First woman on Dorr Plan Commission in 11 years

Rebecca Snider is Dorr Township’s first female to serve on the Planning Commission since Melissa Harding resigned at the end of 2014.

Snider was nominated for the post Thursday evening by Supervisor Jeff Miling at the Township Board meeting. She will succeed Brian Boot, who told Planning Commission colleagues last week that he is stepping down to spend more time with his family.

The Township Board also approved the reappointment of Jody Schaendorf to another three-year term.

Miling said, “It’ll be nice to have a woman’s input on the commission,” which has included only men for the past 11 years.

Township Board Trustee Patrick Champion, meanwhile, was appointed to one open seat as the township’s representative on the Ambulance Board, succeeding John Tuinstra.

In other business Thursday night, the Dorr Township Board:

• Listened to a presentation by Allegan County Clerk Bob Genetski, who reported that Dorr Township had an amazing 79.35 percent turnout at last November’s presidential general election . Allegan County’s number was 71.35%. Genetski several times noted that the clerk and register of deeds are supposed to be housed in the county seat by state law, but in Allegan they are inside the Dumont Lake complex. The county building instead now is home to the newest Circuit Court judge, Matt Antkoviak.
• Was told by Parks Committee representative Amanda Winters that only three of the five committee seats are filled, a situation that was not remedied in last November’s election.
• Learned from Dorr Library Director Jeffrey Babbitt that a record total of local citizens are enrolled in the summer reading program and that library personnel’s frugal practices now have saved the township about $48,000.
• Learned from Genetski that Allegan County lost four of its 16 clerks after the last election.
• Was told by Fire Chief Gary Fordham that 30 local residents called for help during last month’s thunderstorm, yet there were only 20 such calls for the rest of May.
• Approved a six-month rental agreement with Cross Fellowship Church, the entity from which the township bought the CrossWinds Church on 142nd Avenue to serve as the new township hall.