South Arm Township Meeting
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Supervisor Robert Christiansen said that the bottom line for our assessment is that the townships are not going any further until we have a meeting with their lawyer Mr. Bryan E. Graham (not an Environmental lawyer), our lawyer Mr. Clifford Bloom (Six Mile Lake), both Supervisor Robert Christiansen and Supervisor William Derenzy(Echo Township) and the President Ken Shaner and/or Vice President Cherie Hogan (Six Mile Lake Association) and a representative from PLM Lake and Land Management Corporation. They can then come to a resolution on the assessment parcel versus footage.
At the meeting BreAnne Grabill, an Environmental Scientist from PLM Lake and Land Management Corp., said that although parcel sizes may change, everyone has the same use of the lake (100ft. of frontage versus 1000ft.) and should support the program the same. If you charged by the foot, some residents would have to pay considerably more than others and when the program includes treating offshore areas, everyone has equal access and the same responsibility to support these areas. Some people do not use the lake at all.
By charging by parcel, everyone is paying equally regardless to how much they use the lake, but based on their ability to use the lake (i.e. access). PLM said they have never used beach frontage to determine an assessment but rather have always used parcels. PLM has either established or worked with close to 200 Act 188’s or lake boards and still cannot come up with one example of using running foot of shoreline.
At this time President Ken Shaner (Six Mile Lake Association) is working on setting up a meeting with the above mentioned people so we can get these issues resolved.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Carol Kupovits (Secretary)
All lake owners are encouraged to write a letter to the township boards letting them know how strongly you feel about quickly moving forward with the SAD and stating that you prefer parcel assessment over lake front footage. I am listing the addresses below.
Mr. William Derenzy (Echo Township)
4170 W. Old State Rd.
Central Lake, MI 49622
Mr. Robert Christiansen (South Arm Township)
6910 Behling Road
East Jordan, MI 49727