2017: Where's the beef? - Independence Township

248 625-5111 www.IndTwp.com

IndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceTownship TimesJanuary 2018January 2018January 2018January 2018January 2018

TownshipSupervisorPat Kittle

Paul Brown,TownshipTreasurer

Continued on Page 4

By Paul Brown,TreasurerTax due date fast approaching

Winter tax bills were mailed out inDecember. If you were expecting a tax billand did not receive one please give us acall and we can email you a duplicate copy.

The Tax due date is February 14, 2018.If you’re mailing in your tax payment,please use the envelope that was includedwith your bill.

You can verify thatyour payment has postedby accessing yourproperty information onthe Township website.www.indtwp.com . Clickon the green “Property &Tax Information” tab onthe right side of thehomepage. If you needhelp looking up yourinformation, give us a callto assist. 248-625-5115.

If you’re coming in to pay your taxes,please remember that we accept only cashor checks when paying in person.

Dog license fees raised January 1Oakland County Animal Control has

increased the cost of dog licenses effective

It’s January:It’s January:It’s January:It’s January:It’s January:time to thinktime to thinktime to thinktime to thinktime to thinkabout taxes andabout taxes andabout taxes andabout taxes andabout taxes anddog licensesdog licensesdog licensesdog licensesdog licenses

2017: Where’s the beef?By Pat Kittle,Supervisor

Happy New Year!! When it comes toperformance ratings, I wish I was

evaluated on effort andattitude. Maybe even geta couple of bonus pointsfor good looks. Butseriously, when it comesto managing your taxdollars, your first questionasked should be“Where’s the beef?” Withthe start of the New Year,here is how I scored myperformance in 2017.

Let’s start with COMMUNICATIONS.Keeping 37,000 folks informed aboutwhat’s going on in the community is a lotharder than it sounds. That’s why we tryto shotgun our communications via amultitude of mediums to try to reach asmany folks as possible on a consistentbasis. With monthly Township Timesarticles, weekly department headmeetings, televising Board meetings,freshened websites and making ourselvesavailable for neighborhood Home OwnerAssociation meetings, we try to keepbeating the drum very often and very loudabout local activities.

Better than last year, but still room forimprovement. Grade: 3.6.

Second is FISCAL responsibility.

There are a ton of moving piecesmanaging a $30M Township budget.That’s why fiscal transparency is missioncritical when it comes to how we spendyour hard-earned tax dollars. For 2017,the big drivers were maintaining a 3-yearbudget and getting County approval toextend the Sashabaw CorridorImprovement Authority to lock in fundingto improve North Sashabaw. Alsoreviewed and tweaked internal CashControl Policies and began work oncreating a DPW Audit Policy for Waterand Sewer billing to ensure cashaccounts are protected. Was unable toimplement the Flow vs Fixed Rate SewerStudy while the DPW was visuallyinspecting, cleaning and fixing leaks inover 50 miles of sewer pipe. Tough toget an accurate sewer flow baselinecount when we found more than a fewsections of sewer pipe taking on groundwater like a sieve. Check out the newlyformatted 2018 approved budget on ourTownship website. We are anxious tohear your comments. Grade: 3.0.

OPERATIONS is the thirddeliverable. Making sure we have theright professional in the right job is criticalto delivering the goods. For 2017, wehired a new Assessor with over 25-yearsof experience, had all OperationsDirectors create a set of goals to keepthem focused on key deliverables andprovide a solid basis for performancemeasurement, continued to bid Township

services to get the best bang for ourbuck and began to assemble informationand resources to convert decades ofpaper into an electronic documentmanagement system.

Also began to utilize the newOperations and Budget Specialist toreview water and sewer billing process.Grade: 3.4.

The fourth focus area isECONOMIC GROWTH. Or aswhat was so eloquently stated in themovie Jerry Maguire, “Show me themoney!” And while this is the area thatscored lowest of all six categories in2017 (not due to effort), it is also thearea that we believe will explode overthe next couple of years. In theSashabaw Corridor, plans are beingfinalized to widen North Sashabaw fromFlemings Lake to Clarkston Roads withall new water and sewer infrastructure

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By Barb Pallotta,Township Clerk

December’s Township Timeshighlighted thepurchase of theTownship’s newprecinct equipment:Hart Verity-Scan(V-Scan), whichtabulates precinctballots and HartVerity-TouchWriter(V-Touch), whichassists voters withspecial needs in

marking their ballot. This articlecompletes the series for theTownship’s new election equipment byfeaturing the two remainingequipment purchases: Hart Verity-Central (V-Central) and Hart Verity-Count (V-Count). Both devicesoperate behind the scenes on ElectionDay and bring a level of speed,efficiency and accuracy to electionsthat has never existed at a local level.

Faster than a speeding bulletHart Verity-Central (V-Central)

will replace the M-100 tabulatorspreviously used when counting absentvoter ballots. V-Central is essentiallya high-speed scanner that has thecapacity to scan 100 ballots perminute. The threshold for eligibility topurchase V-Central was based onhaving a minimum of 6,000 voters whovoted by an absentee ballot in the 2016Presidential Election. The totalnumber of Independence Townshipabsentee voters in that electionamounted to 6,090. The permanentabsent voter list at that time wasapproximately 3,100 voters of the8,100 voters who were eligible to voteabsentee by virtue of their age. TheClerk’s Office pro-actively initiated itsfirst annual mailing in January 2017to all eligible voters who are notcurrently on the permanent absentvoter list in anticipation of increasingthe list before finalizing the decisionon the type of equipment that wouldbest serve its absent voter base. Todate, this mailing increased the numberof permanent absent voters to 4,490or 25%. Because the current growthof Independence voters eligible forvoting absentee under the currentlegislation and the expected growth if

Township ClerkBarb Pallotta

Purchase of new election equipment -- Take 2the pending legislation for “no-reason”absentee voting is passed, requests forabsent voter ballots will increasesubstantially. Consequently, it made senseto proceed with investing in V-Central’ssoftware and high-speed scanner insteadof continuing to process absent voterballots on precinct devices.

V-Central is designed to: Scan ballots without tabulating:

V-Central scans actual images of theballots and captures the votes onto anencrypted flash drive (V-Drive); it doesnot tabulate them. Tabulation takes placein the V-Count application after the pollsclose.

Scan ballots in batches of up to300: V-Central has the capability toscan 100 ballots per minute withoutjamming, as opposed to feeding ballotsone-by-one into the M-100 taking as longas 3 to 4 seconds per ballot and oftenlonger because of ballot jamming.

Adjudicate ballots on screen: V-Central’s digital scanning componenetenables easy, on-screen adjudication ofballot images without having to re-scanballots. All voter intent issues areresolved on-screen with clear color-coded flags and can be filtered by batch,contest, or intent issue. When ballots areresolved within the software, there areno extra ballots to print and every stepthat was taken to resolve a ballot istracked, so you know what, when andwho was involved in that adjudicationprocess which provides realtransparency and far less ballotduplication.

Network workstations: V-Central workstations can be linked in anetwork configuration, providingscalability and efficiency. As theTownship’s absent voter base grows, V-Central’s components can be added tosupport the growth. V-Central’sworkstations can serve as a scanningstation, resolution station, or ballot-writingstation, it’s easy to scale up or down tomeet the current workload. If you havea high volume of ballots to scan, dedicatedworkstations can constantly scan whilethe networked clients take care ofresolution. On the other hand, for lowervoter turnout elections, batches ofunresolved ballots can be adjudicated and

new ballots scanned all via a singleworkstation.

Provide cost-effectivescalability: V-Central’s integratedcommercial off-the-shelf (COTS)scanner is specific to the Township’s sizeand budget and can cost-effectively addcapacity to meet future needs.

Windows based: V-Central’soperating system is familiar to all ofcomputer users.

Hardware Components: V-Central’s printer, monitor and keyboardare also commercial off-the-shelf(COTS) hardware that specifically meetthe Township’s needs and can cost-effectively be replaced or substituted asneeded.

Absent Voter Counting Board:V-Central streamlines the absent voterprocess to the extent that the absentvoter counting board hours and numberof election inspectors needed will bereduced significantly.

What is V-Count?V-Count is the election software

application that tabulates and reports castvote records from Verity voting devices(i.e., V-Scan; V-Central). Computerencrypted flash drives also known as V-Drives from each voting device areremoved and secured in a transfer bagafter the close of polls. At the end of thenight, secured transfer bags aresubmitted to the Clerk’s Office toextrapolate voter results information intothe V-Count software application.

V-Count maximizes efficiency whenprocessing results and keeps the electionworkflow moving forward. V-Count alsoproduces customized post-election auditsin plain-language and easy-to-read

formats that include exactly theinformation required. The ability totransfer election results as a data filefrom V-Count to an external drivefor permanent retention is a vastimprovement over previous electionsoftware applications.

Once all the information fromeach of the V-Drives has beenextrapolated into the V-Count, theV-Drives are once again secured ina transfer container, along withrequired election paperwork, thentaken directly to Oakland CountyElections to be secured until the nextelection.

As a reminder: Independence Television is

partnering with the Clerk’s Office inproducing Public ServiceAnnouncements (PSAs) for viewingon the Township’s government cablechannel in 2018. These PSA’s willnot only feature demonstrations ofthe new equipment, but also providetips on how voters can more easilynavigate the voting process.

Voters are invited to mark testelection ballots and take advantageof hands-on experience using thenew equipment in the Clerk’s Officethroughout 2018.

2018 Elections* arescheduled on:

August 7, 2018 - StatePrimary

November 6, 2018 - StateGeneral* This schedule does not

include possible special electiondates.

on the west side of the road. Numerousshops and businesses are also in variousstages of planning and approval alongSashabaw Road.

On North Dixie, we are told that aspring groundbreaking can be expectedfor the Encore at Deerhill Project.

Three new 70,000+ square foot eldercare - rehabilitation centers are beingconstructed at Sashabaw & ClarkstonRoads, Maybee & Dixie and Dixie atParks of Stonewood.

Eagle Ridge, right off Maybee Rdeast of Mt Zion, has 15 new homescurrently being built with another 40coming right on their heels.

We continue to be frustrated by theBig Lake / Deer Hill traffic light project.

And we have made less than ZEROheadway (if that’s possible) with ourState Legislators still not amending theCertificate of Need process to allowfor a new hospital. This lack of actionby our State elected officials is costingthis community and our NorthernOakland County neighbors plenty interms of risk to our residents seekingquality medical care and lost taxrevenue from the slow commercialgrowth along the Sashabaw Corridor.Score: 1.8.

The fifth focal area isCOMMUNITY. Making ourcommunity a place where folks wantto live, work and play is what this fifthtopic is all about. Providing capital torebuild our softball diamonds andcompleting the Brady Lodge restorationare two highlights. The Safety Pathalong Sashabaw between the Northand South Independence Oaksentrances is almost done and costestimates are being finalized for theClintonville safety path. The Parks andRec team also successfully collaboratedwith the Art in the Street initiative. TheDay Camp and bathroom renovations

were put on hold to better coordinatewith a new Miracle League baseballdiamond for special need kids plannedfor 2018. Grade: 2.8.

The final area for measurement isINFRASTRUCTURE. Makingsure we have clean water and thetoilets flush is a given in public service.The Township continues to exceedState testing requirements for ourdrinking water and have finalized designplans to improve North SashabawRoadway. Plans to create newcolumbariums at Lakeview Cemeteryhave gone out to bid for a 2018 build.Design plans were also presented tothe Board for a long overdue DPWbuilding renovation. And a new sewercapacity evaluation was put on hold in2017 while over 50 miles of sewer lineswere being televised, cleaned andrepaired where necessary. Repairs tocontinue in 2018. Grade: 2.2.

Coming from the auto industry, manyan executive have lived and died by thenumbers. To stay focused, my goalsare clearly positioned at my desk forme and anyone who comes to visit tosee and review every day. Wheneverything shook out, I scoredmyself a 2.80 (C +) for my overall2017 deliverables. The way I figureit, simply doing your job will get you asolid C. Everyone expects you tooperate a balanced budget and keep thewater and sewers in working order. Asone of my past auto supervisors likedto tell us, to get an A, you practicallyhave to walk on water and only oneguy in history ever did that. So beinggraded on deliverables, a C+ is aboveaverage – “not too bad but needsimprovement” as my grade schoolteacher, Sister Mary Ann Catherine,used to say. But keep an eye on 2018.There will be lots going on in our greatcommunity. Keep you posted.

2017: Where’s the beef?Continued from Page 1

Kim Feigley,Assessor

With new construction going throughthe roof (pardon the pun) throughout the

Township, we thought ita good time to let youknow what is going on inthe real estate market andhow this will impact yourproperty taxes for 2018.

Oakland CountyEqualization conducts aresidential sales studyevery year. For 2017, thisstudy showed an averageincrease of 2.73% inresidential propertyvalues. Following the real

estate adage that “location is key”, thisincrease will vary between neighborhoodsbased upon actual sales transaction data.

Proposal A Protection:Proposal A protects homeowners

whereby your property taxes can onlyincrease by the rate of inflation or 5%,whichever is lower. For most of us thathave not purchased a new home in 2017,your property taxes will increase only by2.1%. This figure of 2.1% is the inflationrate established by the State of Michiganto be applied to your 2017 taxable value,the value used to calculate annual July andDecember tax bills. To put a dollar figureto this, if your home has a 2017 taxablevalue of $175,000, your 2018 tax bill willincrease by approximately $116 (2.1%).With real estate values continuing toappreciate, your homes taxable valueincrease is capped at 2.1% for 2018 unless:

You have made improvements toyour property (new addition, garage,finished basement, pole barn, deck,etc.). In this instance, your taxeswill also be increased by 50% of themarket value of the improvementsmade to the property.

You purchased your home incalendar year 2017 uncapping thetaxable value. In this instance, your

taxable value will now increase andbe equal to your new assessed value.

What to watch for on yourAssessment Change Noticein Mid-February

A) Check the Current Tentative AssessedValue Amount for 2018. If you believe thisfigure exceeds 50% of what you could sellyour home for, we encourage you to callor come in and speak with the assessingstaff prior to the March Board of Reviewand/or make an appointment to appeal yourassessment with the March Board ofReview. Per the State of Michigan statute,you must appeal market value to the MarchBoard of Review; it is a mandatory step inthe property assessment appeal process.If you are not satisfied with the MarchBoard of Review ruling, you may furtheryour appeal to the Michigan Tax Tribunal.

B) Generally, your taxable value will beless than your assessed value due to theannual increases being capped by the rateof inflation or 5% whichever is less (amultiplier that is applied to everyone in theState of Michigan). If this value has comeuncapped and there was not a transfer ofownership, please contact our officeimmediately. Sometimes a transfer fromhusband to wife or transfers in and out ofa trust may trigger an uncapping and it willneed to be corrected. If you did purchasea home in 2017, your taxable value andassessed value will be the same amount.

Property Tax ExemptionsMarch, July and December Boards of

Review are the only opportunities to processthese two property tax exemptions:

1. Qualifying Disabled Veterans mayapply for an annual property tax exemptionby supplying the appropriate form and VApaperwork.

2. A Poverty Exemption is available forresidents whose annual income does notexceed the poverty level income guidelineestablished by the federal government.

Both of these exemptions are only good

Kim Feigley,Director ofAssessing

The chart below is an example of this Assessment Change Notice.

Watch for your 2018Watch for your 2018Watch for your 2018Watch for your 2018Watch for your 2018Assessment Change Notice!Assessment Change Notice!Assessment Change Notice!Assessment Change Notice!Assessment Change Notice!

Continued on Page 4

By Barb Rollin and Jennifer AngusSenior Center

The Independence Township SeniorCommunity Center is actively engaged inexploring additional programing gearedtoward providing Lifelong Learningopportunities. Lifelong Learning (LLL)encompasses the whole range of learningthat includes: formal, informal and non-formal learning which includes the skills,knowledge, attitudes and behaviors thatpeople acquire in their day-to-dayexperiences.

The Independence Township SeniorAdvisory Committee, along with LifelongLearning Committee Chair Dr. Tom Stone,has expressed an interest in expanding thescope of future events and programs. TheSenior Community Center has beguncollaborating with Clarkston Community

Schools (CCS) and the ClarkstonIndependence District Library (CIDL) onproviding Lifelong Learning opportunitiesfor residents in our area. A variety ofactivities for older adults are currentlyavailable through the township, library andschools with a cooperative effort to bringheightened awareness to what is beingoffered to older adults.

Upcoming LLL offerings at the SeniorCommunity Center include: Wire WeavingClasses by Ariel Inspired; Coyote: UrbanAdapter lecture by Nature On the Go;Mindfulness & Guided Meditation;Zentangle will be hosting a three-partImmersion Speaker Series in both May andSeptember of 2018, featuring area arthistorian Wendy Evans. This program issupported by the Michigan Council for Artsand Cultural Affairs Mini-Grant Program

which was awarded to the Senior DivisionProgram Department in October 2017. TheCIDL offers One-on-One Tech Help and inFebruary will host the author of“Clarkston’s Curse”. Opportunities forolder adults through the CCS include theSenior Gold Card Program where membersenjoy discounted or free admission toschool programs, including musicalperformances and sporting events.

We are looking for input from thecommunity for ADDITIONAL topics ofinterest and presenters. If you would bewilling to participate in a focus groupdiscussion for developing programofferings, call the Senior Community Centerat 248-625-8231 to speak with ProgramCoordinator Jennifer Angus. Look for theinsert in the Senior Connection newslettershowcasing samples of Lifelong Learning

By Dave McKee,DPW Director

In a natural system, stormwater(rain, snow melt, etc.) is able to soakinto the ground, be taken up byvegetation or go to wetlands beforereaching our streams. These naturalprocesses help to cleanse and filterthis stormwater. However, as one ofthe most populated watersheds in thestate of Michigan, much of thisstormwater now falls on the manydriveways, rooftops, roads andparking lots and flows into stormdrains connected directly to our localrivers and streams.

Substances we leave behind suchas salts, motor oil, fertilizer andpesticides pollute this stormwater.When it flows into our local riversand streams, it degrades the waterquality in the Clinton River and LakeSt. Clair. This decline in water quality

not only affects the quality of life forresidents of the watershed like you, butalso negatively affects the plants andanimals that call these waterways home.

A lot can be learned about waterquality by observing the populationsof animals that are living in a riversystem, specifically the BenthicMacroinvertebrates (river bugs) thatlive in our local rivers and streams. This

is because each speciesof river bug differs in itstolerance to pollution.The winter stoneflynymphs are one of themost sensitive of all aquaticmacro invertebrates thatlive in our rivers andstreams. The presence ofstonefly larvae in a streamindicates good waterquality.

These insects aremost active and easily found in the monthof January, when the water temperatureis very cold and there is still plenty ofleafy debris in the river bottom for themto eat. The Clinton River WatershedCouncil (CRWC) and volunteers havebeen monitoring stonefly nymphpopulations in our local rivers and streamsfor years at CRWC’s Annual WinterStonefly Search event in January. Thisyear’s search is scheduled for Saturday,January 20 and CRWC is looking forvolunteers like you to get involved!

Volunteers will meet at the CRWCoffice at 9:30am on January 20 and from

David McKee,DPW Director

Using CitizenScience to MonitorQuality of LocalRivers and Streamsin the Clinton RiverWatershed

there will split into teams and travelto various sampling locations to searchfor the winter stonefly. Volunteers willthen meet back at the office for lunchand hot beverages.

Your participation in this annualsearch helps add to CRWC’s Adopt-A-Stream Data and will provide achance to learn about the ecology andconditions of our local streams.Volunteers can bring their ownwaders. CRWC will have extra pairson hand for those who choose to getin the water. We meet regardless ofthe weather, so dress warmly andcome help us search for these rivercritters!

Registration is required. Toregister, contact the CRWC office(248-601-0606 or [email protected]).

January 1, 2018.The State of Michigan requires ALL

dogs over 4 months to be current withrabies vaccine and to have a Michigandog license. Failure to comply may resultin a misdemeanor ticket. You maypurchase a one or three-year dog license.

A license must be purchased within 30days of:

Purchasing or acquiring a newdog

A puppy turning 4 months of age Becoming a Michigan resident The expiration date of the prior

license. Licenses expire onDecember 31 each year.

Fees: (cash or checks only)Spayed/Neutered, $10.50

(documentation required) Senior Citizen* $ 9.75 Male/Female $18.00 Senior Citizen* $16.50 After June 1st all licenses are $33.

*Senior Citizen price for dogowners 65 years of age or older (proofof age required)

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for one year and must be applied for eachyear. Information for both exemptions isavailable on the Assessing section of theTownship’s website, www.indtwp.com orby calling 248-625-8114.

When in doubt, the AssessingDepartment is always available to assist youwith questions, to review your propertyrecord card with you or to inspect yourproperty and appraisal to ensure accuracy.Please do not hesitate to call if you haveany questions or are just not sure of howthe numbers are calculated. We will behappy to spend as much time with you asneeded.

Dog license fees raised January 1

Continued from Page 3AssessmentAssessmentAssessmentAssessmentAssessment

Actively exploring community programs for ‘lifelong’ learningopportunities currently offered or go towww.indtwp.com.


IndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceTownship TimesFFFFFebruary 2018ebruary 2018ebruary 2018ebruary 2018ebruary 2018


Taxes: A Five Letter WordBy Patrick Kittle, Independence Supervisor

One of the most frequently askedquestions we get at Township Hall is:

“Where do my tax dollars go?”To help answer this question, we put

a new chart together to explain howtaxes are generated and where your taxdollars are spent for an average priced

home in Independence.In this example, welooked at a primaryresidence inI n d e p e n d e n c eTownship with a 2017average market valueof $271,246 and ataxable value of$106,434. The taxablevalue of this residencegenerates an annualproperty tax bill of$3,362 that is collected

by the Township in two installments:Summer and Winter Tax Bills.

Of the $3,362 annual property taxamount, $1,031 is the Winter Tax portionand covers the following items: $822for Township Operations (7.7257 mils),$80 to cover the Zoo Authority (.0980mils), Art Institute (.1961 mils), OaklandCounty Parks and Recreation (.2368mils) and the Huron Clinton MetroAuthority (.2140 mils), plus $129 for theClarkston District Library (1.2149 mils).

The Summer Tax Bill is the big one,and that is mainly to provide for theschools – both local and county — andOakland County Operations. In ourexample, the Summer Tax Bill would be$2,331 and covers the following items:Clarkston School Debt (7.000 mils), StateEducation Tax (6.000 mils), OaklandCommunity College (1.5555 mils),Oakland Intermediate Schools (3.3079mils) and Oakland County Operations(4.0400 mils).

If your Independence property is not

your primary residence, that is, is noteligible for the Homestead Exemption, theschool millage would increase by 18.000mils, an additional $1,915.

If you would like the exact detail of

what drives your tax bill, visit theTownship website atWWW.INDTWP.COM and click on thegreen PROPERTY & TAXINFORMATION tab. At the top of the

page under the Township banner, in theSearch by Address line, enter your homeaddress and click SEARCH. Find yourname and address in the box provided.Click on your name and your propertyinformation will appear. Click on thetab titled TAX INFORMATION andyour complete tax history will beprovided with full detailed breakdowngoing back to the year 2000. You canalso review your utility bills here.

An interesting side-note about taxes:In 2014 we ran a similar story on taxesin the Township Times. In 2014 theaverage market value of a home was$212,344. In 2017, the average marketvalue of a home was $271,246, a 22%increase in the average market valueof a residence. In 2014 the taxablevalue of the average home in theTownship was $106,172. In 2017 thisvalue is $106,434 — less than a 1%increase.

Why the big jump in market value(22%) and a less than 1% jump intaxable value?

The reason is twofold: 1) ProposalA has capped the increase in taxablevalue by 5% or the rate of inflation,whichever is lower. 2)The HeadleeAmendment forced millages to roll backif home values increased by more thaninflation. While this is great news forproperty owners, the Township has beenfortunate to have these millage rollbacksoffset by growth in the community (newresidential and commercial projects) anduncapping (when properties aretransferred or sold), allowing theTownship to keep up with increasingcosts and long overdue capitalimprovements.

If you have any questions about yourtaxes, contact the Treasurer’s Officeat 248-625-5115. We will be happy toaddress any concerns you may have.

By Pat KittleIndependence Supervisor

Every year about this time my phoneand email start to blow-up from irateresidents concerned about the growingnumber and severity of potholes in theTownship and why aren’t the officials inIndependence Township doing more tofix them.

Ya gotta trust me on this when I say Iget just as upset as you when I hit a pothole and it costs me around a grand for anew rim and tire on my wife’s little BMW.To clear up any misunderstanding aboutTownship roads, we reached out to theRoad Commission for Oakland County(RCOC) to help explain their role inmaintaining county roads, how the RCOCgets funded, the impact of the newlyincreased tax on gas and diesel fuel andconcerns going forward. According tothe Road Commission for Oakland County:

“In Michigan, all roads fall under oneof three levels of jurisdiction: state, countyor local (city or village). According tostate law, townships in Michigan do nothave jurisdiction over roads. All roads intownships are either county roads – underthe jurisdiction of RCOC in OaklandCounty – or state highways.

State highways are owned by theMichigan Department of Transportation(MDOT) and include all roads with an“I”, “M” or “US” in the name, such as I-75, M-15 (Ortonville Road) and US-24(Dixie Highway). In Oakland County, theRoad Commission performs routinemaintenance on state highways undercontract with MDOT – this includesplowing/salting and pothole patching.

That means RCOC maintains all theroads in Independence Township –whether they are state highways orcounty roads. It also means townshipresidents’ property taxes do not pay forthe roads. Rather, in Michigan, the largestsource of road funding is the state-collected gas and diesel taxes and vehicleregistration fees (also known as license-plate fees). Those taxes provide RCOC’soperating income, which is the moneyused to maintain the roads.

The good news is that in 2015, theMichigan Legislature enacted a road-funding increase, which raised the gasand diesel tax rates and the vehicle-registration fee. The new revenue fromthose increases began to come in on Jan.1, 2017. The Legislature also promisedto move $600 million annually from thestate General Fund to Michigan’s roadagencies. This State General Fund moneywill be phased in over three years starting2019. Some observers are concerned that

the state Legislature could redirect all orsome of those funds if there are otherneeds competing for those dollars.

RCOC has committed to putting thebulk of new road dollars into improvingthe surface of its paved roads. This beganin 2017, when more than 40 miles of roadswere repaved. A similar amount of workis planned for 2018 and in subsequentyears. Meanwhile, the Road Commissioncontinues its near daily onslaught onpotholes. Unfortunately, due to Michigan’sdecades-long road-funding crisis, manyRCOC roads remain in poor condition.These roads are particularly susceptibleto potholes. As a result, when RCOC’screws are not plowing or salting the roadsduring the winter, they are most oftenpatching potholes.

However, the Road Commissionwelcomes reports of potholes from thepublic since RCOC staff can’t beeverywhere at once, the agency also relieson reports from the public to identifyproblem locations. To report a pothole,call RCOC at 877-858-4804; file a reporton the RCOC website,www.rcocweb.org (click on “Report anIssue”); or use the RCOC app, which isavailable for free at Google or Apple appstores.”

So in closing, please don’t get mewrong, I really do enjoy talking to anyonecalling my office on almost any subject.But calling my office about a pothole willjust add time to getting the problemresolved vs. contacting the RCOC direct.Please use the tools made available by theRCOC to report a pothole or any unsaferoad condition for the fastest results. Thisis the same process I use when someonelets me know about an unsafe roadcondition. Thanks for your help in thismatter.

It’s that time of year againIt’s that time of year againIt’s that time of year againIt’s that time of year againIt’s that time of year againThe deadline to pay the winter 2017

taxes is fast approaching. The last dayto pay your winter taxes withoutpenalty is February 14th. We do acceptU.S. Postal postmarks provided wereceive the payment no later thanFebruary 21, 2017.

Also, please remember that any2017 taxes unpaid as of March 1st canno longer be paid at the Township butmust be paid to the Oakland CountyTreasurer. We will be sending outreminders on February 16 to allresidents with unpaid balances for

Due to requests from our residents,the Township has authorizedIndependence Television to stream theTownship Board of Trustee meetings liveon YouTube. To access the live stream,follow these steps:

1. Go to www.indtwp.com 2. Click “Departments” 3. Click “Independence Television” 4. Click on “Township Board of

Trustees Meeting Live” (This will takeyou directly to the correct YouTubeChannel)

5. Click on the video (which willappear a minimum of 5 minutes prior tothe start of the meeting).

If you cannot watch the Board of

Trustee meetings live or during theregular scheduled meeting times, youmay still watch them at yourconvenience using our Video onDemand (VOD) service.

follow these steps: 1. Go to www.indtwp.com 2. Click “Departments” 3. Click “Independence Television” 4. Click “Channel Schedules and

Current Programs On-Demand” 5. Under “Channel 20 Government”

click “Click Here” 6. Then simply search for the

meeting by typing in the search barusing the meeting name and or date (ex.1/9/18).

either Summer or Winter taxes.For residents preparing for their

personal income tax returns, if you needto verify when your taxes were paid,the information is available on theTownship’s website showing amountsand dates paid. If you need assistancefinding this information, we’re happyto assist.

You can call us at 248-625-5115 oremail [email protected] torequest the information via email.

-- Paul Brown

Winter Tax payments due

Streamlining meetings LIVE!Streamlining meetings LIVE!Streamlining meetings LIVE!Streamlining meetings LIVE!Streamlining meetings LIVE!

The RiverSafe LakeSafe program isa public education campaign aiming toraise awareness and recognize those whoincorporate practices to keep ourfreshwater resources clean and healthy.

The program promotes ways ofperforming common householdtasks in a way that protects water quality in the Clinton RiverWatershed.

The program consists of a surveywhich will help to identify areas ofeveryday life that impact our localwater quality. Take the survey andsee if you are RiverSafe LakeSafe.If you qualify, you can become self– certified and recognized by theClinton River Watershed Council(CRWC).

A complimentary plaque isavailable to all individuals recognizedas RiverSafe LakeSafe by the CRWC.

How it WorksVisit the CRWC website at:

www.crwc.org/riversafe-lakesafe totake the survey. If you can answer“Already Do”, or “Pledge to Do” for everyquestion you are qualified to be RiverSafe LakeSafe!

Surveys will be reviewed within14 days of submission.

Once qualified, residents andbusinesses within the ClintonRiver Watershed will receive theofficial RiverSafe LakeSafe sign toput in your yard, garden, or nextto a river or lake on your property.

Plaques will be received within30 days of survey completion.

Plaques can be mailed to thehousehold or can be picked up atthe office during business hours.For more information on this program,

please contact Eric Diesing at the CRWCat 248-601-0606 or [email protected].

New river safe, lake safe program

Why does my dog need a licenseWhy does my dog need a licenseWhy does my dog need a licenseWhy does my dog need a licenseWhy does my dog need a licensewhen it never drives?when it never drives?when it never drives?when it never drives?when it never drives?


By Paul Brown,Independence Treasurer

All humor aside, Ithought I’d provide thehistorical background asto why Michigan andmost other statesrequire dogs to belicensed. The primaryreason is the preventionof the Rabies virus.Rabies causes tens ofthousands of deathseach year worldwide.The vast majority ofthese cases are the result of dog bitesin countries where dogs are notcommonly vaccinated. Once rabiessymptoms appear in humans, the endresult is almost always death.

In the United States, bats are theprimary source of rabies infectionswhile dogs make up less than 5% ofthe cases. Deaths from rabies in theUS are quite rare because ofvaccination laws established in the early1900’s. In 1917, Michigan passed a lawthat required all dogs to receive rabies

vaccinations and to be licensed annually.As a convenience, we sell dog

licenses at the Treasurer’s Office. Ifyou’ve ever come in to purchase alicense and did not bring the rabiesvaccination certificate, you left withouta license. The law was written to requireus to look at the certificate every timewe issue a license, even if it is a 3-yearcertificate that we saw the year before.

The second important reason forlicensing is that if your dog ventures toofar from home and gets lost, someonefinding him can provide the licensenumber to Animal Control and they canlook you up to contact you and reuniteyou with your pet as quickly as possible.

Pets are big parts of our families, soplease check your dog’s paperwork tomake sure the shots are current and thelicense is as well. If you have anyquestions regarding licenses please giveus a call. 248-625-5115

Dog Licenses DetailsThe State of Michigan requires ALL

dogs over 4 months to be current withrabies vaccine and to have a Michigandog license. Failure to comply may result

Thought I’d share my 2018Scorecard with you. Same sixbuckets focusing on Communications,Fiscal Responsibility, Operations,Economic Growth, Community andInfrastructure. Same MissionStatement as when we were firstelected in 2012.

To provide the “best services” atthe “lowest cost” to encourage bothcurrent and future residents andbusinesses to want to live, work, playand invest in our community. Whilemany of the specific elements withinthe buckets have changed, our #1

priority has never wavered …managing your hard-earned taxdollars like it was our money.

And being the glutton forpunishment that I am, getting a newhospital is still on my goals after beingtold NO more often than a normalperson would put up with.

Why?The reason is simple. The 40,000

residents in this community deservebetter than a 35-minute ambulanceride to a trauma level emergencycenter when they are really indistress. -- Pat

2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 fffffocus ocus ocus ocus ocus iiiiitemstemstemstemstems to to to to toprovide ‘best services’provide ‘best services’provide ‘best services’provide ‘best services’provide ‘best services’

Communications: Fiscal Responsibility: Operations+ Monthly Township Times + 3 Year Budget Plan + REU Water & Sewer Audit

+ Stream Board Meetings + North Sashabaw Capital Bond + DPW Garage Renovation

+ Weekly Department Meetings + North Sashabaw Utility SAD + Exceed State Water Stds

+ Neighborhood HOA Meetings + Evaluate / Bid Services + Document Mgt Migration

+ Service Group Presentations + Flow vs Flat Rate Sewer Study + Replace Boardroom AV Equip.

MISSION STATEMENT

Economic Growth Community Infrastructure+ Sashabaw Corridor + 3 New 4X4 Ambulances + North Sashabaw Widening

+ North Dixie Corridor + Miracle League Ball Diamond + North Sashabaw Utilities

+ Residential Expansion + Day Camp & ADA Rest Rooms + Lakeview Columbarium

+ Medical Expansion / Hospital + New Spray Park + Repair "CODE RED" Sewers

+ Big Lake Light Realignment + Renew 4 Baseball Diamonds + Video 5+ Miles Sewer Lines

‐‐ 2018 Supervisors Scorecard ‐‐

TO PROVIDE THE "BEST SERVICES" AT THE "LOWEST COST" TO ENCOURAGE BOTH CURRENT AND FUTURE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES TO WANT TO LIVE, WORK, PLAY AND

INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY.

in a misdemeanor ticket. You maypurchase a one or three-year dog license.(three-year license provides a discount)

A license must be purchased within30 days of:

Purchasing or acquiring a newdog

A puppy turning 4 months of age Becoming a Michigan resident The expiration date of the prior

license. Licenses expire onDecember 31 of each year.

Fees: (cash or checks only) Spayed/Neutered $10.50

(documentation required) Senior Citizen* $9.75 Male/Female $18.00 Senior Citizen* $16.50 After June 1 all licenses are

$33.00.

*Senior Citizen price for dog owners65 years of age or older (proof of agerequired)

- - -

-

UMPIRES

Adult Softball & Youth

Baseball/Softball

REFEREES

Youth Soccer

DAY CAMP

COUNSELORS

Aquatics Staff

Deer Lake Beach

SPECIAL EVENT

STAFF

SITE

SUPERVISORS

For Youth & Adult Sports

PARK

MAINTENANANCE

PARK RANGER


IndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceTownship TimesMarch 2018March 2018March 2018March 2018March 2018


Township Updatenot, less risk for them means more savingsfor you. These new rates will becomeeffective May 1st. Call your insurancecarrier once the new rates are effective. If history is any indication of the future,you just might see a reduction in yourinsurance costs, but you have to call andask.

What is the ISO PPC program?ISO collects information on municipal

fire protection efforts in communitiesthroughout the United States. In each ofthese communities, ISO analyzes therelevant data using a Fire Suppression RatingSchedule (FSRS). A Public ProtectionClassification (PPC) is then assigned from1 to 10. Class 1 generally representssuperior property fire protection, and Class10 indicates that the area’s fire suppressionprogram doesn’t meet ISO’s minimumcriteria. Independence Fire is now ratedClass 3.

By classifying communities’ ability tosuppress fires, ISO helps the communitiesevaluate their public fire protection services.The program provides an objective,countrywide standard that helps firedepartments in planning and budgeting forfacilities, equipment, and training. And bysecuring lower fire insurance premiums for

communities with better public protection,the PPC program provides incentives andrewards for communities that choose toimprove their firefighting services. ISOhas extensive information on more than47,000 fire response jurisdictions.

New Ambulances on the WayThree brand new Ford F450 4X4

ambulances will soon be put into service inthe Township. Manufactured by WheeledCoach located in Florida, these newambulances will each cost $200,000 withfunding coming from the Fire Departmentcapital account. Being a little smaller,lighter, four-wheel drive and equipped witha powerful Ford 6.7 liter diesel engine, thesenew ambulances will allow for bettermaneuverability in tight situations plusprovide better traction in muddy or snowyconditions. This new Ford chassis /

ambulance package means betteraccessibility to service parts and lessdowntime for regular maintenance andservice. So what’s this mean to you ...better response times from our ALS FirstResponders when seconds really do matter. The three new units will need to be stripedand equipped with new communicationsequipment and should be fully operationalin April. The replacement ambulances willbe sold in compliance with the Townshipasset disposal policy and will be sold to thehighest bidder. Funds received from soldunits will off-set capital investment.

Safest Cities in Michigan 2018A new study ranks the safest cities in

Michigan. Alarms.org and the NationalCouncil for Home Safety and Security released their annual list of the safest citiesin every state for 2018.

As a state, Michigan is one of the poorerfor violent crime in the country, due toDetroit’s high crime rates, yet theMidwestern stateperformed muchbetter in propertycrime.

Outside ofDetroit and otherareas hit hard byeconomic shifts andoutsourcing, Michigan has quite a fewcommunities that are very safe.

Here’s the top 20 safest cities andtheir population count:

1. Grosse Ile Township 10,1232. Oakland Township 19,6593. Hamburg Township 21,7144. Brandon Township 15,6925. South Lyon 11,8016. Flushing Township 10,2357. Rochester 13,0508. Independence Twp 36,6899. Milford 16,70710. Springfield Twp 14,46711. Highland Township 19,80112. Berkley 15,32813. Oxford Township 19,16414. Orion Township 35,55015. Clawson 12,05316. Beverly Hills 10,45517. W. Bloomfield Twp 66,12318. Rochester Hills 73,91319. East Grand Rapids 11,43620. Green Oak Twp 18,722

METHODOLOGY: To identify the safestcities in Michigan, the most recent FBIUniform Crime Report statistics werereviewed along with population data andinternal research. Cities were eliminatedfrom the study that failed to submit acomplete crime report to the FBI. Citieswith populations under 10,000 were alsoremoved from the study. See the full report

Continued on Page 2

By Patrick Kittle,Independence Supervisor

ISO PPC Fire Ratings – Top 2% inMichigan

Since the new Fire Chief, MitchPetterson, has been incharge of theIndependence FireDepartment, one of hiskey goals was toimprove the Townshipresponse times andservices provided whenresponding to a firealarm. Redesigninginternal tanker processesto get more water tosites without firehydrants, establishing

new mutual aid protocols withneighboring communitiesto ensure additionalequipment andmanpower is therewhen needed andcontinual training toensure all of our FireResponders are on top oftheir game are just a few of the changesChief Petterson has initiated. And afterour most recent audit, the Township isproud to inform you our ISO ratings haveimproved from a 4 to a 3 in areas wherefire hydrants are available and from an8B to a 3 in areas where there are no firehydrants. These new ratings are a hugeimprovement over prior ISO ratings andplace Independence Township in the top8 % of all fire departments in the USAand top 2 % of all fire departments in theState of Michigan.

Like golf, the lower the score thebetter. So what’s this mean to you ...insurance companies often use ISOratings as one element in setting residentialand commercial fire insurance policies. The lower the number, the less risk forinsurance carriers. And more often than

at www.alarms.org/safest-cities-in-michigan-2018/.So what’s this mean to you . . . just thought you

might be interested to know you made a greatdecision to live in Independence Township.

Active Shooter ReviewWith all the insanity going on in the world, even

the Township is beginning to proactively train ourstaff and upgrade security protocols at all of ourfacilities. We recently had the Oakland CountySWAT Team in to reviewcurrent practices and buildingsecurity. SWAT will bereturning their findings over thenext couple of weeks onimprovements needed to helpensure the safety of our team,if-and-when a situation everspins out of control andbecomes confrontational. Scary stuff. But I am afirm believer in the following adage: PLAN FORTHE WORST AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. A littletough (code word for costly) up front, but usuallypays huge dividends downstream.

Encore At Deerhill ProjectAfter two years, the 92-unit single family home

development on the 26-acre site located at theintersection of Deerhill and Dixie Highway is finallystarted. Being built by FairviewConstruction Company basedin Troy Michigan, the clearingof trees and land balancing thehigh and low areas are the firststeps in the process. And likeevery new construction site, itlooks like a bomb went off.While over $600,000 isbudgeted for landscaping that will include over 600trees and a ton of decorative plantings, it is going totake a couple of years for this site to stabilize andmature.

I know for one, two-years can’t come soonenough. The Township has communicated to theconstruction company to keep all construction trafficoff Deerhill Drive.

Also, noise restrictions were clearly communicatedto the site foreman and staff. The Township alsorecently facilitated a meeting with representatives fromBuckeye Pipeline and 12 residents from Deerhill Drive.Safety personnel from Buckeye, as well at theIndependence Fire Department, were there to shareBuckeye’s safety record, maintenance requirements,on-site mandatory construction safety protocol andmore. Buckeye has volunteered to attend the AprilHOA meeting for Deerhill residents and shareinformation and address questions and concerns.

Bob White is coordinating this meeting.Construction updates with Fairview Constructionmanagement and local residents are also planned tokeep everyone in the loop as the project progresses.Keep you posted.


Township updates


By Paul BrownIndependence Treasurer

Delinquent taxes continue to decline.Looking back historically, delinquent taxes spiked

in the late 2000’s due to the housing crises. In 2008,more than $3,000,000 was turned over to OaklandCounty as delinquent. This represented 6 percent ofthe total taxes levied. Things havesteadily improved since then. For the2016 tax year, we turned over justunder $1,000,000 to Oakland Countyfor collection. For 2017, we improvedanother 15% by turning over justunder $850,000 to the County asdelinquent. This represents less than2 percent of the total taxes. Asignificant impact in the decrease thepast 3 years has been theimplementation of delinquent taxnotices in December and February.

While not required, these notices serve as areminder to those whohave simply forgottento pay. Residents withescrow accounts mayseldom think about thetax due dates, nearly60% of Independencehomeowners do not

have escrow accounts for taxes so it’s not unusual tohave folks set the bill aside and forget. We’ll continueto do our best to improve notifications to homeownersso they can avoid the interest and penalties requiredby law when taxes are paid late.

I had a few unhappy residents this winter whomade suggestions to improve the notices and we’llbe making those changes. The most significant changewill be in how we accept postmarks. In the past, wewould accept a US postmark if we received it withinseven days of the due date. This year, we’ll extendthe time that we will accept the postmarks to 30 days

for the summer bill and two weeks for the winterbill.

We’ll also be sending out delinquent notices formore residents in September which will help to keepthe interest charges as low as possible.

Autopay for Taxes coming this yearWith the success of our automatic payment system

for our water and sewercustomers, it makes sense toimplement it for the payment oftaxes as well. How will TaxAutopay work? Tax payers willsign-up to have their taxesautomatically withdrawn fromtheir bank account on the due dateof each tax period. When you receive your tax bill, itwill indicate that you are signed up for automaticpayment and it will tell you the day the money will bewithdrawn from your account. Generally, this will beon September 14 for the summer tax bill and February14 for the winter tax bill. All you’ll need to do is makesure the funds are available. The sign-up form will beavailable in the spring for those interested.

Tax Bills will not be forwardedIf you’re headed to Florida for the winter, make

sure to plan oncontacting us for acopy of you wintertax bill. Michigandoes not allow taxbills to be forwardedby the Post Office soif you don’t changeyour mailing addressat the Township, youwon’t get your bill. Ifyou contact our office, we’ll be happy to email you acopy so you can get them paid on time. You can emailus at [email protected] and request your billfor either season.

Property taxes & what you should knowProperty taxes & what you should knowProperty taxes & what you should knowProperty taxes & what you should knowProperty taxes & what you should know

In collaboration with ESRI representatives, the globalleader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), ourGIS Team is developing a significant expansion of theTownship’s Interactive Map Gallery in 2018. The firstnew map to be released is the “Development PlanningExplorer”.

The Township receives numerous calls every dayfrom Independence residents looking for information orasking questions about a new development going up inthe community. To help better serve our residents, thenew interactive experience will now allow you to seefirsthand what new building or development projects arebeing constructed in the community and check where

the project is in the approval/development process.To access this map, click Departments…Building,

Planning & Zoning, from the Township’s website,www.indtwp.com. Next, click Planning & Zoningfrom the left navigation pane. Click the graphic entitled“Development Planning Explorer”. By clicking on thislink, all the individual projects and their locations in theTownship are displayed on a map. Residents can nowenter their address and find projects near them. Clickingon a project will show whether the project is underconstruction or still in the planning stages by showingmeeting dates, site plans and consultant reports.

Stay tuned! Other interactive maps planned for 2018include a Code Enforcement Citizen Reporting tool, anew Burning Permit tool, an updated Zoning map, FutureLand Use map, Utilities map, Hunting Boundary mapand Voter Precinct map.

Interactive Maps Gallery to ExpandNew Development Project Info on Web Site


By Dave McKee, DPW DirectorFats, Oil, and Grease (FOG) in sewer

pipes can create severe pollutionproblems in our Township. FOG enterssewer pipes throughrestaurant, residential andcommercial sink drains.

Once in the sewer,FOG sticks to the pipe,thickens and caneventually block theentire pipe. Blockages insewer pipes can sendsewage out of manholesinto streets and rivers, orup floor drains into yourhome.

Impact of FOGWhen sewer pipes on private property

back up, the homeowner is responsiblefor the cleanup. For example, if aresident regularly pours grease down adrain, it will eventually cool, harden, andform a blockage in the sewer pipe. Thisblockage can then cause backupsthrough floor drains and toilets in yourhouse. A plumber will have to be hiredto clean the sewer and possibly repairplumbing inside the home which can beexpensive.

Sources of FOGFat, Oil, and Grease are by-products

of cooking found in:• food scraps• meat fats• lard• cooking oil• butter, margarine or shortening

Keep Drains ClearFollow These Tips:

• Pour or scrape greasy or oily food

waste into a container or jar.• Allow grease to cool or freeze in the

container before throwing it in the trash.• Mix liquid vegetable oil with an

absorbent material such as cat litter orcoffee grounds in a sealable containerbefore throwing it in the trash.

• Keep drains clean by pouring 1/2 cupbaking soda down the drain followed by½ cup vinegar. Wait 10 to 15 minutesand then rinse with hot water.

DO NOT:• Pour Fat, Oil, or Grease down drains

or garbage disposals.• Use hot water to rinse grease off

cookware, utensils, dishes or surfaces.

Preventing sewer backups fromFOG blockages saves you money andprotects the environment.

For More InformationContact the Independence Township

Department of Public Works at: (248)625-8222 for more details.

FOG prevention tips for residentsFOG prevention tips for residentsFOG prevention tips for residentsFOG prevention tips for residentsFOG prevention tips for residentsProtect our environment and keep drains clear of fats, oil & grease

By Lt. Larry Perry,Substation Commander

Identity Theft is on the rise andoccurs when someone uses yourpersonal information without youknowing about it. There are two typesof Identity Theft that you should beaware of; Income Tax Theft andUnemployment Identity Theft. Bothtypes of Identity Theft require havingyour personal information such as yourname and social security number.

Let’s make one point perfectlyclear. The IRS doesn’t initiate contactwith taxpayers by telephone, email ortext messages, period.

So how can you protect yourselffrom being tax scammed? Look out forerroneous refunds and beware of fakecalls to return money. Scammers willclaim to be an IRS employee using fakenames and badge numbers. They arewell versed and know a lot about theirtarget such as your full name andaddress. When these calls are made,it appears to look like the IRS callingbecause clever software can alter thecaller ID, resulting in you being nonethe wiser.

You may be told that you are entitledto a tax refund. This is only done totrick you into sharing your privateinformation. Scammers may tell youthat you owe money to the IRS and itmust be paid promptly by purchasinga gift card or making wire transfer.They also like to threaten you witharrest. In many cases, the caller maybecome hostile and even demandingand if the phone isn’t answered, theywill often leave an “urgent” callbackrequest.

Please understand that the IRS willnot call and demand immediatepayment using a prepaid debit or giftcard. If you owe taxes, the IRS willsend you a bill in the mail. The IRSwill not call and demand a paymentwithout giving you the opportunity toappeal the amount they say you owe.The IRS will not threaten you with awarrant to have you arrested.Remember, the IRS will not ask foryour credit or debit card numbers overthe phone, in an email or by a textmessage.

Scammers are also using youridentity to file for unemployment. Lookout for Form UIA 1575C from theState of Michigan and Form 1099G

from the IRS. If you receive either ofthese forms in the mail and you havenot applied for unemployment benefits,odds are you may be a victim. If youare currently employed and youremployer notifies you that a claim forbenefits has been filed on your behalf,then you are a victim of UnemploymentIdentity Theft.

Protect yourself by guarding yoursocial security number. Do not respondto requests for personal information byphone, email or text messages. Protectyour identity by shredding accountstatements, credit card offers andreceipts. Connect your devices to atrusted Wi-Fi source that are passwordprotected and refrain from using apublic Wi-Fi. Safeguard your Identityand store important personal informationand paperwork in a safe place.

Be alert to bogus emails requestingyour personal information and financialinformation. This is referred to asPhishing. Phishing (as in “fishing forinformation”) is an e-mail message sentto you to trick you and although thesesites may look legit, they are not. Oftentimes these emails carry malware,which can infect your device, grantingcriminals access to your files along withyour personal information.

If you believe you are a victim ofTax or Unemployment Fraud visitwww.irs.gov or www.michigan.gov.Place a fraud alert with either one ofthese three credits bureaus: Experian,TransUnion or Equifax. Be sure topromptly obtain a credit report andalways file a police report with yourlocal law enforcement agency.

For the most up-to-date informationon combating Identity Theft, go toIdentityTheft.gov.

If you have any questions regardingthese type of incidents please call theOakland County Sheriff ’s OfficeIndependence Substation at 248-620-4970.

Protecting your identity

Top Question This Month: What’s Taking SoLong with the Safety Path on Sashabaw?

The joint Safety Path initiative between the Township and Oakland County Parks isalmost completed. Last summer, the Township and County Parks agreed to jointlyfund a new safety path along Sashabaw providing access to both the South andNorth entrances to Independence Oaks Park. The total cost of this initiative is$1.2M, or $600K each. The Township portion was paid with funds from the SafetyPath millage. The reason for the delays were two-fold: mother nature was notcooperative with the rain in late summer and early fall and the ITC corridor permitsseemed to take forever. The final steps for completion is the installation of thesecond coat of asphalt and two rest stops for weary travelers. Work should becompleted in late spring. Next project: Clintonville between Maybee and Waldon.

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IndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceTownship TimesApril 2018April 2018April 2018April 2018April 2018


By Pat Kittle,Supervisor

We are getting our ducks in order tocomplete the Final Phase of the SashabawCorridor Improvement Plan – rebuildingSashabaw Road from Flemings Lake to

Clarkston Road into afive-lane roadway.We’re calling this phasethe North SashabawRoad project. I don’tthink I need to remindanyone of just howbeat up this stretch ofroadway is. Benefits tothe community aremany, such as: 1)increasing the numberof lanes for NBcommuters to bypassconcert night

congestion, 2) eliminating the dangerouspotholes and crumbling shoulders reducingvehicle repair expenses, and 3) improvingthe economic viability of the SashabawCorridor (a/k/a Township), including themarketability of the commercial propertieson the west side of Sashabaw. The estimatedengineering & construction costs of thisproject ($5,614,000) and associated bonding& interest expenses ($1,024,000) will bringthe total cost of this project to roughly$6.64M over 12 years.

Funding for the road improvement projectwill come from the following sources:

Capital Improvement Bond —$3,430,000 (12 years @ estimated 3.75%)

Road Commission of Oakland County(RCOC) — $1,619,000 (cash & in-kindservices)

Oakland County — $ 330,000 (TriParty contribution)

CIA Tax Increment Financing Balance— $ 370,000

NOTE: Township General FundContribution — $ 892,000 (15% of totalcost)While we have North Sashabaw torn up,

the Township will also be installing sewermains along the west side of the road that

the Township is proposing to pay for with aspecial assessment on effected propertiesestimated at $400,000. A safety path withlighting will also be added on the east sidewhen the roadwork is finished to be paid withSafety Path funds estimated at $300,000.

We are proposing to issue a bond vs.paying cash for the project. By bonding, wehave estimated there will be a $416,000 netbenefit to the community as highlighted below:

$931,000 is the anticipated interestexpense for using a bond to complete thisproject ($3,430,000 bond @ estimated 3.75%interest rate for the 12-year bond)

$1,347,000 would be the anticipatedinterest earned with available General Funddollars if invested over the same 12-year period($3,430,000 investment at 2.8% over 12 years)

$416,000 ($1,347,000 minus $931,000)would be the net benefit to the Township bybonding for the project.

The Corridor Improvement AuthorityBoard met on Thursday March 29th and

unanimously recommended the Townshipproceed with the North Sashabaw Roadimprovement plan and the use of future CIAfunds for the project. To be more transparentwith this large of an expenditure and the useof public funds, the following timeline is beingcreated:

April 3. Township Board of Trusteesmet to review the recommendation on theNorth Sashabaw Road plan by the CIA Board.No Township Board action was taken.

April 11. This edition of the TownshipTimes provides information to Townshipresidents on the North Sashabaw Road Plan,proposed funding model and approvaltimeline. This edition also includes a formalNotice of Intent to issue bonds for theproposed financing for the road project. ThisNotice of Intent contains information on theproject and how Independence electors havethe right to petition for a referendum on theissuance of the bond. That is, interestedresidents who do not support this road

improvement project will have 45 daysbeginning on April 11 to secure signaturesfrom 10% of the registered electors (voters)to place this item on the November ballot.The deadline for the referendum petitions isMay 26. Contact the Township Clerk’sOffice at 248-625-5111 ext. 203 for moredetails.

June 5. At this Board of Trusteesmeeting, the Board will find out if areferendum has been submitted to place thisbonding proposal on the November ballot.If a petition to create a referendum IS NOTsubmitted by May 26, the Township Boardof Trustees will have the authority to voteon moving forward with the North SashabawRoad Plan that best serves the interests ofthe community at a later date. This decisionto formally go / no go on this project isestimated to take place in July.

The Sashabaw Corridor ImprovementAuthority was created in 2006 as a tool to

Getting Ready for the Final PhaseGetting Ready for the Final PhaseGetting Ready for the Final PhaseGetting Ready for the Final PhaseGetting Ready for the Final PhaseWiden North Sashabaw Road

Continued on Page 3


By Barb Pallatta,Township Clerk

Spring is the season of door-to-door sales andcompanies still use this method to sell a multitudeof various products and home improvement services.Why aren’t there laws that ban door-to-doorsoliciting altogether? We’re glad you asked. Thefirst thing you need to know is that the door-to-doorsalespeople canvassing yourneighborhood have a constitutionalright to be there even though, as ahomeowner, you have a right toprivacy on your private property.

The First Amendment to theUnited States Constitution states:“Congress shall make no lawrespecting an establishment ofreligion, or prohibiting the freeexercise thereof; or abridging thefreedom of speech, or of the press;or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,and to petition the Government for a redress ofgrievances.” Challenges to this constitutional righthave failed in courts as far back as 1976 in theU.S. Supreme Court by opining that speech that“does no more than propose a commercialtransaction” is protected by the First Amendment(Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. VirginiaCitizens Consumer Council).

Local Ordinance RegardingDoor-to-Door Sales

The Courts have repeatedly ruled that anti-solicitation ordinances violate the First Amendmentbecause they believe these laws take the decisionof whether or not to listen to a solicitor out of thehands of the individual resident. However, localordinances can be placed on this type of activitylegally. Chapter 36 - Peddlers and Solicitors of theTownship’s Code of Ordinances includes narrow

provisions to protect First Amendment rights whilehonoring Township resident’s right to privacy:

No Soliciting:Unquestionably, thebest way to keepsolicitors fromknocking on yourdoor is to display a“No Soliciting” sign.If your community isaccessed by private

roads only, solicitors cannot enter if a sign is postedat or near any entranceway to the property.

Hours of Solicitation: Sunday - Saturday;9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Solicitor’s Application: Every application(approved and denied) will be kept on file for inthe Township Clerk’s Office. Direct all questionsrelated to a solicitor’s application to the TownshipClerk’s Office.

Display of Solicitor’s Permit*: Everysolicitor is issued and is required to display a photobadge like Solicitor’s Permit that is clearly visiblewhen soliciting. Contact the Township Clerk’sOffice if a solicitor is unable or unwilling toproduce his/her permit when requested.*Exception: Political, charitable and religious

April showers bring door-to-door solicitorsApril showers bring door-to-door solicitorsApril showers bring door-to-door solicitorsApril showers bring door-to-door solicitorsApril showers bring door-to-door solicitorsgroups who are not attempting to sell a productor service are exempt from obtaining aSolicitor’s Permit. However, the TownshipClerk’s Office maintains a record of theseorganizations

Expiration of Solicitor’s Permit: Thesolicitation permit will expire based on the timerequested on the application or after 60-daysof issuance, whichever is the shorter period.

Solicitors under 18 years of age: Minorsmust be accompanied by a supervising adult.

Complaints: All complaints directed to theTownship Clerk’s Office will become part ofthe solicitor’s record and may cause denial ofa future application. Notify the Oakland CountySheriff ’s Department non-emergencynumber at (248) 858-4950; Ext. 8 about anysuspicious activity that may be consideredunsafe or a potential threat.Note: Article III - Solicitors’ Ordinance is available

in its entirety on the Township’s website atwww.indtwp.com.

By Barb Pallatta,Township Clerk

The Independence TownshipClerk’s Office has the new electionequipment set up in the upstairs lobbyarea of Town Hall for all interestedvoters who would like to test out thenew devices before the State Primaryelection scheduled for August 7, 2018.All voters are encouraged to stop byand try it out.

A special 4-question “MockElection” ballot is available in the lobbyso voters can vote the ballot and casttheir votes by inserting the ballot intothe new Verity V-Scan equipment.Also available to test is the new VoterAssist Terminal (VAT), also known asthe Verity V-Touchwriter, that replacedthe old, unreliable AutoMARKequipment used by those withdisabilities.

While the V-Touch is designed toassist voters with disabilities, it can beused by any voter at the precinct.Interested voters are asked to cometest the new V-Scan and also try using

Attention all voters: Come test out the new voting equipment!Attention all voters: Come test out the new voting equipment!Attention all voters: Come test out the new voting equipment!Attention all voters: Come test out the new voting equipment!Attention all voters: Come test out the new voting equipment!

Future voters, Jack and Ashlyn Klobucar voted, then cast their ballots by inserting them into the new V-Scan equipment to be used at Precincts starting in August.Jack also voted using the new V-Touch device, alternating between using the V-Access Controller and the touch-screen, demonstrating the ease of use.

the new V-Touch. The V-touch enablesvoters to use the touch-screen tablet-like device, or a game-like controller tonavigate and select ballot options on thescreen, then print out the ballot from theattached printer to be inserted in the V-Scan to record the votes. Headphonesare also available for persons with visual

impairments. All persons with physicalchallenges are encouraged to stop by andtry the new V-touch.

It is important to note that the processfor voting has not changed, only theequipment that captures your votes haschanged. At the precinct voters are stillrequired to fill out an Application to Vote,

show ID, be assigned a ballot, votethe ballot in a voting booth beforeinserting the ballot into the new V-Scan. The new Verity equipment issecure, easy to use, and has beenwell-received by other communitiesthat have had the opportunity to use itover the past year.

Continued from Page 1secure funding from the commercial andresidential properties that are located withinthe approximately 1.1 square mile CIA TIFdistrict to pay for a very specific set of roadand infrastructure improvements alongSashabaw.

This funding mechanism was used to payfor the interchange improvements at I-75 andSashabaw, for the installation of the trafficlight at Sashabaw and Fleming Lake Roadand for landscaping the boulevard. Theimprovements to North Sashabaw is the finalphase of the CIA plan. Once completed andthe bonds are paid off, the CorridorImprovement Authority will have served itspurpose and be dissolved. To complete theNorth Sashabaw project, it is estimated that$892,000 in direct Township contribution willbe needed to cover the Township’s Tri-Partycontribution ($331,000) and bond interest($561,000), representing 15% of the totalcost. If development along Sashabawincreases above the conservative growthrate used in this pricing model, the amountof Township contribution will decrease.

Bottom Line: With the cost of fundsand materials continuing to creep up, thisproject will only get more expensive thelonger we wait. Right-now the constructionplan is to install the infrastructure (water

and sewer) in late 2018 and road constructionin 2019. As you can imagine, traffic snarls willbe an absolute nightmare during construction,especially on concert nights. We will keep

you posted as we move forward so you canplan alternative commuter routes. The chartabove summarizes the financials ashighlighted in this article. If you have any

comments or questions, please contact meat [email protected]. Would appreciateany and all feedback.

North Sashabaw

Kids Day inthePark

Crafts, Archery Range, Kids Vision Screening

Saturday, May 12, 201810am–2pm at Clintonwood Park

A free event for kids!

Independence Township has anordinance regarding the open burning ofyard waste and has also recently institutedan ordinance restricting open burning indesignated areas for documented medicalreasons. The following is a generalguideline for the two types of burning;Open Burning and Recreational Burning,and provides an overview of the MedicallyRestricted Burning ordinance.

Open Burning. Open Burning isdefined as the burning of yard waste, treetrimmings, paper, or scrap wood wherethe contents are burned in an open area,with the intent of eliminating the material.

• Open burning is allowed by permitonly, which can be obtained at any of thethree Independence Township FireStations or on-line atwww.independencefire.us.

• Open burning is allowed during thefollowing times:

Summer Hours (April 1st thruNovember 31st - 8am to 8pm). WinterHours (December 1st thru March 31st -8am to 6pm).

All fires must be completelyextinguished after hours (no smoldering).

• Parcels of less than 3 acres mustfollow the burn date calendar on thepermit. Parcels of more than 3 acres mayburn on any day. Regardless of acreage,weather – particularly wind – should be

It’s burning season in the township Open Burning, subsections 20-59(c)(6)and (d)(4)b, to prohibit burning in certaincircumstances even after a permit hasbeen issued. SPECIAL NOTE: This newburn policy does not apply to or prohibitrecreational fires in chimineas or fire potsas long as the recreational fires areconsistent with the examples.

• Residents are required to submitdocumentation from a medical doctor tothe Fire Department supporting thediagnosis of a medical condition that isserious and aggravated or triggered byexposure to smoke from open burning.This evidence must be provided annuallyand will be kept on file with the FireDepartment. After filing, all requests foropen burning permits will be rejectedexcept for the exemptions within theordinance.

Burn permits may be renewed orobtained, and information on the medicallybased burn permit restrictions policy, canbe found by visiting www.indtwp.com[DEPARTMENTS] [FIRE] [OPENBURNING / BURN PERMITS], andchoosing one of the options listed belowthe header. At the bottom of the web pagethere is also a link for a “How-To” guidefor obtaining a burn permit through theonline system.

You may also visit any of the threeIndependence Township fire stations toobtain a burn permit, or call (248)625-1924with questions regarding any of theinformation above.

considered prior to burning to prevent firespread.

• All Materials being burned must befrom the site. No materials may be broughtto the site for disposal.

• Open burning shall be constantlyattended by a person 14 years of age orolder until the fire is extinguished.

• A source of extinguishment shall bepresent and adequate during hours ofburning.

• No burning shall be permitted within50' of any structure. Provisions shall bemade to prevent the fire from spreading.

• No burning along roadways.• No flammable liquids shall be

permitted to ignite the fire.(i.e. gasoline,kerosene, starter fluid, etc.)

• No burning shall be allowed onconstruction sites.

• The size of the pile to be burned shallbe no larger than 6' diameter.

• Remember, burning is a privilege thatmay be revoked at any time. It shall bethe option of the fire official that shalldictate the right to burn.

• Burning violations may be subject tofines in accordance to Civil InfractionPenalty. First offense may be $75.00,second offense $150.00 and privilegesrevoked.

• Acceptable Burn Items: Dry Leaves,Paper, Brush, Wood scraps.

Recreational Burning. RecreationalBurning is defined as the burning ofseasoned wood in a manufactured device,specifically designed for the containmentof the fire, with the intent of using the firefor cooking or social purposes.

• Recreational burning is allowedwithout permit.

• A campfire is an example of arecreational burn.

• A container designed for recreationalburning must be used. (see examples)

• Materials to be burned shall beconsistent with firewood, or otherseasoned hard wood.

• All recreational fires shall be tendedand extinguished completely whenfinished.

Medically RestrictedBurning Ordinance

• It shall be the policy of IndependenceTownship to prohibit the issuance of anyopen burn permits, or revoke previouslyissued permits, within 400 feet of anyresidence whose occupants have adocumented serious medical condition thatis aggravated or triggered by the exposureto smoke from open burning, unlessallowed under the provisions of this policy.The Independence Township FireDepartment, as the issuing body for burnpermits, shall adhere to this policy whenissuing burn permits. This authority isalready comprehended under Chapter 20,Fire Prevention and Protection, Article III,


IndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceTownship TimesMay 2018May 2018May 2018May 2018May 2018


Building for the Township’s futureBuilding for the Township’s futureBuilding for the Township’s futureBuilding for the Township’s futureBuilding for the Township’s futurePat Kittle,Supervisor

Every once-in-a-while, I like to stepback and take inventory of the people anddepartments under my charge at theTownship. Over the past five years, we

have made some prettysignificant personnelchanges and re-alignedsome duties andresponsibilities for thevarious departmentheads in the Township.And after reviewing theskills and aptitudes ofour DepartmentDirectors, I can honestlysay I would put thecurrent managementteam in Independence

up against any other local unit ofgovernment in the State. This group isnot only doing an exemplary job with theirday to day activities, but everyone is takingon extra-credit assignments to prepare theTownship to continue to thrive over thenext ten years and beyond. Here is a shortsummary of the staff pedigrees and listingof projects that will prepare the Townshipfor the future. In this issue of theTownship Times, I will just highlight theIndependence Fire, Oakland CountySheriff and the Department of PublicWorks. Next month I will finish up withBuilding, Parks & Recreation, Assessingand Independence Television.

Independence Fire Department -Chief Mitch Petterson

Started with Independence Fire in1993.

Licensed Paramedic since 1996 /Current Instructor - Coordinator.

Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Safety fromSienna Heights University.

Vice President of Michigan MABAS

Division 3201 (Mutual Aid Box AlarmSystem).

Michigan MABAS Division 3201Technical Rescue Oversight Chief.

Under Chief Petterson’s direction, theIndependence Fire Department (IFD) hasimplemented the following improvements toservice:

Automated a Mutual Aid processthrough Michigan MABAS 3201resulting in a quicker response fromoutside agencies to assist on structurefires, multiple casualty incidents, complexrescue incidents and hazardous materialsincidents.

IFD is one of the lead agencies in mutualaid group for haz-mat and technical rescueteams.

Improved the Township ISO ratingfrom a 4/8b to a 3/3 by amending policiesand procedures providing more water,men and equipment quicker toemergencies, resulting in potentiallylower homeowners and commercialinsurance rates in non-hydrant areas ofthe Township.

Acquiring new apparatus that is moreappropriate and effective for our evolvingcommunity. A smaller and more-nimbleengine & ladder combination truck, 3 new4X4 ambulances and a multi-purposecommand / mini pumper service truckthat will enhance response times are justsome of the future improvements.

New Fire Prevention software allowingfor more effective data collection, bettercode enforcement and places criticalbuilding data in the hands of respondingpersonnel.

Utilization of a part-time fire/rescueprogram as a funnel to hire new full-timepersonnel allowing the Township to hireexperienced firefighter/paramedics thatwe have had an extended opportunity toevaluate.

Department-wide implementation of astate-of-the-art incident command systemto improve communications andcommand effectiveness.

Oakland County Sheriff – TownshipCommander Lt Larry Perry

Attended Western Michigan University 26 years with Oakland County Sheriff’s

Office. Deputy Commander of Oakland

County Sheriff’s SWAT Team. Graduate of FBI National Academy

Class 259. Former Vice President of Oak Tac

(Oakland County Tactical TrainingConsortium).

Active Shooter Response Instructor. Advanced Leadership Instructor. FEMA certified Instructor. Patrol Rifle/Handgun/Shotgun/

Mechanical Breaching Instructor.

Besides the usual cop stuff like routinepatrol, traffic enforcement and emergencyfirst response, Lt. Perry is very big oncommunity policing, proactive localordinance enforcement and training, training,training to ensure his Deputies are alwayson the top of their game. Some areas theSheriff’s Office is concentrating on toprovide a safer Township are:

Reimplementation of Bicycle patrolsby Independence Township Deputies.

Sheriff’s Weigh Master Program/Deputy – Safe Roads by proactivepolicing and enforcement of motorvehicle codes and vehicle safetyrequirements for over-sized vehicles.

Proactive liquor compliancy checksof establishments that sell alcohol –Safety of community and maintainingstandards of State Law regarding Alcoholsales.

Enhanced training for Active ShooterResponse and Integrated Fire Response

(Rescue Task Force) for all PatrolDeputies.

Advanced Training for AlcoholEnforcement (ARIDE- AdvancedRoadside Impaired DrivingEnforcement).

Specially trained (DRE’s) DrugRecognition Experts for drivers underthe influence of drugs operating motorvehicles.

Patrol Officers trained in NARCANuse for overdose situations.

AED’s in Patrol Units. School Resource Officers (SRO’s)

and standardized ALICE Training(Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter,Evacuate) for all SRO’s and ClarkstonSchools Staff and Employees.

Department of Public Works –Director David McKee

US Navy Veteran. Waterford Township DPW for 18

years / 8.5 years as Water and SewerSuperintendent.

Supervisor for the Oakland CountyWater Resource Commission .

Licensed State of MichiganJourneyman Electrician.

Holds MDEQ D-1 and S-1 WaterOperators License.

Member American Water WorksAssociation AWWA.

You have all read horror stories aboutolder communities and their crumblinginfrastructure. Not so with Independence.With over 30 years of Public Worksexperience under his belt, Director DaveMcKee and his team have / areimplementing the following improvementsto service the residents of the Townshipwell into the future:

Completed a condition assessmentof all manhole and sewer pipes over

Continued on Page 3


By Barb Pallotta,Clerk

Last month’s issue of the IndependenceTownship Times invited all voters, young and old, tocome test out the new, highly secure electionequipment that will be utilized starting with theupcoming State Primary on August7, 2018. New equipment has beenset up in the upstairs lobby area ofTown Hall and will remain foranother week or two.

A special 4-question “MockElection” ballot (see examplebelow) is available for anyone to testout the new tabulator called theVerity Scan (V-Scan). Once avoter makes selections on the ballot,he/she can insert the ballot into thenew V-Scan tabulator to demonstrate how easy it isto use and to see the new ballot format that will beused in the future.

Also set up for testing is the new Voter AssistTerminal, the Verity Touch Writer (V-Touch). Whilethe V-Touch was designed for persons withdisabilities, any voter is permitted to use it. The V-Touch terminal allows voters to view a ballot on atablet-like screen, and make their voting selectionsby touch-screen or by listening to prompts onheadphones and utilizing a handheld device that

allows the voterto navigatethrough ballotoptions and makeselections. Oncethe ballotselections havebeen made, theballot, with thevoter’s choicesfilled in, is printedon a laser-jetprinter attachedto the V-Touch.The printed votedballot is theninserted into theV-Scan to be

tabulated just like a regular voted ballot.Please come in to see and test the new voting

equipment by voting the mock ballot. Encouragefamily and friends, particularly persons withdisabilities to come try the new equipment beforethe next election. We want all voters to be able toparticipate in the upcoming elections and know thattheir votes count!

Township’s mock election allowsTownship’s mock election allowsTownship’s mock election allowsTownship’s mock election allowsTownship’s mock election allowsvoters to test out new equipmentvoters to test out new equipmentvoters to test out new equipmentvoters to test out new equipmentvoters to test out new equipment


By Paul Brown,Treasurer

The Treasurer’s Office collects taxes in the summerand winter each year. The summer taxes are collectedfor other taxing authorities, mostly for schools. Thewinter taxes are used to provide Township servicessuch as Police and Fire, as well as Parks Recreationand Seniors programs, just to name afew. So, if money collected is to be usedfor 12 months, how do we keep it safeand available until needed?

The millions of dollars collected eachyear belong to the residents ofIndependence Township until they areused for a public purpose. That makeskeeping the money safe one of theprimary duties of the Treasurer’sOffice.

There are two primary factors thatcontrol the investment of public funds.The first is Public Act 20 of 1943. This State law defineswhere public monies can be invested. It allowsinvestments in bonds, securities, and other obligationsof the United States of America. Also, certificates ofdeposits, savings or checking accounts of Michiganfinancial institutions. A few other options are bondsissued by state or local schools and communities thatare rated as investment grade by one of the standardrating agencies. Another options is an investment poollike the one run by Oakland County.

If the investment isn’t identified in Public Act 20,we cannot invest in it… plain and simple.

The second factor that controls the investing/safeguarding is the Investment Policy forIndependence Township. The current policy wasadopted by the Township Board in 2013 and givesfurther guidance to the Treasurer on investing by settingthree primary priorities for investments as follows:

1) Safety: Safety of principal is the foremostobjective.

2) Liquidity: The ability to access the funds asneeded to meet our needs.

3) Return on Investments: Return on investmentis always secondary to safety and liquidity.

As you might imagine, the return on investments isquite low as compared to what individual investors areearning, but we have significantly improved the returnsby cutting costs. For many years, the Treasurer’sOffice paid a management fee of approximately $30,000per year to a financial advisory firm to advise theTreasurer on investment strategy. Given that over 90%of our investments were in U.S. Treasuries, the safestinvestment on the planet, I questioned why we neededto pay for advice when Public Act 20 is so restrictive.After presenting all of this to the Township Board in2013, I requested that we establish an Investment

Keeping taxpayerfunds safe

Continued on Page 3

20 years old leveraging State SAWGrant funds. This assessment allowedthe DPW to create a long-term AssetManagement Plan being implementedthroughout the Township. Neededsewer pipes are being repairedextending their lifespan by up to 50years. The Township is nowinspecting the balance of sewer pipesnot covered by the SAW grant and isactively making repairs as they arefound.

Geographic Information System(GIS) implementation throughout allDPW functions is being implementedto increase efficiency, accuracy andimprove communications to help us


Building for the Township’s futureBuilding for the Township’s futureBuilding for the Township’s futureBuilding for the Township’s futureBuilding for the Township’s futuremake better informed decisions. Nomore guessing where a 50-year-oldwater main is because the original blueprints were damaged. GIS will be ourcore structure for gathering, managingand analyzing data.

A new DPW Building will be erectedin 2018 to provide additional vehiclestorage space.

Upgrades to the Supervisory Controland Data Acquisition (SCADA) is plannedfor this year. This SCADA system isthe central nervous system for all DPWsites providing staff with real timemonitoring and data on the condition andoperation of all water well heads,storage tanks and sewer lift stationssites.

Construction of new Columbaria at

Lakeview Cemetery will provide longterm accommodation of cremationservices for Lakeview. Completion date- late 2018.

Sashabaw Safety Path byIndependence Oaks is near completion.Clintonville Safety Path Project isexpected to start in late summer withcompletion in 2019.

Preventive maintenance plan for thewater treatment plants will begin thisyear. Well production and pumpperformance has been evaluated andmaintenance for both is being plannedfor 2018 / 2019.At the end of the day, I am truly proud

of the direction and accomplishments ofyour Township Management Team. Theprocess improvements this group has come

up with is truly amazing. And this listingdoes not include the many things theTownship Treasurer and Clerk have putin place to protect tax payer funds, stripadministrative and processing costs outof antiquated ways of doing business andmemorialize processes and standards toensure consistency in operations foryears to come. I’ll let them showcasetheir accomplishments in a futureTownship Times edition.

As a 19-year resident, Independenceis a great place to live. And as theTownship Supervisor for the past 5years, having a proactive team in placelike we have now, Independence is alsoone very exciting place to work. Willkeep you posted as new stuff happens.


When visiting our Township Parks,remember – DO NOT FEED THEW A T E R F O W L !Feeding waterfowlcompromises theirnatural ability to foragein the wild and mayalso attract aconcentration ofwildlife beyond thecapacity of the habitat. Plus, waterfowl wastecontains high levels ofE. coli bacteria, thekind that fouls beaches.

Never dump anything down a stormdrain or catch basin, including: litter,cigarette butts, leaves, grass clippings,fertilizer, or oil.

Remember – ONLY RAIN IN THEDRAIN!

If you live along a lake, river orstream, remember – Keep fertilizerapplications at least 20 feet away fromthe edges of the waterway. Keep yourgrass high to help maintain nutrientsand moisture. This keeps algae-causing nutrients like phosphorus outof our waterways.

Never place expiredpharmaceuticals down a toilet or sink,where they could possibly enter ourdrinking water supply. You can dropthem off at the Oakland CountySheriff’s Department Substation duringnormal business hours, located at: 6560Citation Drive.

For more information contact theIndependence Township Departmentof Public Works at 248-625-8222.


Spring Stormwater RemindersSpring Stormwater RemindersSpring Stormwater RemindersSpring Stormwater RemindersSpring Stormwater RemindersBy Scott Lenhart,Assistant Building Official

Now that Mother Nature has finally(we hope) gotten Winterout of her system, it isnearly time to get outsideand spend our warm andsunny evenings enjoyingfamily and friends out onour decks. As you allknow, this past winterseason was especiallyharsh (a sick joke,actually) and quite possiblyhas compromised thesafety of a place you will spend much ofyour spare time.

A few questions to ask yourself whenevaluating the structural integrity of yourdeck are:

Do you have any split or decaying woodon the support posts, joists, deck boards,

railings or stairs?Any loose or corroded fasteners?

Have any nails popped up and are requiredto be pounded back in?

How about the stairs and railings? Dothey feel properly secured?

Please note the above list onlyscratches the surface, The NorthAmerican Deck and Railing Association(NADRA) have created a more detailedexplanation and checklist which can assistyou with the review of your deck and thedecision on whether maintenance will benecessary or not.

Here at the Building Department, weencourage everyone to visitwww.nadra.org to view the DeckEvaluation Checklist, Deck Safety Tips,photos and more. Please feel free tocontact us directly at (248) 625-8111 withadditional questions and/or concerns.

May is Deck Safety Month

Advisory Committee of residents withinvestment and banking backgroundswho could assist in reviewinginvestment strategy. The TownshipBoard agreed and we were able toeliminate the financial advisors andhave now saved more than $150,000.

Another strategy that has helped toimprove our returns is that we requestquotes from multiple qualified

Continued from Page 2 Securities Companies when we arelooking to invest. General speaking, wesave at least 0.1% when we getcompetitive quotes. The largest swingin pricing in the past 3 years has been0.6% on a $1,000,000 investment. Thatmeans an extra $6000 in returns on an18-month investment.

Next month, I’ll write about the stepswe’ve taken to protect our funds frommisappropriation.

Keeping taxpayer funds safe

Scott Lenhart

24 Wed., April 11, 2018 The Clarkston (MI) News


IndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceTownship TimesJune 2018June 2018June 2018June 2018June 2018

Building for the Township’s future, Part 2Building for the Township’s future, Part 2Building for the Township’s future, Part 2Building for the Township’s future, Part 2Building for the Township’s future, Part 2

Continued on Page 3



Last month we covered the big budgetdepartments, Water and Sewer, Police andthe Fire Department. With over 80 full-

time combinedemployees, and with lotsof capital requirementslike ambulances, firetrucks, water pumps,drinking water pumphouses, waterpurification systems andsewer lift stations —there is always somethingneeding repair orreplacement to truly testone’s patience.

This month I want tointroduce you to the rest of the TownshipTeam – Parks, Building, IndependenceTelevision and Assessing. While notcasting as big a shadow as Fire, Policeand DPW, these Township Directors alsoplay an essential role in makingIndependence the best in north OaklandCounty.

Independence Parks, Recreation andSeniors Director Derek Smith

Started in Parks and Recreation rightout of Central Michigan University in1998.

Five years as Director of the SouthEast MI/Livingston County RecreationAuthority.

Member - National Recreation andParks Association.

Certified Parks and RecreationProfessional.

MPARKS – Michigan Recreation andParks Association - Public PolicyMember, Past President 2013-14,Recreation Leadership Award Winner2012, Executive Board Member 2012– 2016.

USA Softball - James Ferrell Awardof Excellence 2010, Metro Detroit USASoftball Board Member & NationalUSA Player Representative/National

Board Member.PRS Director Derek Smith is building

on the momentum from our prior Director,Ken Elwert and taking the Parks, Recreationand Seniors Team to the next level with …

Upgrades to Township Parks Bay Court Park – Brady Lodge

renovation, Lakeview facility renovation,and a new playground in 2019.

Clintonwood Park – Senior Centerexpansion, renovation of all softball andhard ball diamonds, new tennis,pickleball and basketball courts,upgrades to soccer fields, new RyanKennedy playground, and to becompleted in 2018 a new spray park,day camp, and new ADA restrooms.

Sashabaw Plains Park – Bathroomrenovation and ball field upgrades.

Stickney/McCord Park – Communitygarden, walking trail and parking lotimprovements.

Recreation Division EnhancementsHosting USA State Softball

Championships.Growing attendance figures for

Independence Fest, Taste of Clarkston,Kids Day & Tons of Trucks.

New Holiday Market at Brady Lodge. Expanded our successful summer Day

Camp at Clintonwood and Bay CourtParks.

Youth sports programing to providefundamental and skill base training.

Growing Therapeutic Recreationprograms.

Joint initiative with Orion Townshipto build a new Miracle League balldiamond for special needs kids.

Senior Division Expansion Increased SMART Transportation

ridership, more Seniors traveling on dayand extended trips, growing Meals onWheels demand, and an increase inCommunity Development Block Grantspending to assist Minor Home Repair& Transportation and Senior projects.

Installed new emergency generatorat the Senior Center.

Currently at 300 different programsand classes for our Senior Community.

Expanding Lifelong Learningprograms.

Over 1,150 active members andgrowing.

Independence Television StationManager Matt Bleau

BA: Central Michigan University,2011. Major: Broadcast and CinematicArts Minor(s): Music Theatre andInterpretation.

MA: Central Michigan University,2013 Concentration: Electronic MediaProduction.

Began work Public Access Televisionin 2010. Job titles/ duties included:Production Coordinator, Editor, ProgramDirector, Video Producer, and StationManager.

Graduate Assistant at Central MichiganUniversity Public Access for 2 years:Year 1 - Production and Station Managerfor Educational Channel, Year 2 -Teaching Video Production.

Current Board Member for the CentralStates Region Alliance for CommunityMedia.Matt Bleau is expanding the services ofIndependence Television by leveragingthe intergovernmental relationship withClarkston Community Schools and the450 students who enroll in VideoProduction Classes at CCS to benefitthe community:

Township Board Meetings are nowbroadcast live on YouTube.

Upgrading cameras and broadcastequipment to High Definition for the ITVwebsite Video on Demand.

ITV Awards: Hometown Media, PhiloMedia, and Strom TV Project.

ITV Professional Memberships:Michigan Chapter — Alliance forCommunity Media.

Meetings Broadcast: Township —Board of Trustees, Planning Commission

and Zoning Board of Appeals, City ofthe Village of Clarkston – City Council,Independence District Library – LibraryBoard, ITV – Board Meeting. Plusnumerous parades, sporting activitiesand shows of public interest.

Growing Viewership: Independence Television’s YouTube

channel (started in January of 2014)has lifetime watch time of 305,110minutes and 94,240 views.

Clarkston Community SchoolsYouTube channel (started in Februaryof 2014) has a lifetime watch time of771,330 minutes and 110,618 views.

Independence Television’s FacebookPage in the last 28 days (April 1 - 28,2018) has reached 7,609 people.

Township Building, Planning andZoning Director Dave Belcher

Licensed Builder: 33 years. Building Inspector, Plan Reviewer:

19 years. Building Official, Plan Reviewer,

inspector: 14 years. Certified One Stop Ready Lead for

the Township. Certified Citizen Master Planner -

MSU.

And the Building Department brings awealth of experience to the table to betterassist residents and developers with adviceand code compliance:Scott Lenhart, Assistant Building Official:

Building Inspector, Plan Reviewer:13 years.

Licensed Builder: 24 years.Ron Shelton, Certified ElectricalInspector: 34 years.Scott Herzberg, Certified Mechanical &Plumbing inspector: 11 years.Brian Oppmann, Planning & ZoningAdministrator/Code EnforcementManager:

Planner: 18 years in both public andprivate sector.



If you Google “township funds missing”, lots ofstories pop up of communities that have lost hundredsof thousands of dollars due to poorinternal controls and 1 dishonestemployee.

When I first took office in 2012, Ihad the ability to wire millions ofdollars from township bank accountsand the only protection was that thebank would call one of my employeesto ask if it was okay. Boy have thingschanged since then. Today, I can’twire $5 without someone from theFinance Department approving thetransaction.

We have fortified our internal controls byimplementing dual authentication for all banktransactions and providing multiple individuals theability to access real-time transaction data for ouraccounts. In total, 7 Township officials/employees canlog into our bank accounts with read only rights.Additional rights are granted to these employees based

on their responsibilities. Even the ability to grant rights istightly controlled as the system has 2 securityadministrators. Finance Director Wendy Hillman, who isa CPA, is one of the administrators, and I am the other.No changes to security rights can take place withoutboth of us approving them electronically. We can’t evenchange our own settings without the other authorizing it.

When it comes to transferring funds, our system willnot allow the individual who creates the transfer to bethe one to release it. It must be released by one of theother authorized system users and prior to releasing it,they would need documentation showing the reason forthe transfer.

While electronic transactions are small in number, theycan be large in dollar amount so having ironclad controlsis critical for these.

The other way to have money leave the Township iswhen checks are written. Let me tell you, those controlsare possibly even stronger than our electronic controls.

Our AP Department is run by Bonnie Klobucar. TheTownship lucked out when she applied for the position acouple years ago. She came to us with many years ofexperience and she really runs a tight ship. Bonnie isresponsible for looking at every invoice that comes into

Internal Controls, lots of watchful eyes keep taxpayer funds from improper usethe Township and her experience certainly hasequipped her for spotting issues. There are electronicapprovals also required for all invoices being paidand if the process isn’t followed, Bonnie will nevercut the check. Period.

Bonnie also thought up the idea of having someoneother than her verify the checks against the associatedinvoices and check against vendor names andaddresses prior to mailing. It’s another strong securitymeasure that helps to reduce the chances ofimpropriety.

The other way to spend Township money is witha credit card. But let me tell you, if you don’t havethe valid receipts to match up the purchases, you’llbe reimbursing the Township for the expense and itdoesn’t matter who you are. I know this fromexperience, having lost a receipt from a meal at aconference a couple years ago. I had to pay it back.

All in all, I’d put our internal controls and our teamthat implements them up against any community andsleep well at night not worrying about our risk ofending up in the paper for the wrong reasons.


A few times each week, we haveresidents come into the office askingif they can pay their tax and utilitybills with a credit card. It’s areasonable question given thedecrease in our use of cash andchecks as consumers. While we dohave an option to use credit cards tomake payments online, it’s importantto understand that there are extrafees paid when using credit cards.

Let me explain how much the feesare, who gets the fees and why theycannot be avoided.

When credit cards are used tomake purchases at any business orthrough a website, the credit cardcompanies charge a fee betweentwo and three percent of thetransaction amount. If you spend$1,000, the credit card company gets$20-30 right off the top. The rate isnegotiated based on the volume ofthe business, among other variables.The rate for the Township is 2.5percent. For private businesses, thisis simply part of their businessexpenses.

For a local government, using part

Paying Taxes or Utilities with Credit Cardsof a dedicated millage to pay creditcard fees can present a significantproblem.

If the Township paid the fee, asignificant number of residents wouldbegin using credit cards to pay theirtaxes. Not only for convenience, butin many cases, for the bonus pointsthey earn by using the cards. Giventhe option, we might expect 20 percentof the bills to be paid by credit card.

At just 20 percent, the Townshipwould pay $285,000 in credit card feesper year. The overall impact on theTownship would actually be evengreater than this amount because wemust send 100 percent of the leviedmillage amount we collect for otherentities, i.e., the schools and county,to those entities.

We cannot subtract credit cardfees from what they are owed.Therefore, the total cost for acceptingcredit cards without charging theresident the fee would be more than$500,000 per year!

For this reason, while we do providethe option of using a credit card topay online, we must pass the creditcard fee along to those utilizing theoption.

Let Oakland County’s NO HAZCollection team help you safely disposeof household hazardous materials ranging from pesticides, paints, airfresheners, propane cylinders, cleaningsolutions, prescription medicines, andmore. You’d be surprised just how manyeveryday items are considered hazardouswaste. Many of the objects that help usin our daily lives become dangerouswhen disposed of alongside regularrubbish. Do you have an item you’reunsure about? View lists of accepted andnon-accepted materials in the FAQsection of Advantage Oakland’s NOHAZ web page, or call the NO HAZHotline at 248-858-5656.

2018 NO HAZ Collection Datesand Locations:

All events are from 8 AM – 2 PM.

Saturday, June 23Oakland University

2200 N. Squirrel Road, Rochester*NOTE –Walton Blvd. will be underconstruction between Adams and

Squirrel Roads

Saturday, July 28North Sashabaw Elementary School

5290 Maybee Road, Clarkston

Saturday, September 8Oakland County Service Center

Campus1200 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac*

*Check back, closer to event, for exactcampus location

Saturday, October 13Oakland Community College,Highland Lakes Campus

7350 Cooley Lake Road, Waterford(Enter from Hospital Road)

Before you arrive, please print thecompleted 2018 NO HAZ RegistrationForm and bring it with you. Theregistration form lists whether yourcommunity will charge $10, $15, requiresa voucher or is FREE.

Member residents can attend any ofthe collections during the regularcollection hours. If your community isnot a member of NO HAZ, you mayparticipate in the collection events for a$50 charge to be paid at the event in cashor check made out to Oakland CountyNOHAZ.

By choosing to safely dispose ofpotentially hazardous householdmaterials, you’re also choosing to protectyour friends, family and neighborhoodfrom harmful chemicals and otherdangers.

NO HNO HNO HNO HNO HAZAZAZAZAZ collection dates collection dates collection dates collection dates collection dates

State of Michigan Certified ZoningAdministrator.

State of Michigan Certified SoilErosion & Sedimentation ControlOfficer.

State of Michigan Certified StormWater Operator.

BS in Urban & Regional Planning:Michigan State University.

The Township Building, Planning andZoning Official has put a team togetherthat is taking the Building Department tothe next level with such innovative ideasand tools as:

Using technology (iPads) during theinspection process (building, electricaland plumbing & mechanical) toapprove/deny inspections and reportstatus real time to developers /contractors, saving time and doubledata entry. Photos of deficient workcan be sent directly via email to thedeveloper, again saves time and anymisunderstanding of concerns.

Creation of Interactive Maps andtools for the public to track newprojects at each stage of developmentfrom planning to construction.

An interactive land use inquiry mapshowing current zoning and future landuse designations on each property.

An online map showing all openpermits in the Township (comingsoon).

An online tool to file codeenforcement complaints online on a

map-based system (coming soon).

Township Assessing Director, KimFeigley

Over 30 years Assessing experiencein three counties with both large andsmall township municipal experience.

Served in various sized cities and ruralcommunities further lending to herAssessing experience.

State licensed appraiser 20 years10 years experience with

Independence Township early in hercareer.

MAAO - Michigan AdvancedAssessing Officer.

MCPPE - Michigan Certified PersonalProperty Examiner.

Practicing real estate salesperson for20+ years.

Owned a Home Inspection Businessand Appraisal business.

Trained with Mortgage Brokers tounderstand the needs within the realestate industry.

Dale Carnegie grad and a certifiedToastmaster.Owning and successfully operating her

own contract Assessing and Appraisalbusiness, Kim Feigley brings a uniqueentrepreneurial spirt to the public sector.Leveraging education and technology, Kimis preparing the members of the AssessingDepartment to take a more pro-active,customer service approach to business.

Measuring homes and landimprovements with enhanced aerial

photography.Using technology (iPads) in the field

to collect data (measurements / siteinformation) real time.

New APEX software to provide moreaccurate electronic sketches of homesand commercial projects to helpassessing accuracy.

Actively collaborates with the Buildingand Planning Department and the FireDepartment.

Integration of drone photography andinteractive mapping of current buildingprojects validates proposed with currentlevel of completion.

Continuous education in both officeand field for Assessing Staff. Teammembers teach each other on the variousskills and tools needed for the job.

* * *As stated in last month’s edition of the

Township Times, we are truly fortunate tohave a great team of dedicatedprofessionals working for the 37,000residents of the Township. And theresidents of the community further benefitin that many of the new systems,applications and innovative ways of doingbusiness being created today, will have apositive lasting impact for years to come.

I’ll finish with a success story of how aserious community need has been attackedby the Team. Like it or not, we are allgetting older. The SouthEast MichiganCouncil of Government (SEMCOG) hasforecast that close to 40 percent of ourresidents will be over 65 years of age within

Building for the Township’s future, Part 2Building for the Township’s future, Part 2Building for the Township’s future, Part 2Building for the Township’s future, Part 2Building for the Township’s future, Part 2the next few years.

No big deal you say.You still have your health. Still get

around in your new 4X4. Have familyclose by who can help out if you get intoa bind. But what about the elderly? Thesick? What about those who are not sofortunate and don’t have loved ones closeby they can lean on in time of need?

Now compound this when your 36-square mile community is hit with asevere ice storm? Or without power fora couple of days. Or gets spanked with14 inches of snow overnight? YourTownship Team has put their headstogether and created a database of elderlyresidents we come into contact withthrough the Senior Center, whoparticipate in Meals on Wheels or whocome into contact with our FirstResponders in medical emergencies.

The names and addresses are enteredinto a new interactive mapping tool whichcan be broken into subsections. Whenthe stuff hits-the-fan, Township Police,Fire, DPW and PRS staff come together,are assigned quadrants and will have thedata and mapping information tophysically call on our elderly residents toensure everything is okay.

Five years ago, this was not even onthe drawing board. Today, it is a realityand now part of our EmergencyOperations Plan.

Like I said, I’m proud of these guys.And you should be to.

Calling All Veterans! We arelooking for Veterans to participate inour upcoming Veterans Celebrationduring Independence Fest inClintonwood Park on July 4th. Thisyear’s event will be better than everstarting with our Military Museum

the Veterans Celebration should contactour Community Relations Coordinator,Amy Laboissonniere at 248-625-8223 [email protected].

If you have not participated before,give us a call to have your name added

IndependenceTownship Parks,

Recreation & SeniorsEighth Annual July

Fourth Veteran’sCelebration

Displays in Bartsch Hall from 11:00 a.m.to 3:00 p.m. We will have a specialceremony honoring all veterans and aComplimentary Lunch sponsored bySportsmens Great Northern Grill. Backby popular demand is TJ Craven whoperforms in the afternoon.

We are looking for Veterans of allwars and conflicts who would like todisplay military items from theRevolutionary War until present.Organizations who represent and workwith veterans are also invited toparticipate. We really need items fromthe more recent wars to display. If youhave any war related items you wouldlike to display in our Museum on July 4thplease contact me at 248-625-8231 toreserve your table space.

We are also seeking sponsors for theevent. Anyone interested in supporting

to our invitation list for this event. Ifyou have any questions, please giveme a call.

Barbara Rollin, Senior DivisionSupervisor, Independence TownshipParks, Recreation & Seniors.

Visit www.independencefest.org for an updated schedule of events.

GAMESFOR KIDS! VETERANS

CELEBRATION! FOOD!LIVE

ENTERTAINMENT!

Celebrate our Nation’s Birthday with Independence Township!

Celebrate our Nation’s Birthday with Independence Township!

2018

HOSTED BY:

July 4, 201811am–11pm • Clintonwood Park

10am Parade, Downtown Clarkston

••

To Help Residents Plan Their CommutesDTE Concert Schedule:

Driving during rush hour is tough, on concert nights it’s impossible. Please keep this schedule handy asa reminder when back routes home may be in order.

JuneFriday, 6/15 @ 7:30 PMSunday, 6/17 @ 5:30 PMThursday, 6/21 @ 7:00 PMFriday, 6/22 @ 7:30 PMSunday, 6/24 @ 4:30 PMTuesday, 6/26 @ 7:30 PMWednesday, 6/27 @ 7:00 PMThursday, 6/28 @ 7:30 PMFriday, 6/29 @ 7:00 PMSaturday, 6/30 @ 7:00 PM

JulyFriday, 7/6 @ 7 PMSaturday, 7/7 @ 7:15 PMMonday, 7/9 @ 7:00 PMWednesday, 7/11 @ 7:00 PMFriday, 7/13 @ 7:30 PMSaturday, 7/14 @ 7:00 PMSunday, 7/15 @ 7:00 PMWednesday, 7/18 @ 7:00 PMFriday, 7/20 @ 7:00 PMSunday, 7/22 @ 7:00 PMWednesday, 7/25 @ 6:30 PMSaturday, 7/28 @ 8:00 PMTuesday, 7/31 @ 7:00 PM

AugustThursday, 8/2 @ 7:30 PMTuesday, 8/7 @ 5:30 PMFriday 8/10 @ 6:00 PMSunday, 8/12 @ 7:30 PMThursday, 8/16 @ 6:30 PMFriday, 8/17 @ 7:30 PMSaturday, 8/18 @ 7:30 PMFriday, 8/24 @ 7:00 PMSaturday, 8/25 @ 7:00 PMTuesday, 8/28 @ 7:30 PMThursday, 8/30 @ 7:30 PM

SeptemberSaturday, 9/1 @ 7:00 PMSunday, 9/2 @ 6:30 PMFriday, 9/7 @ 7:00 PMSaturday, 9/15 @ 8:00 PMWednesday, 9/19 @ 7:30 PM



It’s that time of the year again …election time. The August 7 State

Primary is rightaround the corner, andwhile we are alreadygetting tired oflistening to all thepolitical rhetoric andseemingly endlesscommercials toutingone candidate overanother for local,county, state andfederal elections,

there will be two local ballot questionson the August Primary Ballot thatdirectly impacts the Township —renewals for both the Police ServiceOperations Millage and the SafetyPath Millage. And while I hate taxesas much as the next guy, these twomillages play a huge part in makingIndependence something special …

POLICE SERVICES: ThePolice Service Operations Millageballot question is asking thevoters to continue thepolice millage of2.8678 mills for aperiod of five (5)years. This requestis NOT ANINCREASE, but merelya continuation of the samemillage that has been previouslyapproved. The Township hascontracted with the Oakland CountySheriff’s Department for the past 40+years to provide ALL police servicesin the Township leveraging the Countyinfrastructure, 911 emergency

Township Primary Ballot Millagesdispatch, administrative services, crimelabs, aerial support, narcoticsenforcement, Special Weapons andTactics Teams and more, on top of theircrime prevention, traffic control andpatrol functions. All of this adds up toone of the best police service packagesin the State of Michigan, at a price tagthe Township could never afford on itsown. 31 Sheriff Deputies and CommandStaff are assigned to our communityproviding Police / First Responderservices on a 24/7 basis.

So, what happens if this millagefails? We would have to add this millagequestion to the November ballot and prayfor a different outcome. If both attemptsfailed, the Township has no funding toprovide critical police services.

SAFETY PATH: Thesecond local ballot questionis asking for a renewal ofthe existing Safety Pathmillage of .4320 mills for aperiod of ten (10) years.This millage request is

NOT AN INCREASE, but merely arenewal of the same millage that hasbeen previously approved.

First approved in 1980, the SafetyPath millage revenue has been used tomaintain all of the existing safety pathsand to link destination points within theTownship to enable residents to get outand enjoy the fresh air, while getting someexercise walking and biking in thecommunity.

The majority of easy pathway projects(code for in-expensive) have beencompleted. The more difficult pathwayprojects (code for expensive) are nowbeing prioritized by the volunteer SafetyPath Advisory Committee in conjunction

with the Township Board. PlannedSafety Path projects include: ClintonvilleRoad between Maybee and Waldon, theeast side of Sashabaw Road between I-75 and Clarkston Road, Middle LakeRoad between Clarkston Junior HighSchool to M-15, M-15 from Brioni’s todowntown Clarkston. Additional projectsinclude: Bike padswith repair stations,benches, path markers,bike racks andhistorical signs alongthe pathway system.

So, what happensif this millage fails?There are only enoughfunds available tomaintain the currentpathway system forthe next four (4) yearswith no additionalSafety Path expansionor connections.

In closing – yourvoice matters. If youfeel strongly about ourPolice Services and

Pat KittleSupervisor Safety Paths, please make sure you

get out and vote at the August 7 StatePrimary. Not going to be in town, callthe Township Clerk at 248-625-5113and ask if an Absentee VoterApplication can be mailed to you. It’syour community!

T TownshipIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependence imesJuly, 2018July, 2018July, 2018July, 2018July, 2018

Barb PallottaClerk

By Barb Pallotta, ClerkWhat every precinct voter shouldknow

Do you know that the polls are openon election daybetween the hours of7 a.m. until 8 p.m.?

Do you know thatyour voter registrationis tied to your driverslicense?

The National VoterRegistration Act(NVRA) or betterknown as “MotorVoter,” was signed intolaw on May 20, 1993and took effect on January 1, 1995.Under the NVRA, Michigan must offervoters the opportunity to register tovote through the mail, Secretary ofState offices, designated governmentagencies and military recruitmentoffices. In addition, the NVRA prohibitsTownship Clerks from issuing a“cancellation notice” to a voter solelybecause of the voter ’s failure toparticipate in elections. Most changesmade to your driver’s license at theClerk’s Office or at a Secretary ofState office is exchanged electronicallybetween the two entities daily.

Do you know the status of yourvoter registration; where youvote; how to operate our newvoting equipment; or how to viewa sample ballot?

Don’t wait until Election Day todetermine the status of your voterregistration; find your polling location;learn how to use your new votingequipment or view your sample ballot.

Visit the Township’s website atwww.indtwp.com.

Or visit the State of Michigan’sMichigan Voter Information Centerat: www.michigan.gov/sos. You willbe amazed at the amount of election

information conveniently available to youon-line. The Clerk’s Office welcomesphone calls too; you can reach usMonday-Friday; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at 248-625-5113.

Do you know that provisions areprovided at the precinct for voterswho require assistance?

Special accommodations are availablefor voters who are disabled. If you requirevoting assistance, ask an electioninspector for help; a reason for needingassistance does NOT have to be stated.Two inspectors will assist you in thevoting booth. Also, a voter who is blind,disabled or unable to read or write maybe assisted by ANY person of the voter’schoice other than the voter’s employeror agent of a union to which the voterbelongs. A voter-assist terminal (Verity-TouchWriter) is available for use also.This ballot-marking device is designedto permit voters who are disabled to voteindependently without the assistance ofanother person.

Do you know what type of photoidentification is acceptable?

Because of a 2007 Michigan SupremeCourt ruling, voters are now subject tophoto identification requirements prior tovoting. Bring an ACCEPTABLE formof PHOTO identification to the polls onElection Day; your photo ID does notneed to have your address on it.Acceptable forms of ID are:

MICHIGAN issued driver’slicense or personal ID card,

CURRENT driver’s license orpersonal ID card issued by anotherstate,

CURRENT Federal or stategovernment-issued photo identification,

CURRENT U.S. passport, CURRENT Military identification

card with photo, CURRENT Student identification

with photo from a MICHIGAN highschool or an accredited institution ofhigher education in MICHIGAN, or

CURRENT Tribal identificationcard with photo.

Do you know you can still vote ifyou forget to bring your photoidentification to the polls?

If you do not have acceptable photoID or you have photo ID but did not bringit to the polls, you may still cast a ballotby signing an affidavit. The affidavit,conveniently located on the back side ofthe application to vote and once signed,attests that you are not in possession ofphoto identification. Your ballot will becounted on Election Day!

Do you know you can vote even ifyou are an active member of themilitary or a civilian currentlyliving outside the United States?

A Federal Postcard Application(FPCA) form can be used to register tovote and request an absent voter ballot.The FPCA form is available onlinethrough the Federal Voting AssistanceProgram at www.fvap.gov and is alsodistributed through U.S. embassies andmilitary bases. A Michigan resident whomoves and registers out of state mayNOT re-register to vote in Michigan untilhe/she re-establishes residency here.Military and civilian voters, and theirspouses and dependents meetingMichigan’s residency requirement canreceive an absentee ballot. The lawpermits such voters to receive their ballotelectronically via email or fax.

Do you know how to make sureyour vote counts?

Read the ballot markinginstructions inserted on the secrecysleeve BEFORE marking your ballot.The BIGGEST mistake made by aprecinct voter is attempting to correctOR erase a marking mistake on a ballot.If you make an error your ballot can bespoiled and a replacement ballot issued.

TO VOTE: Completely darken thebox next to each choice as shown:

Use only a black or blue ink pen;do not use any other ink color!

Do not vote for more candidatesthan indicated under each office title.

Important for August Primary:

You can vote in one party sectiononly (Republican Party; DemocraticParty, or Libertarian); you cannot“split your ticket.” if you vote inmore than one party section, thepartisan section of your ballot willbe rejected!

Arrive no later than 8:00 PM atyour polling location on Election

Day!What every absentee votershould know. Do you know if youare eligible to vote an absenteeballot?

If you are properly registered to voteand meet one of the followingrequirements you are eligible forabsentee voting:

Age 60 years old or older, Unable to vote without assistance

at the polls, Expecting to be out of town on

election day, In jail awaiting arraignment or trial, Unable to attend the polls due to

religious reasons, or Appointed to work as an electioninspector in a precinct outside ofyour precinct of residence.

Do you know how to be added tothe permanent absent voter list?

If you meet one of the six statutoryrequirements you must submit yourrequest verbally or in writing to theClerk’s Office to be added to thepermanent absent voter list. Voters onthe permanent listing will automaticallyreceive an Application For AbsentVoter’s Ballot by mail prior to eachelection held in IndependenceTownship; a DUAL application ismailed for August/November electionsprior to an August election. A ballot willbe issued by the Clerk’s Office to thevoter only after receiving a qualified

Election News from The ClerkElection News from The ClerkElection News from The ClerkElection News from The ClerkElection News from The Clerk

Continued on next page

application from the voter. Applicationsare mailed approximately 60-days priorto each election and ballots are mailedapproximately 45-days prior to eachelection.

Do you know who can submitabsent voter’s ballot application

on your behalf?

The Clerk’s Office is working hardto make sure voters are aware of theupcoming election and any changes thatmay affect their vote. One thing voterscan do right now is confirm your voterregistration status and register to votein the community you reside prior to thedeadline! Residents may register to voteat the Township Clerk’s Office or at aSecretary of State location at least 30days prior to any election.

Voter Registration Deadline forAugust 7 Election: Tuesday, July 9.If you miss this deadline, you may beeligible to vote in your old jurisdiction.

Contact the Clerk’s Office of yourformer jurisdiction for confirmation!

Attention Students: First timevoters/students that may be away atcollege must have registered to vote in-person at the Clerk’s Office or aSecretary of State office to be able torequest an absent voter ballot. Those

persons that have registered to vote bymail are not eligible to vote by absenteeunless they personally stop by the Clerk’sOffice with proper identification.

What can I expect to see on myballot?

Below is Precinct 1’s 2-SIDEDAugust Primary ballot: visit the

Township’s website to view your precinctballot!Local Ballot Proposals - August 7Primary BallotPolice Services Operating Millage

Shall the Charter Township ofIndependence be authorized to levy up to2.8678 mills for a period of five (5) years,starting with the December 2018 levy, forthe purpose of continuing to provide policeservices in the Township?

In 2014, the voters approved a millagefor the above-stated purposes in the amountof 2.95 mills. That 2014 millage expired in2017. Approval of the above proposalwould allow the Township to levy up to2.8678 mills (being a continuation of thepreviously authorized police millage) as newadditional millage to replace the expiredmillage for purposes of continuing toprovide police services in the Township.Approval of this proposal would allow atax limitation increase of approximately$2.87 per $1,000 of taxable value on alltaxable property in the Township. It isestimated that this proposal would result inthe authorization to collect $4,542,091 inthe first year if approved and levied. It isestimated that 99.13% of the annual millagerevenue would be disbursed to the CharterTownship of Independence for policeservices and, as required by law, 0.87%(8.7 tenths of one percent) would bedisbursed to the Township’s SashabawRoad Corridor Improvement Authority. Theamount disbursed to the Sashabaw RoadCorridor Improvement Authority shall becollected solely from properties located inthe Sashabaw Road Corridor ImprovementAuthority District.

IMPORTANT: All questions related tothe Police Millage are to be directed to theTownship Supervisor’s Office at 248-625-5111; Ext. 525. Questions related to theSashabaw Corridor Improvement Authoritydisbursement are to be directed to theIndependence Township Assessing Officeat 248-625-5111; Ext. 219.

Renewal of Safety Path MillageShall the Charter Township of

Independence be authorized to continue thepreviously authorized levy of up to .4320mills for a period of ten (10) years, startingwith the December 2019 levy, for purposesof continuing the safety path program,including the construction and maintenanceof safety paths and the acquisition of rights-of-way for such purposes?

This proposed millage is a renewalof previously authorized millageapproved by the voters in 2008 for theabove-stated purposes. Approval of thisproposal would renew a tax limitationincrease of approximately $.43 per$1,000 of taxable value on all taxableproperty in the Township. It is estimatedthat this proposal would result in theauthorization to collect $684,212 in thefirst year if approved and levied. It isestimated that 99.13% of the annualmillage revenue would be disbursed tothe Charter Township of Independencefor safety path purposes and, as requiredby law, 0.87% (8.7 tenths of onepercent) would be disbursed to theTownship’s Sashabaw Road CorridorImprovement Authority. The amountdisbursed to the Sashabaw RoadCorridor Improvement Authority shall becollected solely from properties locatedin the Sashabaw Road CorridorImprovement Authority District.

IMPORTANT: All questions relatedto the Safety Path Millage are to bedirected to the Township Supervisor’sOffice at 248-625-5111; Ext. 525.Questions related to the SashabawCorridor Improvement Authoritydisbursement are to be directed to theIndependence Township AssessingOffice at 248-625-5111; Ext. 219.

Important Dates: 2018 Primary &General Elections

Deadlines for the Aug. 7 PrimaryElection and the Nov. 6 General Electionare as follows.

1. Filing for Precinct Delegate,Affidavit of Identity was May 8.

2. Withdrawal: Precinct DelegateCandidate was May 11.

3. Write-in: Precinct DelegateCandidate is Friday, Aug. 3 at 4 p.m.

4. Delivery of Military & OverseasAbsentee Voter (AV) Ballots for PrimaryElection is June 23; Sept. 22 for GeneralElection

5. Last day to Register to Vote forthe Primary Election is July 9; Oct. 9for the General Election.

6. Last day to Submit AV Voter BallotApplication to recieve AV ballot by mailin the Primary Election is Aug. 4, at 2p.m.; Nov. 3, at 2 p.m. for the GeneralElection.

7. The last day to vote in person atthe Clerk’s Office for the PrimaryElection is Aug. 6 at 4 p.m.; Nov. 5 at 4p.m. for the General Election.

What Every Voter Should KnowWhat Every Voter Should KnowWhat Every Voter Should KnowWhat Every Voter Should KnowWhat Every Voter Should Know



It wasn’t that many months ago myphone was blowing up from a bunch ofreally upset residents who just blew outtheir tires on multiplepotholes in thecommunity on a coldwintery weekend.Or while shopping atthe local market andgot blasted from aneighbor who justpaid a $700 repair billon their new car afterhitting a pothole.Heck, even myneighborhood priest gave me an earfulafter a ‘near death’ experience one ofhis parishioners had with a hugepothole.

And while I hate potholes as muchas the next guy, what I dislike evenmore is getting yelled at about potholes… only because the Township hasnothing to do with maintaining andrepairing the roads. The one thing incommon that happened with all thescenarios just mentioned was a questionthat went something like this (expletivesdeleted) … “so what are you going todo about fixing the roads Mr. Big ShotTownship Supervisor?”

Well it took a few months to workout the details with the lawyers and theRCOC, but the Township Board hasdecided to bring to the voters a proposalto fix the pothole problem in ourcommunity.

THE PLAN: On the Novemberballot, the Township is going to let theIndependence residents decide if theyare willing to approve a 2 Mill / 4-Year

I hate potholes!

Road Improvement Millage, which willenable the Township to workcooperatively with the RCOC and repairand repave over 28 miles of Townshiproads. And we’re not talking aboutshort-term patch-work, like you areseeing now with the spot repairs around

the Township. Instead, this roadimprovement plan involves milling theexisting surface off 28 miles ofroadways, properly repairing the basecoat, extending the pavement on theshoulder 2 feet, adding 3 inches of newasphalt and making all federallymandated ADA requirements atcrosswalks.

This method of rehabilitating the roadswill provide for a 10-year life expectancyvs. the current 4-5 years on the spotrepairs. The funding will also providefor needed maintenance to help ensurewe get our money’s worth. Before yourip up this article because besidespotholes, you hate taxes even more …please read on so you can at least makea well-informed decision.

Pat KittleSupervisor

T TownshipIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependence imesAugust, 2018August, 2018August, 2018August, 2018August, 2018

THE ROADS: The following listhighlights the 28 miles of roads thatare currently rated POOR in theTownship and targeted forimprovement under the millage plan.In reading this list you will probablynotice that no matter where you live inthe Township, there is a very highprobability you have to drive on one ormore these roads to get to yourresidence.

THE COSTS: Here is how thisproposed Road Improvement Millagewill impact the average resident in ourcommunity. Two Mills equates to$2.00 in incremental taxes for every$1,000 of taxable value on your home.

Continued on Next Page

I hate potholes!Continued from previous pageWith the average home valued at$279,500, the average taxable value is$111,700. Two Mills would equate to$223 for the average homeowner. Ifyou look at the $223 from a weeklyperspective, the cost breaks down to$4.28.

This proposed Road ImprovementMillage will only last 4 years. TheRoad Improvement Millage proposal isbeing placed on the November ballotwhen there is a traditionally highervoter turn-out. Every penny of theRoad Millage collected over the fouryears will Stay In IndependenceTownship! The cost to repair 28 milesof roadway is estimated at $16,500,000.The RCOC will contribute $4,500,000.The balance of the cost, $12,000,000will be covered by the road millage.We intend to begin work in 2019 andcomplete it in 2023, that is, four yearsof lots of orange cones.

A NO VOTE will result in thestatus quo for the roads in ourcommunity and leaving thecondition of our roads and timingfor rehabilitating them in the handsof the RCOC and Statelegislators’ decisions in Lansing.

A YES VOTE gives ourcommunity a level of directcontrol over the condition of theroads in our community byproviding the necessary fundingfor our Township to work with the

RCOC to rebuild them right nowwhen they need it. If there are any unused millage

funds after the above road work iscompleted and paid for, they will bepooled into a special-restricted accountwhereby residential neighborhoods canapply to receive up to $150,000 tooffset the cost to repair theirneighborhood public roadways. Thisincentive will be on a first come / firstserve basis after the Township roadwork is done and paid for in 2023.More details will follow on this topic.

BOTTOM LINE: No matter howthis Road Improvement Millage ballotproposal turns out, there will be somefolks who will hate the results and somewho will love them. We understandthere are a lot of residents who wantand need tax relief and are asking whyin the heck is the Township gettinginvolved in RCOC business. We alsounderstand there is a large group offolks who hate the condition of ourroads, who think Independenceresidents deserve better and are willingto contribute to a solution. TOUGHCALL EITHER WAY! That’s whythe Board agreed to put this RoadImprovement Millage request on theNovember ballot and let Independencetaxpayers decide. Keep you posted.


Property taxes billswere mailed out thefirst week in July andif you have notreceived yours by nowyou should stop in topick up a copy. Ifgetting here is not easyfor you, please give usa call and we can emailyou a duplicate.Although the taxes arenot due until September14, it’s a good idea to mark your calendarwith the due date if you do not have anescrow account that pays the taxes foryou.

Your tax bill contains lots ofinformation and I encourage you to readit completely and contact me directly ifyou have questions. Understanding howyour taxes are calculated and how thosefunds are used is important and we’rehere to answer your questions.

Autopay now availablefor Property Taxes

There are multiple options for payingyour tax bill. In addition to the methodslisted on the bill, we’ve just initiated anew option. Autopay. With this method,you authorize the Township towithdrawal the balance due from youraccount. We will provide several optionsfor timing. You can ask us to withdrawal1 week prior to the due date or on thedue date. The benefit of choosing theearlier date is that it gives you enoughtime to resolve any issues that mightoccur should your account beoverdrawn and still get your taxes paidin time. If this is not a concern, we canpull the payment on the due date withoutissue. We have several years’ experiencewith this process, as we use the samemethod for our Water & Sewercustomers who have signed up forautopay.

If your property is held in a trust andthe taxes are paid by the trust, Autopayis an excellent option to ensure that yourtaxes get paid on time now and into thefuture.

To sign up for Autopay, please stopby the Treasurer’s Office to completethe form and allow us to more thoroughly

explain the options. If necessary, I canmake home visits to assist in completingthe paperwork.

If I can provide additional information,please give me a call at 248-625-5115.

Sign up for Autopayfor your utility bill.

If you are a water and/or sewercustomer, you received an Autopay signup form with your most recent bill. Sofar, the response has been fantastic, asdozens have signed up. With Autopay,your bill is emailed to you a few weeksahead of the due date letting you knowhow much is owed. The quarterlypayment is then pulled from your bankaccount on the due date. Our ordinancerequires a 10% penalty for late paymentsso its smart to have it automatically paid.It also helps to keep costs down for theWater & Sewer Department. If half ourcustomers signed up for emailed billing,we’d save up to $20,000 per year inpostage and processing costs. If youhaven’t signed up yet but are thinkingabout doing so, I encourage you to takethat step. If you don’t have the sign-upform, they are available online atwww.indtwp.com under the ReferenceCenter tab. Give us a call if you need helpfinding it.

Summer Tax DefermentThe State of Michigan allows for the

deferment of Summer Taxes until the duedate of the Winter Taxes without penaltyon a taxpayer’s Principle Residence, ifthey meet certain requirements. TheTaxpayers gross household income fromthe prior year cannot exceed $40,000 andone of the following classifications mustbe met:

62 years of age or older, includingthe unmarried surviving spouse ofa person who was 62 years of ageor older at the time of death

Paraplegic, Hemiplegic, orQuadriplegic

Eligible Serviceperson, EligibleVeteran, Eligible Widow or Widower

Blind Person Totally and Permanently Disabled

If you qualify for deferment, pleasestop by my office to complete theApplication. The Application must becompleted by September 14, 2018.

Have you receivedHave you receivedHave you receivedHave you receivedHave you receivedyour property tax bill?your property tax bill?your property tax bill?your property tax bill?your property tax bill?

Paul BrownTreasurer



You may have read about a newthreat to communities from the west sideof the state who draw drinking waterfrom underground aquifers ... PFAS.Here’s an exerp from a July 31, 2018,Detroit News article.

Michigan Halfway Through TestingHundreds Of Water Sites For PFASContaminants

PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl andPolyfluoroalkyl) are chemicals that havebeen used in firefighting foams, foodpackaging materials, and in commercialhousehold products or manufacturingfacilities. Long-term exposure to PFAScan cause health problems, includingissues in the thyroid, kidney, heart and

Important Update: Community WellsImportant Update: Community WellsImportant Update: Community WellsImportant Update: Community WellsImportant Update: Community Wellsreproductive system. The water supplyfor the City of Parchment andneighboring Cooper Township (bothlocated in the west side of Michigan)was found to have 1,587parts per trillion ofPFAS, more than 20times higher than theU.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency’shealth advisory of 70parts per trillion.”

* * *Due to the recent

finding on the west sideof the state, theMichigan PFAS Action Response Teamhas undertaken a proactive effort toinvestigate sources and locations of

Continued on Page 4

By Derek Smith,Director PR&S

The original Spray Park atClintonwood Park was one of the firstconstructed in the State of Michiganwhen it opened in 2004.

It was built in honorof Renee Przybylski, aDay Camp Counselorwho passed away fromLeukemia at age 23.Through communitysupport and efforts putforth by a committee ofdedicated communityfriends, the Friends ofRenee Przybylski raisedthe funds necessary to open the facilityon September 12, 2004. For over 14years the Renee Przybylski MemorialSpray Park gave Clintonwood Park adestination amenity that welcomed over10,000 visitors every summer.

Unfortunately, like everything else,time had taken its toll on the Spray Parkand the amenity became costly,problematic to maintain and extremelydifficult to operate at a safe level forpublic use.

In 2016, the Independence TownshipParks, Recreation and Seniors (ITPRS)Department began planning for thereplacement of the Spray Park byworking on design and engineering planswith Penchura Inc. from Brighton,Michigan. On September 19, 2017, Igave a presentation to the IndependenceTownship Board of Trustees regardingthe Spray Park Capital ImprovementProject (CIP).

The presentation included an updateon the old facility’s degrading aesthetics,operating malfunctions and annual costto maintain. New facility designs, layout,mechanical system functionality,construction timeline, projected cost andsavings were also presented to theBoard. With Independence TownshipBoard of Trustee support, ITPRS beganearmarking over $450,000 for the PhaseI replacement project through its CapitalImprovement Plan. With cost savings inmind, ITPRS sought to purchase theequipment through HGAC BUY, agovernment cooperative purchasingprogram that allows municipalities toreceive competitive bidding onequipment nationally and a savings ofover 15% on all purchases.

On December 5, 2017, the Board of

Trustees approved the spray park designproposal from Penchura Inc., and thepurchase of $231,000 of Aquatixmechanical and spray equipment fromLandscape Structures of Minneapolis,Minnesota through HGAC BUY.

In March of 2018, ITPRS publiclypublished a Request for Proposal (RFP)competitive bidding package for theconstruction and installation of the newspray park. As a cost savings methodand to give the Township flexibility towork with local companies, the RFP wasbroken into four sections detailingexcavation, installation, concrete andrestoration.

At the April 17, 2018 Board ofTrustees meeting, the construction bidswere awarded to Michigan RecreationalConstruction (MRC) of Brighton,Michigan, for the installation of the

mechanical and spray equipment for anamount not to exceed $203,611; andParagon Concrete Company ofWaterford, Michigan, for concrete in theamount not to exceed $18,290. ITPRSwas also able to save money byconnecting MRC with A DoranExcavating, LLC. from Clarkston, andagreeing to do all restorations of theproject through the Parks Division ofITPRS. In total, the installation, concreteand restoration of the new facility willcost $221,901. The equipment purchaseand installation costs bring the total PhaseI project to $452,901.

The original spray park wasdemolished and removed in the fall of2017. After obtaining required permitsfrom the Michigan Department ofEnvironmental Quality, construction ofthe new facility began this past July.

New spray park construction underway!New spray park construction underway!New spray park construction underway!New spray park construction underway!New spray park construction underway!

Derek SmithDirector, PR&S

“Splash Pad at Clintonwood Park– A Community Fundraising Effort.”

In the spring of 2018, ITPRS beganmeeting with the representatives fromthe original Friends of Renee Przybylskiproject to raise funds for Phase II of theNew Clintonwood Spray Park. Phase IIwill include restoration of the grounds,fencing, benches, and landscaping.

The funds will also be used toconstruct a new donor brick paverwalkway that will incorporate all theoriginal donor bricks and any new brickssold. The walkway will replace thesidewalk that connects the Spray Parkwith the Ryan Kennedy MemorialPlayground. ITPRS is projecting the costof Phase II to be $30,000.

The Department has currently raisedjust under $10,000 and has published afundraising guide detailing levels ofsponsorship from $200 bricks to $20,000naming rights options. For details andmore information on sponsoring the NewRenee Przybylski Memorial Spray Park,please contact ITPRS at 248-625-8223.

ITPRS is hopeful that the New ReneePrzybylski Spray Park will open forLabor Day weekend of 2018. We areboth excited and proud to be given thisopportunity to work with the communityin replacing this great memorial park thatwill continue to bring joy and summerfun to both residents and visitors alike.

Clintonwood Park, and all itswonderful recreation opportunities, iswhat makes Independence Township thebest place to live, work and play!

A rendering of Clintonwood’s new splash pad.

PFAS contamination in the entire Stateof Michigan. In collaboration with theMichigan Department ofEnvironmental Quality (MDEQ), allwells for the Independence Townshippublic water supply have been testedfor this contaminate.

PFAS was “Not Detected” in 15of the 16 wells that provide drinkingwater for the Township. Test resultsfrom one well indicated a trace amountof PFAS analytes at 10 PPT (part pertrillion), well below the non-regulatoryLifetime Health Advisory Level of 70PPT set by the United States

Environmental Protection Agency in2016. Upon notification of PFAS traceamounts showing up at this one well,the Township proactively shut thiswellhead down until the MDEQ candetermine the best course of action.Independence Township will nowbegin quarterly testing of all well sitesfor PFAS contaminates as part of ourroutine water quality monitoringprocess.

If you have any questions or wouldlike more information, please contactthe Independence TownshipDepartment of Public Works at 248-625-8222.

Important Update: Community WellsImportant Update: Community WellsImportant Update: Community WellsImportant Update: Community WellsImportant Update: Community WellsContinued from Page 2


Road Improvement Proposal Follow-up


T TownshipIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependence imesSeptember, 2018September, 2018September, 2018September, 2018September, 2018

By Pat Kittle, SupervisorThought I would share a few concerns

received about the proposed RoadImprovement Millage after last month’sTownship Times hit the newsstands andresident mailboxes…

The Clarkston Newsforwarded a concernraised by anIndependence residentabout the Two-Mil,Four-Year RoadImprovement Millageproposal intended toprovide funding to repairover 28 miles of roadsin the Township andasked for a response.

The specifics of theconcern are paraphrased as follows:

In 2015 Pat Kittle mentioned a roadmillage a couple of times. In the August12, 2015 Township Times, he said, thebiggest concern from residents was tomake sure that the Township does notget “stiffed” on future roadappropriations if we repave our ownroads with a local millage. He met withthe RCOC and was told “If we repairthe primary roads with our ownmillage, there will no longer be a needand the funds that would have beenused for our roads, would instead gotowards primary roads in othercommunities”.

In the January 2016 Township TimesKittle says, “the proposed local roadmillage to repair/repave Independenceroads is all but dead”.

In the August 2018 Township Times,there is now going to be a millageproposal on the November ballot. So,have things changed with the RCOCor will we get “stiffed” in the end?

This was my response to thenewspaper …

You are correct in your note. I didchicken-out back in 2015 because Iwas not comfortable with the answersfrom the RCOC I needed to move theoriginal Road Improvement Proposalforward. Things have changed at theRCOC and the Road ImprovementMillage being proposed this year issubstantially different than what wasdiscussed in 2015 with: 27% moremiles of roadway to be repaired, thesame $12M Township contribution, theaddition of a $4.5M RCOCcontribution, a yearly RCOCmaintenance plan being added and ananticipated $500,000 in co-op fundingavailable for neighborhood public roadrepairs at project completion.

* * *The Clarkston News also asked to

address several additional items: 1. What is the shared

responsibility between the Townshipand RCOC?

2. Where is the $4.5 million thatRCOC is contributing coming from?

3. Lastly, will the Township get

“stiffed” on future work with RCOCnow contributing?

My responses were as follows:

1. Oakland County Roads, as mostroadways in the State of Michigan, arein such a state of disrepair, there is notenough money to go around to fix them.Michigan has ranked in the bottom 10of per capita road funding since the1960’s. And in 2015, Michigan ranked47th.

In order to tackle this problem, theTownship Board has recognizedthrough experience in other projectsthat a more proactive approach isneeded to get our infrastructure intothe shape the Township deserves byforming partnerships with as manyagencies as possible to secure neededfunding to improve the condition of theinfrastructure in our community. Wedid it for the I-75 interchange project.We had support from MDOT, RCOC,Oakland County, the Sashabaw

Corridor Improvement Authority(CIA), the Township General Fund,as well as McLaren Health Care tomake that project a reality. We did itfor the new safety paths installedalong Sashabaw Road by theIndependence Oaks Park justcompleted this summer through ajoint cost-sharing effort with theOakland County Parks andRecreation Commission. And, we areagain taking the same approach withthe North Sashabaw Road Wideningproject that is starting this fall as ajoint RCOC, Township, County andCIA project, and there are severalother road and safety path projectson the horizon that will be completedby forming partnerships with othergovernmental agencies.

The proposed 2018 RoadImprovement Millage is an extensionof how these partnerships with theTownship, RCOC and other fundingsources can work, and hopefully will

The above chart highlights the differences between the original 2015 plan and the proposed 2018 plan.


ROAD IMPROVEMENT MILLAGE PROPOSALS: 2015 VS 2018

PLAN SPECIFICS 2015 PLAN 2018 PLAN

Life Expectancy of Repair 10 Years 10 Years

Township Contribution $12 Million $12 Million

Roads to be Fixed 22 Miles 28 Miles

RCOC Contribution No Commitment $4.5 Million

Maintenance Plan No Commitment Yearly Maintenance

Funds for Neighborhoods $0 Funds Estimated Pool of $500K

Funding Responsibility Township Only Township & RCOC

continue to work, if we are going toget ahead of the curve and securefunding for needed infrastructureimprovements.

2. The RCOC contributioninvolves its payment for the requireddesign engineering and constructionengineering services associated withimproving the 28 miles of roads,which is estimated at $4.5M in value.These services would be a Townshipexpense if we had to do this projecton our own. In addition to thiscontribution, the RCOC hascommitted to a preventativemaintenance plan for these roads tohelp ensure the Township will get thefull life expectancy from this hugeproject.

3. Bottom Line: What scared meoff on the 2015 road millage was thatit would have been the Township whobasically was going to have to“deliver the goods” all on our own,but the current proposal addressesthat shortfall with the partnership thatwill exist between the RCOC and theTownship on this project, if themillage passes. If this office had anymisgivings on this project proposal,it would not have asked forpermission from the Board forplacement on the November 2018ballot.

* * *And lastly, I received a call a week

or so ago from a gentleman concerned

about a buddy of his who rents a housein the Township and that he would begetting a free ride with the proposedRoad Improvement Millage.

I explained to the caller how theowners of apartment buildings or rentalhomes all pay property taxes, just likeresidents, and if passed, the propertywhere his buddy lives would be subjectto the same two mils over four years. Ialso mentioned that over time, there’s agood chance these rental owners willpass this road millage tax expense on totheir renters in the form of a rentincrease or some other fee. The callerseemed pleased the owner or maybeeven his buddy would be paying his fairshare.

In closing, while this proposed RoadImprovement Millage is not a perfectsolution, it is one that has the RoadCommission contributing a significantportion towards the total cost, it allowsfor an additional six miles of roads to bepaved, it has a maintenance plan toensure the designed life expectancy ofthe roads are maximized and has aprovision for unspent funds to beavailable to help neighborhoods repairresidential streets.

As stated last month, asking foradditional tax dollars for anything is atough call. And this is the reason theTownship Board decided to put thisproposal on the November ballot and letthe voters decide.

As we get more calls and letters, wewill keep you informed.

Road Improvement Proposal Follow-upContinued from previous page

By Paul Brown, TreasurerIt’s that time of year again and my

office is very busy posting taxpayments. The due date is September14 and we will be open until 5 p.m. toaccept your payments and get themposted to your account.

The Townshipcharges interest ofone percent forpayments receivedfrom September 15-30 followed by anadditional one percentfor each month latethereafter untilFebruary 14.February 15-28 anadditional 3% penalty

applies. All summer and winter tax billsthat are not paid by February 28, 2019are turned over to the Oakland CountyTreasurer for collection.

If you would like to verify we havereceived your payment you can look upyour property on the Township’sWebsite www.IndTwp.com. Click onthe Property Information tab on theright side of the screen. This will takeyou to AccessMyGov.com where youcan look up your information by Name,Address or Parcel number.

If you bring up the right property, youshould see a picture of your house.

Below the picture, select the TaxInformation tab. This page will showyour current taxes due, as well ashistorical payments. If you need helplooking up your information, give us acall to assist. 248-625-5115.

Summer Tax DefermentThe State of Michigan allows for the

deferment of Summer Taxes until thedue date of the winter taxes withoutpenalty on a taxpayer’s PrincipleResidence, if they meet certainrequirements. The Taxpayer’s grosshousehold income from the prior yearcannot exceed $40,000 and one of thefollowing classifications must be met:

62 years of age of older,including the unmarried survivingspouse of a person who was 62years of age or older at the timeof death

Paraplegic, Hemiplegic, orQuadriplegic

Eligible Serviceperson, EligibleVeteran, Eligible Widow orWidower

Blind Person Totally and Permanently

DisabledIf you qualify for deferment, please

stop by my office to complete theApplication. The Application must becompleted by September 14, 2018.

Property Tax Due DateProperty Tax Due DateProperty Tax Due DateProperty Tax Due DateProperty Tax Due DateApproaching Fast!Approaching Fast!Approaching Fast!Approaching Fast!Approaching Fast!

Paul BrownTreasurer


By David McKee, DPW DirectorHave you noticed our new Wellhead

Protection Area road signs scatteredaround the Township? Thanks to the

Oakland TechnicalSchools Visual ImagingDepartment and grantassistance from theMichigan Departmentof EnvironmentalQuality (MDEQ), werecently updated ourWellhead ProtectionProgram logo andinstalled new signagealong the roadwayswithin our wellhead

protection areas. Also, (with the help ofIndependence Television), we are also

in the process of developing a WellheadProtection video and banner for use inupcoming parades and other events.

What is Wellhead Protection?The Wellhead Protection Program

was initiated by MDEQ to assist localcommunities utilizing groundwater fortheir municipal drinking water supplysystems in protecting the water resource.

Michigan’s groundwater is used fordrinking water by nearly half of thestate’s population. In addition, it is utilizedfor irrigation and industrial purposes andcontributes to the economy and uniquequality of life in our Great Lakes State.

What is Groundwater?Groundwater is water below the

surface that feeds wells and springs andmaintains the level of rivers and lakes indry weather. Groundwater comes fromrain and snow that soaks into the groundand is filtered down under the surface. It can be brought to the surface using apump or a well. Once pumped, thegroundwater can be used for drinking orirrigating crops. If chemicals andpollutants are dumped on the ground, theycan get into the groundwater and makeit unsafe to drink. This could also killthe plants and animals that might use thewater.

Mission StatementIndependence Township is dedicated

to the preservation and protection ofwater quality. In order to prevent

groundwater pollution, IndependenceTownship has developed a WellheadProtection Program and will continue toapply for grant monies from the MDEQto continue our efforts.

What You Can Do If you own a septic tank, have

your tank pumped out and inspectedat least every 5 years;

Never flush chemicals down thetoilet;

Always recycle householdchemicals like gasoline, motor oil,kerosene, insecticides, poisons, andpaint; and

Never dump chemicals onto theground.

New Wellhead Protection Area Road Signs Installed

Did you know that the catchbasin inlets located around ourTownship drain directly to the ClintonRiver and our waterways,untreated? That means everythingthat goes down the storm drain flowsinto our rivers, lakes, and streams,which can have a negative impacton aquatic life. It’s important tokeep all materials except rainwaterout of the drain, such as oils,sediments, excess fertilizers, andleaves.

The Independence TownshipPublic Works Department is seekingvolunteers (Boy/Girl/Eagle Scoutgroups and other environmentally-minded organizations andindividuals) to help paint ‘NoDumping: Drains to River’ stencilson our curbs adjacent to storm draininlets throughout the Township.This effort will help educate ourresidents and businesses on theimportance of water quality in theTownship and our region and willpromote awareness throughout ourcommunity.

If you are interested involunteering, please contact thePublic Works Department at: 248-625-8222.

REMEMBER – ONLY RAIN INTHE DRAIN!

VolunteersVolunteersVolunteersVolunteersVolunteersNeeded!Needed!Needed!Needed!Needed!

2–6pm (Choose a start time when you purchase your ticket;

sold in 15 minute increments. Ex. 3:15, 3:30, etc.)

TICKETS : $7/resident; $10/non; Adults Free

Reserve your tickets early, NO ONSITE TICKETS SOLD

Tickets on sale August 27.

Saturday,

October 20

Clintonwood Park | 6000 Clarkston Rd.

For questions or tickets, call (248) 625-8223

ITPRS.org


Road Improvement Proposal Follow-up


T TownshipIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependence imesOctober, 2018October, 2018October, 2018October, 2018October, 2018

Continued on Page 4


Still getting questions and hearingconcerns about the proposed Road

Improvement Millagethat will be appearingon the Novemberballot. Thought Iwould share them andmy responses withyou. (Some of theseissues have beenaddressed in priorTownship Timesarticles. Apologizefor the redundancy.)

THE QUESTION: “Who you kid-ding? This road thing is a done deal!The Township is just jamming anothertax down my throat!”

MY RESPONSE: This Road Im-provement proposal is not a “donedeal.” The Township Board only ap-proved putting the Road Improvementlanguage on the November ballot. TheTownship residents are the ones whowill decide if this millage proposal getsapproved / denied by voting YES orNO.

THE QUESTION: “Roads arenot the responsibility of the Township.Let somebody else pay for the repairs!Why the Township?”

MY RESPONSE: The lousy con-dition of the roads in the entire Stateof Michigan has been a concern fordecades. And, I can tell you first-handbased on the numbers of calls fromfrustrated residents, our roads in In-dependence Township have been get-ting progressively worse in the 6 yearsI have been Supervisor.

Michigan ranks near the bottom in

the country in terms of per capita fund-ing for road and infrastructure repairs.Even with the recent increases in thegas tax and vehicle registration fees,once those funds are spread out state-wide, we are told by the County RoadAssociation of Michigan, the MichiganTownship’s Association and others thatthere will still not be nearly enough fund-ing to get the roads up to a satisfactorycondition.

Our phones continue to get blown upfrom residents complaining about thelousy roads in the Township asking whatwe are going to do about fixing them,even though we have ZERO jurisdic-tion over controlling improvements tothe roads. To address this issue, theTownship Board has determined thatjointly working with the Road Commis-sion makes a lot more sense than tryingto do this on our own. $16.5M is a tonof money to fix over 28 miles of roadsin the Township. So, the proposal is tohave the Township contribute $12M witha 2 MIL tax over 4 years and have theRoad Commission contribute $4.5M for

design, engineering, culvert repair andmaintenance. But this is a decision thatwill be made by the Independence vot-ers on the November ballot, not theTownship Board.

THE QUESTION: “Didn’t youdream this road millage up a few yearsago and chickened out putting it on theballot? You said then the Township wasgoing to get stiffed. What changed?”

MY RESPONSE: You are correct.I did chicken-out back in 2015 becauseI was not comfortable with the answersfrom the RCOC to move the originalRoad Improvement Proposal forward.Things have changed at the RCOC andthe Road Improvement Millage beingproposed this year is substantially dif-ferent than what was discussed in 2015with: 27% more miles of roadway tobe repaired, the same $12M Townshipcontribution, the addition of a $4.5MRCOC contribution, needed culvert re-pairs, the addition of a yearly RCOCmaintenance plan and an anticipated$500,000 in co-op funding available for

neighborhood public road repairs atproject completion.

The chart above highlights the dif-ferences between the original 2015plan and the proposed 2018 plan.

THE QUESTION: “Why don’tyou guys put all this road stuff on yourwebsite for anyone to see? Why areyou hiding it in the paper?”

MY RESPONSE: Not trying tohide anything! The Clarkston News,which includes the Township Times,gets delivered to almost every ad-dress in the Township. But becauseyou asked, the Township just addeda link on our website that offers moredetails on this entire project, includ-ing RCOC road quality maps, roadsto be repaved, construction specificsand more.

Visit INDTWP.COM and click onthe link under Township News ROADIMPROVEMENT MILLAGE. Weeven included a survey for you tovoice your opinion.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT MILLAGE PROPOSALS: 2015 VS 2018

PLAN SPECIFICS 2015 PLAN 2018 PLAN

Life Expectancy of Repair 10 Years 10 Years

Township Contribution $12 Million $12 Million

Roads to be Fixed 22 Miles 28 Miles

RCOC Contribution No Commitment $4.5 Million

Maintenance Plan No Commitment Yearly Maintenance

Funds for Neighborhoods $0 Funds Estimated Pool of $500K

Funding Responsibility Township Only Township & RCOC

3

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1013

12

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10/11

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For a more details aboutpolling places, please

visit our website,www.indtwp.com and

click “Interactive Maps”(Election Polling Places)

THE QUESTION: “Why the No-vember ballot? What are you tryingto hide? Why wasn’t this on the Au-gust ballot with the other millage pro-posals?”

MY RESPONSE: Presidential andMid-Term elections in November tra-ditionally have a higher turn-out thanPrimary elections held in August. Itwas my opinion that because of thesensitivity of an additional millage,putting the proposal on the Novemberballot would allow more folks to voicetheir opinion on this matter with ei-ther a YES or NO vote. Sorry … noconspiracy. Just trying to do the rightthing.

In closing, this proposed Road Im-provement Millage is not a perfectsolution. A perfect solution would beif the RCOC was footing the entire bill.Perfect indeed … just not a very real-istic solution with RCOC’s limited re-sources and amount of work needingto get done.

This Road Improvement solutionbeing offered is one that has the RoadCommission contributing a significantportion towards the total cost, it al-lows for an additional six miles ofroads to be paved, it has a maintenanceplan to ensure the designed life expect-ancy of the roads are maximized andhas a provision for unspent funds tobe available to help neighborhoods re-pair public residential streets .

As I have said before … I hate taxesas much as the next guy. But I alsohate seeing residents getting their carsbusted up on potholes. And I reallyhate getting yelled at about roads thatI have ZERO control over. Residentskeep telling the Township we need todo something to get our roads fixed.This Road Improvement Millage andcooperative agreement with the RCOCwill provide a solution for our com-munity, but it will be up to the Town-ship residents to decide if they wantus to proceed with it.

No matter what your stance on thistopic … please make sure you get outand vote. The decision to get our roadsfixed is yours to make. If you haveany questions, please call me at 248-922-6213. I will get back to you!

Continued from previous page

Road millagefollowup


Straight-party Voting EliminatedStraight-ticket voting or straight-

party voting is the practice of voting forevery candidate that a political party hason a general election ballot. On Sept. 5,federal appellate judges in the 6th CircuitCourt of Appeals banned straight-ticketvoting for the upcoming Novemberelection in a 2-1 rulingarguing that doing sowould encourageMichigan voters tobecome moreinformed about thecandidates they arevoting for. Manysupporters of the banhave argued thatMichigan should be likeother states, the 40that never had straight-ticket voting orhave banned it altogether. Due to the banon straight-ticket voting and ballot issuessuch as legalizing recreational marijuana,a proposed constitutional amendment toestablish a commission of citizens withexclusive authority to adopt districtboundaries for the Michigan Senate,Michigan House of Representatives andU.S. Congress every 10 years, and aproposal to authorize automatic andElection Day Voter registration, no-reason absentee voting and straightticket voting, November’s election willlikely draw large crowds, giving us ourfirst opportunity to witness what all thiswill mean for Michigan voters.

How To Make Sure Your VoteCounts

Read The Ballot MarkingInstructions inserted on the secrecysleeve BEFORE marking your ballot.The BIGGEST mistake made by aprecinct voter is attempting to correctOR erase a marking mistake on a ballot.If you make an error your ballot can bespoiled and a replacement ballot issued.

TO VOTE: Completely darken thebox next to each choice as shown:

Use only a black or blue ink pen;Do Not Use Any Other Ink Color!

Do Not Vote For MoreCandidates than indicated undereach office title.

ARRIVE NO LATER than 8 PMat your polling location on Election Day!

Are You Eligible To Vote AnAbsentee Ballot?

If you are properly registered to vote

and meet ONE of the followingrequirements you are eligible for absenteevoting:

Age 60 years old or older, Unable to vote without assistance

at the polls, Expecting to be out of town on

election day, In jail awaiting arraignment or trial, Unable to attend the polls due to

religious reasons, or Appointed to work as an election

inspector in a precinct outside of yourprecinct of residence.

Voter RegistrationVoter RegistrationVoter RegistrationVoter RegistrationVoter Registration Deadline Deadline Deadline Deadline Deadline

Voter registration deadline forNovember 9 Election: Tuesday, October9. If you missed this deadline, you may beeligible to vote in your old jurisdiction.Contact the Clerk’s Office of your formerjurisdiction for confirmation!

Attention Students: First time voters/students that may be away at college musthave registered to vote in-person at theClerk’s Office or a Secretary of State officeto be able to request an absent voter ballot.Those persons that have registered to voteby mail are not eligible to vote by absenteeunless they personally stop by the Clerk’sOffice with proper identification.

BALLOT PROPOSALS -NOVEMBER 6, 2018

LOCAL (INDEPENDENCETOWNSHIP): ROADINFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTMILLAGE

Shall the Charter Township ofIndependence be authorized to levy a newadditional millage of up to 2.0 mills (a taxlimitation increase of up to $2.00 per $1,000of taxable value on all taxable property inthe Township) for a limited period of four(4) years, starting with the December 2018levy, for purposes of funding theimprovement, rehabilitation and repair ofCounty public roads including, but notlimited to, parts of Sashabaw, Clintonville,Waldon, Maybee, Clarkston, White Lake,Andersonville, Holcomb, Flemings Lake,Walters, and Eston Roads (amounting toan estimated 28 miles of roadway) in theCharter Township of Independence?

If approved and levied, it is estimatedthat this proposal will result in the

authorization to collect an estimated$3,167,648 in the first year. It isestimated that 99.13% of the annualmillage revenue will be disbursed to theCharter Township of Independence forpublic road improvements and, asrequired by law, 0.87% (8.7 tenths ofone percent) will be disbursed to theSashabaw Road Corridor ImprovementAuthority collected solely fromproperties located in the Sashabaw RoadCorridor Improvement AuthorityDistrict.

IMPORTANT: ALL questions relatedto the ROAD INFRASTRUCTUREIMPROVEMENT MILLAGE are to bedirected to the Township Supervisor’sOffice at (248) 625-5111; Ext. 525.Questions related to the SashabawCorridor Improvement Authoritydisbursement are to be directed to theIndependence Township AssessingOffice at (248) 625-5111; Ext. 219.

SCHOOL (LAKE ORIONCOMMUNITY SCHOOLS):SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT BONDPROPOSITION

Shall the Lake Orion CommunitySchools, County of Oakland, State ofMichigan, borrow the sum of not toexceed One Hundred Sixty MillionDollars ($160,000,000) and issue itsgeneral obligation unlimited tax bonds,in one or more series, for the purposeof paying for the cost of the followingprojects:

- Remodeling, equipping, re-equipping, furnishing, re-furnishingschool buildings, athletic fields,playgrounds and other facilities forsafety and security, energy conservationand other purposes;

- Erecting, completing, equipping andfurnishing a replacement elementaryschool, a new early childhood centerfacility and security e n t r a n c eadditions and other additions to existingschool buildings;

- Acquiring and installing instructionaltechnology infrastructure and equipmentin school buildings and other facilities;and

- Preparing, developing and improvingsites at school buildings, playgrounds,athletic fields and other facilities fortraffic control, safety and security andother purposes and the purchase ofschool buses?

Election news from Township Clerk Barb Pallotta


The maximum number of years of anyseries of bonds may be outstanding,exclusive of refunding, is not more thantwenty (20) years; the estimated millagethat will be levied to pay the proposedbonds in the first year is 0 mills (which isequal to $0 per $1,000 of taxable value);and the estimated simple average annualmillage that will be required to retire eachseries of bonds is 3.99 mills annually($3.99 per $1,000 of taxable value). Theannual debt millage required to retire allbonds of the School District currentlyoutstanding and proposed pursuant to thisballot is expected to remain at or belowthe current annual debt millage of 7.49mills.

If approved by the voters, the bondswill be guaranteed by the State under theSchool Bond Qualification and LoanProgram (the “Program”). The SchoolDistrict currently has $76,525,000 ofqualified bonds outstanding and$10,963,213 of qualified loansoutstanding under the Program. TheSchool District expects to borrow fromthe Program to pay debt service on thesebonds. The estimated total principalamount of additional borrowing is$6,982,463 and the estimated total interestthereon is $10,304,882. The estimatedduration of the millage levy associated withthat borrowing is 13 years and theestimated computed millage rate for suchlevy is 7.49 mills. The estimatedcomputed millage rate required to be leviedto pay the proposed bonds may changein the future based on changes in certaincircumstances.

(Pursuant to State law, expenditure ofbond proceeds must be audited, and theproceeds cannot be used for teacher,administrator or employee salaries, repairor maintenance costs or other operatingexpenses.)

STATE OF MICHIGAN: Proposal 18-1A proposed initiated law to

authorize and legalize possession, useand cultivation of marijuana productsby individuals who are at least 21 yearsof age and older, and commercial salesof marijuana through state-licensedretailers

This proposal would:- Allow individuals 21 and older to

purchase, possess and use marijuana andmarijuana-infused edibles, and grow upto 12 marijuana plants for personalconsumption.

- Impose a 10-ounce limit for marijuana

kept at residences and require amounts over2.5 ounces be secured in locked containers.

- Create a state licensing system formarijuana businesses and allowmunicipalities to ban or restrict them.

- Permit retail sales of marijuana andedibles subject to a 10% tax, dedicated toimplementation costs, clinical trials,schools, roads, and municipalities wheremarijuana businesses are located.

- Change several current violations fromcrimes to civil infractions.

Should this proposal be adopted?

STATE OF MICHIGAN: Proposal 18-2A proposed constitutional

amendment to establish a commissionof citizens with exclusive authority toadopt district boundaries for theMichigan Senate, Michigan House ofRepresentatives and U.S. Congress,every 10 years

This proposed constitutional amendmentwould:

- Create a commission of 13 registeredvoters randomly selected by the Secretaryof State:

- 4 each who self-identify as affiliatedwith the 2 major political parties; and

- 5 who self-identify as unaffiliated withmajor political parties.

- Prohibit partisan officeholders andcandidates, their employees, certainrelatives, and lobbyists from serving ascommissioners.

- Establish new redistricting criteriaincluding geographically compact andcontiguous districts of equal population,reflecting Michigan’s diversepopulation and communities of interest.Districts shall not providedisproportionate advantage to politicalparties or candidates.

- Require an appropriation of fundsfor commission operations andcommissioner compensation.


STATE OF MICHIGAN: Proposal 18-3

A proposal to authorize automatic andElection Day voter registration, no-reason absentee voting, and straightticket voting; and add current legalrequirements for military and overseasvoting and post-election audits to theMichigan Constitution

This proposed constitutional amendmentwould allow a United States citizen who isqualified to vote in Michigan to:

- Become automatically registered tovote when applying for, updating orrenewing a driver’s license or state-issuedpersonal identification card, unless theperson declines.

- Simultaneously register to vote withproof of residency and obtain a ballot duringthe 2-week period prior to an election, up to

Election news, continuedand including Election Day.

- Obtain an absent voter ballot withoutproviding a reason.

- Cast a straight-ticket vote for allcandidates of a particular political partywhen voting in a partisan general election.


TICKETS: $7/resident; $10/non; Adults Free

Reserve your tickets early • NO ONSITE TICKETS SOLD

TICKETS ON SALE NOW.

For tickets or questions, call 248-625-8223

Clintonwood Park

6000 Clarkston Rd.

Saturday, October 202-6 pm

(Choose a start time when you purchase your ticket;

sold in 15 minute increments. Ex: 3:15, 3:30, etc. )

After trick-or-treating enjoy juice, donuts, hay maze and a wagon ride!

Independence Township Parks, Recreation & Seniors

together with Clarkston Area Optimist Club

INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP PARKS, RECREATION & SENIORS • 248 625 8223 • ITPRS.ORG 6483 Waldon Center Drive, Clarkston, MI 48346. Sign up for email reminders at www.itprs.org.

Join us at Clintonwood Park with your little witches, princesses, ghosts and goblins to collect goodies from all of your favorite cartoon and fairy-tale characters! Walk a decorated trail with authentic backdrops that will keep you peeking around the bend for more!

Dress your child in their favorite Halloween costume. Goodie bags will be provided at the beginning of the trail.

If interested in sponsoring this event,

contact [email protected].


Updates for Independence TownshipT TownshipIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependence imesNovember, 2018November, 2018November, 2018November, 2018November, 2018


Lots of stuff going on in theTownship with the year drawing to aclose. Thought a quick update mighthelp answer a lot of questions that Ikeep hearing.

RoadsRoad Improvement Millage: I

would like to thank each and every oneof you who came out to vote onNovember 6th. Your voice was heardloud and clear! You are 100% officiallytired of the terrible roads in theTownship and are willing to put yourmoney where your mouth is. TheRoad Improvement Millage passed bya margin of 51.14% to 48.86%. Ipromise to get with the County ASAPand put a plan together for theTownship Board and begin the work inearly 2019. Thank you! Thank you!Thank you!

North Sashabaw Road WideningProject: The clearing trees andtrenching for the new sewer along thewest side of Sashabaw has begun.Sewer work should be complete beforethe snow falls. In the spring, after thefrost laws are lifted, the water mainswill be re-positioned, and natural gaslines installed. In late May / early Junethe actual road widening will begin andrun through the balance of the summer.We know residents and commuters

traveling north on Sashabaw will be goingcrazy with orange cones and trafficback-ups … especially on concert nights.We have to figure out a way to keep youposted on DTE event days to remindeveryone to find an alternative route.Sidewalks will be installed on the eastside of the road after the road work iscomplete. More to come as keys datesget close. This project is going to be anabsolute mess during construction. Weask for your patience and understandingas this planned 30+ year old project isfinalized.

TownshipDepartment of Public Works

Addition: The DPW Building locatedat 6050 Flemings Lake Road is currentlybeing renovated with the addition of an8,000 square foot storage garage and afacelift. At an estimated cost of $1.5M,the new garage will provide indoorparking space for ALL Township DPWsupport and maintenance vehicles.Driveway and access roads are alsoscheduled to be replaced. Constructionis anticipated to be completed later thisyear with full occupancy expected inearly January.

Brady Lodge Renovation– BayCourt Park:

The Township Board will be asked toapprove the expenditure of $120,000 tocomplete the next phase of the 1929

Brady Lodge building renovation. Basedon resident input, the Township wouldlike to install water and sewerconnections, ADA compliant bathroomsand basic kitchen amenities to enhancethe marketability of Brady Lodge as arental site for resident events and socialgatherings. We were hesitant to incurthis added expense, not being sure if folkswould be interested in renting this facility.Over the past summer, we heard you loudand clear … ADD THE BATHROOMS.Work is expected to be completed byApril 2019 just in time for the spring andsummer rental seasons. Call the ParksDepartment at 248- 625-8223 for pricinginformation and availability.

Clintonville Safety Path Project:Have been getting pounded over the timeit is taking to complete the ClintonvilleSafety Path between Maybee andWaldon Roads. First, we never knewhow difficult it would be to cut a SafetyPath through a swamp. And second, wenever figured it would take over one yearto secure easements from ITC for twoparcels at either end of the project. Wethink all bridges will be completed beforethe snow really starts to fly. The actualpaving and tying-in driveways will becompleted by the end of next spring. Inthe meantime, please be careful if youare a pedestrian on Clintonville.

Commercial DevelopmentsAlex’s Market: If you like the

Alex’s Market located at Grange HallRoad and I-75, you will absolutely lovethe new Alex’s being constructed atWhite Lake and Andersonville Roads.Not your ordinary fueling station, the newAlex’s will have the same features asthe Grange Hall facility with preparedfoods, a 24/7 chef on-site and craft beers,wine and liquor. The new Alex’s will

feature outdoor seating on the secondlevel, sit-down dining, four bowlingalleys and several golf simulators. Akey part of the approval of this projectwas the owner adding a right turn lanefrom southbound White Lake Road towestbound Andersonville Road. Thisroad improvement will be a nightmarefor morning and evening commutersduring construction but should greatlyimprove drive times when complete.The owner wants to be open forbusiness by summer of 2019.

Elder Care Facilities: Wecurrently have three elder carefacilities in various stages ofconstruction to completed. 1) TheWellbridge Rehabilitation Centerlocated at Clarkston and SashabawRoads had their official grand openingon October 24. Spectacular could bea word to describe. During our sitetour at the grand opening, we weretold Wellbridge has a dining facilityopen to the public for lunch or dinner.Call 248-707-3400 to arrange a tourand see for yourself. 2) The VistaSprings facility located at the Trilliumsite at the corner of Maybee Road andDixie Highway is under construction.With three stories, this constructionsite is driving local residents crazy withlimited access to their homes butpromises to offer a world-class


experience for those needingindependent or assisted living, as wellas memory care. Call 616-259-8659for more information. 3) The Sienaelder care facility that was going to bebuilt in front of the Parks of Stonewoodresidential community is currently onhold with no information being providedby Siena Management as to reason ortiming.

Residential DevelopmentsEncore at Deerhill Villas

Community: I have never seenanything like what is happening atDeerhill Drive and Dixie Highway. Itseems there is an army of constructionworkers putting in infrastructure, roads,foundations, framing and finishing ofhomes. With 92 single-familyhomesites, this development is differentthan most because prospective activeadult residents will lease their homes,not own them. All maintenance, bothinside and out, is included in the lease.Snowbirds should love this.

For more information, visit theEncore at Deerhill website at

Township updates, continued

By Brian Oppmann,Planning & Zoning Manager

The Township receives numerouscalls every day from residentsreporting code enforcement issues inthe community. To help better serveour residents, a new interactiveexperience will now allow you to filea code enforcement complaint online.Code Enforcement Reporter allowsresidents to submit non-emergencyproblems (for example, blight,inoperable vehicles, trash, tall grass,and animal issues) in their communityfrom a smartphone, tablet or desktopcomputer.

To access this map, clickReference Center & InteractiveMaps, from the Township’s website.Next, click Code EnforcementReporter in the interactive mapgallery. Once in the map, residentscan login as a guest or with their socialmedia credentials. Once in theapplication, residents can select thetype of complaint, then click on“Submit a Complaint” and enterdetails about the complaint, uploadphotos and either select a parcel onthe map or provide the address. Oncereported, the Building Departmentreceives the complaint immediatelyand will investigate the complaint.

Additionally, the status of thecomplaint can be viewed in theapplication with notes from theBuilding Department on the progressof the investigation.

ReportReportReportReportReportcodecodecodecodecode

enforcementenforcementenforcementenforcementenforcementissues onlineissues onlineissues onlineissues onlineissues online

By Paul BrownTreasurer

While performing grading work aspart of the Sashabaw Rd wideningproject, work crews discovered thisabandoned well. It had been capped witha large stone and buried under dirt. Afterdiscussions with our engineers and theCounty Road Commission, initialindications are that the sewer will haveto be routed around the well due to itshistoric value. While working tounderstand this issue, images of the wellwere shared with Ron Campbell. Ron isthe Principal Planner and PreservationArchitect for Oakland County’sEconomic Development & CommunityAffairs department.

According to Mr. Campbell, “Themethod of construction and workmanshipis distinctive and seems to bearcharacteristics found in New England inthe 1700s, but its depth seems to beremarkable for this type of constructionand assumed purpose as a well.” It isbelieved to have been part of theFlemings Farm property.

The size of the well is less than 2’ across though it appears larger in the photo. Photo credit to:Don Uptegraff

It’s not every day we find somethinglike this so needless to say, we’re learning

as we go. I’ll share more on the well aswe move forward.

‘Well’ what do you know about that?

www.RentEncoreDeerhill.com. TheClubhouse/Showroom should be open tothe public late 2018 / early 2019.

Eagle Ridge Community: Aplanned residential community that hasgone through some drastic changes overthe years is now roaring forward.Clearview Homes is now on track tocomplete the first phase (57 homes) of athree-phase development (230 homes).Homes start in the high $300K’s andfeature wooded lots and walkoutbasements. For more information,contact the Clearview sales office at586-260-3181. Check it out.

is the developer of this 79-unitresidential community. Prices start inthe low $300K’s and feature ranchand story and a half homes. The sizeof the homes range from 1,600 to1,900 square feet. A nice feature ofthis development is the condo-typelifestyle with the HOA beingresponsible for all landscaping andsnow plowing to ensure a consistentlook and feel throughout thecommunity. The first model isscheduled to be available for viewingin early January. Call 888-817-2276for more info.

For more information on alldevelopments going on in thecommunity, the Township has aninteractive map on all current projectsin the planning stage to theconstruction phase. For each project,residents can view site plans andreports for each site. To access thismap, click Reference Center &Interactive Maps, from theTownship’s website. Next, clickDevelopment Planning Explorer inthe interactive map gallery.Pine Vista Community: Pulte homes


Finding better options for our residentsto pay their Township bills has been anongoing commitmentfrom this office. We’vemade a few smallchanges over the past 6years and now we’reready to take a big stepforward.

* * *In the coming months

we’ll be introducing anew feature calledInvoiceCloud. This newinteractive cloud-based system has thefeatures many of our residents have beenasking for to pay Taxes, Water & Sewerbills and even Building permits. It will

include the following: Major Credit/Debit Card

ProcessingElectronic Check Processing

(ACH) Customer Communications

Platform Automated Paperless

Enrollment & Print ProgramRecurring Automatic Payments

One Time & ScheduledPayments

Customer AccountManagement Center

Integration with BillingSoftware

Automated Deposit of Checksfrom Online Bank Sites

Over the Counter (POS)Payment Acceptance

Paul BrownTreasurer

New invoice & payment processing features on their wayNew invoice & payment processing features on their wayNew invoice & payment processing features on their wayNew invoice & payment processing features on their wayNew invoice & payment processing features on their way Integrated Kiosk and IVR

(inbound and outbound) PaymentsOptimized Mobile Paymentsincluding “Pay by Text”

* * *Residents will be able to create an

account that gives them access to set upemail and text reminders of upcomingdue dates for bills owed to the Township.For example, you can create a reminderthat will send you a text message 10 daysbefore your bill is due and another toremind you 3 days before it’s due. Onceyou have set up your account, you’ll alsobe able to make the payment right fromyour phone via text payment.

In addition, you’ll be able to accessyour Tax and Utility bills going back 2years right from your account.

We have many residents that like to

pay money monthly towards their billsand this system lets you set those up forautomatic processing.

The communication is also two-way.You’ll be able to send us messages forcertain requests like snowbird watershutoffs and final meter reads.

Another great feature is that you willbe allowed to link multiple accounts toyour login. If you have rental properties,you will be able to see and pay them allfrom one login. If you keep an eye onthings for aging parents, you can link theiraccounts to your login to help managethem.

We also plan on having a Kiosk hereat Town Hall to help you set up youraccount, if you’d like the assistance.There will be more information comingsoon.


By Dave McKeeDPW Director

Lakeview Cemetery was firstestablished on 3 acres of farmlandsecured from William Van Sycle on July20, 1850. It was originally known as the

Clarkston UnionCemetery. Officers ofthe original associationwere James Bartlett,President and HoratioFoster, Secretary. Thefirst burial that tookplace was Mr. FlavelGreenleaf in 1851. In1870 the cemeterygrew larger with theaddition of 6 acres ofland and in 1895 it

became known as the LakeviewCemetery Association.

When the last cemetery boardresigned in 1948, the IndependenceTownship Department of PublicWorks took over the ownership, care andmaintenance of the cemetery.

Today, Lakeview Cemetery isapproximately 30 acres in size and hasover 6,881 burials. There are 10,704plotted graves subdivided into 20 blocks.This number includes full size graves,cremation graves, baby graves, aveteran’s section and 3 mausoleums.

Columbaria the Right ChoiceWith less than 900 graves available at

Lakeview, we began to look at burial

Columbaria at Lakeview Cemetery

trends in Michigan to see what optionswe have that will keep our cemeteryviable for many years to come. Ourresearch found the national cremationrate in the United States in 2016 to beover 50%. The statistics also showed by2025 this rate to be over 63% and over78% by 2035.

Lakeview Cemetery is well known forits beautiful landscape, rolling terrain,mature trees and is extremely wellmaintained. The setting is incrediblypeaceful and tranquil, so installingcolumbaria here just made perfect sense.

Township staff made several trips

throughout southeast Michigan visitingdifferent cemeteries that had columbariato collect data on such things as style,shape, price, rules and colors. Afterdiscussing and researching multipleoptions, we decided to go with a 5columbaria block offering 480 cremationniches. Each niche can hold two urnsand prices range from $800 to $1,000for Township residents and $1,100 to$1,300 for non-residents.

The location selected for thecolumbaria is on the east side of thecemetery facing Middle Lake, additionalparking was also incorporated into the

designed to accommodate services andvisitation. Our columbaria wheredesigned to be first rate with attention todetail. It is our opinion no other cemeteryin the vicinity offers columbaria with thequality of design and material as ours.

A lot of hard work and time went intobringing this project to reality. With thesupport of our elected officials and a$200,000 budget, the Townshipcontracted Johnson & AndersonEngineering of Waterford, MI and SunsetMemorial & Stone of Calgary, Albertato provide us with a product that fitsperfectly with the beauty of LakeviewCemetery.

For more information please call usat 248-625-4146 or visit our web site atwww.indtwp.com/residents/cemetery


Delivering on the goods: Our road planT TownshipIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependenceIndependence imesDecemeber, 2018Decemeber, 2018Decemeber, 2018Decemeber, 2018Decemeber, 2018



I gotta be honest with you. While Iwas hoping the Road Millage would pass,I personally didn’t think the tax increasewould pass in a million years.

With over 18,200 residents voting andonly 415 votes pushingthis tough millageproposal over the top,it is obviously a splithouse as to whetheryou think this RoadImprovement Plan is agood idea or thestupidest thing on theplanet.

One thing I amhoping for is that wecan all keep an open

mind on the future benefits and have the‘patience of a saint’ during the next fouryears while we are battling orange conesand traffic delays in our community. Nowcomes the really the hard part. Putting aplan together that makes sense by havingthe bad roads fixed first, the most recentlyrepaired roads last and all the while beingsensitive to existing businesses and otherongoing construction projects.

The revenue generated by the RoadMillage is a little over $3M annually, plusthe RCOC contribution, limiting us to about7 miles of road repair a year. So here goes…

According to the Road Commission forOakland County (RCOC), the OaklandCounty Sheriff ’s Department, theTownship Fire Department and theTownship Building and PlanningDepartment, the entire length of Sashabawis the worst stretch of roadway in thecommunity. That was going to be Job 1in 2019.

The issue with this plan is a collapsingroad culvert under North Sashabaw. Thetiming to secure the approval and Michigan Continued on Next Page

Department of Environmental Quality(MDEQ) permit for this serious drainageissue is over one year, making a 2019 buildimpossible for North Sashabaw. RCOC is

paying for the $600,000 culvert repair, sowe had to create Plan B.

After much “what iffing” differentscenarios, being acutely aware of the

widening of Sashabaw between I-75 andClarkston Road and the DTE MusicTheater having an estimated 50 events a

By Oakland County Sheriff Lt. LarryPerry

With the Holiday Season rapidlyapproaching, here are some helpfulreminders from all of us at the Sheriff’sOffice Independence Substation that willhopefully reduce the possibility ofbecoming a victim of a crime during theHolidays.

Holiday Charity ScamsWith the Holiday Season upon us the

time is ripe for scammers trying to takeadvantage of people’s generosity. Givecautiously and always check out a charity’slegitimacy before giving, if you areunfamiliar with the charity. Fake charitieswill frequently set up a legitimate lookinglogo or business card. The scammersmight even name themselves similarly to areal charity to deceive the public. Theymight randomly call you at home, send youemails or even knock at your door to solicit.Get the organization’s name and look it uponline. You can check them out on Charity

HolidaySafety

Navigator, GuideStar or Give Well. Do notdonate to a charity until you know theyare reputable.

Shopping In Town / At The MallsWhen shopping at your local retailers, makesure to parking in an area that is well lit ifyou plan on being there in the evening hours.Don’t overload yourself by carrying toomany packages, preventing you fromhaving your car keys handy.

Personal Safety And SituationalAwareness - Avoid parking next to vans,campers or vehicles that are occupied,especially if you are shopping alone. MAKESURE TO LOCK YOUR CAR DOORS. Avoid leaving packages visible in your car,stow them away in the trunk or cover withjackets or blankets. Look around prior toexiting your vehicle and STAY ALERT!Carry only what you need. When leaving,look around and STAY ALERT. Have keysin your hand prior to reaching your vehicle. If something doesn’t look right or feel right,go back in and request to be walked out byan employee or security.

Online Purchases Via The InternetOver the last few years there has been a

dramatic increase in online purchases,remember this also increases the possibilityof packages that are dropped off on porchesbeing stolen. The Holidays give thieves anincreased opportunity to intercept home

deliveries. When making a purchase online,take advantage of electronic delivery alertsand other protections to make sure yourgifts are safely delivered and received. Itmay also be helpful to instruct any deliverydrivers to drop off packages in a safelocation (neighbor) at a specific time,signature required or opt to personally pickup any deliveries.

Putting Out Too MuchPersonal Information

Many people feel the need to broadcaston Social Media about their Holiday TravelPlans, Parties, or Black Friday shoppingsprees!!! They cannot seem to wait to leteveryone on Facebook or Twitter knowthat they are about to leave on a vacation.REMEMBER this is an open invitation forthieves to visit your home while you areaway.

During the holiday season remember tostay vigilant and be aware of yoursurroundings. Do not broadcast yourpersonal information or holiday travel plansover social media. Trust your instincts. Ifthings do not seem right, they probably arenot.

Remember that there are criminals outthere that would like nothing more than totake advantage of your good will for theirown gain. From all of us at the Sheriff’sOffice Independence Substation, we hopeyou have a safe Holiday Season.

Continued from previous pageyear with 15,000 guests coming andgoing during the prime constructionmonths, we came up with the followingplan for 2019 and tentative plans for2020, 2021 and 2022. The map onPage 1 is a visual representation of whatis detailed year by year.

2019 Plan· South Sashabaw Road:Maybee Road south to theWaterford border (1.2 miles)· Andersonville Road: Just westof White Lake Road to theWaterford border (1.5 miles)· Walters and Flemings LakeRoads: Waldon Road around toClarkston Road (1.0 miles)· Clintonville Road: ClarkstonRoad south to the WaterfordBorder (3.3 miles)· Total Miles: 7.0 miles· All this is on top of what ishappening with Sashabawbeing widened into a five laneroad

2020 Tentative Plan· Waldon Road: East Villageborder west to Clintonville Road(4.3 miles)· North Sashabaw: DTEentrance north to the BrandonBorder (3.0 miles)· Total Miles: 7.3 miles

2021 Tentative Plan· Clarkston Road: from the eastVillage border east to the Orionborder (5.4 miles)· While Lake Road: from thesouth Village border to theWaterford border (1.90 miles)· North Eston Road: fromClarkston Road north till thepavement ends (.53 miles)· Total Miles: 7.83 miles

2022 Tentative Plan· Maybee Road: from DixieHighway east to the Orion border(4.86 miles)· Holcomb Road: from the westVillage border to the Springfieldborder (1.43 miles)· Total Miles: 6.29 milesTOTAL MILES OF ROADS

REPAIRED – 28.4 MILES

Two things I have learned in my 30+

Our road planOur road planOur road planOur road planOur road plan


By Mitch Petterson, Fire ChiefThe winter Holiday season should be a joyous

time of year. However, certain types of fires andinjuries associated with holiday decorating are muchmore common during this season. Annually,between December 1st and January 15th, U.S. firedepartments respond to an average of 230 homestructure fires that began with Christmas trees.Home Christmas tree fires cause an average of fourcivilian deaths, 21 civilian injuries, and $17.3 millionin direct property damage. House fires started byChristmas trees are twice as likely to cause deathcompared to other common causes of homestructure fires. Electrical failures or malfunctionswere involved in one third (31%) of the homeChristmas tree structure fires. The risk of fire ishigher with natural trees than artificial ones.Researchers found that dry natural trees burnedeasily, but trees that had been kept watered areunlikely to catch fire unintentionally.

Holiday lights and other decorative lighting withline voltage were involved in an average of 160home structure fires during this same time period.These fires caused an average of nine civiliandeaths, 13 civilian injuries, and $9.0 million in directproperty damage. Electrical failures or malfunctionswere factors in two thirds (69%) of the firesinvolving holiday or decorative lights.

Independence Fire Department, and the NationalFire Protection Association, recommends you keepyour natural Christmas trees moist. This is bestaccomplished by making a ½” fresh cut on thetrunk of the tree just prior to placing it in the stand.The stand should be filled with water immediately,and kept full for the entire time it is in the stand. Allelectrical lighting (low voltage included) should beinspected prior to decorating, and replaced (notrepaired) as deficiencies are found.

CandlesU.S. fire departments respond to an average of

11,640 home structure fires started by candles peryear. These fires cause an annual average of 126civilian deaths, 953 civilian fire injuries, and $438million in direct property damage. Candles caused3% of the reported home fires, 5% of home firedeaths, 7% of home fire injuries, and 6% of directproperty damage during this period. On average,32 home candle fires are reported per day. Thirtyfive percent (35%) of home candle fires started inbedrooms. These fires caused 42% of theassociated deaths and 45% of the associatedinjuries. More than half (56%) of the home candlefires occurred when some form of combustiblematerial was too close to the candle Falling asleepwas a factor in 11% percent of the home candlefires and 43% of the associated deaths. The topthree days for candle home fires are Christmas Eve,Christmas Day, and New Years Eve.

Independence Fire Department, and the NationalFire Protection Association, recommends you keepcandles at least twelve (12) inches away fromanything that can burn. Candles should be blownout whenever you leave the room. Never allowchildren to play with candles, and keep candlesfrom being placed in areas where they can easilybe knocked over.

Consider the safe alternative; FlamelessCandles. A safe alternative to traditional wax candlesare battery powered LED candles. They come in awide variety of shapes, colors, and scents and havea simulated flame in the shape of LED lights.Besides the safety factor of having no flame, theyonly cost marginally more than a traditional waxcandle, and many have timers that will automaticallyshut off after a defined period of time.

Christmas Trees & Holiday Lights

Continued from previous pageOur road planOur road planOur road planOur road planOur road planyears of project management at Chrysler and 6years as the Township Supervisor is that 1) thereis no such thing as a perfect plan and 2) noteveryone is going to be happy no matter how aplan is prioritized. So, let me apologize for theseup-front right now. The Road Commission iscurrently conducting the engineering andmanpower studies for road repairs in 2019. Weare also working with RCOC to prioritize wherenormal maintenance work is to be completed upand beyond what is described here.

In 2019, current plans call for RCOC,through the Spot Resurfacing Program, tobe patching port ions of the onemile sect ion of Oakhi l l Road betweenSashabaw and Dartmouth. This section ofroadway is not included in the Road

Improvement Millage plan being that it is ashared roadway with Brandon. This work isover and above all other scheduled repair andmaintenance. Please note: Spot Resurfacing isa short-term fix for portions of theroadway while work performed with the RoadMillage is a 10+ year repair that completelyresurfaces sections of road.

In closing, thank you again to everyone whocame out to vote in the November electionwhether you were for or against the millage. Andwhile the Road Improvement Millage wasextremely close, I truly believe quality roads willbenefit the community and the 37,000 peoplewho live here in the long run. If you have anyquestions about the Road Plan, drop me a noteat [email protected]. Will keep youposted as construction dates are firmed up.Further information on the road constructionproject is located on our website(www.indtwp.com), under Interactive Maps, thenclick on the map in the gallery called “HistoricalRoad Conditions & Road Millage”.

Snowman Building Challenge

Documents

2017: Where's the beef? - Independence Township