The Hastings Banner — Thursday, June 17, 2021 — Page 3be a $1,300, $1,400 bill per year per proper-
ty.”
But Dull pointed out, “Until you get into it,
you never know what you’re going to get.
Common sense says this was established, if
you go back to the same thing, you’re good to
go.”Commissioner Howard Gibson asked, “Are
property owners aware of what it’s going to
cost them over time?”
“Notice has been sent to them.” Kelly
responded. “There’s no magic pot of money.
Until we get the process started, then we’ll
be able to tell them more definitively.
We have two engineers with $100,000 gaps
in between their estimates.”
Residents will be better informed once it
gets to court and they get an opportunity to
find out more.
“Somehow we’ve got to fund this until
such time as we’re able to establish a special
assessment district,” Kelly told the board.
“We can reimburse the county for that
advancement out of special assessment to the
benefitting lands.”
Commissioner Dave Jackson said, “My
concern is we’re asking the county to advancefunds to cover the costs of determination and
some inspection to see what needs to be done.
“And if, at some point, it comes back and
they go, ‘Whoa, we didn’t know it’s $300,000;
we want out,’ is the county stuck with paying
those fees up front that they no longer want to
participate in?”
“Can we back out of this?” Jackson asked
Kelly. “Or is our commitment in approving
this make it official that we will be reim-
bursed?”
Kelly said all riparian owners will be noti-
fied of the court proceeding.
“They could challenge this and say we
don’t want this,” he added, “... I suppose any-
thing is possible. It’s a valid petition. I don’t
see the process stopping. They do have the
ability, you know, a landowner has the ability
to appeal.”
Kelly compared how this differed from thesituation with Gun Lake, where there were
lands involved that weren’t on the lake. “I
think we assessed a boat shop and a party
story,” he recalled. “The good thing (in this
case) is all of them abut the lake.”
But the bad thing, he added, is that there are
so few property owners to spread out the cost
on Canterbury Lake. “With Gun Lake we had
over a thousand properties,” he pointed out.
With Canterbury Lake, Kelly said, the cost
would likely be more than a thousand dollars
per property per year.
“Upon receipt of a valid petition, the board
of commissioners shall initiate the necessary
steps to determine the normal lake level,”
Kelly said, citing the language underlying the
request for the resolution. “It does use the
word ‘shall.’ What it doesn’t say is how
you’re going to pay for it.”When board Chairman Ben Geiger called
for a motion on the resolution, which will then
go to next Tuesday’s board meeting for a for-
mal vote, there was silence.
“What are the board’s wishes?” he asked.
“The law requires us to act on this.”
The room was silent.
Commissioner Vivian Conner pointed to
the initial motion that was made prior to the
discussion. Geiger called for a voice vote,
which elicited one dissent from Smelker.
As he left the room where the meeting took
place, Smelker said he did not oppose the
measure, but he could not support it until the
cost of the action is known.
The next meeting of the board of commis-
sioners will take place at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June
22, at Leason Sharpe Hall in the Barry
Community Enrichment Center.The Father’s Day car show will be the first event at Historic Charlton Park this
summer. (File photo)Father’s Day car show
returns to Charlton Park
Charlton Park in Hastings will kick off the
summer season with the largest one-day car
show in the Midwest, the 39th annual Father’s
Day Car Show on Sunday, June 20.
Guests are invited to tour the park’s historic
village while viewing hundreds of vintage
show cars covering more than 45 acres.
Adding to the celebration, a DJ will be
playing music from the 1950s and 1960s, and
vendors will be on hand with festival food.
Spectator general admission for anyone 13
and over is $5; children 12 and under are free.
An array of swap-meet vendors and crafters
will be selling products.
The show will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain
or shine, and vehicle awards will be presented
at 3 p.m. A nondenominational church service
will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the Carlton Center
Church at the park.
The annual event is coordinated by the
Southern Michigan Street Rod Association
and park staff.
Show car registration is $20 and includes
all passengers; all cars must be 1996 or older
and driven in under their own power. No
trailered vehicles or motor homes will beallowed.
Dash plaques will be given to the first 200
show cars. Exhibitors also will be eligible for
door prizes, cash prizes and numerous awards,
including peoples’ choice, and may participate
in the poker run. Show cars must access
Charlton Park via northbound M-79.
Commemorative T-shirts will be available for
purchase.
Vendor spaces will be available on the day
of the show from 6 to10 a.m. for $20 each.
Shuttle service from parking areas will be
provided by Barry County Transit, and the
Barry County Sheriff’s Posse will be assisting
with parking and other services.
During the event, South Charlton Park
Road, from M-79 to River Road will be open
to northbound traffic only from 5:30 a.m. to
10 a.m. All spectator parking will be free and
available from River Road. (Spectator access
is usually easiest using southbound Charlton
Park Road to River Road.)
Additional information can be found at
charltonpark.org or follow the Park on
Facebook.Rutland further defines marijuana ordinance
Taylor Owens
Staff Writer
The Rutland Township Board took a few
steps to outline its proposed marijuana ordi-
nance during a meeting June 9.
The board voted unanimously to consider
business applications on a first-come first-
serve basis, and to require a special land use
permit for each business.
While board members also discussed
whether the number of businesses allowed in
the township should be restricted, they did not
come to a decision.
Trustee Gene Hall advocated putting a limit
on the number of businesses, and said he does
not want to see high-visibility marijuana busi-
nesses in a family friendly community.
“Tell me another business that we regulate
like that,” Trustee Matt Spencer said. “I think
you’re setting a bad precedent. I don’t think
we as a township should regulate that.”
Hall said other businesses do not sell prod-
ucts that are recognized as Schedule 1 drugs
by the federal government.
Supervisor Larry Watson said he has seen
marijuana businesses in other areas that do
not loudly advertise themselves, and are not
easily recognizable as dispensaries. Watson
also said the economic reality of the area
would naturally limit the number of business-
es, and he could not see more than two dis-
pensaries able to support themselves.
“You don’t know that,” Treasurer Sandy
Greenfield said.
Hall said if too many businesses come to
the township, it may take years before they go
out of the business and, in the meantime, they
may lack the money to keep up the appearanc-
es of their storefronts.
He said they should set a limit and select
businesses either by lottery or a first-come
first-serve basis.
Trustee Sandra James suggested they allow
just one businesses in each county, and allow
more if the process is going well.
“I don’t think we have to be the first big
township in Barry County to go whole hog,”
James said.
Clerk Robin Hawthorne said she expects to
discuss the proposed ordinance further at thenext regular meeting on July 14.
In other business:- The board discussed a proposed anti-
blight ordinance.
Zoning Administrator Les Raymond said
he would like to see language in the ordinance
that gives his position some leeway when
enforcing the ordinance.
Raymond said every resident’s case is dif-
ferent, and he should be able to accommodate
them when the situation is appropriate.
For example, Raymond said there is a dif-
ference between someone hoarding building
materials because the prices are rising, and a
resident who experiences issues with money
while working on their house.
Greenfield said she understood Raymond’s
point, but she also wants the ordinance to be
fair and equitable to all residents.
Watson asked the board members to review
the proposed ordinance and come back with
notes and suggestions at the next meeting.
“We do need an ordinance; we need some
teeth,” trustee Brenda Bellmore said. - The board discussed possible changes to
its regulations on housing chickens. Several
residents had asked the board to open up its
policies on chickens, especially after the City
of Hastings recently decided to allow them,
Hawthorne said.
Hall suggested the board wait six months
and see how the City of Hastings does with its
chicken ordinance before making changes to
Rutland’s rules.
The board also discussed the state of
Rutland Township Cemetery.
“We do have to do something with that
cemetery. It looks awful,” Watson said.
“In what way?” Hall asked.
“It looks junky,” Hawthorne said. “A lot of
it has to do with the borders around the stones.
People put them in there and don’t take care
of them, and there’s weeds growing up and
grass. It’s not the sexton’s responsibility to
weed each gravestone – so it’s become very
ugly and unsightly. It looks awful.”
Watson told Hall, and the other members of
the board, to go to the cemetery and see for
themselves.
“It looks ungodly,” Watson told the board.
“... Form your own opinion, we’ll discuss it
next month.”- Watson said if residents have ordinance
violations they would like the report, they
need to write out formal complaints with the
township. - The board voted 6-1 to allocate up to
$1,800 to purchase a wireless microphone and
speaker system for meetings at the township
hall.
Hawthorne said there have been audio
issues with elected officials and residents
hearing each other at planning commission
meetings, and the current sound system is
inefficient.
Spencer voted against the motion.
Jail is COVID-free
Taylor Owens
Staff Writer
The Barry County Jail has not have a posi-
tive COVID-19 test in at least 12 days,
Undersheriff Jason Sixberry said.
A total of 15 inmates and three jail staff
tested positive for the virus in late May, but
none reported any major symptoms.
Jail personnel took steps to stem the spread
of the virus, and restrict the number of new
inmates that were accepted.
Lt. Peter Nevins said inmates who testedpositive were quarantined and the outbreak
was contained to one section of the jail.
While the jail is expected to move back to
pre-outbreak protocols next week, Sheriff Dar
Leaf said some viral mitigation procedures
will continue after the COVID-19 pandemic
is over.
On Monday, the Barry-Eaton District
Health Department reported 11 positive cases
of the virus in Barry County and no one in
quarantine.Drain Commissioner Jim Dull offers his
input on the situation facing Canterbury
Lake property owners. (Photo by Rebecca
Pierce)Commissioner Bruce Campbell listens
during the discussion about orphan lakes
on Barry County. (Photo by Rebecca
Pierce)Commissioner Jon Smelker expresses
concern about the unknown costs involved
in the requested lake level project trig-
gered by the dam failure on Canterbury
Lake. (Photo by Rebecca Pierce)Attorney Doug Kelly and Barry County Drain Commissioner Jim Dull brief the coun-
ty commissioners about orphan dams after a recent orphan dam failure on Canterbury
Lake in Orangeville Township. (Photo by Rebecca Pierce)Area man saves boy from drowning
James Gemmell
Contributing Writer
Jason Boersma and his family had a vaca-
tion in April they likely won’t soon forget.
Boersma, 43, of Gaines Township, helped
save the life of a 4-year-old boy who was
found unconscious at the bottom of an indoor/
outdoor swimming pool at a ski resort in
Breckenridge, Colo.
For his efforts, Boersma was awarded a
special plaque at the Gaines Township Board
of Trustees meeting June 14. Handing the
plaque to Boersma and reading a statement of
recognition was Breckenridge Assistant
Police Chief Deric Gress.
Ironically, Boersma and Gress both have
Michigan roots.
Gress, who once worked for the Ypsilanti
Police Department, made the announcement
on behalf of Breckenbridge Police Chief Jim
Baird, who had previously served as police
chief in Ann Arbor.
The boy’s first name is Thao. His last name
was not released. He and his family live in
Georgia and also were visiting Breckenridge
Ski Resort at the Grand Colorado Peak 8 on a
vacation, Gress said.Gress said Thao and his siblings were
swimming in the pool under the supervision
of two babysitters their parents had hired for a
family-fun day.
“The boy went down the waterslide and
into the water a little too deep,” Gress said.
“The babysitters didn’t notice right away, and
the boy was under water for four minutes until
someone alerted the babysitters. One of them
finally jumped in and pulled the unconscious
boy out of the water, and started CPR. And
then, Mr. Boersma helped out with CPR for
several minutes, and basically saved his life.”
Jason Boersma and his wife, Jill, had been
nearby, along with their daughters Gabbie,
Alexa and Maia. All of them began praying
while Boersma took over the CPR duties from
the babysitter.
“We just heard a scream and someone
yelled for CPR,” Boersma recalled. “We had
been facing the other way, looking out at the
mountain. The girls were laying out in the
sun. And I ran over and did the CPR for seven
or eight minutes.
“It’s scary when you see a blue-[faced] boy
who is 4 1/2, and his eyes are rolled back in
his head.”Boersma, who works at Allied Mechanical
Services in Grand Rapids, said he has taken
CPR courses about a dozen times for work
and coaching purposes. Due to the mechani-
cal nature of his job, safety is a priority.
“It’s really cool when you take CPR for
work or for a job. Never in a million years
would you plan on using it,” he told those in
attendance at the township board meeting.
“But it’s worth paying attention, because it
really does matter. My wife and kids sat there
and prayed, and God answered, no doubt
about it.”
Days after the life-saving rescue, Boersma
learned that the little boy had to be put into an
induced coma for a few days to give his brain
time to rest. “And when they brought him out
of it,” he added, “I think he had three days of
physical therapy and three days of speech
therapy. And he regained his full ability to
speak and walk. He walked out of [the hospi-
tal] 11 days later.”
As for the two babysitters, Gress told the
township board “I may still charge them for
some negligence.”
Gress said the boy is “still recovering.
It’s a slow process, but he is doing well.”DILEMMA, continued
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