Pleasanton Township Board (December) - Web Update

Even though Duke Energy says construction is at least two years away, commercial wind turbine projects have been officially slowed by the Pleasanton Township Board. At its December 13 meeting, the board passed a one-year moratorium on construction and land-use permits relating to wind energy systems. The vote was 4-0, with Trustee Bob Babcock abstaining.

The board acted on the advice of Zoning Administrator Rochelle Rollenhagen, who was unable to attend the meeting, but had sent an email earlier that night. "[T]he Planning Commission needs some time to research this so [it] can write the ordinance correctly the first time--not that there may not be amendments to it in the future," wrote Rollenhagen. She cited potential impacts on health, safety and welfare of township residents, and the increased height of modern wind turbines. Benzie County's Blaine Township, and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, which owns the Arcadia Dunes preserve, have also halted construction until more study is done.

Trustee Dave Ertel said that in the meantime, work on the commercial wind ordinance, which began in the fall, will continue. "If we get this done, we can come back and rescind this [moratorium]," he said. Ertel, who made the motion, also stated that the moratorium could serve as a deterrent for Duke. "If we do this, we're also giving the energy company a chance to look elsewhere," he said. Supervisor Tony Merrill, who seconded the motion, said that the moratorium could provide time to talk with Bear Lake and Arcadia Townships about sharing costs for noise consultants.

The moratorium also gives Pleasanton Township a chance to get its own house in order. Pleasanton's Planning Commission, which is charged with actually writing the wind ordinance, is in some disarray. Bob Babcock brought up the issue during the Board meeting, after the previous week's scheduled Planning Commission meeting was cancelled, for lack of a quorum. "What should we do?" asked Babcock. "There's no vice chair, no secretary, no chair--he's gone for the winter. I don't know where the minutes are at. We need to get this under control." Babcock recently took over as the Board's representative to the Planning Commission, replacing Dave Ertel. Merrill said he would find out if Kris Kranz, who has attended meetings infrequently, was still interested in serving.

Ertel replied that the minutes he had from past meetings were put onto a computer disc and given to commission Chair Bob Stafford. The Board agreed to contact Stafford in order to obtain the minutes, and Ertel said he'd see if he had copies of them. Treasurer Judy Girven offered to put them online, with the help of Clerk Amy Cross.

Another issue affecting the Planning Commission is its terms of office. This month, newly-appointed member Bob Peterson finishes out Jeanne Crampton's term. She resigned in November, with one month remaining in her term. The Gander asked the Board if it planned to keep Bob Peterson on the commission by extending his appointment to a full term. The Board responded by appointing him, but there was some confusion about how long his term should be. Available records appeared to show three-year terms of office, lasting from December 20, 2007 to December 20, 2010.

But it was unclear if this information was correct. Some members of the Board recalled that the terms of office were staggered. "It shows here that all of them expire [this month], but that can't be right," said Merrill. "We'll have to find out when they were all appointed," said Ertel, and the Board agreed to research the issue. In the meantime, the Board appointed Peterson for a one-year term, lasting until Dec. 20, 2011.

There was no action to fill Bryan Kidd's seat on the Planning Commission. His term expires this month. The Gander asked Supervisor Merrill how the vacancy would be advertised, but Merrill said it would not be. "I'm not going to, unless the Board wants to," he said. Ertel and Girven said that advertising such a position wasn't mandatory, and that appointees were at the discretion of the Supervisor.

In other business, the Board passed its yearly poverty guidelines, which allow low-income residents to apply for a reduction in taxes. Applications are considered by the township's Board of Review every March, July and December. More information can be obtained from Assessor Carol Merrill, by calling 864-2487.

The Board also paid the bills, and discussed whether Planning and Parks commissioners should receive mileage for travelling to meetings that are ultimately cancelled. The Board agreed to spend up to $100 to investigate why the township hall's back light stays on, and whether the motion detector needs to be replaced. The Board accepted a 3-year bid for snowplowing service from Pleasanton resident Steve Allen. The bid, which was the only one received, offered a price of $50 for regular plowing at the garbage transfer station and $25 per-instance plowing at the township hall. Governmental training expenses were approved for three members of the Board of Review. Expenses include $75 per person fees and course materials. Merrill said there was a sizeable amount of money in the township fire fund, and proposed spending up to $20,000 for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for the Bear Lake Fire Department. The Board agreed to invite the Department to outline its needs.

The Board also discussed whether the township could recoup money paid to the Bear Lake Township Fire Department. The department responded to a fire in the summer, set by a man trying to rid his trees of tent worms. The man was fined by Manistee County, but it appears that no part of the paid fine was distributed to Pleasanton Township, which pays for fire department responses on a per-call basis. Babcock inquired if anything could be done, but the Board did not pursue the matter.

In commission reports, Dave Ertel reported that the Parks Commission has made progress on the shuffleboard court and has purchased recreational supplies. He also said that a grant request had been submitted, seeking funds to repair the seawall near the township park.

The Pleasanton Township Board is scheduled to meet again on Monday, January 10 at 7pm.

Pleasanton Township Planning Commission (December) - Web Update

Absent members prevented the Pleasanton Township Planning Commission from meeting at its scheduled time on Monday, December 6. The meeting was cancelled at 7:15pm, after the Commission failed to reach quorum. Only two of the five members--Bob Babcock and Bryan Kidd--were present. Chair Bob Stafford, believed to be in Florida for the winter, Kris Kranz and newly-appointed member Bob Peterson were absent.

Peterson did arrive a few minutes after the cancellation, and told the Gander that he had not known there was a meeting. Supervisor Tony Merrill, who had invited Peterson to take the post, and was on hand for the meeting, admitted that he had forgotten to tell Peterson the date of his first meeting. Zoning Administrator Rochelle Rollenhagen said she shared in the blame, saying she talked with Peterson before the meeting, but forgot to mention the upcoming meeting date.

Peterson was appointed in November to complete the final month of Jeanne Crampton's term. Crampton resigned, citing her snowbird status and resulting absence from meetings. Peterson is eligible for appointment for a full term, but his own plans could limit his future participation in Pleasanton Township government. Peterson, asked about the "for sale" sign in front of his Lakeside Avenue house, said that he's concerned about the economy and wants to recoup money from the property. Peterson says that he intends to live in either Bear Lake Township or the Village of Bear Lake. State law generally requires that members of any township board live and vote in the township.

A second seat on the Planning Commission is now in question, as Bryan Kidd's term expired in December. Reached by phone, Kidd said he won't reapply. "It's a time commitment issue," he said, and stated that he has other obligations in the evenings. Kidd had advice for his successor. "I just hope that as planning continues, the person would be relatively objective and willing to put in a lot of preparation time," he said. "There are a lot of big issues facing the township."

The Planning Commission's next regular meeting is scheduled for January 3 at 7pm.

Industrial Wind Farms Panel Discussion

Tonight, Tuesday, December 21, there will be a panel discussion about the opportunities and concerns surrounding wind energy systems. From 6:30 to 8:30pm, consultants, Duke Energy representatives and others are scheduled to participate. The forum will be held at Benzie Central High School Auditorium (9300 Homestead Rd., Benzonia) and is hosted by the Benzie Conservation District.

Duke Energy is planning an industrial wind farm, covering an estimated 12,000 acres in Benzie and Manistee counties.

Pleasanton Township Board (November) - Web Update

After saying goodbye to a longtime participant in local government, the Pleasanton Township Board considered new applicants and reassigned current members of its boards.

At the Board's Nov. 8 meeting, Jeanne Crampton resigned from the Township's Planning Commission, effective on November 5 (the day following the November Planning Commission meeting) after over 20 years of service. At the Township Board meeting, Crampton cited her absence during the winter months as a primary reason, stating that the growing workload of the Planning Commission requires more availability from members than participation at only six of twelve meetings a year. Crampton's term doesn't end until Dec. 31, 2010, but her letter notes her reason for an earlier departure. "This will allow the Township Board to begin looking for a replacement immediately--in order to be sure of a quorum at future Planning Commission meetings." Trustee Dave Ertel thanked Crampton for her service, and other Board members echoed his comments.

Supervisor Tony Merrill moved quickly to appoint a replacement for the remaining month of Crampton's term. The Township Board will need to return to the issue in December, in order to decide who should fill the seat for the new term beginning in January.

So far there have been two candidates for this Planning Commission seat, and a second, soon-to-be open seat, according to Supervisor Merrill: Bob Peterson and Gayle Crampton. Peterson lives on the east side of the lake and has been involved with local service and booster organizations. Crampton is Jeanne's youngest daughter, lives on the north side of the lake, and has a background in planning at the state and county levels. Gayle Crampton is also co-editor of the Three Pines Gander.

Merrill moved to appoint Bob Peterson to replace Jeanne Crampton. The board voted 4-1 in favor of the motion, with Babcock opposed. Babcock said that the Planning Commission needs to include those who owned large parcels of land. "I don't think that people on the lake or with five acres can represent those with 100 acres or more," he said. Gayle Crampton, who was at the meeting, noted that her family owned 40 acres on Alkire Road. Ertel argued that representation across the township, on a geographical basis, was more important. A member of the public asked how vacancies are advertised, and inquired whether the township's website could be used for that purpose. The board did not respond to the first question, but Merrill expressed interest in using the website for advertising vacancies in the future.

Reached after the meeting by telephone, Peterson said several factors led to his interest. "Tony Merrill brought this up to me last week," said Peterson. "He said they needed help in the planning community. I've seen Bear Lake change this way and that, and I have some opinions on how the Master Plan should be." Peterson, who says he moved to Bear Lake when he was five years old, has held leadership positions with the Bear Lake Promoters and the Bear Lake Lions.

In addition to this seat on the Planning Commission, another is expected to open when Brian Kidd's term expires in December. Kidd is not expected to reapply for the seat.

Dave Ertel was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Board. This completed the switch of Ertel, originally on the Planning Commission, and Bob Babcock, originally on the Parks Board. The change comes at the request of Ertel, who indicated a personal preference for the move.

Monthly bills, including $140 to computer consultant Kris Kranz, were paid. The board said that updates to its website are coming soon. An overview of cemetery procedures was given, and there was discussion on whether updating cemetery records was possible. The board also approved a possible expenditure of $519 for a bundle of accounting software, in case an option to share software used by Manistee County doesn't work out. County Commissioner Ken Hilliard believed that the County was willing to transfer all of the Township's data to the new system if the Township decides to participate in the sharing program. Amy Cross, Pleasanton Township Clerk, agreed to look into this.

The board also plans to replace the outdoor carpet on the hall steps for safety reasons, and all expressed support for County Commissioner Hilliard to serve on the Revenue Sharing Board.

The Township Board is expected to meet again on Monday, December 13 at 7pm.

Pleasanton Township Planning Commission (November) - Web Update

Noise levels, property setbacks, tower height, and turbine blade speeds were discussed at the Thursday, November 4 meeting of the Pleasanton Township Planning Commission, but it was clear that much more discussion will take place before any final decisions are made.

The Planning Commission is in the early stages of establishing a zoning ordinance that would cover commercial wind turbine projects. During several meetings last month, the Commission began adapting an ordinance written and adopted by Lake Township in Huron County. Using that ordinance as a template, the Commission has been working its way through its dozens of pages, making changes to reflect the needs and preferences of Pleasanton Township.

The bulk of Thursday's meeting continued that work, with Zoning Administrator Rochelle Rollenhagen leading the Planning Commission through comments and questions on the document. On several issues, such as restrictions on noise generated by turbines, Rollenhagen pointed out the need for the Commission to gather more information. "We need to talk to the experts in these fields. None of us really know much about, for instance, how sound is measured. What's an appropriate decibel level? This [Lake Township] ordinance contains a lot of technical terminology. We might be able to write [ours] in a more readable fashion," she said, "but we'll have to understand it first."

Other issues that came up included deciding how to provide notice to property owners near a turbine project--and what standard to use for "near. "WES" (for "Wind Energy System") was selected as the standard term to use throughout the document to refer to wind turbine apparatus. Other issues included safety lighting and appropriate protective limits around the turbines. New Planning Commission member Bob Babcock said that a proposed setback of one and half miles from the shoreline of Bear Lake, Glovers Lake and Mud Lake would dramatically reduce the number of allowed turbines. "That reduces the number of towers to about 3," he said, and suggested a less restrictive setback.

There was also brief discussion about whether a wind turbine could affect property values, and how to protect owners if turbines caused a decrease in value. Language in the draft ordinance mentions multiple appraisals. Commission member Jeanne Crampton said that establishing cause and effect would be very difficult. "It could be the economy, it could be the neighbors, it could be the wind [turbine]."

Public comment lasted for about half an hour, and included reservations about tower height, and impact on bald eagles. There was also concern that the ordinance could be so restrictive, that it would effectively outlaw the turbines. In a response to a question about transmission lines, which would direct power to the electrical grid, Stafford said that underground lines would be used.

Rollenhagen stressed that the document is far from complete. "This is a draft, and a work in progress." She said that an updated draft would be posted on the township's website, made available at the township hall, and at the Keddie-Norconk Library in Bear Lake.

Thursday's meeting was rescheduled from Monday, Nov. 1, because of township election preparations for Tuesday. After speaking with a commission member, The Three Pines Gander reported that the meeting would begin at 6pm, instead of the normal start time of 7pm. The Gander has since confirmed that 6pm was selected as the start time when the commission last met in October. However, the official reschedule notice posted at the township hall indicated 7pm. The discrepancy has not been explained; most Commission members and few members of the public were aware of the change. Neither minutes or agenda from October's meeting nor any agenda for the November 4th meeting were available.

This was the last Planning Commission meeting for Jeanne Crampton, who announced her resignation effective on November 5, 2010 (the day after this meeting). Crampton, who celebrated her 80th birthday in May of this year, has served on the Planning Commission for over twenty years, in addition to her lifelong involvement in planning and environmental concerns in Michigan, Minnesota, and during the ten years her family lived in Florida. "I served on the Planning Commission there, too, for the city of Clearwater. Participating in local government in Florida after doing so in Minnesota was a real shock to my system," she laughs. "Not much 'government in the sunshine' down there in the Sunshine State, especially not in the early seventies." She cited her absence from the township for five months out of the year as her reason for leaving, but offered to help the Commission with research.

The Pleasanton Planning Commission is expected to have its next meeting on Monday, December 6 at 7pm.

Sparkle in the Park 2010 - Web Update

The Bear Lake Promoters kicks off Sparkle in the Park tonight at 6pm. Chili, cookies, coffee and hot chocolate will be provided. Santa Claus is expected to arrive at 6:30pm. Admission is free at the Hopkins Park event, but donations are accepted.

Over 40 lighted displays will be turned on tonight, and will continue nightly from 5-11pm, until January 1. Organizers say that parking within Hopkins Park is limited and suggest parking on the street.

This is Sparkle in the Park's 6th consecutive year and continues a year-end holiday tradition in the absence of "Christmas in Bear Lake." The latter event, usually held indoors at Bear Lake School, has been canceled for a second time, according to the minutes of the Promoters. The Promoters had expected that a new person would assume organizing duties for this year, but reported in October that it was a "no-go" for 2010.

Nov. 5, 2010 - Web Update

North Shore

by Jeanne Crampton

What a glorious fall! The weather has tempted me to delay my departure for the Baja, and now it's snowing. Gracie, my ex-feral house cat, went from window to window this morning, very enthused about the flakes filling the sky. Cookie, my old tabby, took one look and retired to the stool in front of the wood stove.

After twenty years or so, my participation on the Pleasanton Township Planning Commission has ended. I shall miss it, but felt it was unfair to the Commission to disappear for 5 or 6 months out of the year. The present project is an ordinance to cover the development of a wind energy system. The northern part of the township is deemed suitable for such development, and leasing has already begun. Citizen input and opinion is desired, so plan to attend the meetings (generally, the first Monday of the month at 7pm) and become involved.

Warning--did you know that as we age, we lose 8 percent of our muscle tone every ten years, unless we keep at our exercising to maintain it? I learned that the hard way this summer, and am now working to get things back in order with a daily routine of specific movement. The addition of Nordic walking sticks (or in my case, used ski poles from the Salvation Army) to my daily excursions down the road have made quite a difference.

Enjoyable holidays to all--through the winter I'll be writing from Baja, Mexico. where I hope life will be as sedate as it usually is. I plan to be back here again in April, in time (I trust) for spring.

Nov. 3, 2010 - Web Update

PLANNING CONTINUES FOR WIND TURBINES

The Pleasanton Township Planning Commission will be holding its November meeting on Thursday, November 4 at 6pm at Pleasanton Township Hall. The meeting was originally scheduled for Monday, November 1, but preparation for Election Day at the hall required a different date. Thursday's earlier start time was chosen to allow for Friday travel plans of one of the planning commissioners.

The Planning Commission is expected to resume deliberation on a zoning ordinance for commercial wind turbine projects.

Oct. 27, 2010 - Web Update

WIND BLASTS BEAR LAKE AREA

All hands, and extra hands, have been called in by the Bear Lake Township Fire Department, as it deals with a second day of high winds.

About a half-mile of US-31 has been closed for over five hours, due to a snapped power pole. At 4pm today, the department was still waiting for Consumers Energy to arrive. The pole is located on the southbound side of US-31, near the Bear Lake welcome sign and bear statue. The pole could be seen hanging from its power lines and swaying in the wind. Emergency vehicles are stationed at both ends of US-31 and side streets to prevent anyone from entering the area.

"It's a high voltage line," said Vern "Corky" Best, Bear Lake Township Supervisor, who was helping to direct traffic around the hazard. "I heard the [fire] trucks go out at about 11am, but I could hear that they didn't go very far. They're on a long list." Best expected an even longer wait for Consumers Energy crews, due to widespread wind damage throughout the region. Earlier in the day, Best said that local crews responded to downed power lines at Chief & Marilla Roads, Glovers Lake & Keillor Roads, and within Maple Grove Township. Best said the last time he'd seen similar winds was a two-day stretch in November, about ten years ago.

THREE PINES GANDER SCHEDULE

The Three Pines Gander is returning from a publishing hiatus. For the moment, we'll provide brief updates online, at this website. We expect to return to regular issues (both in print and online) by January. We thank our patient subscribers, and assure them that they'll still receive the full number of issues ordered.