Springfield Township government will soon take a more active role in the administration of lake improvement boards.
Some of the details will not be worked out until early 2005, but trustees on Dec. 5 agreed to at least house records of what Supervisor Collin Walls calls ‘quasi-governmental? agencies.
By next March, trustees are expected to revise guidelines for the township representative to Springfield’s four lake boards.
Walls put the issue on the township board’s October agenda based, in part, on a proposed Senate bill intended to change the makeup of the lake boards.
While state law allows for the creation of lake improvement boards, the same law does not specifically address issues such as record keeping. The first draft of the proposed bill would have given municipalities more responsibility in that area, but at the last board meeting, Walls said changes to the bill have eliminated that revision.
In Oakland County, the drain commission handled many administrative functions until late 2002 and early 2003 at no charge to the residents. Now, there seems to be little consistency in administration.
Of the four lake boards in Springfield Township, three have records kept by board secretaries, but only one has records available at a public place. The fourth has official files kept in the Grand Rapids offices of a hired consultant.
When residents have questions about lake issues, they often contact the township hall, where officials likely may not have appropriate records available, Walls said. Financial dealings appear to be equally varied, with lake boards handling their own bank accounts and only one asking for township assistance.
‘When we don’t have all the information, that is very frustrating,? Treasurer Jamie Dubre said. ‘We are billing them, we are collecting, we are holding the money, but we do not make any decisions and we cannot give them any real information. Definitely something needs to change.?
By housing such records at the township hall, officials will not necessarily vouch for their accuracy, but they will be able to make information available to those with questions about their special assessments.
‘I’m not assuming perfection,? Walls said, but he believes the township administration will also do a better job posting official notices about lake board public hearings.
Since trustees agreed that the new administrative services should be paid for by the lake boards, they directed attorney Greg Need to draw up agreement documents and gave Walls the authority to sign them on behalf of the township.
Trustees did not reach consensus on how to improve township representation to the lake boards. Walls believes the revised state law may still replace lake boards? Michigan Department of Environmental Quality representative with a second representative from the local municipality. Walls recommended a set list of ‘expectations? for township representatives to promote better communication between the respective bodies.
‘Our responsibility is to explain what it is lake board reps should be doing,? Walls said.
Trustee Dennis Vallad went further, proposing that the township’s four elected officials each assume a lake board representative position.
‘The trustees can serve as the interface between the township and the lake board,? Vallad said. While they may only serve the lake board in an advisory capacity, he said trustees have more understanding of township government operations.
Vallad said he did not mean to insult current township lake board representatives.
‘Their intentions are good; I just think they need a little help,? he said.
Trustee David Hopper agreed with the township administration of records, but he was ‘up in the air? on whether trustees should be lake board reps.
‘I know nothing about lake boards,? Hopper said.
Trustee Marc Cooper also questioned the idea. ‘I’m not sure that four different trustees on four different lake boards is going to provide the continuity,? Cooper said.
Also to be debated further is the length of term for township representatives. Walls recommended four-year terms, but others believe the current three is adequate.