WHITEHALL — Aaron Bodbyl-Mast, Chair of the Muskegon County Parks Commission, was in attendance at the Fruitland Township Board regular meeting Monday, June 15 to introduce and inform the board on a parks and trails millage the parks commission and Muskegon County Commissioners are considering for the November ballot.
This possible ballot item comes in response to feedback received over many years by the parks commission requesting a greater attention to the natural spaces abundant throughout the county.
As Bodbyl-Mast explained, “People want more parks and more natural spaces… but there’s limited capacity to meet that at the county and often at the local level…” especially when considering that many of those staffing area parks are volunteers.
The proposed millage request is for 0.5 mills for 10 years - expected to generate $3.6 million annually - in order to “meet the perceived demand of the public, the mission and goals of the county park system, and help meet the needs of the local park systems.” The revenue from that millage will be divided, with 70% going to the county and the remaining 30% dispersed to the local municipalities on a per capita basis.
Bodbyl-Mast admitted the local municipality returns might not seem like much, but assured it would add up over time and help supplement their individual parks and recreation budgets, especially with additional matching grants that could be pursued. He also discussed the return on investment the millage would provide in regards to tourism, property value, and the physical, mental and social health of residents.
For Fruitland Township specifically, the millage could be mutually beneficial between the township and county considering the potential for connecting "critical trails,” such as the Berry Junction and other bike trails between state parks.
A public hearing regarding the millage will be held at the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners meeting July 16. According to Bodbyl-Mast, the ballot item will help determine the reality of Muskegon County’s interest in improvements to parks and trails, “[The millage] is our interpretation of what the public wants. Our goal is to find out from the public if that's true.”
The board approved Resolution 2026-18 to allow the Muskegon County Water Resource Commission to perform maintenance and repair work on Fruitland #1 Drain. The project received a bid from Quantum Excavating in the amount of $21,360.30. The township will also receive about $10,000 from the water resource commission to go towards the project. The assessed percentage Fruitland Township will pay for the project is 10%, Muskegon County 20%, and residents within the region the remaining 70% (determined by parcel size and use). Water Resources Commissioner Stephanie Barrett was in attendance to field questions from the board prior to the unanimous approval.
Other resolutions approved included specialty funds for township cemetery maintenance, purchase of a trailer for a township maintenance truck, and personnel changes to the township planning commission. Twenty percent of each cemetery plot sale will now be earmarked for continued maintenance of the cemetery, as proposed by Township Clerk Alexa Steffes. The bid from Monroe Truck and Auto Accessories for $2,995 was awarded for the purchase of a new work trailer for the township’s recently purchased maintenance truck.
After 20 years of service, Trustee Mike Holman will be retiring from his spot on the township planning commission, with Trustee Chris VanOosterhout to take his place. The motion was made by Supervisor Jeff Marcinkowski, enthusiastically supported by Holman and approved unanimously.
The township’s search for property adjacent to the Duck Creek Natural Area continues, with eyes now set on the property of the late Charles Canson, which includes 5.5 acres adjacent to the natural area and the township fire barn. The property, as of the meeting, was not yet listed, but the township had been approached by Canson’s daughter to gauge interest.
The township would need to remove three structures from the property alongside the expected cleanup, estimated to cost $10,000. In discussion with the board, Marcinkowski proposed that the township should not consider an asking price over $50,000 for the property, which would likely come from the township’s strategic fund. The board agreed to consider the purchase when it comes up for sale and schedule a special meeting prior to the July regular meeting to discuss further.
During public comment prior to the meeting’s adjournment, several attendees, including Barrett, encouraged the board to consider the property and work expeditiously towards its purchase. Said one attendee, a member of the Friends of Fruitland Township Trails, “That sort of opportunity [to purchase land] does not come around often, and it’s so strategically placed,” especially in regards to school bus access for future educational programming at the DCNA.
Finally, ahead of the summer heat, Marcinkowski and the board wished to remind residents that the township hall is open during regular business hours as a location for emergency cooling-off should there be power outages during heat waves.
