Dorr trustee still fighting battle for farm preservation

“That which does not destroy me merely delays the inevitable.” — Dr. E.L. Kersten, notorious demotivator, despair.com

Conservative folks who still oppose the inevitability of urban and suburban sprawl and local government spending apparently have a champion in Dorr Township Trustee Chandler Stanton.

Stanton Thursday night was on the losing side of three consecutive 4-1 Township Board votes and in a 3-2 vote later in the evening when he was joined by John Tuinstra.

In three cases, in which he was the lone dissenter, he was fighting to preserve the rural, agricultural character that has for a long time dominated Dorr Township. Though his colleagues may agree, they seemed to have accepted the inevitable.

The first case was a request for an ordinance text amendment for changing zoning on 144th Avenue between 14th Street and U.S.-131 from agricultural to mixed use planned unit development (PUD).

The second was a request to rezone 2014 144th Ave. from agricultural to rural estates. Stanton said he had concerns about a septic and drain issues.

Supervisor Jeff Miling explained, “I’d love to keep all the farm land as farm land. But they (developers) still have to follow the rules if they want to put in houses.”

The third was a land transfer request for 1.15 acres at 1725 143rd Ave. to 4343 Alpine Ave. Stanton maintained, “The Allegan County Equalization Department has had a hesitancy to approve this practice (land transfer).”

Miling granted that land transfers are uncommon, but added that township attorneys from Bloom & Sluggett have indicated there should be no problems.

All three actions were recommended by the Planning Commission.

The fourth instance was a little different because it involved the expenditure of money.

Randy Grantham, maintenance supervisor, asked for approval to buy a 2023 plow truck for $56,313 from Garber Chevrolet of Midland and it was noted the township earlier this year set aside $60,000 in the budget to handle the expense.

Stanton insisted, “I don’t think now is the time to buy that truck. I don’t think it’s prudent.”

He suggested the township instead purchase a used truck, adding, “Just because it’s (the truck) new doesn’t mean it’s reliable.”

Tuinstra chimed in, “Spending $60,000 on a pickup truck seems high to me… I don’t see much effort by this board to stretch the township’s money.”

The maintenance department does have a vehicle it uses to plow local public property and a 29-year-old fire department truck sometimes fills in, but Grantham said he worries that if the current truck breaks down, the township will be holding the bag.

Miling and Clerk Debbie Sewers maintained that the township already had set aside the money in the budget, so it should be used for that purpose.

Stanton then suggested the $60,000 be taken from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fund, which currently is $689,027, but Deputy Supervisor Jim Martin, former township treasurer, has advised against it.

Tuinstra and Stanton were outvoted 3-2.

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

• Was told by Miling that a new member of the Zoning Board of Appeals is being sought because a vacancy looms.
• Learned from Library Director Jeff Babbitt that the township library had 24 attendees that evening for the program on Allegan County poor houses and he plans to promote more history-oriented programs in the future.
• Was told by Sewers that the township sheriff’s deputies were involved in three accidents recently, once with a tree, once with a deer and once with the hail storm earlier in April.
• Reappointed Tuinstra as the township’s representative on the Wayland Area Emergency Ambulance Board. It was noted the township’s contribution this year to WAEMS will be $36,245.
• Learned that the road fund now has $1,154,379 in its coffers to handle projects this year.