The Suttons Bay Township Board last week adopted a $1.66 million spending plan for the new fiscal year beginning April 1 that includes more than $600,000 for acquisition of about 120 acres of land for the proposed Herman Park project.

The fiscal 2007-08 budget called for about $1.1 million in spending, so almost all of the nearly 40 percent jump in the 2008-09 budget can be attributed to the park project. The spending plan was based on more than $1.73 million in revenues and cash on hand, leaving more than $70,000 in reserve.

The township expects to pay for much of the Herman Park project with grant funding already approved by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission.

Other grant funding for the park project is also in the works, and the township has set up a committee which will seek to raise additional money through private donations.

Located at the corner of County Road 633 on Herman Road across from Suttons Bay Public School, the future park property currently belongs to the family of the late Ralph Herman. Delays by the state government in releasing grant funding for the project have held up the sale of the Herman property, but officials expect the sale will be completed this year.

Otherwise, the Suttons Bay Township budget for fiscal 2008-09 varies little from this year’s budget. The new budget includes a 2.25 percent “cost of living” salary increase for the five elected members of the township board, as contained in salary resolutions adopted by the board last month.

Suttons Bay Township is the only one of 10 “general law” townships in Leelanau County that does not hold an Annual Meeting during which township voters in attendance can vote on pay raises for elected officials. The township gave up the practice of holding Annual Meetings more than a decade ago because of a lack of attendance by members of the public.

Just prior to its regular monthly meeting on March 12, the board held a mandatory public hearing on the fiscal 2008-09 budget that was attended by two local planning officials and a newspaper reporter. No public comment was offered during the public hearing.

Supervisor Rich Bahle reported, however, that several members of the public attended a recent Parks and Recreation Committee hearing on an update to the township’s Recreation Plan. Updates of the Recreation Plan are required every five years to meet requirements for state grant funding for parks and recreation. Bahle said that input received from members of the public regarding the Herman Park project and other Parks and Recreation Committee projects has been very positive.

As a separate action item during its meeting last week, the township board voted 4-0 to adopt a resolution to approve updates to the township’s Recreation Plan. Trustee Ron Send was absent.

In other business during its March 12 meeting, the Suttons Bay Township Board:

• Approved a three-year renewal of an annual contract with Michigan Assessing Service, which conducts property tax assessments for the township. Bahle noted that the contract is identical to last year’s but includes a modest fee increase based on the Consumer Price Index. The township’s fiscal 2008/2009 budget sets aside $36,582 for assessing services.

• Learned that a “spring cleanup” and “free dump day” for residents of Suttons Bay Township and the Village of Suttons Bay has tentatively been set for May 17.

• Took no action on a request from the Friendship Community Center in Suttons Bay that the township’s annual $500 payment to the center as part of a “contract for services” be increased. Bahle said the township had received little indication from Friendship Center officials as to why an increase in the payment was required or how any additional money might be used.

• Agreed to purchase an advertisement seeking a replacement for township resident Pat Yoder on the Bingham-Suttons Bay Building Authority. The authority meets about once a year to monitor progress on bond payments for Suttons Bay-Bingham Fire and Rescue Hall.

• Noted that township treasurer Cathy Herman was stepping down from her additional posting as a township representative on the board of the Suttons Bay-Bingham Fire and Rescue Authority. A replacement is being sought. For the past seven years, Herman has served as the authority’s treasurer.