By Megan Decker
Staff Writer
DENMARK — After two months, the Denmark Township Board of Trustees accepted the written resignation of Supervisor Don Petro.
Petro submitted his letter of resignation to the Denmark Township board on May 19. The letter was originally presented at the board’s May 20 session.
On Monday, the board unanimously voted to accept Petro’s letter which cited health issues as his reason for resignation.
“It was an honor serving every township resident to the best of my ability,” stated Petro’s letter. He went on to wish the current board the best of luck as they continue to face difficult decisions.
The board received two applications for the open supervisor’s position. One from Clerk Charles Heinlein and one from Timothy R. Selle.
Treasurer Dennis Weber voiced his concern regarding Selle’s name as part of the Citizens Against Unfair Taxation’s open and pending suit against Denmark Township. Although, Heinlein received an e-mail documentation, during the discussion, that showed Selle had asked to have his name removed from the case earlier this month, Heinlein had not received official notification of that request, he said.
See DENMARK A6
Following discussion, board members unanimously voted to appoint Heinlein as the township’s supervisor through Nov. 2016. Heinlein abstained from the vote.
Heinlein’s appointment as supervisor left the clerk’s position open. The board unanimously appointed deputy clerk Nancy Heinlein to fill the position of clerk. The clerk has the duty of appointing a deputy clerk and that appointment will be made at a later date.
Following the board appointments, trustees heard public comment from the citizens regarding the upcoming bond proposal.
The issue regarding the proposed $2.4 million water project was placed on the ballot by referendum, which means enough signatures of register voters were gathered on a petition to put the board’s decision to do a water project to a vote of the people.
The ballot proposal on the water supply system improvements bond proposal says: “This proposal would allow the township of Denmark to issue bonds to fund construction of water system improvements. The township would pledge its full faith and credit for payment of the bonds and would be obligated to advance moneys from its general funds or to levy ad valorem taxes on all taxable property within the township to pay the bonds to the extent that other monies to the township are not available. The sources of payment for the bonds include special assessments imposed on parcels of real property that benefit from the improvements and revenues to be derived from the users of the water supply system. Taxes levied by the township would be subject to constitutional and statutory limitations.”
“Shall the township of Denmark issue limited tax general obligation bonds in the principal amount not to exceed $1,400,000 pursuant to the provisions of Act 34, Public Acts of Michigan 2001, for the purpose of defraying all or part of the cost of acquiring and constructing water supply improvements, including but not limited to water mains and related improvements for the distribution of water and payment to the county of Tuscola for preliminary plans and other preliminary costs of the improvements?”
“Only the people in the water special assessment districts will pay for the water, but everyone in the township has the opportunity to vote,” John Billette of Civil Engineering Consultants told the Advertiser last week. “Only a small segment of Denmark Township’s population will pay for the water and if the vote fails then the project can’t proceed and the township will lose the $1 million grant from Rural Development.”
The board recently received bids for the 2013 Proposed Water District. The low bid was received from Bilacic Trucking in the amounts of $1,472,200 for the base bid portion of the project which includes both Denmark and Gilford Townships and $87,275 for the alternate bid portion of the project which includes a corner loop of land from Bradford Road to M-81. The Blumfield Reese Water Authority and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality recommended Denmark add this loop into its projected plans, Charles Heinlein explained.
Among other action, board members approved a motion to move forward in working with an attorney to place wording on the November ballot to seek .5 mills for fire equipment and a support vehicle.
The next meeting of the Denmark Township Board of Trustees will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25 at the Denmark Township Hall.