The Watson Township Board’s relationship with its attorney is changing.
The board Thursday night voted 3-2 to engage the legal services of Jim Siver of Fennville for work on ordinances and other routine legal matters and reduce services from Michigan Township Association attorneys Bauckham Sparks of Kalamazoo.
The move came after Treasurer Sue Jones noted that Bauckham Sparks seems to charge the township for every little thing, particularly phone calls, postage stamps for letters and paper clips. Jones said the latest bill was for $1200 for penny-ante services and now the township already is over its 2016 legal budget.
Supervisor Kevin Travis invited Siver and his son, Tom, city attorney for Greenville, to talk about their charges.
Jim Siver said, “If you call me on the telephone with a legitimate question, I have never charged for that… I care about my customers. I don’t charge you for every nickel and dime.”
Travis, who noted Siver also was a rival candidate for State Representative, 80th District, moved to enter into a non-binding agreement with Siver on ordinance and zoning issues and reserve the right at the same time to use Bauckham Sparks for other issues. He and Trustees Chuck Andrysiak and Michelle Harris voted in teh affirmative and Jones and Clerk Kelli Morris dissented.
In other business at Thursday night’s meeting, the board:
• Voted to increase the spending on dust control with Michigan Chloride Sales to $2,000 per mile on rural non-paved roads, including 114th Avenue and 23rd Street.
Travis also suggested having a second township-wide cleanup day sometime in October, but the board declined to move forward on it because it already had spent $3,500 on such a day earlier this year and it was not budgeted for.
• Tabled a proposed resolution to express a formal complaint against (erroneous) allegations the Hopkins Area Fire Board refused to negotiate coverage for Gun Lake Tribe properties… and that Fire Board members are willing to negotiate with the Gun Lake Tribe for fire service for the benefit of taxpayers.
Harris said, “I don’t think this is a big deal money wise, but the fact there is misleading and false information out there is unsettling.”
• Agreed to pay Wightman & Associates $550 for a fence and survey for Miner Cemetery.
Siver & Associates, PLLC encourages all citizens to contact our office with any and all legal matters they may encounter or face. Further, our firm invites other Township Boards and City Councils to follow the lead of Watson Township and the City of Greenville, by contacting our firm to build a positive, cost effective relationship, which will allow your entity to grow and prosper.