Dorr minority still fights for Plan Commission term limits

EDITOR’S NOTE: The bulleted item in this story about road construction was not correct. It should have read:

“For constructing the mile of 22^nd Street between 144^th Avenue and 146^th Avenue. In 2020 the two miles from 142^nd to 146th will be paved.”

The term limits issue resurfaced at the Dorr Township Board meeting, once again with a focus on Planning Commission appointments.

The board in the past voted only 4-3 to reappoint Bob Wagner chairman, with the minority insisting it’s time for a change. This time there was a 5-2 vote to reappoint Vice Chairman Robert Traxler, with Trustees John Tuinstra and Terri Rios dissenting.

“We have multiple people who want to serve and Bob has been on the Planning Commission for 10 years,” said Rios, a member of the commission. “At what point to we say maybe it’s time to get other people who are very knowledgable to serve?”

Tuinstra has been very vocal in the past about term limits and he, Rios and Clerk Debbie Sewers voted a year ago to end Wagner’s 43-year tenure. The first vote was deadlocked at 3-3 and another meeting had to be called so Trustee Josh Otto could join Trustee Dan Weber, Supervisor Jeff Miling and Treasurer Jim Martin to enable Wagner to continue.

This time Sewers didn’t buy into the term limits argument and joined the majority.

However, she and Rios voted against Miling’s recommendation to appoint former Township Clerk Brian Boot to the other seat, succeeding John Conklin, who has indicated he is increasingly busy and is stepping down.

Sewers defeated Boot in the August 2016 primary for clerk, after which he was named to the Planning Commission, but failed to attend a single meeting between August and December.

Traxler also serves as chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals.

In other business at the meeting Thursday evening, the Township Board:

• Agreed to continue its contract with IT Right for the computer server, despite the fact one bid was slightly lower.
• Approved the low bid of $323,379 from Weick Brothers for paving one mile of 22^nd Street between 142 Avenue and the township line Last year the other mile for the project cost about $385,000, so Martin said the savings could be applied to future road projects.

• Was told by Ambulance Board representative Penny Post that the Wayland Area Ambulance Service has answered 2,100 calls in less than a half a year, insisting, “We’ve been very, very busy.”
• Learned from Library Board President Rachel Vote that a summer reading program offers fire truck rides for contest winners.
• Adopted a resolution assigning an easement at the lift station to comply with one of the rules designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as past of securing a $4.5 million federal grant.
• Approved the recommendation of the Planning Commission to allow the rezoning of a 32.3-acre agricultural parcel to rural estates to accommodate a lot split.
• COVER PHOTO: The area on 140th Avenue approved for rezoning a 32.3-acre parcel from agricultural to rural estates.