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Lima Township residents asked to fill out new Township Hall design concept survey

Township Clerk Arlene  Bareis (l), Supervisor Craig Maier (center) and Trustee Greg McKenzie (r) Stock photo
Township Clerk Arlene Bareis (l), Supervisor Craig Maier (center) and Trustee Greg McKenzie (r) Stock photo

During the Lima Township Board meeting on Monday, July 13, Capital Improvements Committee Chairman Ed Greenleaf reported that more than 50 Township Hall surveys had been received.

The survey asks residents if they are in favor of a refurbished hall with office space added to the current building or if they’d like to see a completely new structure. Preliminary plans of each option are available here.

Greenleaf said he hopes that more residents will respond to the survey that was included in the recently mailed township tax bill.

An ad-hoc committee of Lima residents was asked by the Township Board to investigate the need for a new or refurbished facility. They looked at several options and narrowed it down to two designs.

Courtesy rendering of a proposed addition to the Lima Township Hall.
Courtesy rendering of a proposed addition to the Lima Township Hall.

The current office space is leased and the hall is in need of repairs and there is not enough space for the township’s needs.

According to the survey information, the Township Board has established a building fund and anticipates being able to pay for either option with available funds and a long-term note. Both options are projected to cost approximately the same amount — $700,000 to $900,000 “with no anticipation of new taxes.”

Courtesy graphic. New Township Hall concept.
Courtesy graphic. New Township Hall concept.

Thus far, according to Greenleaf, a completely new structure is favored by about 2-to-1 by respondents.

Township Supervisor Craig Maier reported that the Chelsea Area Fire Authority (CAFA) Station No. 2 in Lima Township is up and running.

“There have been quite a few runs out of there already,” he said. “It is working very well, with very good response times, both to I-94 and within the township, and we’ve had good success with it so far.”

Township Clerk Arlene Bareis reported that the Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE) has a new bus, thanks to an $88,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

Township Treasurer Nanette Havens reported that the Nordman Lake special land use application has gone back to the township’s subcommittee, which will meet again this week, prior to the Planning Commission meeting on Monday, July 27, where the issue remains on the agenda.

In other news, it was reported that Zoning Administrator Tom Caplis should be back to work by the beginning of August. Caplis has been out on medical leave.

Maier also expressed good wishes to former Chelsea District Library Director Bill Harmer, who accepted a new job in Connecticut.

“I have sorrow in my heart for Bill Harmer moving on. He was an excellent administrator for the library, and hopefully we can get someone in there that we can continue to work with, both as a township, and from a Legion (American Legion Post No. 31) standpoint, to continue on with excellent projects as we have done in the past.”

Maier also congratulated Lisa King, who has been promoted to lieutenant of Western Operations for the Washtenaw County Sheriff Office, and is back in the neighborhood working out of the Zeeb Road station.

Lastly, former Township Supervisor Gary Adams told the board that Fire Station No. 2 “is very impressive, it really looks good, and it seems to be working very well. Everybody seems very happy with it, and it’s very positive, just like CAFA from day one; it shows how the community can work together to solve problems.”

Adams also said, “I would say the same thing about the Chelsea Area Construction Agency. I remember what it was like getting permits from the county, and I know how well the construction agency has worked from the property owners’ standpoint, as well as the contractors’ standpoint. Bruce (Connell) has done an excellent job, and I would urge our representatives to make sure it continues that way, because it does a very good job.”

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