A hastily called political forum Wednesday night at the Dorr Township Hall attempted to focus on two important local millage requests in the Aug. 4 primary election.
Retiring Township Treasurer Jim Martin explained that he felt it’s important to get information in front of voters already because, “absentee ballots are actually coming in already.”
So Fire Chief Gary Fordham presented information about the proposal for a renewal of a half mill, rolled back to 0.4863 because of the Headlee Amendment, for four years. The money, if approved, will be used to purchase and upgrade equipment.
Citizens’ Road Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Sandel also was on hand to explain the other proposal, a request of a renewal of slightly less than three mills for eight years to fund road improvements and construction.
Fordham said the fire department has a system of 25-year rotation for vehicles and it’s playing catch-up on getting a new grass truck originally believed to be necessary in 2015. The chief said the new truck, with an estimated cost of $150,000, not only will handle grass fires, but also will be equipped to handle some medical situations and extrications.
He noted with pride that the department sold its 25-year-old F-250 to a department in Mississippi for a good price because the Dorr firefighters take good care of its vehicles.
Fordham added that the schedule also calls for other vehicles to be purchased in the near future.
“When we have an issue with a truck, it can get real expensive quickly,” a department member said. “But we are good stewards of the township’s money.”
Sandel and Martin did a tag team on the presentation on roads.
When she asked Fordham what road needs the most work, he didn’t hesitate in his reply, “138th Avenue.”
Sandel noted she lives on the road herself and agrees, but it would take two to three years worth of millage revenue to do the job right.
“Roads are way more expensive than I ever thought,” she said. “With the gravel in the middle (of 138th Avenue) it’s a mess on both ends of the township.”
However, right now the committee has identified two miles of 16th Street and two miles of 140th Avenue as top priorities.
Martin said the Planning Commission’s recent survey showed about 45 percent of citizens continue to support a dedicated millage, 27.4% oppose and about 25% indicate they aren’t sure.
Sandel said that since the three-mill proposal was first approved in 2016, projects have included 22nd Street, a surface connection from Moline to Dorr, about two miles of resurfacing and replacement of 11 culverts, which are necessary because of the presence of peat swamps.
Both members of the volunteer committee said they are proud of what they and their colleagues been able to accomplish, but there is much more that needs to be done.
No priorities yet on any of the upcoming projects. The numerical designations on our planning map is only to identify and were assigned in a clockwise order.
The list was drawn up in 2017 and before the next project — if the millage passes — will be decided after renewed study, including input from Fire Dept, school bus miles from Hopkins and Wayland schools, ambulance, and county input on traffic.
16th Street was on the list to be paved from the original milage. Perhaps I’m misinterpreting the article but it feels like a bait and switch tactic when the committee agrees and makes plans to pave certain roads and then does not follow through. I have been watching the paving schedule closely over the years and to my understanding all the projects have come in at less than a million dollars per mile which was the estimated yearly tax revenue from the milage.
Why were we not able to pave the 5 miles that were agreed and approved (which included 16th street) when the milage was originally passed?