By Bruce Rolfe
While Galesburg Speedway is well into the offseason, a controversial issue at the local speedway brought quite a bit of debate at the Charleston Township Board meeting November 25.
The main issue surrounds the press box, also known as the tower. Bert Gale, of Associated Government Services, the company the township uses for building inspection and permit services, said the entire floor in the Speedway press box has been replaced.
Gale said the plans he received from an engineer hired by Speedway owners Thomas A. McGhee and Tammy McGhee lacks calculations for live and dead load for the floor, preventing him from issuing a building permit on the press box.
Gale said because a Commercial Building Permit was not issued for the work done to the press box, a Certificate of Use and Occupancy was not issued for the press box during the recently completed racing season at the speedway.
Gale said if the speedway owners refuse to provide the live and dead load calculations to the floor, “let’s just do it ourselves so that we can present that to the judge and say we’ve been asking for this.”
Gale recommended the township hire an independent registered design professional and structure engineer to perform the live and dead load calculations.
“There’s only two outcomes from that calculation. Outcome one, a permit is issued. Outcome two, I can’t issue a permit and it doesn’t get approved,” said Gale.
Tammy McGhee said at an earlier meeting both engineers she hired felt the repairs the Speedway has performed in the tower are adequate and feel the press box can be used. She also read a statement from her attorney who felt the Speedway has performed the repairs adequately.
After some debate, the Township Board authorized Gale to identify a structure engineer to provide live and dead load calculations on the tower at the township’s expense by a 3-1 margin (Clerk Alese LePert voted no and Brian Moravek was absent).
Charleston Township Supervisor Jerry Vander Roest said the attorney also felt hiring a structure engineer to provide live and dead load calculations on the tower was a good idea.
Mediator Will Likely Be Used in City, Township Board Disagreement over Fire Station Rental Fee
After months of disagreement over a monthly fee the City of Galesburg is asking the Charleston Township board to pay for its portion to rent the Galesburg-Charleston Township Fire Station, the two sides appear to be headed towards hiring a mediator to determine what the monthly rent should be.
Charleston Township Supervisor Jerry Vander Roest said the township board sent a letter to the City Council requesting another meeting hoping to settle the disagreement, however he said the City wants to move forward with a mediator.
After learning the City of Galesburg requested in writing the Charleston Township Board pay for half the expense to hire a mediator, the board unanimously approved to pay half the cost.
The agreement states the participating municipalities involved in any dispute shall jointly select a single mediator who is empowered to take testimony and evidence the mediator deems appropriate.
The Charleston Township Board has struggled with the City of Galesburg’s request for a 38.2% increase in rent, or approximately $1,900 a month. Two years ago the two sides arrived at a figure of $1,375 a month. The increase in rent would be an additional $6,300 over what the township previously paid the City.
The Charleston Township Board learned at the September 23 meeting the Fire Board already started paying the adjusted rate of $1,900 a month the City has asked Charleston Township to pay.
The township unanimously approved to direct the Fire Authority to only pay the $1,375 monthly expense since the new agreement for any increase in monthly rent has not been agreed on by both municipalities.
Proposed Water and Sewer Rates Approved for December 16 Meeting
The Township Board unanimously approved water and sewer rate adjustments that will be sent to water and sewer customers and will be considered at the December 16 township board meeting.
The public will also have the opportunity to comment on the proposed rate increases at the December 16 meeting.
The Board approved a Readiness to Serve water charge increase from $400 to $500 a month. Vander Roest said he arrived at the increased figure based on a recommendation by a consultant the township board hired to review water rates and the City of Kalamazoo’s plan to increase water rates 5%.
The township provides water to the Target Distribution Center and Eaton Corp.
The Board also unanimously approved a proposed $6 per quarter increase for sewer rates from $120 to $126 a quarter.
In another zoning issue:
Vander Roest informed the board there may be zoning and ordinance violations at a property in the 14300 block of L Avenue.
He said township ordinances require a living area be in a house. However he said it appears someone is living in a small trailer in the front of the house and there may be someone living in the back of the house as well.
The board is also concerned there is no electricity at the site.
The supervisor said he’s concerned about the safety and welfare of the people residing on the property and the overall condition of the property he felt needed to be cleaned up.
A letter from the township dated October 14, informed the property owner the township would be visiting the site again in 30-60 days to determine if the property owner has remediated the ordinance violations.
If the ordinance violations are not corrected after the 60 day period, the board authorized Vander Roest to request AGS, the company the township uses for ordinance enforcement, develop a violation letter. The letter would alert the property owner the violations need to be corrected within a time frame determined by AGS or AGS will issue a violation notice and the township board will move to the next phase of the process, which would be in court.
Township Board Approves Early Voting County Agreement
The Township Board unanimously approved an Intergovernmental Agreement for Early Voting services between Kalamazoo County and municipalities in Kalamazoo County.
The agreement is for early voting in state and federal elections only. The cost to the township will be approximately $1,900 per election.
Township Clerk Alese LePert said the cost for the township to hold its own early voting would be significantly higher than the county agreement price.
While Galesburg Speedway is well into the offseason, a controversial issue at the local speedway brought quite a bit of debate at the Charleston Township Board meeting November 25.
The main issue surrounds the press box, also known as the tower. Bert Gale, of Associated Government Services, the company the township uses for building inspection and permit services, said the entire floor in the Speedway press box has been replaced.
Gale said the plans he received from an engineer hired by Speedway owners Thomas A. McGhee and Tammy McGhee lacks calculations for live and dead load for the floor, preventing him from issuing a building permit on the press box.
Gale said because a Commercial Building Permit was not issued for the work done to the press box, a Certificate of Use and Occupancy was not issued for the press box during the recently completed racing season at the speedway.
Gale said if the speedway owners refuse to provide the live and dead load calculations to the floor, “let’s just do it ourselves so that we can present that to the judge and say we’ve been asking for this.”
Gale recommended the township hire an independent registered design professional and structure engineer to perform the live and dead load calculations.
“There’s only two outcomes from that calculation. Outcome one, a permit is issued. Outcome two, I can’t issue a permit and it doesn’t get approved,” said Gale.
Tammy McGhee said at an earlier meeting both engineers she hired felt the repairs the Speedway has performed in the tower are adequate and feel the press box can be used. She also read a statement from her attorney who felt the Speedway has performed the repairs adequately.
After some debate, the Township Board authorized Gale to identify a structure engineer to provide live and dead load calculations on the tower at the township’s expense by a 3-1 margin (Clerk Alese LePert voted no and Brian Moravek was absent).
Charleston Township Supervisor Jerry Vander Roest said the attorney also felt hiring a structure engineer to provide live and dead load calculations on the tower was a good idea.
Mediator Will Likely Be Used in City, Township Board Disagreement over Fire Station Rental Fee
After months of disagreement over a monthly fee the City of Galesburg is asking the Charleston Township board to pay for its portion to rent the Galesburg-Charleston Township Fire Station, the two sides appear to be headed towards hiring a mediator to determine what the monthly rent should be.
Charleston Township Supervisor Jerry Vander Roest said the township board sent a letter to the City Council requesting another meeting hoping to settle the disagreement, however he said the City wants to move forward with a mediator.
After learning the City of Galesburg requested in writing the Charleston Township Board pay for half the expense to hire a mediator, the board unanimously approved to pay half the cost.
The agreement states the participating municipalities involved in any dispute shall jointly select a single mediator who is empowered to take testimony and evidence the mediator deems appropriate.
The Charleston Township Board has struggled with the City of Galesburg’s request for a 38.2% increase in rent, or approximately $1,900 a month. Two years ago the two sides arrived at a figure of $1,375 a month. The increase in rent would be an additional $6,300 over what the township previously paid the City.
The Charleston Township Board learned at the September 23 meeting the Fire Board already started paying the adjusted rate of $1,900 a month the City has asked Charleston Township to pay.
The township unanimously approved to direct the Fire Authority to only pay the $1,375 monthly expense since the new agreement for any increase in monthly rent has not been agreed on by both municipalities.
Proposed Water and Sewer Rates Approved for December 16 Meeting
The Township Board unanimously approved water and sewer rate adjustments that will be sent to water and sewer customers and will be considered at the December 16 township board meeting.
The public will also have the opportunity to comment on the proposed rate increases at the December 16 meeting.
The Board approved a Readiness to Serve water charge increase from $400 to $500 a month. Vander Roest said he arrived at the increased figure based on a recommendation by a consultant the township board hired to review water rates and the City of Kalamazoo’s plan to increase water rates 5%.
The township provides water to the Target Distribution Center and Eaton Corp.
The Board also unanimously approved a proposed $6 per quarter increase for sewer rates from $120 to $126 a quarter.
In another zoning issue:
Vander Roest informed the board there may be zoning and ordinance violations at a property in the 14300 block of L Avenue.
He said township ordinances require a living area be in a house. However he said it appears someone is living in a small trailer in the front of the house and there may be someone living in the back of the house as well.
The board is also concerned there is no electricity at the site.
The supervisor said he’s concerned about the safety and welfare of the people residing on the property and the overall condition of the property he felt needed to be cleaned up.
A letter from the township dated October 14, informed the property owner the township would be visiting the site again in 30-60 days to determine if the property owner has remediated the ordinance violations.
If the ordinance violations are not corrected after the 60 day period, the board authorized Vander Roest to request AGS, the company the township uses for ordinance enforcement, develop a violation letter. The letter would alert the property owner the violations need to be corrected within a time frame determined by AGS or AGS will issue a violation notice and the township board will move to the next phase of the process, which would be in court.
Township Board Approves Early Voting County Agreement
The Township Board unanimously approved an Intergovernmental Agreement for Early Voting services between Kalamazoo County and municipalities in Kalamazoo County.
The agreement is for early voting in state and federal elections only. The cost to the township will be approximately $1,900 per election.
Township Clerk Alese LePert said the cost for the township to hold its own early voting would be significantly higher than the county agreement price.
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