Hayes Approves Long-Awaited Golf Cart Ordinance

The Hayes Township Board will meet next at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Hayes Municipal Complex, 2055 E. Townline Lake Road.

Hayes Township, Harrison, Michigan

2055 E. Townline Lake Road
Harrison, MI 48625

By DIANNE ALWARD-BIERY

Cleaver Senior Staff Writer

HARRISON – The Hayes Township Board covered a lot of ground at its Sept. 10 meeting, beginning with a report from Commissioner Gabe Ambrozaitis who spoke of ongoing movement at the airport and a potential money-match grant. In his report, Hayes Trustee Bob Buckley congratulated Ambrozaitis on retaining his position on the November ballot after the previous day’s recount. Buckley, who also had held his position after the recount, said he was impressed with how the recount was done.

Township Clerk Deb Hoyt. who had attended the recount training and the recount, also extended her thanks to the County Clerk and her staff for how smoothly the recount was handled. Hoyt also reported having attended the Municipal Clerks election training in August, which informed of cyberattacks, Facebook threats, etc., adding “There’s lots to do to protect elections.”

Hoyt informed that she had changed the Election Commission meeting from Oct. 10 to Oct. 14, and the Public Testing from Oct. 17 to Oct. 14 – which would allow for completing both in a single day. She said the date change better aligns with the state-provided election calendar, and noted that Tessner-Rood who is a precinct chairperson for the November election might not be available Oct. 10. Hoyt also noted the agenda item wherein she was seeking permission to submit a grant request for $6,000 to cover handicap voting booths, envelopes and other supplies needed for the election.

Treasurer Maye Tessner-Rood reported things are moving forward with the DNR Spark Grant project; currently a request for bids draft is being worked on, which has to be sent in for approval, after which RFPs can be posted. She also noted the duplexes project is moving forward, and awaiting final sign-off from the state. Tessner-Rood also said a meeting with HAEDCO developers had yielded a plan for division of the Planned Unit Development on Old County Farm.

“It looks like, between multi units in single-family dwellings and senior cottages, we’ll be putting in about 80 new facilities for people to live in,” she said. “And that would still include having the Urgent Care.”

Under New Business, the Board moved to:

-Approve Digital Communications Coordinator job description. [A lone dissenting vote was cast by Jones.]

-Appoint Savannah Cavanaugh as Digital Communications Coordinator, and approve $125 per pay period for the Digital Communications Coordinator.

-Approve Clerk Hoyt to submit grant request to the Institute for Responsive Government, and request amount of $6,000 for election support.

-Approve Treasurer Rood to open a checking account at Members First Credit Union for the CMF/DNR Spark grant (as recommended by the Council of Michigan Foundations).

-Follow up on noise ordinance tickets and prosecute.

-Approve additional Temple crack seal project costs – original contract listed the following not to exceed $10,798: 1)Mostetler crack seal $2,795 (paid); 2)Larch crack seal $1,644 (no invoice yet/came in under); 3)Ball crack seal $3,102 (no invoice yet); and 4)Temple crack seal $3,257 – actual $5,301.58 (increase of $2,044.58 due to cracks larger than expected taking longer to fill).

It was suggested by Jones that in order to avoid having to pay overtime the new Board do crack sealing after October when the road commission shifts to a five-day week.

The final action of the day was discussion of a township golf cart ordinance, a lengthy discussion which finally settled in on amending portions of the state’s golf cart ordinance to better fit Hayes Township. Additionally, it was noted that correspondence with Sheriff John Wilson had informed of his department’s willingness to enforce a Hayes ordinance as it does for other jurisdictions, along with his urging that no one who is not MCOLES certified should enforce that ordinance. After a great deal of detailed discussion – and a couple meeting recesses while more information was gathered and ordinance/resolution numbers determined – the Board adopted the ordinance. It will have to go through the hearing/public comment process, but a specific ordinance is finally on its way.