The Leighton Township Board Thursday evening conducted its first-ever meeting in its new township hall facility adjacent to the District Library in Moline.

The new digs were impressive enough to attract the largest voter turnout in Allegan County in Tuesday’s general election. Clerk Mary Lou Nieuwenhuis said 3,076 people of the 4,100 registered voters cast their ballots.

She said the first election at the new township hall went well essentially, though there were some scattered complaints about lack of parking.

Because of the recent move into the new hall, the old one, which is being converted into a fire station only near Green Lake, has suffered a bit, according to Township Supervisor Steve Deer.

“With all the things going on here in the hall, the fire station (old hall on Kalamazoo Avenue) has suffered a bit,” he said.

The new hall prompted the board to take issues of buying a sign for up to $1,100 in front of the hall. The township also agreed to hire the same firm, Green Lake Landscaping, to handle all the snow plowing, salting and sidewalk shoveling chores. The price will be $35 per incident, $35 per time salting and $50 per incident for the shoveling.

Board members also decided to buy up to 100 chairs for the meeting room, even though 80 already are available, more than double what was permitted in the old hall meeting room.

PHOTO: Leighton Township Board members (from left) Char Troost, John Hooker, Steve Deer, Mary Lou Nieuwenhuis and Brian Bonnema get ready for their first meeting in the new hall.