Helena Township Board Meeting
July 9, 2026
8751 Helena Road, Alden, Michigan
Meeting Time: 7:00 PM
Meeting Minutes
Call to Order
Supervisor C. Peeples called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
Pledge of Allegiance
Recited.
Roll Call
Present: C. Peeples, O. Leffew, C. Rice, B. Bartz, J. Schilling.
Absent: None.
Approval of Agenda
Motion by J. Schilling, seconded by C. Rice, to approve the agenda as presented. All in favor. Motion carried.
Conflicts of Interest
None declared.
Public Comment
J. Houserman, Antrim County Equalization Director, addressed the Board regarding the BS&A cloud assessing and tax platform. Ms. Houserman shared her view that the platform is still under active development, that additional training would benefit Township staff, and recommended that the Board consider reversing or delaying the transition. Board members noted the Township's continued commitment to the BS&A cloud platform, ongoing coordination with BS&A on implementation, and the training and support already in place for the Township Treasurer and Township Assessor. The Board thanked Ms. Houserman for her input. No Board action was taken.
D. Dewey of Paige Road reported multiple safety and maintenance issues at the Paige Road Torch Lake access, including loose railings and screws, splintered and missing boards, the last step into the lake being washed out again this season, gravel washed down from the road, and the absence of a pet-waste bag dispenser. Ms. Dewey requested repairs and a dispenser similar to those at other access points.
B. Wiedemeyer of Lakeside Drive requested Board action on short-term rental regulations for VRBO/Airbnb properties, citing loss of quiet enjoyment of adjacent property. Mr. Wiedemeyer also requested information regarding documents allegedly destroyed by a prior Township official. Supervisor Peeples offered to follow up personally.
Additional public comment was offered regarding pet waste, wayfinding at other public accesses, and community events.
Approval of Minutes
One correction was noted to Item 15.f, Library Lease Renewal, of the June 11, 2026 minutes. The library rent was recorded with the decimal in the wrong location. The lease is not a per-square-foot amount; the correct monthly rent for the 2026–2027 lease year is $1,464.71.
Motion by J. Schilling, seconded by C. Rice, to approve the June 11, 2026 minutes as corrected. All in favor. Motion carried.
Treasurer Report
Treasurer C. Rice presented the June 2026 report:
- Beginning Balance, June 1, 2026: $1,347,203.53
- Total Receipts: $32,162.39
- Total Disbursements: $57,764.41
- General: $45,841.41
- Cemetery: $1,659.80
- Building: $10,263.20
- Ending Balance, June 30, 2026: $1,321,601.51
Motion by J. Schilling, seconded by C. Rice, to accept the Treasurer's Report. All in favor. Motion carried.
Presentation of Bills
June 2026 disbursements totaled $57,764.41.
STLFR Fire Chief Report
New Fire Chief Jesse Lane presented the South Torch Lake Fire & Rescue report. The department responded to 28 calls in June, with 134 calls year-to-date compared with 123 in 2025, and completed 12 hours of training. The department had responded to 24 calls since July 1. The retaining wall project was scheduled to begin the following week.
The department has procured an enclosed trailer to serve as a special-operations trailer for water rescue, ballistic vests, traffic control, trauma supplies, and search and rescue equipment. VPro deployment was scheduled for July 22. The Board welcomed Chief Lane.
Sheriff's Office Report
Sheriff K. Hoch was not in attendance. Undersheriff Douglas presented the report. There were 71 incidents in Helena Township during June, including 4 animal-control complaints, 1 breaking and entering, 3 cardiac incidents, 5 weather-related hazardous conditions, 5 marine stops, 8 medical assists, 2 noise complaints, 3 lost/found property incidents, 6 traffic stops, 3 water rescues, and 3 wellness checks.
Four deputies are currently in field training. Torch Fest weekend was very busy, and interagency cooperation with the State Police, DNR, Fire, and EMS was commended.
Undersheriff Douglas reported a case in which a Muskegon-area suspect misrepresented his age and identity online to a teenage victim. Detectives identified the vehicle within minutes using license-plate recognition cameras, and the suspect was arrested within hours.
The Board thanked the Sheriff's Office for the additional patrol coverage at Safe Harbor during the Torch Fest and July 4 weekend, which made a noticeable difference.
County Commissioner Report
T. VanAlstine reported that the County Public Safety Center is now in design development. Value-engineering has removed unneeded space and added data-drop capacity. The project remains within budget.
Township Ambulance Authority Report
M. Robinson reported that the Township Ambulance Authority is retaining long-term legal counsel and moving from quarterly to monthly financial reporting to the Board. Discussion is underway regarding installing cameras to secure drug-box storage.
Deputy Chief B. Slagle will assist the TAA Director with human resources duties. A second ambulance rig was staged in Alden for the July 4 weekend and worked well. The Board thanked TAA for the extra support.
Speaker
No speaker.
Election Update — August 4, 2026 Primary
Clerk O. Leffew reported that ballots had been received from the County and 317 absent voter ballots were mailed on June 6. Helena Township has 958 registered voters.
The Public Accuracy Test was scheduled for July 16, 2026 at 11:00 AM. Election Inspector training was scheduled for the same day from 2:00 PM–4:00 PM. Fourteen election inspectors had been scheduled to cover early-voting shifts.
Early Voting — July 25 through August 2, 2026
Early voting will take place for nine consecutive days. Hours are 10:00 AM–7:00 PM on July 25–26 and July 30–August 2, and 8:00 AM–4:00 PM on July 27–29.
Because early voting overlaps with Alden Days on the opening weekend, the Clerk will relocate voting operations to the interior back room to accommodate the Quilt Show. Signage will direct voters to the rear entrance.
Alden Days — Run / Parade
J. Gurr has offered use of his farm as staging and parking for the Alden Days Run to reduce congestion downtown.
TAA Membership / Public Notice
Concern was raised that residents were not informed of the TAA ballot language and membership program, which provides a $75 annual membership to avoid per-call charges. The Clerk will post sample ballot information on the Township website and, if possible, a link to the TAA membership signup form. TAA representative M. Robinson agreed to bring resident questions back to the TAA Board.
Zoning Report
R. Logee reported that nine permits were issued in June, including one new residence, a couple of pole buildings, and temporary signs. Zoning Administrator Logee also introduced incoming Zoning Administrator J. Petersen and asked that the Board reconsider the BS&A Cloud migration.
2026 Assessing Audit Results
The Township passed the 2026 State assessing audit. Some data-format items remain outstanding relative to State reporting expectations, with County support.
Parks & Recreation Report
No Parks & Recreation meeting was held in June due to lack of a quorum. S. Dell has resigned as Chair, and B. Apley has also resigned. Two volunteer openings remain. Ball Park work continues, and Tennis Court Park is under review.
Planning Commission Report
D. Hunstad reported that the Planning Commission has returned to a monthly schedule and moved its meetings to 7:00 PM for accessibility. The Commission currently has six members, with one open seat pending appointment.
Ongoing work includes a definitions update, a data-center ordinance section for which a public hearing has already been held, a complaint/concern form, and short-term rental/fire ordinance review using a Bloomfield Township model provided by a resident. The current quiet-hours reference remains 6:00 AM–11:00 PM.
Roads Report
B. Peeples reported for B. Bartz that three tar-and-chip road projects previously scheduled with the Antrim County Road Commission remain on the ACRC list for completion this season. Three additional road bids reviewed in June are deferred to FY2027 planning.
Sidewalks and curbs are the responsibility of the abutting property owner, not the Road Commission. Trees along the Alden Days Run route will be trimmed for runner safety.
Municipal Civil Infractions Ordinance Adoption
The ordinance draft was distributed by the Township Clerk and had been approved by C. Bzdok two months earlier. Comments from J. Petersen identified an amendment required on page 5, assigning supervision of the Bureau of Municipal Civil Infractions to the Zoning Administrator and Supervisor.
Motion by J. Schilling, seconded by C. Rice, to table the Municipal Civil Infractions Ordinance for amendment and to post the working draft on the Township website for public comment prior to the August 13, 2026 meeting. All in favor. Motion carried.
Speed Signage Programming Update
J. Schilling reported that programmable message icons were reviewed and the "thumbs up" icon was selected for standard operation. Traffic-count and speed data will be posted to the Township website once enough data is collected.
Traffic Logix, the SaaS subscription vendor, has proposed a multi-year renewal. The current sign renewal date is November 1, 2026, with a three-month extension available through February 1, 2027. The item was carried forward for a future decision.
Ball Park Update
Final fencing work along the north property line and south side is underway. Erosion control and boulder placement are pending delivery of the large stone. Recent rain will require additional dirt work before placement.
Ball Park project invoices were received in the Clerk's office on July 9, 2026. Payment to those vendors will be late due to a break in process that is being addressed. Supervisor Peeples offered to contact the vendors directly to advise them of the payment delay.
MOU — Historical Society Update
The Historical Society has proposed additional changes to the draft MOU. The Clerk redistributed the revised draft for Board review. The item was carried forward.
Wage Resolutions
Following the June 25, 2026 Special Budget Hearing, separate resolutions were presented for each elected and appointed position for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, based on the budget adopted at that hearing.
Motion by J. Schilling, seconded by C. Rice, to adopt resolutions granting a 3% wage increase for the Township Clerk, Township Treasurer, Township Supervisor, Township Sexton, Township Trustees, Zoning Administrator, and Township Assessor for FY2026–2027. All in favor. Motion carried.
Motion by C. Rice, seconded by J. Schilling, to approve compensation for the Deputy Clerk at $25.00 per hour. All in favor. Motion carried.
Motion by J. Schilling, seconded by C. Rice, to approve a 3% wage increase for the Deputy Treasurer. All in favor. Motion carried.
Discussion followed regarding an additional proposed resolution for the Treasurer covering compensation for summer tax collection responsibilities performed by the Township under contract with the school district, with reimbursement partially through the school-district contract and partially from tax interest and penalty account revenue.
The Treasurer characterized this work as State-mandated. The Supervisor and other Board members disagreed with that characterization, noting that summer tax collection is performed by the Township under an optional intergovernmental contract, not by statutory mandate. The additional compensation resolution was not approved at this meeting.
Bridge / Walkway — Marina Area
A privately donated pedestrian bridge and small park near the boulder-stone area at the Marina is being constructed adjacent to the existing traffic bridge. Township expenses required include modifying the sidewalk approach to angle into the bridge, adding guard-railing extensions using Township welder labor, and placing drainage rock along both sides of the sidewalk for stormwater filtration before it reaches the creek.
ADA approach considerations, including step-up alternatives, were noted. Piling installation was scheduled for the following week. Discussion only; no motion was required at this meeting.
Tennis Park — Locust Tree Removal
Two approximately 80-foot leaning locust trees adjacent to the tennis park present a safety hazard. One has already fallen into an adjacent tree. A bid of $2,500 was received from Northern Tree of Bellaire.
Motion by C. Peeples, seconded by J. Schilling, to approve removal of the leaning locust trees by Northern Tree, Bellaire, at a cost of $2,500. All in favor. Motion carried.
Parks & Recreation — Resignations & Openings
Resignations were received from Chair S. Dell and Committee member B. Apley. The Board will advertise two open Parks & Recreation Committee positions.
Planning Commission — New Member Appointment
Appointment is by direct Supervisor decision. Supervisor Peeples has a candidate in mind, and the appointment will be made at the next regular Board meeting.
Zoning Administrator — New Staff Member
Jackie Petersen has been hired as the new Zoning Administrator. Onboarding is complete, with a start date of July 20, 2026. Ms. Petersen will share office space with retiring Administrator R. Logee during a training and overlap period through his retirement date. A new laptop and office A/C unit will be procured.
Anavon IT — Starlink Rewire
Anavon completed on-site rewiring on July 9, 2026. The Township is now operating entirely on Starlink, and the prior 186 line has been disconnected.
Two Wi-Fi accounts have been provisioned: an internal officials' account and a guest network. Bandwidth management was noted for concurrent Zoom and phone use. Security continues to improve. Voting equipment is secured, and the office has been rekeyed to restrict access to current employees only.
New Purchase Policy — Draft
The Clerk presented a six-page draft Purchase Policy. The draft will be routed to Township Counsel and the process-review consultant before Board consideration.
Discussion included the need for structured purchasing controls after prior invoices arrived without documentation of authorization or documentation needed for proper payment or reimbursement. The item was carried forward to the August 13, 2026 regular meeting.
Announcements
A free concert will be held Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at the Town Center. This will be the first concert at this location.
Public Comment on Above Items
TriMedia provided a Cemetery Project status update. The drone flight, ground-penetrating radar, and headstone GPS location work are complete. A paper map has been digitized into GIS with lot numbers integrated. QR-code lookup for gravesites will be published to the Township website.
TriMedia will be on-site the week of July 20, 2026 and available to meet with residents. A small number of quality-control items remain to be photographed. Some spreadsheet data provided by the Township still requires quality-control review.
No further public comment.
Motion to Pay Bills
Motion by B. Bartz, seconded by J. Schilling, to pay the bills. All in favor. Motion carried.
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM.