Dorr Parks Commission members shortage continues

There’s a good chance that four of the five members of the Dorr Township Parks Commission will have to be appointed after the Nov. 3 general election.

Under current rules, the five commission members are elected on a non-partisan basis, but not one single candidate filed for a seat in the Aug. 4 primary. Amanda Winters was appointed earlier this year, but the other four seats remain empty.

This, despite a petition drive to have all of them appointed rather than elected, but Covid-19 made those results disappointing, with only about 100 citizens signing. Clerk Debbie Sewers said a minimum of 450 signatures is needed to get the question on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Sewers indicated that anyone interested in getting on the ballot as a write-in has a deadline of Oct. 23.

Supervisor Jeff Miling pointed out there hasn’t been a lot of interest from people willing to serve. He said Parks Commission vacancies are frequent and Chris Gesink has been the only member of the current group who has served one full term

Most recent members of the current commission have been Gesink, Denice Lawrence, Mark Muscarella and Bill Mallow, none of whom filed for another term. There was a vacancy caused by the recent resignation of Vicki Fifelski in January 2019.

Miling said if the commission was to be appointed like so many others like it, “Then it would be a board just like any other, under us (the Township Board),” serving mostly in an advisory capacity.

The supervisor said if there aren’t at least five commissioners on the general election ballot, the vacancies will have to be filled by appointments.

In other business at Thursday night’s meeting, the Township Board:

• Took no action on a proposal to appoint two members to a River to River Trailways Committee, but spokesperson Jennifer Antel said she received valuable input on how to frame the request. She was told the committee should be packaged entirely as advisory and there is no cost for any municipality to sign on to the startup effort.
• Adopted a resolution to ask the state to make two miles of 14^th Street designated as an all-season primary road, from 144^th to 108^th Avenues.
• Was told by Sewers that Dorr Township had 1,083 residents vote by mail in the Aug. 4 primary. Sewers was very critical of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson sending absentee ballot applications, insisting may local clerks, “are fed up and quitting.”
• Heard a report from Treasurer Jim Martin that the township is expecting a shortfall of $70,000 this year in state revenue sharing as a result of the Covod-19 viral crisis.
• Approved the recommendation of the Planning Commission to approve a rezoning request for property owned by Rory and Heidi Allen, 1947, 142^ndAve. from commercial to residential. The property has been zoned commercial since 1956, but its use as been as a residence for some time.

COVER PHOTO: Dorr Township Treasurer Jim Martin uses a map to explain the Dorr Citizens’ Road Committee’s plans to reconstruct and pave 16th Street from 142nd Avenue to 138th Avenue.