The Elmwood Township board made an early attempt at the fastest local government meeting of 2024 on Monday, voting unanimously to approve the two items on their agenda in just under 20 minutes. These items were a bond authorizing resolution and a budget amendment.
The first resolution will allow Elmwood to issue bonds not to exceed $6 million to finance all or part of three major projects: phase three of the Elmwood Township Marina improvements, replacing the single main tank at the Timberlee Water Station with two new hydropneumatic tanks, and the improvements to the parking lot at Brewery Creek.
The final designs for phase three of the marina project – to include building, parking, dock, and seawall improvements – and the Timberlee water system were not yet finished as of the Jan. 8 meeting. Patrick McGow of Miller Canfield, the law firm consulting with the township on the bond, explained he intended to wait until construction bids had been received on the finished designs, as this would help them finalize the sizing of the bonds.
But since the process of getting approval from the Michigan Department of the Treasury takes “several weeks,” McGow said that the township board should approve the resolution at this month’s meeting. When the actual construction bids are in, the bond can be resized, he said.
In his report to the board earlier in the meeting, township supervisor Jeff Shaw said that they hope to bid out the marina and Timberlee projects at their meeting next month on Feb. 5. The board already approved a $157,478 contract with an unnamed contractor for the Brewery Creek parking lot project back in December.
The other item approved by the board at their January regular meeting was a budget amendment allowing the transfer of $30,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the fire fund for the down payment on an ambulance.
