Fruitland Township's board held its annual budget public hearing for fiscal year 2026-27 Monday, March 16, with notable items including the construction of the planned non-motorized path on Scenic Drive, Nestrom Road drain inspection and clean out, and environmental remediation at the transfer station.
The latter item concerns a recently discovered, old dumping ground at the transfer station, which has raised concerns of PFAS contamination. The budget is subject to change should the contract services from the sheriff’s department be more than the projected $81,600. Following no comment from trustees or the public on the budget, it was unanimously approved by the board.
The regular meeting followed the budget hearing, beginning with a presentation from Matt Biolette of Fleis & VandenBrink, on the proposed project for the Scenic Road non-motorized path, for which Congressman John Moolenaar’s office recently awarded Congressional direct spending funds.
Specifically, this presentation focused on the extension of where the path is currently slated to end. The path would follow Scenic Road north from Muskegon State Park and terminate at Duck Lake Road. This extension would follow Duck Lake Road through to the entrance of Duck Lake State Park, connecting the two parks and providing a safe route for bikers and pedestrians. In past correspondence, both parks voiced favor for the project, and further progress from the township’s side would allow the parks to seek additional funding on their end.
With the path’s extension and the likelihood of 24 months elapsing before the direct spending funds are distributed, Fruitland Township is also seeking additional funds from the Community Foundation for Muskegon County to help cover the cost. Biolette's presentation also covered the project’s construction feasibility study by Fleis and VandenBrink. Later in the meeting, the board approved a $4,900 allocation toward the feasibility study.
Supervisor Jeff Marcinkowski also presented the board with another Congressional direct spending proposal, this time for FY 2026, regarding improvements to Nestrom Park. These improvements would include the installation of lights, cameras, and WiFi. These items are in Nestrom Park’s master plan, but as there is nothing left in the annual budget for these improvements, their implementation currently hinges on approval of the direct spending item.
When presented March 16, the project proposal was nearly complete, only missing a quote from Comcast for the WiFi to come in before the submission deadline. The board approved permission for Marcinkowski to submit the proposal, should the quote come in time.
For annual housekeeping, the board approved salaries for the roles of township supervisor, clerk, treasurer, and trustee - $43,683; $46,651; $43,683; $4,991, respectively. The board also approved a $500 donation for the White Lake Fourth of July fireworks show.
Taylor Beuane was approved to fill an open alternate position on Fruitland’s Zoning Board of Appeals. Also approved was an upgrade to the township’s website, hosted by Shumaker Technology Group, to be handicap-accessible. The upgrade puts the website’s annual fee at $3,195. While this upgrade is to be in compliance with federal ADA mandates, it also gives the township a chance to refresh the website.
“We have to do a whole revamp of the website anyway," Roggero said. "This gives us an opportunity to make it much more readable and digestible for the community.”
The board also extended its congratulations to Michael Baker in receiving his Zoning Administrator Certificate from MSU Extension, as well as his attainment of Master Citizen Planner status.
The board tentatively scheduled a public hearing for a special assessment for road improvements to Tranquil Trail Road at Old Orchard Subdivision. The project, which would include the placement of a two-inch overlay of aggregate, is projected to cost $41,000, with work carried out by the Muskegon County Road Commission. The hearing is scheduled for April 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Township Hall.
Finally, the agenda had a discussion item regarding an offer to sell a cell tower on township property to Vertical Bridge, who’d recently bought out a lease from Verizon, allowing them to place a greater amount of carrier antennas. Vertical Bridge is offering an up-front payment of $100,000 for the township, rather than the current and inconsistent monthly income. This is equal to about 11.5 years worth of average monthly payments all at once, which the board could reinvest.
Marcinkowski informed the board of the benefits and losses of the buyout. Should more antennas be placed, the income would go to Vertical Bridge alone. However, it would alleviate the risk to the township if the cell tower became obsolete in the near future and revenue dried up. He also asked the board to consider options for reinvesting the $100,000 if the offer is accepted. Marcinkowski has forwarded the offer to the township attorney and is expecting feedback. The board has until August to make a decision.
