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(Editor’s Note: Peninsula Township Supervisor Maura Sanders reports in with updates about historic structures in the township, emergency preparedness, a new planned unit development, a community workshop for the non-motorized transportation plan 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)
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May 30, 2025
The Town Board held a joint meeting with the Planning Commission, Parks Committee, and the three 501(C)3 organizations that oversee historic structures in the township — Mission Point Lighthouse Keepers Association, Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society, and Peter Dougherty Society.
This was a great opportunity to ensure that all three organizations are supported by the Township and that the long-term care and maintenance of our assets are planned for and funded. Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) will be drafted to ensure clarity and succession for years to come. Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) will also be developed for each asset. Those will be taken up by the Planning Commission and then the Town Board for implementation.
All of this organizational planning will help the Township work towards recommendations from the master planning process over the years and the insights developed from the Maner Costerisan recommendations.
This week, we hosted a meeting with local leaders and emergency managers to discuss local and regional preparedness and response to large-scale events. The paralyzing ice storm in the eastern half of northern Michigan (Consumers Energy noted that Peninsula Township was just 4 degrees away from experiencing this catastrophic event), followed by our township’s recent power loss due to an electrical line fire, reminds all of us to plan and prepare.
To that end, the Township is planning an emergency response and preparedness community education session this fall. County Emergency Management Coordinator Gregg Bird was quick to say that Fire Chief Fred Gilstorff is one of the best fire chiefs he has ever worked with. We are very fortunate to have a chief who leads an amazing department!
**Consumers Energy made sure to leave us with this reminder regarding home generator safety.
The Survey Ad Hoc Committee met yesterday. Committee members continue their work to prepare for the community-wide survey in September. You can follow along via our YouTube channel.
Updates from Down the Hall
Clerk: The clerk’s office is continuing to work with the county health department and engineering firm Gourdie-Fraser to meet the requirements to open the new green section at Peninsula Township Cemetery. In addition, we are receiving many inquiries for plots, as well as for help solving mysteries involving old deeds.
Planning: The signage recommendations from the Agricultural Advisory Committee are on our attorney’s desk for recommendations on how to achieve intent while abiding by content neutral requirements. Target for review: July 2025. Staff is working on shoreline zoning updates with Planning Commission members Susie Shipman and Randy Hall to propose different scenarios for Planning Commission/public review. Target for review: July 2025.
Assessing: Assessor Sally Murray and Field Appraiser David Yack are working on achieving their continuing education credits for the year. They need 16 credits per year to maintain professional certifications. They recently took the class “2 The Rescue – Workplace Violence and Field Work Safety.” Next up will be the state-sponsored land division class.
REMINDER: June 1 is the filing deadline for PRE (“homestead”) exemptions. This means you must have proof of ownership and occupancy by June 1, 2025. If you have any questions, please reach out to the assessor’s office.
Looking Ahead to Next Week
The Planning Commission will meet Tuesday, June 3, at 7 p.m. They have a packed agenda that includes correcting the ordinance inconsistency regarding building heights in the C-1 (commercial) district; an introduction to SUP #143 Walnut Grove, a 33-unit single-family planned unit development across from Port of Old Mission; and an introduction to special use permit zoning ordinance amendments. The meeting packet can be found here.
The Non-Motorized Transportation Working Group will be hosting a Community Workshop on June 24 from 6 – 8 p.m. at Old Mission Peninsula School. Please come and help shape the future of walking and biking on the Old Mission Peninsula.
The Township is looking to get quotes for power washing, interior and exterior window washing, and pest control services from licensed providers for the Township office and Township Hall buildings. If you are interested in providing a quote, please contact Office Manager Susan Piehl at [email protected].
Have a great weekend, Everyone!
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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SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.
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