MONTAGUE — Montague Township’s planning commission continues to direct its attention towards the rise of large-scale AI data center construction in the state of Michigan, and is looking into how best the township can protect itself from these projects through the adoption of new zoning ordinances, per township board discussions at its Jan. 13 meeting.
In November, the board discussed a 12-month moratorium on data center proposals to allow the planning commission time to implement a more permanent solution.
According to treasurer Tracy Korthase, the greatest challenge in the process so far is “[data centers] are an enigma that none of us understand,” and the difficulties associated with “how to word something that you don’t know very well.”
Many municipalities in Michigan have exhibited concern over the recent interest of constructing data centers in the state, primarily over the large amount of water and energy usage, as well as noise pollution.
With the beginning of a new year, Montague Township is currently considering whether to progress with further road improvements in 2026, and if so, creating a list of potential projects. “We [should] first decide if we want to take on another road project. We’ve had one every year for the last two or three years,” explained supervisor Jeff King.
A working list of potential roads include stretches of Sikkenga, Weesies, Lamos, Eilers, Fruitvale, Skeels, and Meinert roads. King went on to recommend other board members consider the list and “travel these roads before the next meeting and just see if you agree.”
Other projects the township is considering while constructing its next master plan are improvements to playgrounds, tennis courts, parks, and the soccer fields. According to Korthase, the township currently has $489,282.83 in the Michigan CLASS investment pool, which could be utilized towards some of these projects, alongside the township’s annual funds.
The township has also submitted their odd-year F-56 audit. According to clerk Drew Roesler, the audit report has been filed and published, and feedback has been positive.
Montague Township unanimously voted to continue services with AAA Lawn Care Inc. for fertilizing the soccer fields. The quoted amount was $6,277.16, which was not a significant increase from the previous year’s billing. King and Roesler spoke highly of the services the business provided, commending their attentiveness, thoroughness, and quick response times, as well as the overall quality of work.
For board member reports, trustee Jay Goodrich expressed that Montague Fire District Authority is enjoying their “beautiful” new utility truck, and have already put it to work plowing. The truck holds up to 250 gallons and can reach roads and structures not accessible by the other engines, making it a necessary addition to the authority's fleet.
For the White Lake Ambulance Authority, the question remains whether Fruitland Township will rejoin the White Lake Ambulance Authority. Currently, the municipality is looking into avenues of funding the service, should they rejoin, and were recently discussing proposing the item as a millage.
Said King of Fruitland’s deliberations, “We’re not in a big hurry. We want to do a trial period [with Fruitland] because we’re already currently busier than we were when Whitehall and Fruitland were still with us. So we want to be very cautious. We don’t want to jeopardize what we have, which is a really, really good thing.”
