning Administrator: Permits issued in August: 1 stick built, 2 used mobiles, 2 additions, 5 pole buildings, and 2 garages.

Blight Administrator: 5 Blight complaints received in August, 2 have been resolved.

Correspondence: 1. Letters from George Harrington disputing Judge Buhl’s ruling, in the lawsuit filed by Frank Grubisich,

against Dean Beckwith, Mary Burgett, Mary Fogarty, and Rosemary Hurley.

2. Letter from Harold Schuitmaker to Harold Johnson explaining that the Township cannot legally pay bills to which they are not a part.

3. Letter from Harold Schuitmaker excluding us from participating in the Silver Lake Level

dispute.

4. Jeff Sauer resignation from the Planning Commission.

Motion by Hurley, seconded by Burgett, to accept Jeff Sauer’s resignation with regret.

Old Business: In the lawsuit filed by Frank Grubisich against Columbia Township and the individually named Township Defendants, Dean Beckwith, Mary Burgett, Mary Fogarty, and Rosemary Hurley, the defendants filed a motion for summary disposition which was heard before the Honorable William C. Buhl on July 22, 2002. Judge Buhl ruled Frank Grubisich’s lawsuit was improperly brought, it was frivolous, both as to the facts alleged, as well as the law, and dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice. Judge Buhl also awarded Columbia Township and the individually named Defendants, their costs and fees made necessary to defend against Frank Grubisich’s frivolous lawsuit.

New Business:

Motion by Burgett, seconded by Hurley, to pay Butch Murphy, $30 per time, for the use of his equipment, such as brush hog, loader, etc., upon notification of the Supervisor. Carried unanimously.

Motion by Burgett, seconded by Fogarty, to approve Resolution 2002-25 "Budget Amendment". Carried unanimously.

Notices: 1) South Haven Senior Services Survey

	2) Free Dump Day September 21, 2002 from 9-5pm
	3) Saddle Lake Assn. Meeting 10am-Columbia Township Hall

Public Comment: Anyone interested should get a copy of the deposition from the court in regards to the lawsuit filed by Frank Grubisich against Dean Beckwith, Mary Burgett, Mary Fogarty, and Rosemary Hurley.

Discussion about the letter sent to all residents of Saddle Lake.

Adjourned: 8:31 PM

Mary Burgett, Clerk

Dean Beckwith, Supervisor