New Douglass Township Board seeks ‘a different direction’

DOUGLASS TOWNSHIP — As the four newly elected members of the Douglass Township Board stood to call Wednesday’s meeting to order and say the Pledge of Allegiance, excited residents burst into applause.

Supervisor Cindy Shick, Clerk Holly Hoff and trustees Ken Bunting and Eric Tester all participated in their first meeting as officials after ousting former supervisor Terry Anderson, former clerk Ronda Snyder and former trustees Pat Althoff and Tom Jeppesen in two elections this year. Treasurer Amy Laper (Anderson’s daughter) is the sole remaining incumbent on the board.

The night started with a feeling of newness and fresh possibilities. However, by the end of what turned into a three-and-a-half-hour meeting — which featured lengthy debates about which attorney to hire and arguments over whether to schedule a special meeting — the new board was much like any other board in Montcalm County.

A lengthy two-page agenda containing nearly 70 items to be addressed contributed to the length of the meeting, and board members ended up tabling multiple items after discussion.

Civility

One of the many items on the agenda was “civility” — a relevant topic, as Douglass Township has had some of the most heated board meetings of any throughout Montcalm County over the past few years.

As the new board members took office, many hard feelings remain on both sides of the ongoing wind energy debate. Planning Commission Chairman Jack Jeppesen (the brother of recalled trustee Tom Jeppesen) took to his Facebook page on Sunday to post a picture of Wednesday’s meeting agenda and he wrote, “To all my Facebook friends, please come to our township meeting this Wednesday night. Let’s treat these new people the same way they have treated us for the last two years. What a bunch of (expletive) idiots we have running our township now.”

Jeppesen was not present at Wednesday’s meeting.

“Just a comment on civility,” said Shick near the start of the meeting. “When speaking to each other here on the board and community members, if you decide to participate during comment time, I ask that you watch your language as if a young child was here. If not, I’ll stop and ask you and remind you and I hope that’s as far as it has to go.”

As Wednesday’s lengthy meeting came to a close, the final public comment came from Planning Commission Secretary Becky Sowles, who referenced Shick’s comments.

“I am not sure whether I want to laugh or scream about the topic of civility regarding the meetings,” Sowles declared. “You and your supporters have been some of the most rude, disrespectful and plain uncivil people I’ve ever seen during previous meetings. I hope now our township can finally have some civility and peace since you’ve gotten what you want. Maybe the screaming anti crowd will now finally find someplace else to go and cause chaos.

“I remember hearing repeatedly that I am nothing but a Terry Anderson plant placed on the PC solely to do his bidding, despite none of you knowing my personal beliefs or knowing me personally. None of you bother to think I might be a competent adult who’s capable of making decisions all on my little own, based on facts and research. I will continue to do my best on the PC for all the taxpayers of our township. I just pray we can expect the same from our newly elected board members.

“As far as sending a recommendation to the PC regarding the wind ordinances, I hope that you’ll have the integrity to just flat-out tell us what you truly want. You’ve made it very clear you want no wind of any industrial type in our township — then have the integrity to tell us ‘we don’t want an ordinance.’ Stop wasting time and money pretending to write one that’s a fair, working wind ordinance and tell us to restrict it. You can probably do that on your own without the PC.

“I look forward seeing you all receive the same level of civility that was given to our last board members,” she said. “May God have mercy on our township.”

Wind, solar and marijuana

The new board voted 4-0 (with Shick not voting as there were no tied votes) to place a six-month moratorium on any wind energy applications, a two-month moratorium on anything solar-related and a six-month moratorium on retail marijuana until they can clarify whether those ordinances were properly done.

Board members specifically want to clarify where a 2017 wind ordinance currently stands. The ordinance was never properly noticed or published and a “savings clause” version of the ordnance was overwhelmingly shot down by voters in November’s general election, as was a second wind ordinance which was created this year (the first ordinance failed by 72% to 26%, while the second ordinance failed by nearly 73% to 27%).

The former township board voted to approve a wind ordinance in November 2017, which “shall become effective seven days after its publication or seven days after the publication of its provisions in a local newspaper of general circulation.”

The Daily News previously reviewed its own newspaper issues from throughout October, November and December 2017 but found no publication of a legal notice regarding adoption of a wind ordinance. The only related item the Daily News found in its pages was a legal notice published on Oct. 16, 2017, regarding a hearing scheduled for Oct. 25, 2017, to discuss an “amendment to allow and regulate wind energy systems,” along with an amendment prohibiting medical marijuana facilities and an amendment to Flat River zoning district regulations. Douglass Township wasn’t named in that notice and the Daily News was only able to verify the notice was submitted by former township clerk Snyder after the Daily News reviewed its own legal billing records. Also, the notice was published nine days before the hearing — not 15 days before, as is required by law.

Attorney debate

The board voted 4-0 to “change attorneys,” as they all want to cut ties with current attorney Ron Redick of Mika Meyers.

“Being what’s happened the last few years, I don’t think the community has confidence in Ron to keep him on,” Tester said. “I think the community would like to see a different direction. I think the community would like to see a lawyer who will come up with some ordinance that the people would accept.”

Bloom Sluggett is the most used law firm for Montcalm County townships, working for Bushnell, Eureka, Evergreen, Montcalm and Winfield townships, as well as Pierson Township for zoning (Pierson uses Bauckham, Sparks, Thall, Seeber & Kaufman for general legal advice). Foster Swift is the law firm for Cato, Maple Valley and Pine townships. Jourdan Rasmussen of Lakeview is the attorney for Belvidere and Sidney townships and he’s also done work for Maple Valley and Reynolds townships. Bloomer Township uses Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes. Home Township uses attorney Thomas Wilson of Carson City.

Tester was ready to vote to hire Foster Swift as the township’s new law firm, but his colleagues wanted to do their own research. A lengthy debate ensued over whether to schedule a special meeting before Christmas to discuss who to hire.

The next regular township board meeting is scheduled for Jan. 4, but Tester wanted to meet sooner.

“I need some legal advice on some of these decisions,” he said.

Huff emphasized the need for board members to take their time in researching which law firm to hire.

“We don’t want to jump into this,” she said. “I’m really adamant about that — we don’t want to jump into this.”

Tester said the Planning Commission will need legal guidance when they start to work on a new wind ordinance; however, this comment raised red flags for Huff who noted that one reason the majority of the former township board was recalled was due to spending approximately $100,000 on attorney fees.

“They’re very angry about the money that was spent on the attorneys,” Huff said. “I don’t want to turn around and do that again. We’re already spent $100,000 on attorneys. I was furious about that, most of us were furious about that. If we have a PC, why are we paying them if we just hire an attorney to write our ordinance?”

Bunting said he would at least like an attorney on standby for questions.

Laper pointed out that anytime the township board holds a special meeting, the two trustees receive extra money. Bunting and Tester both said they could defer their special meeting pay if needed.

The board voted 3-1 to hold a special meeting on Dec. 21 to discuss their attorney research and decide who to hire. Huff voted “no.”

Township planner

The board also voted 4-0 to “change planners.” Paul LeBlanc of PLB Planning Group is currently the township’s planner, but some board members want to cut ties with him. However, Huff warned that finding a new planner might be difficult.

“I think the community has lost faith in our planner,” Tester said. “We’ve been through a lot. If we don’t change our planner and our attorney I don’t think the citizens are going to be real happy. He (LeBlanc) may be good for suburban, but as far as rural … I think people would either like to see no planner or to go in a different direction.”

“I do think it would be nice to find someone one who understands living in the country,” Shick agreed. “Some of the comments he (LeBlanc) made were as if we all lived in subdivisions and didn’t apply to our area.”

“It is not easy to find planner, period,” Huff noted. “Check with other townships. They’ve been having problems with that too. We could end up with no planner. We don’t want to bite our nose to spite our face.”

“It may be hard, but it’s not impossible,” Bunting responded. “A bad option is not the only option.”

Appointments

The board voted 4-0 to appoint Bunting as a representative for Stanton Community Fire Department meetings, Tester as the township board liaison to the Planning Commission and Shick to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

The board also voted to accept applications from residents who are interested in serving on the Planning Commission for two seats with terms expiring in January. Those seats are currently filled by Paul Olson and Mike Swan.

The board also voted 4-0 to have Tester direct the Planning Commission to start working on a wind ordinance again. The PC is next scheduled to meet on Jan. 25.

Regarding the ZBA, a township board member, a PC member and a resident are supposed to comprise the three-member board, but this apparently hasn’t been the case for some time. Two seats are about to expire on the ZBA, so the township board will also be accepting nominations for a citizen and a PC member to serve on there alongside Shick.

Office hours

Board members also announced their office hours for 2023.

Huff will have clerk office hours from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays and from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays. She’s also available on Saturdays by appointment. Huff can be contacted via email at douglasstwp@gmail.com.

Laper will have treasurer office hours on second and fourth Wednesdays from 8:30 to 11 a.m. November through February and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March through October. She’s also available by appointment and she holds additional office hours during tax season.

Shick is available by appointment and can be contacted via email at cindyshick.douglass@gmail.com.

The Douglass Township Hall phone number is (989) 762-8014.