WHITEHALL — Several Fruitland Township residents involved in the “No Spray in the Road Right of Way” citizen advisory committee spoke at public comment to the township board of trustees at its regular meeting Monday, encouraging them to accept their request for yard signs supporting a grassroots anti-pesticide movement, particularly in the right-of-way of township roads. The hope is that the signs will encourage other township residents to likewise request the omission of spray pesticides from their properties. In order to receive a sign, the resident must also register as a no-spray property with the Muskegon County Road Commission, and the sign will also indicate no-spray zones.
The original ask from the advisory committee was for 200 signs, as well as t-shirts and card stock fliers, with a variety of quotes provided. At the suggestion of one public comment, Supervisor Jeff Marcinkowski motioned to proceed with the purchase of 100 signs for interested residents, alongside fliers, with the total not to exceed $1,500.
Trustee Christopher VanOosterhout mentioned concerns regarding neighborhood safety, as the spray pesticides are applied to reduce foliage along roads for pedestrian safety, saying, “we have competing safety issues. Do you want to get poisoned or do you want to get hit by a car?... [If residents] decide they don’t want to be sprayed, does that put their neighborhood at risk?”
It was then made clear to the board that, should a resident refuse spray, the onus is on the resident to ensure their road right-of-way is maintained and cut back to county standards. If residents neglect maintenance, the road commission will spray regardless to maintain visibility and pedestrian safety.
Marcinkowski’s motion was seconded and approved by the board, which had a quorum of four members present at the meeting - Marcinkowski, VanOosterhout, Clerk Alexa Steffes, and Treasurer Justin Roggero.
The board approved the sending of a letter to the owner of a 40-acre parcel on Orshal Road, adjacent to the western end of the recently finished Duck Creek Natural Area, voicing interest in the property to establish another entrance to the natural area and whether or not the owner would consider donating or selling the property. In order to purchase the property, should the owner be interested, the township is also considering selling 40 acres of township property on the northwest corner of Lakewood and Blank roads to fund the acquisition. The township is also hoping to speak with Howmet Aerospace for the purchase or donation of property along the north end of the natural area.
Also approved was the replacement of the township’s local production server for $26,641.76 for hardware, software, shipping and labor provided by VC3, providers of the current server. For upcoming business, the township is looking at quotes for a parks maintenance trailer and additional parking spaces to be put in at Nestrom Park concurrently with the accessible pathways project provided by the DNR Passport Grant. The board is also following up with recent resident concerns following aggressive solicitors and is looking into ordinances to discourage solicitation.
