By Teddy Rydquist
Leader Staff Writer
On Wednesday, October 14, the Oxford Township Board of Trustees held their regular monthly meeting.
As they have done since April, the meeting was held remotely via Zoom video conference. Lasting approximately one hour and twenty-five minutes, the board voted on or addressed several wide-ranging topics and the meeting could be classified as a productive one.
With no residents looking to address any new business, the board moved into the first item on their agenda, the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) benefit adoption agreement for the Oxford Fire Department.
Joanne Edmonds, an Executive Administrator and the Finance Office Manager for the department, joined the call, along with Fire Chief Pete Scholz, and explained what this means.
“This is a merely a formalization of documentation of existing practices,” Edmonds began. “MERS has just determined they would like to standardize and make consistent all of their municipalities by documenting all of the planned provisions for MERS.
“That’s what this addendum agreement is designed for, and I’m requesting your approval to allow me to sign the DocuSign version of this addendum.”
Treasurer Joseph G. Ferrari, a 28-year veteran of the position, pointed out documents like this require the signature of the township’s chief elected official, Supervisor Bill Dunn.
Dunn and Edmonds agreed to meet up to have the supervisor sign the electronic document and the motion passed unanimously.
Township Engineer Jim Sharpe then took the screen to present his monthly engineering report, which focused on Lapeer Road (M-24).
“Since the last board meeting (September 9), we’ve completed all the water main installation on the west side of M-24 from Drahner up to Oakdell,” he shared.
“With regard to the sanitary sewer, the sanitary sewer has all been installed from Oakdell all the way up to, basically, the parcel where Beaumont wants to build, and they are currently doing testing on that.
“Obviously, everyone knows Burdick Street is shutdown right now; they plan on beginning the paving of that on Friday (October 16), probably will go Friday and Saturday, maybe into next week, as well, and they are hoping to re-open Burdick Street next Wednesday (October 21).
“We’ve made up a little bit of ground and fingers crossed, weather cooperates and all that, we are still going to be able to get this project done this year.”
With this good news from Sharpe, the trustees progressed into new business on the agenda, including an interesting topic raised by Trustee Jack Curtis.
“As you’re aware, the township hall parking lot that we now utilize for the sheriff’s department is overcrowded,” Curtis stated. “We talked in the past about building it out, and now we have a need for it. We need more parking spots for the sheriff cars and their personal cars.
“So, what we’re asking for is to approve $7,500 for the design and bid fees, not to exceed this, to accommodate the uses as of today.”
Curtis, who is going to succeed Dunn as supervisor, added the township would like to embark on this project in spring 2021 and will cost approximately $100,000-125,000 to complete.
Clerk Curtis Wright pointed out this new construction would create an additional 40 parking spots at 300 Dunlap Road and the motion to approve the $7,500 for design and bid fees was approved without dissent.
The board then turned their attention to the tax overpayment resolution, an issue far less visible than the potential expansion of the parking lot.
“Back in 1993, anything five dollars and under for tax overpayments, the board chose not to refund that because of the cost of the stamp and postage,” Ferrari explained.
“It’s 2020 now, I think we may want to change that figure as things have gone up since then. I think bringing that from five to ten (dollars) would be appropriate.”
This motion passed, 6-1, with Curtis voting against it. So, check your math carefully, Oxford Township residents, if you overpay your taxes by ten dollars or less, the township treasurer will not be reimbursing you.
The township’s next board meeting, which are usually held on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., will be November 18. This meeting will be on the third Wednesday of the month because November 11 is Veterans Day.