A familiar name is involved again with Leelanau Township government following the Township Board's appointment of former supervisor Galen Leighton to fill out a seat on the township Planning Commission.

At its meeting Tuesday, the board unanimously approved supervisor Jim Neve’s recommendation to appoint Leighton to fill out the term of Marlin Bussey, who resigned earlier this year. In a phone report yesterday, Neve said that Leighton will serve until June 2008, then may seek reappointment if he so chooses.

“Galen agreed to serve until then and he gives us some representation from the northern end of the township,” Neve said. Leighton served as township supervisor for four years until 1996, when he lost in the Republican Party primary to Kathy Policoro.

The township Planning Commission will meet tonight at 7 in the township hall.

In other business during its brief, one-hour meeting, the board:

• Approved the purchase of a new pump, with a cost not to exceed $8,500, for the township Fire and Rescue Department’s brush truck. Neve said the vehicle is in good condition, but the department members noticed the pump was not pushing out water at its normal rate. Only one bid was received for replacing the pump, from CSI of Grayling. Neve said the department will take the truck to Grayling for the work, probably sometime this week.

• Unanimously approved rescheduling its first 2008 meeting from Jan. 15 to Jan. 22 to avoid any conflict with the Michigan Presidential Primary Election. “We thought about moving back to Jan. 8, but that would be too soon after the holidays,” Neve said. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the township hall.

• Heard an update from Neve about the joint township-village sewer project. Neve said Dunnigan Brothers and InfraSource, the two contractors working on “laying pipe” along village streets and township roads, wrapped up work for the season. “They buttoned up the areas they had been working on last week and won’t be back until the ground thaws, probably sometime in mid-March,” Neve said. The project remains on schedule and on budget, according to Neve.

DeVere Construction will continue working on the wastewater treatment plant off of West Street in Northport throughout the winter.

When the $15 million project is completed in early Summer 2008, residents in the Village of Northport and adjacent areas of Leelanau Township will have centralized sewer service.