Author: Bob Yager

Two Township Meetings Open to the Public Next Week (January 3-7,2022)

Bob Yager

Planning Commission – Tuesday January 4, 2022, 7 PM, Township Hall, 4393 Collins, Board Room

Planning Commission will have a public hearing on the proposal to deny granting certain variances to the zoning ordinance if a property has outstanding ordinance violations. See the agenda and meeting background information packet below –

Click to access 635395972.pdf

Safety Paths and Trails Committee – Wednesday January 5, 2022, 6 PM, Township Hall, 4393 Collins, Board Room

No agenda available yet. The Committee has invited public input and comment on upcoming path priorties. See the Township Website posting “Future Path Priorities” under “News and Highlights” on the township website home page

http://www.oaklandtownship.org/

The public may make relevant comments at either meeting, as required by the Michigan Open Meetings Act. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/ag/OMA_handbook_287134_7.pdf

Each public body has specific rules for when to comment, usually reviewed at the start of meeting. The 3 minute maximum allowed time per person is standard at all Oakland Township meetings.

Resident Expresses Concern about Possible Gallagher Road Paving

Bob Yager

In initial public comments at the December 14. 2021 Board of Trustees meeting, Eric Warner, 4795 Gallagher Road, expressed concern about possible plans he had heard about to pave Gallagher Road. He was most concerned that if it is paved, speed limits should be enforced as he predicts traffic will triple. He asked how to find out more about this decision. Supervisor Abatte suggested he contact Manager Kline. Manager Kline offered that the best way is to set up an appoinment with him. He suggested that he can be reached at akline@oaklandtownship.org. Trustee Giananngeli, who previously proposed paving Gallagher as a recommendation to the Road Commission said that this will be discussed at budget meetings in next two months as it will be a 3-4 year out budget item. Clerk Buxar said that this will only be a recommendation to the Road Commission.

Public Hearing January 4th on Proposed Changes to the Zoning Ordinance.

Bob Yager

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing January 4th, 2020 to consider whether to recommend to disallow consideration of any variances, special land-use, etc. as long as a property has outstanding code violations. See the letter from Township Planning Coordinator, Don Mende in the meeting packet below.

Required public notice of this hearing was published in “The Record” weekly newspaper (available by annual subscription – $40, or at the news box in front of the Paint Creek Cider Mill – $1). The township no longer publishes public notices in the Rochester Post. The Manager’s stated reason is that the Post stopped being reliably a weekly publication during Covid pandemic and weekly is needed to meet some state law noticing requirements. I believe The Record is the only weekly newspaper available in Oakland Township.

Of course one can also find out about such things by daily review of the township website looking for upcoming agendas.

Click to access 635395972.pdf

Parks, Recreation and Land Preservation Spring Newsletter is Out – Contains Important History

Bob Yager

See it on home page of township website under “News and Highlights”

http://www.oaklandtownship.org/

This issue contains some important history on how we became a beautiful township with much parkland and minimum distruction of the natural features and beauty of the land. It was done with huge and sustained volunteer effort of a few people. See pages 2, 16-18.

There is also a wealth of information and photos on land preservation, parks programs, Cranberry Lake Farm and other topics.

Oakland Township Board of Trustees December 14, 2021, 7 P.M. Meeting Agenda and Packet

Bob Yager

See the agenda and Board packet at the link below. I recommend you follow this process in order –

1 – Review the agenda for anything of interest to you. I suspect many will be interested in Pending Business Item #7, Cider Mill Concessionaire Contract. You will likely have to click on the “+” button at top to increase the size for legibility.

2 – Read Township Manager Adam Kline’s summary of the agenda items that interest you on pages 289-290 of the packet

3 – If you want more detail, read the packet information starting at the page shown to the right fo the agenda item. For example the information on Vistas development (item #3 in the Consent Agenda proposed to be approved without debate) starts on page 72. Not every agenda item has packet background material.

4 – If you want to comment on an agenda item, attend the meeting in person. You are allowed a 3 minute comment after the Board finishes discussing it and before voting.

5 – You can comment on anything relevant to Township affairs, but not on the agenda, at the beginniing and end of the meeting.

6 – You can watch the meeting on CMNTV Channel 17 live, or later (all or part) on videotape on the township website.

Click to access 634879222.pdf