Jamestown Charter Township
Township Board Meeting
May 16, 2011
05-16-01 The meeting was called to order by Miedema at 7:00 p.m.
05-16-02 Invocation was given by Brouwer.
05-16-03 Members present: Tacoma, Shaarda, Miedema, Boverhof, Brouwer. Absent with notice: Pruis, Jensen.
05-16-04 Motion by Shaarda to approve the agenda as presented, supported by Boverhof. Carried.
05-16-05 Minutes of the regular board meeting of 4-18-11 were approved as presented.
05-16-06 No public comment.
05-16-07 Saladino gave report of the monthly fire calls and update on Station 2, encouraging the board to stop by.
Brouwer stated there was nothing new for the treasurer’s report except on page two – the new fund for the fire addition project will be added in May.
05-16-08 No correspondence.
05-16-09 Zoning position – Miedema stated he could get PCI on a temporary basis. Ted (Woltjer) and Norma (Shaarda) could write notices for P.C.
Tacoma asked if looking for short term. Stated that Wayne is the zoning person at Port Sheldon and he is here in the office anyway.
Brouwer – what kind of certification is needed?
Miedema – not sure if any.
Brouwer – this needs to happen short term. We have walk-ins with questions and they need help.
Shaarda – turn over to PCI.
Brouwer – been discussing with Ruth, people come in and things don’t happen…we have unhappy people.
Tacoma – looking at PCI, $50 an hour seems high.
P. 2 T.B. 5-16-11
Woltjer – I’ve met with Jim a few times as to what course to take. We have to be careful we don’t break any rules or speed through things. I’m not familiar with advertising hearings.
Motion by Shaarda to contract with PCI on a temporary basis for six months, starting immediately, for zoning and planning…meeting to determine in house hours and to post hours. Motion supported by Brouwer. For – Shaarda, Brouwer, Miedema, Boverhof. Against – Tacoma
05-16-10 Fred Meijer Pathway Miedema stated the cost is 22% under and keeping the pathway is a good thing. No money will be lost.
Motion by Shaarda to proceed on the Fred Meijer pathway, supported by Miedema.
Brouwer – what is our cost? I would like to see a number.
Miedema - $178,000 minus $25,000 from Zeeland…$153.000? That could be reduced by other factors. If we don’t do this, all money we’ve spent so far is out the window.
Further discussion with final motion to read – to proceed on the Fred Meijer and not to exceed a total cost of $561,908. Motion carried unanimously.
05-16-11 Pater House Miedema stated he called a few people with one returning the call saying that they will go through the house for $280.
Shaarda – didn’t really get a spread sheet.
Motion by Shaarda to demolish the house, barns and silage bunkers; get bids and notify the tenants they have 30 days to move out. Seconded by Miedema.
Boverhof – if I knew the facts, I would be in favor of the motion, but without costs in front of me…it’s hard to believe that in two months we have no numbers.
Board discussed known problems with property.
Boverhof – I ran numbers…average $575 a month paid…again, where are the numbers.
Tacoma – why demolish the barn with the house?
Shaarda – looking at that property for recreational facility in the future, working with the City of Hudsonville.
The fire barn building should stay and auction off the other barns.
P. 3 T.B. 5-16-11
Pater – I suggest that we rent the house and barns. We want to continue farming. Crops are planted. We feel we’ve been shoved under a rug. The Board stated last year that we could rent this year…we are in the middle of this. We had four calls after last month’s meeting concerning the rent of land. People are upset. These renters now are the best you’ve had… except that they don’t pay the rent, but they do everything else.
Miedema – the current renters seem unhappy right now.
Pater – if you demolish the house and barns, you’ll put us out of business.
Brouwer – I’ve never been a landlord. I don’t like it. We shouldn’t be in the landlord business.
Shaarda – we could demolish the house…Paters use the barn and we can take a look at the contract next year.
Tacoma – Paters should pay for the well pipes to be moved.
Pater – give us two years on the barn and five-year lease on the land.
Shaarda – two years is too long.
Miedema – the whole corner should be year by year.
Tacoma – would anything happen in the next two years? I haven’t heard of any two-year plan.
You (Pater) sold the land…you don’t have the right to want it back.
Pater – we need to farm, we have renters, why not take our offer?
Motion by Shaarda to table the matter for one month seconded by Boverhof. Carried
Shaarda – Scott, we need tax amounts and expenses.
Brouwer – I sent emails to everyone with the tax amounts.
Boverhof – I would like to see a spreadsheet with profit and loss.
Brouwer explained there isn’t a particular line item that says ‘expense for rental property’.
Shaarda – do you throw away the bills?
Brouwer – no, but you have to go through month by month for each expense.
P. 4 T.B. 5-16-11
Tacoma will get his bills for work at the house and Shaarda will get others and put together a report.
05-16-12 Motion by Boverhof to present bills supported by Tacoma. Carried.
05-16-13 Motion by Boverhof to pay bills, seconded by Brouwer. Carried.
05-15-14 Meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bonnie Oosterink
Deputy Clerk