Hopkins Township Board members Monday night scheduled a public meeting for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, with the Village of Hopkins on how to proceed with the Downtown Development District near the U.S.-131 Expressway.
The township several years ago voted to establish the DDA district on the west side of the freeway for businesses so they can acquire sewer services. There was an attempt to annex the properties along U.S.-131, but the effort was thwarted by the Michigan State Boundary Commission.
So now village and township officials need to develop a new master plan to allow infrastructure by tapping into the village sewer system.
The move is an attempt to aid efforts for commercial development of water and sewer for any businesses or industries that need them in order to establish their presence.
Supervisor Cade Bolser said there are continuing efforts to accommodate the prospects of Grand Rapids coming south and Kalamazoo coming north, particularly along the expressway.
In other business Monday evening, the Township Board:
- Listened to a presentation from Hopkins Schools Supt. Scott VanBonn, who told them about plans for. special bond election May 5. The bond for the new high school is expiring, so now the local district is trying to take advantage of the situation by razing the middle school and installing a new fine arts center. He stressed that the move would not cost taxpayers any more than the current levy.
VanBonn insisted the middle school “has been around longer than any of us,” and an arts center is needed because students now have to go outside the buildings, sometimes in inclement weather to get to and from music classes.
“We’re the only school district Allegan County doesn’t have an arts center,” VanBonn said.
The superintendent said one more public forum explaining the bond issue is planned for 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, in the high school cafeteria.
- Received an explanation from Ben Haas of the Allegan County Sheriff’s Department how an agreement for the department, the schools, the village and the township could fund a full-time police officer. The officer was funded first by the Michigan State Police, but the grant will expire in February. The four government units could share the $107,000 cost for the officer, who would operate out of the high school most of the time.
- Learned that the completion date for the bridge over 16th Street has been set for June 26 of next year.
- Was told that road projects for next year include 130th Avenue between 18th and 16th Streets, a half mile from 22nd Street to 21st Street, seal coasting from 21st Street to 20th Street and 22nd Street to 126th.
- Learned from Township Clark Stacey Timmer that 428 voters cast ballots in the May election on the one-mill request for roads. She noted that 284 of the votes were absentee. The request passed 243 to 185.
