MONTAGUE — The White River Township board unanimously agreed to appoint attorney Michael Homier from the Foster Swift Collins & Smith law firm as special counsel for the township at its monthly board meeting Tuesday. The board agreed to a rate of $295 per hour for Homier.
The board then went into a closed session for about 40 minutes to discuss “privileged and confidential communication dated July 3...regarding solar energy and renewable energy systems.” The board did not publicly detail the communication or what led to the appointment of the special counsel.
When the board returned from closed session, normal business resumed. The board discussed a potential ordinance regarding short-term rentals; it’s been noted in recent meetings that a small number of homes in the township are being used for that purpose, and with no specific ordinance on the books governing that practice, the board is considering its options. The stated purpose is to protect residents who might live near such houses. A public commenter spoke against the idea of banning the use of houses for short-term rentals, but the board said no such ban was proposed or is likely. No ordinance was brought to a vote, as the board will continue to consider the issue.
Elsewhere in the meeting, the board announced that due to the recent Hancock Road paving project coming in under budget, excess funds will be used to chip and seal the road. Supervisor Ron Bailey said the chip and seal will add an extra seven years to the road’s usability.
Trustee Laura Anderson reported that the White Lake Ambulance Authority will not have to tap into its equipment fund to repair an ambulance that was recently damaged while on a call because of insurance. This has solidified the WLAA’s financial picture for the near future.
John Howell, who also works with Bill Schmiege in zoning enforcement, has volunteered to do beautification work on Hubbard Cemetery. He said that if the board authorized the purchase of some trees to plant in the cemetery, he would take care of them. The board unanimously voted to move an amount not exceeding $1,000 from the Sports n’ Shorts budget to the cemetery maintenance budget to make the tree purchase. The Sports n’ Shorts money ended up being unnecessary because no one from the township signed up to participate in the summer program.
The board also acknowledged the retirement of planning commission chair Sue Lloyd and thanked her for her service, noting that Lloyd served on the commission for about 10 years and was chair the past three.
