MUNRO TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING
September 13, 2005
Munro Township Hall, 7:30 p.m.

PRESENT: Antkoviak, Ginop, Dotski, Tracey, Mandrick
OTHERS PRESENT: Walter & Paul Nows, George Bliss, Frank Spezia, Jerry & Lisa Atherholt, Keith & Patricia Sipperley, Ed Ginop, Attorney, Tim MacArthur.

Supervisor Antkoviak called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

Tracey made the motion to accept the minutes of August 9, 2005 and the Special meeting held on August 29, 2005, supported by Mandrick. Motion carried.
 

CORRESPONDENCE

• MTA workshop on Land Division Splits to be held on November 10th in Gaylord.
• Thomas Chastain & Cheboygan Planning & Zoning Department
• Jerry Atherholt – Screw ups in new address changes on Munro Lake Drives
• Jerry Atherholt – Withdrawal of request for speed limit signs on Munro Lake Drives.
• Cheb. County Road – Road Fund balances of allocated funds
   

BILLS
Ginop reported that she deducted $200.00 off of Jeff Wenzels’s $700.00 cemetery grass cutting bill. The grass should be cut till the end of September, when last mowing is done the final $200.00 will be paid.

Tracey made the motion to pay the monthly bills amounting to $3,908.79, supported by Mandrick. Motion carried.
 

OLD BUSINESS
William Craig of Douglas Lake requested a 4' variance for a pole barn to the Cheboygan County Zoning Department.
 

NEW BUSINESS

Land Division Split Requests

• Jerry & Lisa Atherholt of 10245 E. Munro Lake Drive applied for 4 new parcels from the parent parcel located along Heilman Road to E. Munro Lake Drive. Mandrick made the motion to accept the split, supported by Tracey. All favored saying “aye”. Motion carried.
• Mr. Keith Sipperley and his wife Patricia presented the board with a revised application requesting a 50’ X 200’ split from his property with a 20’ easement across his property. Property is located south of their 9191 Brandau Road address. Mr. Sipperley stated that his request meets the same criteria as Thomas and Ann Chastain’s split the month before. Tracey made the motion to approve the split with a condition that on the deed it states “not a development lot”. Ginop supported the motion. All favored saying “aye”. Motion carried. Mr. Keith Sipperley read a letter to the Munro Township Board dated September 13, 2003 and asked that it be included in the minutes.

  The Sipperley’s want to express their appreciation to the Board for accepting our Application for a Lot D split. Ours was another successful proposal which circumvents the proper County Ordinances by taking advantage of a loophole in the Munro Township Land Division Ordinance. This loophole allows the creation of “illegal non-conforming lots”, as defined by Cheboygan County.

  This serious error in the Township Ordinance should not be glorified by pretending that the Board in 1998 purposely wrote this loophole so it could develop the Township with all sorts of lot sizes and shapes, just by tagging them as “NOT FOR DEVELOPMENT”.

  In addition, allowing “illegal non-conforming lots” of 50 feet, or any other dimension less than 100 feet, along lakefronts goes against all efforts of the Township, County and State to preserve our areas waters and their environments.

  I urge this board to act responsibly and to immediately revise their Ordinance, before other individuals exploit this flaw in the Ordinance wording, and ruin Township development with additional “illegal non-conforming lots”.

  Pat and Keith Sipperley

Township Attorney Tim MacArthur presented the Board with a revised Dry Hydrant Ordinance. Fire Chief Dan Socha of the Inverness Fire Department is asking that each of the four participating townships review and adopt the Ordinance.

Mr. MacArthur also wants each township to have a uniform Ordinance package for charging of Haz-Mat accidents.

The Munro Township Land Division Ordinance wording is presently being worked on. The Michigan Township Assn. has a new Land Division Ordinance model that Tim is looking at also. A new draft should be ready to review by next month’s meeting.

Trustee Wil Mandrick will be the Township’s liaison representative at the PIE & G meetings.

Mr. Jerry Atherholt spoke at length about property rights and how the United Nations and other groups are trying to take away our property.
 

GRIPES
The Cheboygan County Planning and Zoning Department is having another public meeting on September 21, 2005 at the Cheboygan High School pertaining to Lake, River and Stream setbacks and greenbelts. Most of the residents who attended the township meeting, who live on Douglas and Munro lakes strongly disapprove of the 75’ setback and the greenbelt requirements. A request that a letter be written to the Cheboygan County Commissioners asking not to approve the Ordinance for the setbacks and greenbelt areas on lakes, river and streams in Cheboygan County.

Tracey made the motion to adjourn the meeting, supported by Mandrick. The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m.

Linda N. Ginop
Munro Township Clerk

www.munrotownship.com