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(Editor’s Note: Peninsula Township Supervisor Maura Sanders reports in with updates about a canine visitor to the Township offices, video from the Shoreline Education Session, a sub-committee for the upcoming township survey and more. Big thanks to Maura for these weekly updates that keep us tuned into what’s happening at the Township offices. Read on for this week’s note. -jb)
April 25, 2025
The Peninsula Township Office is open to all, including the wandering pets of Old Mission. I was fortunate to have a beautiful Husky, Nika, wander by my window this week unaccompanied. I opened the door and she came in and made herself comfortable with a cold mug of water. Her owner was contacted, and they were reunited a short while later. I think I had the most fun in the whole adventure!
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This week the Town Board and Planning Commission held a Shoreline Regulation Education Session at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Speakers included Jeff Fritsma from the Army Corps of Engineers; Dave Schuberg and Jack Racignol from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE); and Waterkeeper Heather Smith from the Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Center. Watch the meeting on the Township’s Youtube channel here, or view it below.
The Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Selection Committee met to score the most recent round of applicants (view the meeting on the Township’s YouTube channel). View the meeting packet here, which includes the scoring card and applications.
Peninsula Township has received letters of interest for the Community Survey Advisory Sub-Committee. Township Trustee, Julie Alexander, will be chairing this sub-committee with the following residents participating: Shaina LaFond, Armen Shanafelt, Dennis Arouca, John Jacobs and Dave Murphy. I will keep you posted as to their progress. (View results of the Township’s last survey in 2019 here. -jb)
Updates from Down the Hall
Assessing: The Assessor’s Office will kick off their annual 20 percent Michigan State Tax Commission property site inspections. These inspections are entirely exterior, and either Township Assessor Sally Murray or Field Appraiser David Yack will be taking photos and updating the property sketches. This will continue through mid-October.
Treasurer: Township Treasurer Katie Clark reports that we have been officially accepted into the Michigan Cooperative Liquid Assets Securities System (MichiganCLASS). Current interest rates in this system are 1 percent higher than our current banking returns. Katie will give more details at the May Town Board meeting. Katie has finished the draft 2024/2025 Budget Amendment and will present this in May, too.
Looking Ahead to Next Week
I will be sitting down with Dan Watkins, Grand Traverse County Road Commission (GTCRC) Manager, and Andy Smits, our County Drain Commissioner, to reinvigorate the discussion around Bluff Road and potential options going forward.
The discussion with the GTCRC and MDOT continue regarding Road Ends and the state land shoreline along points of M-37. I will be able to present more information at the May Town Board meeting. We are still gathering history, maintenance, authority and enforcement details from both parties.
On the Horizon
The Peter Dougherty Society (PDS) Board will be cleaning the Dougherty Mission House Museum on Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. If you have a couple of hours, stop by and help to get things spruced up and ready for our first tour in the second week of May. Contact Christopher Rieser, [email protected], to let PDS know you are going to help out!
Grand Traverse County Household Hazardous Waste
Grand Traverse County Recycle Smart has announced upcoming drop-off dates for household hazardous waste. To make an appointment, head over to their website. Here are the upcoming dates:
- Thursday, May 15, 1 – 6 p.m.
- Thursday, June 26, noon – 6 p.m.
- Thursday, August 14, noon – 6 p.m.
- Saturday, September 13, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
If you haven’t taken a spin by Bowers Harbor Park yet, please do. Team Elmer’s has been knocking it out of the park with the parking lot project. Keep an eye on the Devil’s Dive Compactor Station property, too … pavement is inbound!!
Have a great weekend, Everyone! Keep up the great work reuniting all of the Old Mission pets that have been making a break for this spring weather!
Maura Sanders, Peninsula Township Supervisor
Phone: (231) 223-7323
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Mondays 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesdays – Thursdays 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Friday – Sunday and Holidays. If TCAPS is closed due to weather, Peninsula Township offices are closed at least until 10 a.m. Please check the website homepage for any updates.
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