Helena Township Board Meeting
September 10, 2026
Helena Township Community Center
8751 Helena Road, Alden, Michigan
Meeting Time: 7:00 PM
Approved Minutes
Meeting Minutes
1. Call to Order
Supervisor C.C. Peeples called the meeting to order at approximately 7:00 PM.
2. Pledge of Allegiance
All present participated in the Pledge of Allegiance.
3. Roll Call
Present: C.C. Peeples, O. Leffew, C. Rice, B. Bartz, and J. Schilling.
Absent: None.
4. Approval of Agenda
Motion made and seconded to approve the agenda. All in favor. Motion carried.
5. Conflicts of Interest
None declared.
6. Public Comment
Residents commented on Helena Road and Southeast Torch Lake Drive traffic safety, speed limits, signage, crosswalks, and the passing zone near the park.
A resident requested a veterans' grave flag and holder at Helena Township Cemetery. The Township reported that holders had been ordered and the request would be addressed when supplies were received.
7. Approval of Minutes
Motion made and seconded to approve the August 13, 2026 regular meeting minutes. All in favor. Motion carried.
8. Treasurer Report
The Treasurer presented the August 2026 financial report.
- Beginning Balance: $1,244,491.21
- Receipts: $32,758.65
- General Fund Disbursements: $69,139.27
- Building Disbursement to Active Excavating for the Ball Park: $9,000.00
- Cemetery Disbursements: $459.05
- Total Disbursements: $82,783.40
- Bank Balance as of August 31, 2026: $1,194,466.46
Motion made and seconded to approve the Treasurer's Report. All in favor. Motion carried.
9. Presentation of Bills
August bills were reported at $44,564.36. Payroll was also presented and included election-related payroll.
10. Fire Chief / Sheriff / County Commissioner / TAA Reports
a. South Torch Lake Fire & Rescue
South Torch Lake Fire & Rescue reported 23 calls during August, including 17 medical emergencies. Year-to-date calls totaled 212, compared with 178 during the same period in 2025.
September activities include trauma certification and CPR renewals. Equipment and vehicles were reported to be in good working order.
b. Antrim County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Hoch was not present. Township materials included Sheriff's Office program information and a Helena Township activity report, including traffic-stop activity.
c. Antrim County Commissioner
The County Commissioner reported on the Grass River boardwalk ribbon cutting, continued progress on Public Safety Center bid work within the $27 million budget, and ongoing work on the upper-chain dam project.
d. Township Ambulance Authority
An update was provided regarding the ambulance authority program and its service area.
11. Speaker — Tom Comfort, Tennis Court Repairs
Tom Comfort reviewed the condition of the Alden tennis courts and recommended routine fall crack sealing and spring cleaning to preserve the surface while longer-term plans are considered.
A fall sealing quote of approximately $1,092 was discussed, along with a spring 2027 cleaning and repair proposal not to exceed $5,000.
Motion made and seconded to authorize approximately $1,000 for immediate tennis-court maintenance and sealing. All in favor. Motion carried.
The Board also discussed establishing a dedicated tennis-court budget line and developing a longer-term maintenance plan.
12. Communications
a. Lone Tree Point Sign
An unsigned resident communication requested additional public-access signage. The Board discussed existing access-point signage and previous concerns about advertising public-access locations.
b. Lighthouse Benches
An unsigned resident communication inquired about older metal benches and possible purchase or replacement. The Board discussed previous storm and ice damage, along with replacement benches that have been secured in place.
c. Village Center Rentals
The Township discussed adding the Village Center to the Township's rental webpage to help publicize availability while leaving facility management with the Village Center.
13. Clerk / Administrative Updates
a. Township Notary Service
Clerk Oryana Leffew reported that she is again commissioned as a notary and will provide notary services to Helena Township residents at no charge.
b. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
The wage and compensation FOIA request was completed and responded to with the applicable wage resolutions.
c. Public Accuracy Test
The Public Accuracy Test is scheduled for October 15, 2026. The Clerk reported that the newspaper had printed an incorrect September date and that a correction would be submitted.
d. Website / ADA Accessibility
The Clerk reported ongoing efforts to convert Township website records into accessible, text-based documents and improve ADA accessibility.
e. Election Administration
Early-voting election-inspector payroll must be submitted by the end of September. Staffing and leadership planning are underway for the November election, including Election Day, Early Voting, and absentee/AV operations.
Residents were reminded that absentee ballots must be received by 8:00 PM on Election Day and may be returned to the Township drop box.
f. Workers' Compensation Audit
A five-year review is underway after the Clerk identified entities and contractors appearing on the Township's workers' compensation coverage that may have maintained separate coverage.
Preliminary potential recovery was estimated at approximately $20,000, subject to audit verification. Deputy Shayla is assisting with the audit work.
g. Pension Audit
Annual pension review and audit work is underway as an additional financial control.
h. Statutory Financial Audit
The Township interviewed five firms regarding the statutory financial audit. Gabridge & Company, PLC was identified as available to perform the two-year statutory audit at a cost not to exceed $8,325.
Motion made and seconded to engage Gabridge & Company, PLC for the statutory audit at a cost not to exceed $8,325. All in favor. Motion carried.
i. ACH Vendor Payments
The Clerk introduced the development of a formal Automated Clearing House (ACH) vendor-payment program.
The Board discussed vendor authorization forms, bank verification, W-9 documentation, separate ACH controls, and reporting requirements. No final policy or resolution was adopted at this meeting.
14. Committee / Department Reports
a. Zoning — J. Petersen
Approximately eight zoning permits were reported to be in process. Zoning permit applications are now available online as fillable forms.
Credit/debit card and electronic payment options are being implemented. A nuisance-abatement ordinance draft is being circulated for review.
b. Parks & Recreation / Pickleball
The Helena Township Pickleball Advisory Committee has prepared rules and applications. A lottery will be used to fill available winter court slots, with taxpayer and resident demand handled before nonresident openings.
Monthly captain billing and online/card payment options are being developed.
Seasonal dock removal was being arranged for September 18. The remaining west-side docks were to be removed for resurfacing, while the boat-launch dock would remain in place as long as conditions allowed.
c. Planning Commission
The Planning Commission paused advancement of data-center language to consolidate and refine the draft using Michigan Townships Association (MTA) material and existing Township site-plan and special-use standards.
The Commission expects to continue work at its next meeting. A Planning Commission email address is active.
d. Roads
Chip seal work on Lake Street, McPherson Road, and Page Road was reported complete.
The Board discussed next year's road planning, striping, and downtown curb and gutter work.
15. Old Business
a. BS&A Cloud Implementation
BS&A is scheduled to be on site beginning October 8, 2026. The Township is moving General Ledger, Payroll, and Accounts Payable into BS&A.
Vendor records are being cleaned before migration. Because QuickBooks cleanup remains underway, BS&A will begin with clean opening balances that can later be adjusted as the historical work is completed.
Township systems were reported to be backed up and under IT management.
b. Community Center Bathroom Remodel
Remodeling work is underway at the Community Center. A temporary portable restroom was ordered while work proceeds, with the second restroom to follow.
c. Historical Society Window Replacement
Windows have been ordered, and the project deposit/payment is in place. Related trim and covering work is also progressing.
d. Ball Park Project
The Board reviewed an attachment to the previously approved Ball Park project expanding the scope to include erosion control, shoreline stabilization, and beach restoration.
Gordon Schaefer's $15,000 contribution was acknowledged, with a proposed Township match not to exceed $15,000 for this phase.
A member of the public reminded the Board that the Ball Park Project was intended to be funded by donations only.
Motion by J. Schilling, seconded by B. Bartz, to approve the project attachment and Township contribution not to exceed $15,000.
Roll Call Vote: Five yes, zero no. Motion carried.
e. Budget Corrections
The Clerk reported that the requested budget correction had been completed with the Treasurer and would be submitted to the newspaper together with the Public Accuracy Test correction.
f. Downtown Curb & Gutter Project
The Board discussed ownership responsibilities, existing curb and gutter deterioration, drainage issues, and coordination with upcoming road paving.
An engineering proposal is required before bidding construction work.
Motion made and seconded to approve the engineering proposal and proceed with design and bid preparation. Roll-call approval was recorded. Motion carried.
16. New Business / Board Action
a. Mileage Reimbursement Resolution
The Board considered reimbursement for authorized use of privately owned vehicles for official Township business at the current IRS standard business mileage rate, with claims submitted on an expense report.
Motion made and seconded to adopt the mileage reimbursement resolution.
Roll Call Vote: Five yes, zero no. Resolution adopted.
b. Board Room Chairs
The Township reported that replacement Board-room chairs had been ordered because several existing chairs were damaged. No additional Board action was recorded.
c. Township Printer Replacement
The Board discussed ongoing reliability problems and high ink costs associated with the current printers.
Alternative business-class and tank-style printers were discussed. No purchase authorization was clearly recorded in the meeting transcript.
17. Announcements
Public Accuracy Test
October 15, 2026 at 11:00 AM. The Township will publish a correction to the previously printed date.
Next Regular Township Board Meeting
October 8, 2026 at 7:00 PM.
Additional community announcements included a military and first-responder appreciation event and a September 18 blood drive at the fire station.
18. Public Comment on Above Items
Public comment included support for the Township's audit and financial-control work, along with encouragement to implement ACH controls promptly.
19. Motion to Pay Bills
Motion made and seconded to pay the bills. No opposition was heard. Motion carried.
20. Adjournment
A formal adjournment motion and exact adjournment time were not clearly discernible from the meeting recording/transcript.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Oryana Leffew
Oryana Leffew
Helena Township Clerk