Leland Township Harbor will join a group of small harbors around the state interested in establishing secure funding sources for annual dredgings.
At its meeting Monday night, the Township Board approved a resolution of support for the Michigan Small Harbors Coalition. Harbormaster Russell Dzuba, who presented information about the coalition during a May board meeting, was authorized to petition the township Harbor Commission to join the organization.
In a phone report, township supervisor Harry Larkin said the coalition is comprised of 50 small harbors around the state and charter fishing support groups. “Their main concern is establishing a secure source of federal and state funds to pay for annual dredgings,” Larkin said. In 2007, funding delays temporarily held up the dredging of the Leland Harbor
This year, U.S. Rep. David Camp (R-Midland) helped keep an $120,000 earmark in the federal budget to pay for the dredging. Larkin, however, said earmarks are an unpopular way to fund projects like harbor dredging because of the negative associations with the term.
“John McCain has said if he is elected president he will eliminate earmarks from the federal budget,” Larkin said.
Larkin also said Dzuba told the board that Abonmarche, an engineering firm, is advertising for bids for the $3.2 million Leland Harbor improvement project. The project would increase the total number of boat slips and berths from 66 to 90, improve the electric, water and sewer service provided to slip users, and provide new bathroom, shower and harbor office facilities.
Larkin said harbor officials are concerned that delays brought on by a longer-than-expected state review may result in a project cost that’s higher than originally anticipated.
“We won’t know how much this will be until we talk with the potential bidders and actually receive the bids,” he said. The Harbor Commission will hold a pre-bid meeting with interested firms on Aug. 11, and will open bids at special meeting Aug. 22.
In other business, the board:
• Unanimously approved the township general management plan. The board exercised its option to approve the plan, which was prepared by the township planning commission over the last two years. The Township Board and commission held a joint meeting in May to discuss the plan and the
only changes made since then were grammatical errors in the documents language.
The general management plan has been approved by the Planning Commission.
• Appointed township Zoning Administrator Tim Cypher as township ordinance enforcement officer. Larkin said Cypher will not receive additional pay for his new title. The board plans to review all existing township ordinances, not including the Zoning Ordinance, over the next two to three years to make sure the documents are in compliance with existing state laws. “Some of the township power ordinances were made a long time ago,” Larkin said.
• Accepted the resignation of Vince Fleck from the township Planning Commission. Larkin said Fleck resigned due to scheduling conflicts in his personal life. The board appointed Fleck to the commission in April. He will continue to serve on the township Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). Larkin has recommended Jon Stimson replace Fleck on the planning commission. Stimson also serves on the ZBA and would fulfill a state requirement for having one member of the planning commission be a representative on the ZBA. Action on the recommendation is exprected at the next Township Board meeting.
• Approved a request from clerk Jane Keen to attend a training seminar on human resources. The seminar costs $195 and will be held in Traverse City.
