Township Board Minutes

MINUTES OF CASCADE CHARTER TOWNSHIP
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
7:00 P.M.

Article 1. Supervisor Julien called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Present: Supervisor Julien, Trustees Beahan, Koessel, Fox, Goldberg, Clerk Goodyke and Treasurer Carpenter.
Absent: None
Also Present: Deputy Clerk Biegalle, Deputy Ryan Coil, Attorney Cliff Bloom and those listed in Supplement #1.

Article 2. Supervisor Julien led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

Article 3. The Agenda was revised to include the following:
" Article 4a. 3 - Treasurer's Department Bank Balances for April, 2007.
The agenda was approved with the above stated revisions on a motion by Trustee Koessel and supported by Trustee Beahan. Motion carried unanimously.

Article 4. Approval of Consent Agenda
a. Receive and File Various Reports
1. Fire Department Month End Report for May 2007.
2. Building Department Month End Report for May 2007.
3. Treasurer's Department Bank Balances for April, 2007.
b. Approval of Township Board Minutes
1. Regular Board Meeting Minutes for 5/09/07.
2. Regular Board Meeting Minutes for 5/23/07.
c. Receive and File Various Meeting Minutes
1. Regular Planning Commission Meeting Minutes for 5/14/07.
2. Regular Planning Commission Meeting Minutes for 5/21/07.
3. Board of County Road Commission Meeting Minutes for 5/08/07.
d. Education Requests
1. Roger McCarty - Michigan Assessors Association Conference - August 12 - 15, 2007, Dearborn, MI.
Motion to approve the consent agenda was made by Trustee Goldberg and supported by Treasurer Carpenter. Motion carried unanimously.

Article 5. Financial Actions
a. Consider Approval of General/Special Funds for May, 2007.
Motion to approve the General/Special Funds for May, 2007 was made by Clerk Goodyke and supported by Trustee Koessel. Supervisor Julien stated he had some concerns regarding the Building Department Fund Balance. He asked Interim Manager Beahan to sit down with Butch Visser and look at possible cutting of expenses. Motion carried unanimously.

b. Consider Approval of Public Utilities Funds for May, 2007.
Motion to approve the Public Utilities Funds for May, 2007 was made by Trustee Goldberg and supported by Clerk Goodyke. Motion carried unanimously.
c. Consider Approval of Bills, Transfers, and Payroll for May, 2007.
Motion to approve the Bills, Transfers, and Payroll for May, 2007 was made by Treasurer Carpenter and supported by Trustee Koessel. Trustee Koessel re-iterated his concerns regarding the Building Department's Mileage expenses. Motion carried unanimously.
d. Consider Resolutions to Adjust Various Funds within the 2007
Budget.
Motion to approve the Resolution to amend the 2007 General Fund
Budget was made by Clerk Goodyke and supported by Trustee
Koessel. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.
Motion to approve the Resolution to amend the 2007 Hazmat Fund
Budget was made by Trustee Koessel and supported by Treasurer
Carpenter. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.
Motion to approve the Resolution to amend the 2007 Improvement
Revolving Fund Budget was made by Clerk Goodyke and supported
By Trustee Koessel. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.
Motion to approve the budget to amend the 2007 DDA Fund Budget
was made by Trustee Koessel and supported by Trustee Fox. Motion
carried unanimously by roll call vote.
Motion to approve the Resolution to amend the 2007 Library Fund
Budget was made by Trustee Goldberg and supported by Clerk
Goodyke. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.
Discussion followed regarding the Resolution addressing the
amending of the Police Fund. The Board asked Interim Manager
Beahan to investigate what the School Resource Officer is and how
much the expenditure is. The Board recommended holding this item
over until the next regular meeting.
e. Consider Pay Application No. 2 Ron Meyer and Associates
re: Sidewalks on the North Side of 28th St.
Motion to approve pay application No. 2 Ron Meyer and Associates
re: Sidewalks on the North Side of 28th St. in the amount of
$8,448.57 was made by Treasurer Carpenter and supported by
Trustee Fox. Motion carried unanimously.

Article 6. Public Actions (None)

Article 7. Public Comments
Diane Cutler from Kent District Library was present to give a short report on the Summer Reading Programs being offered this year.

Article 8. Unfinished Business
025-2007 Discussion Regarding Proposed Gun Fire Ordinance.
Supervisor Julien reviewed the timeline for the audience and the
new trustees. Supervisor Julien opened the discussion to the
audience.
Don Beasley, 7693 Cascade Rd. addressed the Board with the
following concerns:
- Safety
- Noise (sound levels)
- Minimum Acreage (i.e., Location to neighbor)
- NRA Standard and how they were being met
- Length of shooting (time)
Bill Bos, 1674 Spaulding addressed the Board with the following concerns:
- will no longer have the opportunity/duty to get rid of critters in growing their vegetables.
Keith Rosol, 2611 Sturbridge Dr. addressed the Board with the following concerns:
- moved to a neighborhood community but still out in the country.
- issue with a squabble between neighbors.
- has been elevated to a level where the Board feels like they have to respond to this issue. If it becomes an ordinance it suddenly affects not just the people in the area where the concern is, but it starts affecting all these other people.
- not a firearm issue. Firearms will continue to be discharged in this community.
- issue is … the neighbors are not getting along …noise issue.
Jason Gunderson, 3777 Buttrick addressed the Board with the following concerns:
- have tried to regulate/compromise with the neighbors.
- neighbors do not want any shooting whatsoever.
- Just because his neighbors don't shoot doesn't mean that they shouldn't have to tolerate what I am doing to myself.
Sue Williams, 3706 Buttrick addressed the Board with the following concerns:
- Not a group of neighbors trying to be disagreeable.
- Wouldn't have contacted Township originally if hadn't had a series of days with extended periods of very loud and continuous gun fire and not knowing where it was coming from.
- Not an issue on trying to restrict everybody
- Safety issues
Wayne Quint, 3390 Thornapple River Drive addressed the Board with the following concerns:
- Finding issue on the irritating side…because of the inconsideration on the neighbors behalf who wants to do a lot of firing.
- Why is it necessary for this person to fire that amount of ammunition for that extensive period of time.
Ward Schenck, 2991 Chapshire Dr. addressed the Board with the following concerns:
- Noise decreases by the square of the distance…find it hard to believe that the noise is great, it wouldn't be too hard to measure the decibel when you get out there.
- Property rights of the other people…hates to see an ordinance. I think the people ought to work it out for themselves.
Supervisor Julien asked the Board if they wanted to have some discussion this evening about this issue. He also welcomed any comments from the two new Board members. Discussion followed.
Attorney Bloom was directed to put together a draft of a general nuisance ordinance.

Article 9. New Business

039-2007 Discuss Supervisors Recommendation to Form A Temporary Selection Committee.
Supervisor Julien recommended the following:
-Supervisor Julien
-Trustee Koessel
-Trustee Fox

040-2007 Discuss Proposal for Facilitation of the Search Process for Township Manager.
Motion by Trustee Koessel and supported by Treasurer Carpenter to adopt the structure and hire Pondera Advisors LLC at a minimum cost of $11,300.00 to be the independent consultant in the selection process and bring back the 3-5 best qualified candidates to the Board for an interview.
Clerk Goodyke questioned Trustee Koessel on what "structure" meant. Trustee Koessel responded that it was the structure of the committee as proposed as well as the adoption of the proposal that Pondera presented to assist us in the process. Supervisor Julien also questioned Trustee Koessel regarding the position profile coming back to the Board…that will be developed by Board input. Trustee Koessel stated that it would be acceptable.
Clerk Goodyke asked for clarification of the motion…
1. Hire Pondera
2. Keep the committee as suggested in Article 9. 039-2007 (i.e., Julien, Fox, Koessel)
3. The charge of the committee is to prepare a profile of the managers input with Board input.
The consensus of the Board was as Clerk Goodyke stated.
Trustee Beahan was asked to recuse himself from the vote as he is interested in the position. Supervisor Julien asked for a voice vote on the motion, motion carried unanimously.

041-2007 Discuss Recent Dead/Dangerous Tree Complaints.
Interim Manager Beahan gave the Board the one-minute update in the Tree issues.
Melissa Erickson's issue with the willow tree has been resolved. A phone call was made by Ms. Erickson to the tree owners insurance company regarding the tree. The insurance company came out to the property and said that the insurance company would not insure the homeowner anymore unless the tree was removed. The tree has since been removed.
The other tree issue was a resident was on Thornapple River Dr. just before Oliver Woods area. This issue is between land owners.

042-2007 Consider Resolution to Approve Providing Deferments from Summer Taxes Without Penalty for Certain Taxpayers.
Motion by Clerk Goodyke and supported by Treasurer Carpenter to approve the Resolution Providing Deferments from Summer Taxes Without Penalty for Certain Taxpayers. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.

Article 10. Manager's Comments
Interim Manager Beahan presented the following comments:
- Memorial Day Services
- Warning Sirens up and running
- Burton St. - bid for water project coming up
- Complaints - solicitors, lawn mowing, rope swing on Camel Back Bridge.
- Meeting with Ada/Grand Rapids Township re: Fire Dept.
- Cascade Community Foundation had a launch of a new level … very successful.

Article 11. Board Member Comments
Treasurer Carpenter presented the following comments:
- When are we getting the Traffic Light at Thornapple River Drive and 36th St. - should be Sept/Oct. (on the list)
Trustee Koessel presented the following comments:
- the Beaners Truck parked in the parking lot every single day in front of the Coffee Shop - should that be removed as a sign?
Supervisor Julien presented the following comments:
- the 28th St. paving, will it be done at the end of June? Wayne Harrell from the County said that we should not have to change our parade route, we should be on target.

Article 12. Adjournment
Motion was made by Trustee Fox and supported by Treasurer Carpenter to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously.

Meeting adjourned at 10:10 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Denise M. Biegalle
Township Deputy Clerk

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