Board Meeting Minutes – April 9, 2019
- Supervisor Jager called the Regular Meeting of the Holton Township Board to order at 7:03 pm.
- Pledge of Allegiance given by all present.
- Roll Call of Board Members. Trustee Schroeder, Treasurer Halbower, Trustee Jager, Clerk Hippler, Supervisor Jager all present.
- Agenda set with the addition of 12 G “Hire Fire Personnel”.
- 040119 Trustee Jager made the motion to approve the Regular Meeting Minutes from March 12, 2019 as presented. Second from Trustee Schroeder. CARRIED.
- 040219 Trustee Jager made the motion to approve the payment of the bills as presented. Second from Treasurer Halbower. CARRIED.
- Business from the Floor
- Malinda Pego-6230 3rd Street Holton. Questions regarding Medical Marijuana Facilities, consequences of May 7, 2019 Ballot Referendum, distribution of tax revenues from Medical Marijuana facilities, and the date for the next Budget Hearing.
- 040319 Trustee Jager made the motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented. Second by Trustee Schroeder. CARRIED.
- Department Reports
- Building and Zoning Reports provided to the Board as written reports. There were 7 new permits for the month of March.
- Library- April 9th was Patron Appreciation Day and there was also a Harry Potter Program. The Library will be offering auto-renewal to help patrons avoid late fees. The Library will also be offering the rental of Wi-Fi hotspot devices so patrons can bring home free access to the internet.
- Fire- Consulting Interim Chiefs Grabinski and McCastle have been working with the department for a month. They have interviewed all the current Fire Fighters. Things are going well. The newly purchased fire truck is coming along and is expected to be delivered by the end of May. There was an accident with an existing fire vehicle, and they are working with the insurance company to repair the truck.
- Correspondence- To access the Township budget go to the Township website, hover over the “Government” tab and click on “Budget”.
- Unfinished Business- None.
- Closed Session
- 040419 Trustee Jager Made a motion to enter a closed session to review Fire Department Personnel. Second by Trustee Schroeder. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Schroeder-Yes, Supervisor Jager-Yes, Trustee Jager-Yes, Clerk Hippler-Yes, Treasurer Halbower-Yes. CARRIED. Open Meeting Reconvened at 7:55pm.
- 040519 Trustee Jager made the motion to accept the recommendation of the Fire Chief Consultants to terminate the employment of Casey Gaultney. Second by Treasurer Halbower. CARRIED.
- Fire Department Purchase Requests
- 040619 Trustee Jager made a motion to approve the purchase of a 3500-watt inverter and LED light upgrade for Truck 1920 for $12,680.71 including an upfront payment of $7047.71. Second by Trustee Schroeder. CARRIED.
- 040719 Trustee Jager made a motion to approve payment of $6000, split between Bob Grabinski and Dave McCastle, paid as contractors receiving a 1099, issued as monthly payments of $500 to each interim chief from the date of employment, March 13th 2019, until the appointment of a new chief and reviewable in 6 months. Second by Trustee Schroeder. CARRIED.
- 040819 Trustee Jager made a motion to allow the Holton Township Fire Department to spend $5,000 on Annual Firefighter Physicals. Second by Treasurer Halbower. CARRIED.
- 040919 Trustee Jager made the motion to approve the purchase of a tablet and accessories from Muskegon Central Dispatch for $1,281.28. Second by Clerk Hippler. CARRIED.
- 041019 Trustee Jager made the motion to approve Holton Township Fire Department Policy P-008 “Zero Tolerance Drugs/Alcohol and Service/Expectations for HTFD”. Second by Trustee Schroeder. CARRIED.
- RESOLUTION 04012019 Trustee Jager made the motion to adopt Resolution 04012019 in opposition to the legislation that would allow Township Boards to the option to have its elected positions appear as nonpartisan on the ballot. Second by Trustee Schroeder. Roll Call Vote: Supervisor Jager- Yes, Clerk Hippler-No, Treasurer Halbower-Yes, Trustee Jager-Yes, Trustee Schroeder-Yes. ADOPTED.
- Township Facebook Page- A Township Facebook Page will be established to facilitate the timely distribution of Township information. Comments will be disabled and there will be at least two administrators.
- 041119 Treasurer Halbower made a motion to approve the purchase of a new door for the DPW for $234.00. Second by Trustee Jager. CARRIED.
- 041219 Treasurer Halbower made a motion to approve the purchase of a power washer for the DPW for $199.00. Second by Trustee Jager. Discussion: The cost of the power washer will be cover by the Township budget, not the Cemetery. CARRIED.
- 041319 Trustee Jager made a motion to approve the hire of Katie Eklund, pending a background check and a pre-employment physical, to the Holton Township Fire Department and to approve the Fire Department to hire an additional 5 individuals. Second by Treasurer Halbower. CARRIED.
- Closed Session
- Future Business
- Discussion on road repairs will be tabled until after the May election.
- Board members will continue to review the proposed Holton Township Employee Manual.
- 041419 Trustee Jager made a motion to adjourn at 8:40pm. Second by Trustee Schroeder. CARRIED.
Respectfully submitted,
Sarah Hippler
Holton Township Clerk