Taking outdoor lighting regulations out of Leelanau Township's nuisance ordinance and turning them into a separate township board powers ordinance is providing a challenge.
At its three-hour, 20-minute meeting Tuesday night, supervisor James Neve said in a telephone report yesterday that a majority of the meeting was spent going over a proposed board powers ordinance on outdoor lighting.

“We’re trying to take the requirements we already have in the nuisance ordinance and tweaking them a little. This proposed ordinance will have more detail in it,” Neve said.

Trustee Victor Goldschmidt has been leading the effort to make the township more “dark skies” friendly. The existing ordinance already requires most outdoor lighting to be shielded and directed back onto the property for which it is intended. The board has reviewed different draft proposals over the last six months, and Neve said it’s taking its time with the language to make sure they have it right.

Neve said the new regulations would be part of a board powers ordinance, requiring every property owner to meet the new standards.

“It’s not like with a zoning ordinance, where you can grandfather existing uses. If we enact these changes, everyone will have to do it, no exceptions,” Neve said.

Though the board is getting closer to being ready for a public hearing, Neve said he doesn’t want it held over winter months when many of the township’s seasonal residents are not in the county.

“We need to have everyone here for this, plus it will give us more time to get the language just right,” he said.

In other business, the board:

• Approved promoting Calvin Korson from probationary to full member status as a firefighter for the township Fire and Rescue Department. Korson’s promotion was recommended by fire chief Hugh Cook Jr.

Neve said the board has asked Cook to develop language to address a situation encountered with a new probationary member, Jeff Plamondon, who has trained and taken the classes with the Leland Township Fire and Rescue Department and was a full member of that department. He and his family moved into Leelanau Township late last year and he has joined the Leelanau department. Department rules require all new members, regardless of experience or certification, to be at probationary status for 90 days. Neve said in Plamondon’s case he is already a certified level one firefighter, but can not participate in certain activities with the Leelanau department.

• Unanimously approved a request from Carla Hammersley to rezone her 10-acre property off of E. Woolsey Lake Road from Agricultural to Residential Conservation. The rezoning was recommended by the township and county planning commissions.

• Announced it is seeking applications to fill a vacancy on the township Planning Commission. Neve said one person has expressed an interest, but has not fully committed to seeking the position. He said he is looking for a resident from the north end of the township since most of the commission members live in the southern areas. Any property owner interested in serving can stop by the township office next to the library in Northport during business hours and fill out an application.

• Unanimously approved Neve’s recommendation to appoint Allan Dalzell to the township’s Board of Review. Dalzell’s term expires at the end of next year.