The Leighton Township Board agreed to a change in plans for local road projects for 2019, at the recommendation of the Allegan County Road Commission.
The board agreed to the Road Commission’s suggestions to have 9th Street and 2nd Street repaving projects completed. Originally, the township planned to have 137th Avenue from Kalamazoo Avenue to Division done, along with 6th Street from 146th to 108th and 146th from Kalamazoo to 6th.
Though a member of the audience suggested 2nd Street doesn’t really need the work done as badly as 137th, Supervisor Steve Deer said the Road Commission considers 137th too far gone for a chip and seal and fog coat to do any good.
“We’re following their recommendations,” Deer said. “They’re the professionals… The Road Commission has a lot of experience with these kinds of things and we take their recommendations seriously.”
The board also decided to have a mile and a half of 144th Avenue east of Kalamazoo Avenue reconstructed for $700,000. It has been described as “a horrible gravel road” and officials would like to see it paved several years down the road.
Deer said the township continues to explore establishing a citizens’ road committee that would include local officials as well to help determine what road projects are needed every year. In the wake of the road millage request’s defeat, it is believed Leight0n can follow the lead of Dorr Township in having a committee help determine needs and find ways to get public support.
Leighton gets about $220,000 a year with a special road millage levy.
Clerk Mary Lou Nieuwenhuis said local population growth may ease the pain of road project costs. She noted there is a projection of a rise of Leighton population from 4,900 in 2010 to 7,500 in the 2020 census, which would translate into more state revenue sharing funding.
She added, however, that the added funding won’t be realized until 2021.
But Nieuwenhuis stated, and her colleagues agreed, “We’ve been talking about this for too many years” without getting the work done.
In other business at Thursday night’s meeting, the board:
• Noted from the building inspector’s report that Leighton Township granted 41 residential building permits in 2018, at an estimated value of $14.3 million.
Deer said Leighton is regarded as the fastest-growing township, in terms of population, in Allegan County, if not the state.
“A lot of people are deciding that this is a good place to live,” he crowed.
• Approved the appointment of Steve Wolbrink as deputy supervisor and insisted he attend the next meeting of the Michigan Townships Association in Grand Rapids.
• Received a report from Fire Chief Matt Weston that the department handled a record 144 incidents in 2018, up by 20 percent over the previous year, with 63 of the incidents being fires. He added that Dorr Township Fire Department now will cover U.S.-131 in exchange for Leighton firefighters covering Moline, both for geographic and response time reasons.
• Was told that Deputy Ryan Gerke suffered a work-related injury and will be out of action for about six weeks. A replacement is temporarily covering for him.
• Reported there will be a public hearing on a proposed solar ordinance next month. The rules likely are to deal with minimum and maximum commercial and residential sizes.
• Agreed to accept the Advance’s offer to publish legal notices in the Grand Rapids Press at the same rate as the now defunct Penasee Globe for the rest of 2019.
• Announced a public hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14, on the 2019-20 proposed budget.