I sent this email to our Board:

To: Oakland Township Board of Trustees

Now that HB-4012 (Traffic control: speed restrictions; procedure for establishing speed limits; modify. Amends sec. 628) and has been signed by the Governor,  does the Board of Trustees plan to “dust-off” and make use of this old provision from MCL 257.628 for the Collins Road speed limit issue? An answer at “ Board Reports and Correspondence” April 30,  would be appreciated.

“A township board may petition the county road commission or the department of state police for a proposed change in the speed limit.”

The Governor signed HB-4012 on April 3, 2024.

The vote was 110/10 in House and 37/0 in Senate. Oakland Township Representatives to the Michigan House, Mark Tisdel, and Danielle Steele voted YES, Josh Schriver voted NO.  Our State Senator Mike Webber voted YES.

The bill’s exact wording concurred upon by Michigan House and Senate is here:

2023-HCB-4012.pdf (mi.gov)

I struggle to understand how this rewording changes anything to eliminate automatic 85^th  percentile speed limit setting,  but am hoping you understand it better than I do.

A news article when the bill was introduced in 2023 is here:

https://gophouse.org/posts/rep-slagh-introduces-first-bills-of-new-term

A news article on the current bill is here. It seems overly optimistic.

Bill giving local governments more control over speed limits receives bipartisan support | WKAR Public Media

Bob Yager

In a close 4/3 vote the Board selected Joseph Merucci as our next Township Manager to replace Adam Kline who resigned months ago. This came after a motion to appoint current elected Township Supervisor Robin Buxar failed 3/4. There was public comment from three residents and apparently about 10 – 11 email expressing opinions on the matter were received. Rather than me attempting to summarize the discussion and comments watch the video (section 7/5) ideoplayer.telvue.com/player/KGL-y_dHhCluQTy7c6YoVBzzQ5eHj7Lr/media/864272

At the recent March 26, 2024 Oakland Township Board of Trustees Meeting about a dozen residents who live in close proximity to the proposed 195 Verizon foot cell-phone tower spoke strongly against it, citing its appearance and negative effect on property values in this rural residential area. The site is a 20 acre property owned by Lake Orion schools and immediately adjacent to Marshview Park. They will receive about $1900 per month from Verizon.

Apparently the residents were informed that the Board will consider this issue at their April 9 meeting. If you have a view, you should attend that meeting and comment. The Planning Commission who reviews such matters voted narrowly 3/2 at their February 6, 2024 meeting to recommend that the Board approve it. Two members of the Planning Commission were absent from the meeting. The minutes of that meeting give more detail here: https://ecode360.com/OA3183/document/753018965.pdf

The detailed blueprints should be available for inspection by anyone at the Building Dept. window at Township Hall. See a site schematic drawing and the letters from Township consultants here in gthe February 6 meeting packet: https://ecode360.com/OA3183/document/753014259.pdf

Click to access 753030610.pdf

See the agenda at the link above which takes you to the 53 page meeting packet. Also read the much improved minutes of 3/7 and 3/12 meetings on pages 25-29 of packet. (Each motion is explained.)

See every check written recently for approval by Board and background materials for each agenda item on the page shown to the right of each item.

I suppose the big item is choosing the new Township Manager.

HDC Agenda for Wednesday March 20, 2024, 7 PM

Information in the meeting packet https://ecode360.com/OA3183/document/753028198.pdf is listed below.  I’ve picked three items I think are of most interest to preservation enthusiasts

• Minutes of February 21. 2024 meeting, pages 2-6
• Trouble with Road Commission in moving historic barn, pages 7-16
• Saving historic Rochester High School building, pages 51-57

and one of interest to budget hawks.

• ($699,014 fund balance), page 73

Contents:                                                                                     Page

See the agenda for tonight’s meeting and the draft minutes from last month’s meeting at the link below at the end of comments. (These are excellent minutes prepared by contractor Ingrid Kliffel. She also does Parks minutes and used to do our Board minutes until early 2013 when the 2013-2016 Board decided to include only the legally required minimum information in Oakland Township Board minutes.)

There is a lot of good information in this packet. I won’t try to summarize it all. Several issues directly effecting Oakland Township are:

A resident at 4763 forest Ridge Court whose yard backs up to the trail just south of Gallagher Road seeks permission to continue the encroachment of her steps that were there when she bought the house recently and were actually advertised by the realtor as an advantage. She just replaced the rotting wood and added a handrail which suddenly made the steps visible. I think her request is reasonable, especially since she allows all her neighbors access.

Minutes say that Supervisor Robin Buxar will have a porta-potty installed outside near Paint Creek Cider Mill. (Too bad the 2013-2016 Oakland Township Board of trustees “shot down” Parks Director Mindy Milos-Dale plan including a grant application, that included very nice outdoor restrooms in that area among other things.)

The Commission will undertake revision of their master plan with public input scheduled for June-July 2024

A resident raised several trail maintenance issues – enlarged chipmunk holes that have been a hazard to kid’s bikes, poor slope that cause bad drainage and ruts after heavy rains caused by improper slopes, and the need for periodic grading to knock down bumps.

I raised the issue of the high levels of dust in an email to the Trail Manager. The Trail Manager made the Paint Creek Trailways Commissioners aware of my concern in his monthly memo. (I’d like to see our future Township Manager do the same for issues we residents raise with him/her.)

Of our two Commissioners and one alternate only Commissioner Brian Blust attended the February meeting.

https://paintcreektrail.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/March-19-2024-Meeting-Packet.pdf

March 16, 2024

To: Board of Trustees, Oakland Township

From: Bob Yager

I would like to see my suggestion below on the Board of Trustees agenda for discussion and acceptance, denial, or modification

Safety Path and Trails construction plans must be first approved by our Planning Commission and then recommended to the Board of Trustees for approval. This will ensure that all requirements of Zoning Ordinance No. 16, passed January 23, 2018, are met.

In particular, I am concerned about paths that have been approved by our Board of Trustees without review by the Planning Commission that contain paths narrower than the 10-foot width required by this ordinance. In my view this creates an unacceptable risk level of bicycle / bicycle or bicycle/pedestrian collisions.

From February 23, 2021, Board of Trustees Minutes

“4. Gallagher Path Bid Approval

The Board heard an overview of the project from Trustee Zale. MOTION by Buxar, supported by Zale to approve payment not to exceed $565,000 to All Star Power Excavating, LLC and PEA Group for the construction and engineering services for the Silverbell/Gallagher/PCT Path.

 Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Abbate, Buxar, Elder, Giannangeli, Mabry, Mangiapane, Zale

Nays: None Absent: None

Motion carried 7/0.”

I find no record of review by Planning Commission.

Visit the Gallagher Road path to see this in person. That is why AASHTO recommends ten feet. (See section 16-338 of our ordinance)

Enforcing a 10-foot width requirement may require you to revisit your unspoken “ban” on using your powers of eminent domain to construct paths with a safe width.

This is a timely issue as SPTC is in the planning stages for a narrow six-foot-wide path down Snell Rd. from Rochester to Stony Creek Metropark.