Board minutes
2006-03 Regular Board Minutes
Thursday March 9, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. the Middlebury Township Board met at the
Ovid Municipal Building for the Public Budget Hearing. The meeting was called to
order by Supervisor Anthony Sinicropi with the pledge to the flag. Prayer was given by
Clerk Audrey Sovis. Board members present were: Sinicropi, Sovis, Treasurer Carolyn
Stevens and Trustee Paul Dutton. Trustee Charles Simpson was absent. There were 4
visitors present. Proposed budget changes included increasing (336) Emergency Services
to $8,500.00 and decreasing (445) Drains at Large to $4,500.00. At 7:00 p.m. Sinicropi
closed the budget hearing and called the regular meeting of the Township Board to order.
Simpson entered at 6:50 p.m. There were 9 visitors present.
Scheduled Comments: Deputy Steve Loomis was present and had nothing to
report. Shiawassee County Commissioner Jim Capitan reported that he was appointed to
the Rails to Trails Authority to represent Middlebury and Owosso Townships. He stated
that here will also be an advisory board to the authority in which Deputy Supervisor Rich
Givens will likely be appointed. The County budget is in good shape and contract
negotiations are currently underway.
Public Comments: Rich Givens reported that the County Clerk encouraged
Supervisors, at the local MTA meeting, to consider giving Township Clerks a raise as
their work load has increased with more elections to conduct each year. He also
commented on a proposal that may be on the ballot this year called K-16.
General Business: A motion to approve the agenda with the addition of
discussing the Shiawassee County Road Commission proposals was made by Dutton,
seconded by Simpson; all ayes, no nays, carried. A motion to approve the minutes of the
February 9, 2006 regular board meeting was made by Simpson, seconded by Dutton; all
ayes, no nays, carried. A motion to accept the Treasurer’s report was made by Sovis,
seconded by Dutton; all ayes, no nays, carried. A motion was made by Dutton, seconded
by Sovis to amend the budget and transfer $3,350.00 from (901) Appropriate to Other
Funds and dispensing $ 250.00 to (101) Township Board Fund
$ 100.00 to (171) Supervisor Fund
$3,000 to (336) Emergency Services Fund
Roll call vote: Dutton aye, Simpson aye, Stevens aye, Sovis aye, Sinicropi aye; no nays,
carried. A motion to pay the March bills in the amount of $21,536.75 (ck #’s 1611-1646,
#1639 voided) was made by Simpson, seconded by Sinicropi; all ayes by signature vote.
Communications: There will be a County Planning Commission hearing March
22, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. regarding Private Road and Shared Driveway Development,
Agricultural Ponds and Meetings of the Site Plan review Committee. An election will be
held at the Middlebury Township hall May 2, 2006. Amendments to the Township
Planning Bylaws were approved by the township planning commission as proposed to the
board on 1-12-06.
Unfinished Business: Givens reported on the viability of the Metz property at
M-21 and Warren Road. He stated that according to the County Zoning office it cannot
be built upon and most of this property is in the right of way to the County drain that runs
behind it. A motion was made by Sinicropi and seconded by Sovis that Dutton and Sovis
will put together a bid request to try to sell this property and present it at the April
meeting before being published; all ayes, no nays, carried. Attorney Mark Cooley
entered at 7:35 p.m. and reported on the cemetery property stating that the Township and
Mr. Helvie will need to meet with Landmark Surveying and that two deeds will probably
be issued to distinguish the owners of the property in question.
New Business: The proposals given by the Shiawassee County Road
Commission were gone over line by line. Sinicropi will contact them before board
approves final proposals as the board still had a few questions.
A motion to open a new CD for $10,000 was made by Dutton, seconded by
Stevens. Roll call vote: Stevens aye, Sovis aye, Sinicropi aye, Simpson aye, Dutton aye,
no nays, carried. The current Cemetery CD ($20,740.78) was rolled over at Citizens
Bank for 12 months at an interest rate of 5.1% APY.
A motion to approve the fiscal year 2006-2007 budget was made by Dutton,
seconded by Sovis with the adjustments of $8,500.00 to (336) Emergency Services
And $4,500.00 to (445) Drains at Large; roll call vote: Sinicropi aye, Dutton aye,
Simpson aye, Sovis aye, Stevens aye, no nays, carried.
Reports: Sovis reported that the sexton would like to have a dead tree removed
from the cemetery in the near future. She also reported that the cost for opening and
closing graves has gone from $150-$175, now that D.A.D. Lukas has taken over for
L&G Excavating. A motion was made by Sinicropi, seconded by Stevens to continue
using D.A. D. Lukas for future burials; all ayes, no nays, carried.
Simpson reported that a new sign has been put up at the Maple Grove Cemetery at
a cost of $325.00 installed.
At 8:10 p.m. Stevens made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Sovis; all ayes, no
nays, carried.