The Hopkins Township Board Monday evening postponed a meeting done entirely by telephone because it was not noticed properly.
Supervisor Mark Evans said, “We’re not having a meeting because it wasn’t noticed properly (to the public)” and notice of the make-up session will be indicated on the township’s web site.
The township may need to make that decision in haste because three items on the April 13 meeting’s agenda involved placing millage proposals for roads and recycling on the Aug. 4 primary ballot. The Allegan County Clerk’s web site says ballot proposals for the primary must be placed with the clerk no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 28.
The township has indicated interest in asking voters to approve a four-year, two-mill renewal for road improvements and for a one-mill increase for roads, also for four years.
Just like many other townships in Allegan County, Hopkins has been planning to ask local voters to approve an increase, from $36 to $50 annually in a surcharge for curbside recycling.
Also of particular interest was that the meeting was supposed to include a public hearing on an ordinance to establish a Downtown Development Authority for the west side of U.S.-131 on 12th and 13th Streets from the Wayland exit (No. 64) on the expressway south to just past the Bradley exit (No. 61).
The DDA is proposed to spark economic development and use tax increment financing to capture added tax revenue with improvements. One of the properties will be the new site of the K & M Chrysler Jeep dealership that is moving out of its location just north of Wayland.
The Hopkins Township Board last fall granted conditional approval for rezoning 11 acres on 12th Street just south of 135th Avenue and west of the U.S.-131 expressway from agricultural to C-2 commercial to accommodate K & M.
Wayland City Manager Josh Eggleston said he received notice some time ago of residents’ petition to be annexed into the city and state officials are considering the request.
The meeting was set up as an all-telephone session because of state orders against non-essential public gatherings to help stop the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.
The improper notice involved a typo in the phone number that was supposed to be called in order to gain audio access to the meeting. Clerk Alberta confessed to making the typo, but he also provided an alternative phone number to contact him if the number failed to connect.
Four Township Board members, Evans, Alberta, Treasurer Sandra Morris and Trustee Chuck Wamhoff, were in audio attendance, as were eight people from the general public.
Notice of the meeting also was provided on the township’s web site.
