At a public hearing on creating an industrial development and plant rehabilitation district for the A2Mac1 business at 8393 Rawsonville Road, the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees learned the state turned down the rehab district request.
The public hearing was held before the township board’s regular meeting on Oct. 23.
Township assessor Susan Iott said A2Mac1 is withdrawing its request for the rehab district and rehab tax exemption because the state doesn’t allow the project to begin before the district is created.
Iott said she argued to the state that the owners had to immediately secure the damaged building and put in an alarm, but the state was adamant. The building, which was built by ATEK, had been vacant for some time and someone had stripped all the plumbing and taken other items.
A2Mac1 now is asking for an industrial development tax exemption and the public hearing on that proposal will be at 6 p.m. Nov. 27.
Iott said under state law the 50% tax break can be up to 12 years and she would recommend 6 years and then have them come back to ask for the final 6 years.
During the regular township board meeting, the board approved the industrial development district for that parcel and the public hearing on the new request for a tax break.
In other business at the Oct. 23 meeting, the board:
• Heard a report from a Hennessey Engineer on the study of the eroded sewer wet well at Sumpter and Willis roads. He said it is deteriorating very slowly and they could patch it up now for $40,000 or wait and have it be a part of the proposed S-2 sewer project. The board took no action to do it now;
• Heard the Hennessey Engineer report on the FEMA floodplain project. FEMA updated its 1981 floodplain map in February, putting some properties into the floodplain that weren’t there before. He said 91 properties called the township to seek help in getting out of the floodplain. Eighteen dropped out because they didn’t have mortgages or other reasons, but of the 73 properties left, the township was able to save 72 property owners from having to buy the flood insurance, which was about $2,000 a year. Each property owner paid a fee of $350 to help with the engineer’s survey and paperwork for each parcel;
• Approved holding Sumpter Fest over Memorial Day weekend in 2013;
• Heard Supervisor Johnny Vawters report that there are several people wanting to rent the township’s medical building. He said Deputy Supervisor Craig Moody will research the offers and recommend one to the board;
• Heard Fire Chief Joe Januszyk urge people to vote yes on the fire millage renewal and reminded them of the Haunted House at the fire hall on Halloween. He reported on the Michigan Township Association fire conference in Frankenmuth and said he received a lot of good information;
• Heard Treasurer John Morgan announce that his Deputy Treasurer Karen Armatis became one of two dozen people in the State of Michigan who have earned the Investment Management of Public Funds certification;
• Approved spending up to $3,400 to repair two large Welcome to Sumpter Township signs that have been damaged;
• Heard Van Buren School Board candidates Kathleen Kovach and Toni Hunt introduce themselves and note they both live in Sumpter Township and would like support from township residents;
• Approved purchasing three grinder pumps plus parts totaling $10,941;
• Approved the appointment of Sumpter Police Officer Chaim Kozak to a full-time police position;
• Approved paying warrants totaling $192,072.02;
• Heard resident Mary Ban tell the school board candidates that Sumpter was counting on the school district to help pay for the sanitary sewer in front of Elwell School, which had a failed septic system. Now Elwell is closed and the township owes $97 million on the sewer. Also, she said, “I have a real problem with the new superintendent. He should have a Doctor in Education degree before he starts telling people what to do.” She also mourns the loss of the high school building which could have been used as a library and she thinks the school board should look into uses of current buildings instead of tearing them down. Clerk Clarence Hoffman suggested Elwell school could be used as a library; and
• Heard Trustee Peggy Morgan tell the candidates that two or three weeks earlier Sumpter Township sent a letter to the Van Buren School Board to ask for the newer playscape at Elwell that was paid for by Sumpter parents and could be used for one of the township parks. She said the superintendent said no and somebody else said no, so the township sent the letter to the school board, but the board has yet to receive the letter in their board packets.