WHITEHALL — The Fruitland Township board, after a spirited case made by the spokesman for a group of local fishermen, agreed to budget an estimated $625 to extend port-a-john rentals at the White River Light Station from their prior April-October date to year-round rentals.
Though not from Muskegon County himself, Rockford resident David Fox took the microphone at public comment to make the fishermen's case to the board.
Currently, the “season” for the two port-a-johns at White River Light Station runs from April to October, concurrent with the typical tourist season in West Michigan, but come winter frost, the johns return to the service providers and visitors to the light station and pier are left without facilities.
As a frequent fisherman himself, Fox’s first point was that various fishing seasons exist outside of the April to October months - whitefish, steelhead, brown trout - drawing dozens of hobbyists to White River pier - not to mention locals and visitors alike frequently walk along the pierhead, many being families with small children. Another of the attending fishermen recalled the numerous times where he has overheard conversations between parents and their children about the kids needing to go.
It also cannot be ignored that many adults, for a variety of reasons, health and otherwise, find themselves in need of emergency trips to restrooms, which can be of particular concern for older fishermen. In fact, one year this same group of fishermen present at the meeting pooled together funds to extend the seasonal port-a-john rental an extra month.
Fox noted that, while he and many in his entourage were not locals to the area, their dollars were important to the county too, noting they patronize the local gas stations, groceries stores, and restaurants for fuel and food, promoting the local economy outside of the summer season. Armed with a stack of notes, Fox reports the statistics: Muskegon County makes over $300 million in tourism annually, and those dollars circulate throughout the entire community. The point is clear: tourist dollars count just as much as local dollars.
Another representative of the fishermen took advantage of the public comment to voice his support of a year-round port-a-john, saying its omission and the way folks have to retreat home desperate for the bathroom - or even in the worst case scenario, for a change of clothes - was “a stain on the whole area.” Another attendee, a local resident attending on Zoom, agreed a year-round port-a-john would be beneficial to the community.
The board had follow-up questions, the most pressing being the concern of what would happen to the waste inside the port-a-john during the freezing winter months. The reply came that port-a-john rental companies use additives - a common example is magnesium chloride - in the basin to keep the liquid waste from freezing.
After deliberation, the board saw no reason why there shouldn’t be two year-round port-a-johns at the pier.
Outside the discussion of restroom facilities, the board set its next town hall meeting for Thursday, June 12. The board will provide updates in their pursuit and research of meeting requests made by residents at the previous town hall meeting March 11.
Also in attendance was Muskegon County Commissioner for District 6 and Vice Chair on the Board of Commissioners, Jessica Cook, who visited to deliver reports for constituents on the work the board is doing. She informed the board that Fruitland Township has seen a 20% increase in assessed home value in just one year, with Muskegon County overall seeing a 19% increase.
Fox used the final public comment to thank the board for hearing the fishermen's petition. Finally, Fox addressed the entire room: “I urge all of you to take your kids and grandkids fishing.”
Fox's petition and the board's response delivered a victory for fish enthusiasts and unpredictable bladders everywhere.
