Township Board Minutes

MINUTES
CASCADE CHARTER TOWNSHIP REGULAR BOARD MEETING
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
7:00 P.M.

Article 1. Supervisor Julien called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Present: Supervisor Julien, Clerk Goodyke, Treasurer Carpenter, Trustees Beahan, Koessel, Currier and Parrish.
Absent: None
Others Present: Manager Cravens, Deputy Clerk Biegalle, Planning Director Petersen, Planner Deem, Fire Chief Sigg, Assessor Roger McCarty, Attorney Jessica Wood of Law, Weathers and Richardson, Reporter Rick Wilson and those listed on Supplement #1.

Article 2. Supervisor Julien led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Article 3. Motion to approve the submitted Agenda was made by Clerk Goodyke and supported by Trustee Koessel. Motion carried unanimously.

Article 4. Approval of Consent Agenda
a. Approval of Township Board Minutes
1. Regular Meeting Minutes of 7/13/05.
b. Receive and File Various Meeting Minutes
1. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of 6/20/05.
2. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of 07/05/05.
3. Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting Minutes of 6/14/05.
c. Receive and File Various Reports
1. Fire Department Month End Report for June 2005.
The Consent Agenda was approved on motion by Treasurer Carpenter and supported by Trustee Koessel.
Supervisor Julien noted a correction on the Regular Township Board Minutes of 7/13/05. Article 9. 052-2005 should show one Board member was absent. There was also a correction regarding the Planning Commission minutes of 6/20/05. Article 7 Case #05-2700 regarding the developer's lighting plan. Corrections duly noted.
Motion carried unanimously.

Article 5. Financial Actions (None)

Article 6 Public Actions
a. Public Hearing - re: Charter Communications Franchise Agreement.
Motion by Trustee Beahan and supported by Treasurer Carpenter to open the public hearings at 7:15 p.m. The motion carried unanimously.
Manager Cravens stated that Law, Weathers, Richardson have been negotiating a new cable franchise agreement with Charter Communications. Manager Cravens introduced Attorney Jessica Wood who would address any questions/concerns that the Board had regarding the new franchise agreement. No Public Comment.

b. Public Hearing - re: IFT District and Exemption Certificate for New Facility for Smith's Aerospace LLC.
Supervisor Julien asked Assessor Roger McCarty to review the request. Assessor McCarty stated Smith's Aerospace LLC has applied for an abatement for a new facility to be located at 1555 Arboretum S.E. The Project is for personal property consisting of workstations and computers. Presently they have 1,425 employees and with this project 50 jobs will be created. Assessor McCarty introduced the representatives from Smith's Aerospace. Attorney Blair Mohney stated that Smith's Aerospace has added considerable benefit to Cascade Township. Assessor McCarty recommended that the certificate be granted for a period of 8 years. No Public Comment.
c. Public Hearing - re: Lighting Regulations
Planner Deem reviewed the staff recommendations to be made to the Zoning Ordinance regarding lighting regulations. Some of the staff recommendations addressed the following:
· Downcast Lighting
· Façade Lighting
· Recreational Lighting
Discussion followed. Supervisor Julien asked the members of the Planning Commission in the audience if they would hold their comments until New Business. No Public Comment.

d. Public Hearing - re: Term Limit Amendment
Director of Planning Peterson reviewed the Planning Commission's recommendation that the Zoning Ordinance be amended to eliminate term limits for the Planning Commission (PC) and the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). Currently our ordinance limits PC and ZBA service to 2 terms of 3 years. Some of the Planning Commission's reasons for the basis were as follows:
· The Supervisor and the Board have the right to review appointments and they are not automatic.
· These appointments should be based on performance not time.
· It takes a few years to get accustomed to process and procedures.
· Only other government units with term limits for PC and ZBA in the areas surveyed were the City of Grand Rapids and Ada Township.
· The chairmanship is required to change at least every two years.
· There will be eventual openings on PC and ZBA to allow for new members.
Staff recommendation supports a term limit system as a way to educate more people about planning and zoning issues. The current system has produced several new members who may not have had a chance to serve the community otherwise.
Staff does not support the PC recommendation and would suggest either keeping the ordinance language as is or for extending the term limit provision to allow for a third three year term.
Supervisor Julien asked the Planning Commission members in the audience if they would hold their comments until New Business. No Public Comment.
Motion by Trustee Beahan and supported by Trustee Koessel to close the public hearings and reconvene into regular session. Motion carried unanimously.

Article 7. Public Comments

Article 8. Unfinished Business (None)

Article 9. New Business
055-2005 Consider Resolution to Approve and Adopt Charter Cable Franchise Agreement.
Motion by Clerk Goodyke and supported by Trustee Parrish to approve the Resolution to Approve and Adopt Charter Cable Franchise Agreement as presented. Motion carried unanimously.

056-2005 Consider Approval of IFT District and Exemption Certificate for Smith's Aerospace LLC.
Supervisor Julien opened discussion with a concern on why Cascade was only granting an 8 year tax abatement instead of the full twelve. Assessor McCarty explained the 8 years were determined by the procedures Cascade Township established regarding tax abatements. A representative from the Right Place Program explained how they had calculated an incentive package on a 10 year abatement. Discussion followed. Motion by Treasurer Carpenter and supported by Trustee Parrish to approve the IFT District and Exemption Certificate for Smith's Aerospace LLC for 10 years.
Ayes - 6 Nays - 1 (Beahan)

057-2005 Consider Approval of Amending the Zoning Ordinance
re: Changes and Additions to the Lighting Ordinance.
Supervisor Julien opened discussion regarding the Lighting Ordinance with comments from the Board. Some concerns included:
· Lighting of the American Flag
· Existing signs…how would they be handled?
· Have there been complaints from residents regarding "light pollution"?
· How would ground mounted signs be handled?
Motion by Trustee Koessel and supported by Trustee Currier to approve the Amending of the Zoning Ordinance as proposed by staff. After considerable discussion the motion was withdrawn by Trustee Koessel with the approval of Trustee Currier. Motion by Trustee Koessel and supported by Clerk Goodyke to remand back the Lighting Ordinance to the Planning Commission. Motion carried.
Ayes - 6 Nays - 1 (Beahan)

058-2005 Consider Approval of Amending the Zoning Ordinance re: Term Limits.
Jack Lewis, Fred Goldberg and Claude Robinson addressed the Board regarding the Planning Commission's stance on no term limits. Mr. Lewis requested if the Board did not approve the no term limits to "kick it back" to the Planning Commission for further discussion.
Discussion followed within the Board. Motion by Clerk Goodyke and supported by Trustee Parrish that the Term Limits amendment to the Zoning Ordinance be remanded back to the Planning Commission to look at clarifying the ordinance as far as rotation and look at the possibility as compromise to extending it to (3) three year terms. Motion carried.
Ayes - 4 Nays - 3 (Beahan, Koessel, Currier)

059-2005 Discussion of Waste Haulers - re: Times of Operation, Noise Ordinance.
Manager Cravens reviewed several complaints regarding waste pick-up at Cascade Center (6250- 28th St.). Forest Hills Condominiums has stated that waste is being picked up around 4:00 a.m. Manager Cravens presented a letter from the residents of Forest Hills Condominiums to the Board regarding the issue of amending the noise ordinance. Discussion followed. Motion by Trustee Koessel and supported by Clerk Goodyke to direct staff to check and see what the times are for commercial areas abutting residential areas and bring the amendment back to the Board for first reading. Motion carried unanimously.

060-2005 Consider First Reading of Proposed International Fire Code.
Chief Sigg was present to answer any questions/concerns regarding the proposed International Fire Code. The old BOCA Code is no longer in existence, and the International Fire Code is the Code being adopted across the country. Discussion followed. Motion by Clerk Goodyke and supported by Trustee Beahan to consider First Reading of the Proposed International Fire Code. Motion carried unanimously.

061-2005 Consider Contribution for the Cascade Township Community Directory.
Supervisor Julien asked if this was one of the goals set by the Board in the beginning of the year. Manager Cravens stated that it was. Manager Cravens reviewed the idea of the Directory and how they had used Grandville as a model. Jack Lewis and Claude Robinson have secured $12,000 worth of sponsorships/advertising for the Directory. They are asking for an additional $12,500 to get the directory going. An outline was provided regarding what would be in the directory. Discussion followed. Motion by Trustee Koessel and supported by Clerk Goodyke to contribute $12,500 for the Cascade Township Community Directory. Motion carried unanimously.

062-2005 Consider Approval of Membership on the Cascade Community Foundation.
Motion by Trustee Beahan and supported by Treasurer Carpenter to approve the recommendations for membership made by the Cascade Community Foundation. Motion carried unanimously.

063-2005 Fire Department Progress Report
Chief Sigg was present to address any questions regarding the Memo on the update of Fire Department Operations for both fire stations. Some of the issues addressed in the memo were as follows:
· Equipment
· Staffing
· Response times
· Paid on Call
· Fulltime Overtime
· Budget
· Community Concerns
Discussion followed.

Article 10. Manager's Comments
Manager Cravens reported on the following:
· Memo from Sandra Otey regarding a complaint from Michelle Lee at 8613 52nd Street about a motocross track that a neighbor constructed. More specifically, she is concerned with the noise and dust the track generates. Discussion followed. Manager Cravens was asked to contact Michelle Lee and suggest to them to get their neighbors opinion on the noise/dust generated by the motocross track.

Article 11. Board Member Comments
Board Member comments were as follows:
· Clerk Goodyke announced the ground breaking on the New Enrichment Center at the Cascade Library will be Thursday, August 4th at 9:00 a.m. at the Cascade Library.
· Trustee Parrish commented on the Arch on the 4th of July.
· Trustee Koessel thought the Scottsdale Clown Band was excellent.

Article 12. Adjournment
Motion by Trustee Parrish and supported by Clerk Goodyke to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 9:47 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Denise M. Biegalle
Deputy Clerk

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