By Teddy Rydquist

Leader Staff Writer

When it was all said and done, over $30,000 in grant monies for low income endeavors were awarded by the Oxford Township Board of Trustees.

At their Nov. 20 meeting the township board decided what to do with $30,585 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the 2020 year. Township treasurer Joe Ferrari is also the township’s CDBG Coordinator.

“When devising a plan to allocate our 2020 CDBG funds, we tried to keep in mind the focus of these monies – to help our low-income residents, senior citizens and the disabled,” Ferrari said.

Ferrari told the board, “We are requesting our major project be the continuation of our mobile home and minor home repair program. As you know, we have alternated between single family minor home repair and mobile home repair over the last couple of CDBG allocations. However, the need is currently greatest with mobile home and minor home repair.”

Based on this, the board is planning to use $16,000 (roughly 52%) of these CDBG funds for mobile home repairs within the Lake Villa and Parkhurst complexes.

Setting aside $5,410 (about 18%), one or two homes in Oxford Township will also be benefitted through the minor home repair program.

The remaining $9,175 will be split evenly, $4,587.50 apiece (15%), between HAVEN and providing residents with emergency food, utility, rent/mortgage, medical and educational assistance.

One of its kind in Oakland County, HAVEN is a 24-hour emergency shelter exclusively dedicated to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and their children.

Located between West Drahner and Seymour Lake Rd., the potential renaming of Squaw Lake had also become a hot button issue after a woman filed a request to change the name.

Aligning with the opinion of many in the community, the board has elected to keep the name of Squaw Lake the same and does not anticipate a change soon.

Lastly, updated salary information was released for board members. Appointed Supervisor in May 1999, Bill Dunn will collect $82,369 in 2020. Ferrari and Clerk Curtis W. Wright will each earn $72,501.