Between the Elmwood Township Board’s February and March meetings, the township harbormaster – Pete Moon – stepped down to pursue work in the private sector. His last day was earlier this month.
Township Supervisor Jeff Shaw said he’s always been saddened to see qualified employees like Moon go but encouraged the harbormaster to take up his next career opportunity. And for the township, this presents a chance to make some changes.
At a March 4 special session, the board agreed to turn the harbormaster into a seasonal position rather than all year. This is because the township hopes to reallocate some of its resources that went into the marina to a year-round buildings and grounds position. The necessity for a permanent buildings and grounds person was discussed at last month’s meeting.
The township is advertising for a seasonal, full-time harbormaster, to be paid $25-30 an hour depending on experience. The application deadline is March 20, and Shaw said they hope to fill the position before the marina starts accepting boats April 15.
The former deputy harbormaster under Moon, Clem Thompson, is currently serving as interim harbormaster, and will be the man in charge if the township is unable to find a permanent replacement before the marina opens for the summer. Shaw said that Thompson is experienced and qualified but is not interested in filling the position himself.
Since, in Shaw’s words, Thompson has been “thrust” into the harbormaster role, the township board agreed at its March regular meeting to temporarily increase his pay to $28 an hour, the median of their salary range for the next hire. Thompson will return to his previous rate of $22 an hour once a new harbormaster is hired.
Shaw also discussed looking into software upgrades for the marina to make it easier to track boat slip applications and payments, but the township board took no action on this item at Monday’s meeting.
In other business during the regular monthly meeting the board:
• Agreed to act as fiduciary for a Brownfield Redevelopment Grant for up to $1 million on behalf of the Discovery Center and Pier. Discovery Center CEO Matt McDonough explained that his company can’t apply for this grant itself since it is not a nonprofit organization, but the grant can “pass through” the township. If approved, the grant will aid with site demolition; lead, mold, and asbestos abatement; and mitigation measures as part of construction.
• Approved the SenioRita Pickleball Group’s request to reserve the township’s pickleball and tennis courts for use from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Wednesdays in the months of May through October 2024.
• Agreed to allow the Conservation Resource Alliance to plant trees and shrubs in a portion of the DeYoung Natural Area owned by Elmwood at no cost to the township.
• Adopted poverty exemption income guidelines and asset test policy as they are required to do every year.
• Allow the Michigan Department of Transportation to acquire the consent to grade drive rights for township property on 13488 S. West Bay Shore Dr., to be used for a pump station, for $1,400. The offer is valid through March 21.
• Authorized township staff to distribute requests for proposals (RFP) for a third-party agency to help the planning commission review and update its comprehensive plan. Planner/ Zoning Administrator Sarah Clarren explained that this plan is required to be updated once every five years under the Michigan Planning Enabling Act. Due to opposition from Trustee Terry Lautner, and unfamiliar with the document from trustees Kyle Trevas and Jordan Gallagher, references to the MI Healthy Climate Plan were removed from the RFP.
