September 11, 2002

7:30 PM MEETING CALLED TO ORDER
PRESENT: CARL FUEHRING, PETE WOOD, HELEN LEFLER, ANITA
FOSTER, AVERY WILSON, STEVE MARCINIAK
ABSENT: LEO TERRYN

REVIEW OF NEW FIGURES IN THE COMMUNITY PROFILE-SEASONAL HOUSING IS DEFINED BY USE, NOT CONSTRUCTION. THE POPULATION COUNT DETERMINES THE REPRESENTATION, ROAD MONIES.
HOMESTEAD COUNT DOESN'T MATCH PAM'S FIGURES. HER FIGURES WOULD BE MORE ACCURATE.

HELEN COMMENTED THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES INCLUDE ECONOMIC BASE, INFRASTRUCTURE, EMPLOYMENT, SCHOOL STATISTICS, HOUSING, FARMING INCREASE/ DECREASE, ETC. HOW DOES THE PC FEEL ABOUT EXPANDING THIS SECTION OF THE MP? SHE FEELS IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO HELP RECOGNIZE THE RURAL CHARACTER OF GOLDEN TOWNSHIP AND IT WOULD BE A TOOL TO HELP MANAGE GROWTH.

CARL WANTED TO KNOW WHAT USE IT WOULD BE. THERE ARE 5 AG COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS LEFT IN THE TOWNSHIP. THE PRICE OF LAND IS GOING SO HIGH, THERE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE MORE SUB-DIVIDED. CONSIDERING THE AGE OF THE FARMERS AND THE COMPETITION
OF LAND VALUE. YOU CAN'T PROTECT ANYTHING BY ZONING IT AG.

DAN SUMAN- THIS IS A HIGH MARKET AREA FOR HOMES TO THE AGE GROUP OF 55-65. HE FEARS THE TAX BASE IS GOING TO DROP.

DAVE ROSEMAN ASKED IF THE TAXES WOULD BE HIGHER IF IT IS SOLD AS HOUSE LOTS?

HELEN SAID THAT IS TRUE BUT STATISTICS SHOW THAT A RESIDENTIAL USE, WITH A SMALLER PIECE OF LAND WITH THE TAXES HIGHER THAN THE FARM TAXES, THAT FOR EVERY $1 PAID BY THE FARMER HE IS USING $.67 OF THE SERVICES AND $1 PAID BY A PERSON ON A CITY LOT USES ABOUT $1.70. SO IT IS A NET LOSS.

RICHARD BEHM- WHAT ARE THE STATISTICS BASED ON? YOU CAN'T FIGHT GROWTH. YOU HAVE TO HANDLE IT IN A CONTROLLED FASHION.

HELEN COMMENTED THAT THE OPEN SPACE DEVELOPMENT ACT WILL HELP SHAPE THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTAIN THE CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY. WE NEED TO LOOK AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

CARL WOULD LIKE A PERCENTAGE OF YEAR ROUND OR SEASONAL HOMES.
IT WOULD LET US KNOW HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE DEPENDENT ON OUR FACILITIES. A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVE HERE AND WORK OUT OF TOWN. HOW DOES THE SURROUNDING AREA IMPACT US, THERE IS NO FORESEEABLE INDUSTRY COMING TO THE AREA.

JAKE FEELS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MIGHT BE ADDRESSED SOMEWHAT BY IN HOME INTERNET BUSINESSES. WE NEED TO GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY.

DAVE ROSEMAN AGREES THAT IS A POTENTIAL SOURCE.

AVERY COMMENTED THAT SOME OF THESE SATELITTE FACTORIES ARE NEEDED AS WELL.

DAN SUMAN COMMENTED THAT THERE ARE NO LOCAL BUILDING TRADESMEN AVAILABLE IN THIS AREA, PLUMBERS, ELECTRICAL, HEATING ETC.

CARL AGREED THAT IT IS A NECESSITY IN THIS AREA.

JAKE SAID WE NEED TO CHANGE SOME OF OUR DISTRICTS TO ALLOW SOME OF THAT KIND OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN THE AREA. WE NEED OPEN SPACE DEVELOPMENT IN OUR MP AND THEN IN THE ZONING THAT WILL STEER DEVELOPERS TO GO TO CLUSTER HOUSING. THERE ARE INCENTIVES AVAILABLE TO THEM.

HELEN SAID THAT SHE FEELS OUR MP COULD USE SOME ENHANCEMENT IN THE AREA OF PRESERVING AND PROTECTING. WE NEED TO HAVE AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE HYDROLOGY MAPS, WETLAND MAPS, ETC. AND INSERT A STATEMENT INDICATING THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING AND PROTECT THEM. IE: NATURAL FEATURES, PG 7 OF MP. SO WHEN OPEN SPACE DEVELOPMENT IS ADDRESSED THE MAPS WOULD HELP. IT WOULD BE THE FOUNDATION FOR RULES AND REGULATIONS.

STEVE WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO FIND OUT THE CONDITIONS OF THE AQUAFER? WHAT ABOUT WELLS GOING DRY IN THE AREA?

HELEN SAID THAT WE CAN GET HYDROLOGY MAPS FROM THE CAT TEAM .

DAVE ROSEMAN SAID THAT THE GEOGRAPHIC INFO SYSTEM HAS INFORMATION AVAILABLE. THE TYPICAL AQUAFER MIGHT BE 1 SQ MILE.

HELEN SAID THAT MASON COUNTY HAS TWO DEPTHS OF AQUAFER. WE ALSO NEED IN OUR MP COOPERATION FROM OUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES ON SEWAGE. WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH HART ON THAT AS A GOAL.

CHUCK CHANDLER SAID THAT THERE IS A FEASIBILTY STUDY BEING DONE NOW.

CARL SAID THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE ON A LARGER SCALE WITH HART, SILVER LAKE, MEARS, HART TOWNSHIP, ETC. INTERLINKING SEWAGE FACILITIES. JURISDICTION OVER POLITICAL GROUNDS, WHO CONTROLS, WHOSE LIABILITY, CAN YOU TAX OUTSIDE ENTITIES? CAN YOU LEGALLY GO OUTSIDE THEIR BOUNDS?

HELEN ASKED IF THE CREATION OF A SEWAGE AUTHORITY HELP TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THIS?

CARL SAID THAT THE COUNTY HAS THE RIGHT TO SET THIS UP UNDER THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER.

JAKE SAID THAT ALL INFRASTRUCTURE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE MP.

DAVE ROSEMAN IS CONCERNED WITH THE AQUAFER. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FEELS THEY ARE GETTING LOWER, THE ISSUE OF WATER SUPPLY IS A BIG ISSUE.

RICHARD BEHM STATED THAT SEWER AND WATER IS A HOT ISSUE. WE NEED TO THINK LONG TERM AND START NOW.

HELEN SAID THAT WATER IS IMPORTANT ISSUE TO BE PROTECTED. UNDER NATURAL FEATURES WE MENTION MINERAL DEPOSITS, SHOULD WE GO MORE IN DEPTH? WE MIGHT WANT TO ADD A MAP SHOWING EXISTING USE AND A MAP SHOWING FUTURE USE. NORM DODDS HAS THOSE AVAILABLE.
ENFORCEMENT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE MP.

CARL SUGGESTED THAT LOCAL PEOPLE MIGHT BE WILLING TO HELP WITH THE ENFORCEMENT. THE TOWNSHIP IS CONSIDERING HAVING ONE OR TWO PEOPLE DO THE LEG WORK. POSSIBLY HELP PAM AS WELL. WE NEED A FULL TIME EXECUTIVE SECRETARY.

JAKE COMMENTED THAT AT SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE THE TOWNSHIP NEEDS TO LOOK AT HIRING A PERSON FOR 8-9 MONTHS A YEAR TO HOLD OFFICE HOURS. ZONING IS GETTING VERY COMPLICATED AND TIME CONSUMING.

CARL ASKED WHAT KIND OF PLAN IS AHEAD OF US. WE HAVE TO GET THIS IN INK.

HELEN WILL WORK THEM UP INTO SOME KIND OF DOCUMENT OF CONCEPTS, GENERAL PRINCIPLE AND STATEMENTS OF POLICIES AND GOALS.
CHANGE THE FORMAT TO INCLUDE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND IMPLEMENTATIONS ALL IN ONE SECTION.

DAVE ROSEMAN WOULD PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE.

CARL IS INTERESTED IN HAVING INPUT.

CHUCK CHANDLER WANTS THE PC TO CONSIDER PARKING, VISITATION CENTER WITH RESTROOMS. IT'S A REAL NEED.

JAKE SUGGESTED THAT IT COULD BE ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES ADDED.

MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:30 PM.