EDITOR’S NOTE: Watson Township Trustee Chuck Andrysiak has reported he has located the legal notice, so the gravel mining issue will be taken up at the Planning Commission meeting later this month.

The Watson Township Board will ask a representative from Professional Code Inspections to attend its next meeting Thursday, Oct. 4, in the wake of a couple of issues associated with zoning enforcement.

The move was the result of inaction on complaints of a gravel mining operation continuing to do business without a permit and a business in the township failing to comply with an order to provide fencing around its parking lot.

Township Board member Chuck Andrysiak, who also is a member of the Planning Commission, said he was discouraged about the two recent developments. He said he did not see any legal notice published about the gravel pit for a Planning Commission meeting later this month, which will delay further any resolution of the matter.

“Our follow-up system isn’t working very well,” he told colleagues Thursday evening. “I’m struggling with how we deal with these kinds of things,” meaning after the fact.

Township Supervisor Kevin Travis then asked, “How much do we pay PCI (for zoning enforcement services)?”

Treasurer Sue Jones said PCI was paid $1,050 for six months of work earlier this year.

Trustee Michelle Harris then said, “That’s a lot lee than Mark,” referring to former Planner Mark Sisson.

Karen Fifelski, who last month brought up the issue of the gravel mining operation of Adrianson & Smith doing business with a lapsed special use permit, told board members, “I keep hearing about you having meetings, but in the meantime he (the gravel mining operator) is too close to the line… Shut him down.”

Travis said he has learned that Cooper Township has hired a part-time zoning enforcement administrator and asked why Watson shouldn’t do the same.

The supervisor said he’s been getting a lot of complaints about PCI and lack of timely enforcement.

“I get that a lot from my chair,” he said. “People complain to me a lot.”

He said he’d like to have an enforcement officer handle issues such as blight, trash dumping, developers who are cutting corners and building inspections.

“Do we invite PCI in (to a meeting), or do we look at different options?” he asked.

Jones, however, said she’s never had a problem in working with PCI and Andrysiak said perhaps the firm is not aware of the township’s concerns.

“Let’s talk to PCI first before we do anything else.”

County Commissioner Gale Dugan said it was his understanding Heather Mitchell has been hired part-time by PCI, which also now has another zoning administrator, Eric Thompson, because of the heavy workload increase.

It was agreed to have someone from PCI to explain things to the board next month.