Changes in the way the Polly Ann Trail is governed and funded were recommended by the Oxford Township Board last week.
Township officials voted unanimously to recommend reducing the total number of members on the Polly Ann Trail Management Council (PATMC) from 10 to five, one representing each community.
Currently, the council consists of two members each from Oxford and Orion townships along with two members each from Oxford and Leonard villages. The tenth member is a citizen representative.
Under the makeup proposed by Oxford Township, each member community would have one representative for a total of five. The fifth would be Addison Township which is seeking to rejoin the PATMC after voting to leave it last year due to budgetary constraints.
‘Every entity that’s involved in it wants at least one vote,? said Trustee Sue Bellairs, who sits on the trail council.
There was a proposal by the PATMC to reduce the board’s number to nine with Orion Township receiving three votes, Oxford and Addison townships getting two votes each, and Leonard and Oxford villages having one representative a piece.
‘Orion feels that they give the brunt of the money and they don’t get the vote,? Bellairs said.
She said Orion isn’t pleased with the fact it pays the most money for the trail, yet Oxford Township and Village currently have a total of four votes between them compared to its two votes.
At its July 31 meeting, the Orion Township Board agreed with the nine-member concept.
Treasurer Joe Ferrari, who also sits on the PATMC, said having a nine-member board would be ‘very cumbersome.?
‘There’s some, myself included, that feel that you don’t need nine members of any governing body to spend $40,000 (the proposed PATMC budget),? he said. ‘It’s ridiculous.?
‘A few of the member communities did not like this proposal that the committee came up with,? Bellairs said. ‘Leonard feels that they should have their two votes.?
Bellairs said ‘there’s a lot of dissension? on the council over the representation issue. ‘It’s still a touchy situation.?
As for how the trail is funded, the Oxford Township Board voted 4-1 to recommend the amount each governing body pays be based on a formula weighed in the following manner ? 33 percent for population, 33 percent for the number of trail miles within the community and 33 percent for the total State Equalized Value (SEV).
Each community’s trail contribution is currently calculated based on 55 percent population, 30 percent SEV and 15 percent trail miles. That formula was adopted in 2000.
In the PATMC’s proposal, SEV was eliminated and each community paid based on a 50/50 split between population and trail miles. Orion Township officials agreed with the proposed 50/50 formula at their July 31 meeting.
This was done ‘because the SEV unfairly weights Orion,? Ferrari told this reporter. ‘Orion has a bigger SEV,? but less trail miles than Oxford or Addison townships, so it pays much more under the current formula.
Oxford Township officials didn’t wish to see SEV eliminated from the funding formula so they recommended it stay as a third.
Ferrari noted the PATMC’s proposed budget for 2006-07 is going to be about $35,000 to $40,000 as opposed to this year’s $58,500 budget.
‘They’re trying to keep paring it back,? he told this reporter. ‘We’re trying to figure out what we really need in that budget. So, it’s like a work in progress.?
‘A lot? of the budget was ‘tied up with administration? such as the trail manager’s salary and the fees paid for accounting and auditing services, according to Ferrari. Council decided to ‘cut that way back.?
For instance, the manager will no longer be paid a set annual salary, but instead bill the council for the hours she works, which should be fewer as the communities each take on different trail-related tasks.
Each community is considering taking on the responsibility for any maintenance that needs to be done on its stretch of trail.
Ferrari said the township’s four miles of trail can be maintained by the parks and recreation department, who already handles all the safety paths.
‘We’re cheaper,? Ferrari said.
In Oxford Village, Ferrari said the Department of Public Works could maintain the 0.90 mile of trail there.
Trail Manager Amy Murrary said conducting their own maintenance should bring each community ‘closer to the trail? and give them a greater ‘sense of ownership.?
A lot of what happens with the trail’s board’s future makeup and funding depends on whether or not Addison rejoins.
‘We don’t know anything about Addison,? Bellairs said. ‘We don’t know whether they’re in or whether they’re out.?
Addison Supervisor Bob Koski has been attending PATMC meetings as an audience member and indicated to the board on July 26 that the rural township wishes to return, if the funding can be worked out to where its affordable.
Addison officials will discuss the proposed trail funding formula at their Aug. 21 board meeting.
Ferrari noted if Addison rejoins, the township could owe the trail council some money.
‘There was some sentiment that when Addison comes back, we make their dues retroactive to when they dropped,? he said. ‘Otherwise, the rest of us want a free year also.?