Supervisor’s Weekly Note: Wasp Nests and Tree Down at Bowers Harbor, National Lighthouse Day, Motions Filed in Winery Lawsuit

(Editor’s Note: Peninsula Township Supervisor Maura Sanders reports in with updates about wasp nests and falling trees at Bowers Harbor Park, winery lawsuit news, National Lighthouse Day 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)

August 8, 2025

Happy National Lighthouse Day! We are so fortunate to have our own crown jewel at the tip of Old Mission Peninsula.

(I’m a day late getting Maura’s note posted; National Lighthouse Day is celebrated every August 7, the anniversary of this day in 1789 when Congress approved an Act for the establishment and support of lighthouse, beacons, buoys and public piers. Here’s a photo of our beautiful lighthouse just because. -jb)

WOMP vs Peninsula Township Update:

• On Tuesday, August 3, the Township filed two motions: (1) the motion to stay enforcement and waive bond requirements on appeal, and (2) Peninsula Township’s notice of appeal to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
• As of Tuesday, July 15, the Township legal counsel was still working with all current and former insurance companies to see what our actual coverage is. As of this posting, that information is still not confirmed. There has been some more communication this week between our Township counsel and the insurers. We hope to have an update at the August 12 Town Board meeting.
• The automatic stay on enforcement lifted yesterday which allows WOMP the ability to enforce on the judgment. Specific language from the Michigan Complied Laws (MCL) Section 600.6097 can be found here.

MCL Section 600.6097: If a judgment of the court or administrative agency is rendered against any municipality, the legislative body of that municipality, unless otherwise provided, may issue certificates of indebtedness or bonds of that municipality for the purpose of raising money to pay the judgment, in an amount not exceeding the sum of the judgment, the costs and interest on the judgment, and all costs in connection with issuing the certificates of indebtedness or bonds. These shall be sold and issued in accordance with the revised municipal finance act, 2001 PA 34, MCL 141.2101 to 141.2821, except that they may be issued for a period of up to 15 years.

• There has been no indication from the WOMP attorney or during conversations with several of the winery owners and members of the Town Board as to their intention to collect and when.
• Several wineries have been contacted and a few conversations have taken place. However, as of late last week, the remaining conversations were put on pause at the request of the WOMP attorney.
• The Town Board will be discussing the Memo I sent out last week at the August 12 Town Board meeting. The nature of all of these unknowns calls for discussion on (borrowing this wording from a community member):

1) how taxes will be calculated per household

2) pursuing new settlement talks

3) conducting an exhaustive assessment of cost-saving measures that don’t just “kick the can down the road”   

The Parks Committee (PkC) has received two applicants to fill the vacancies on the Parks Committee, one empty seat and one expiring seat. These candidates will be discussed at the Town Board meeting next week. 

The Parks Committee has been tackling the never ending wasps’ nests at Bowers Harbor Park (BHP). There were multiple times in the last week that removal was necessary. BHP also lost a large tree on the north end play equipment. PkC is continuing to remove invasive Siberian elms from Pelizzari Natural Area (PNA).

The Planning Commission met this week (watch the video here, available for 30 days following the meeting). They convened a Zoning Ordinance Re-Write sub-committee. This sub-committee, a committee of the Planning Commission, will meet on Monday, August 11, at 1 p.m. at the Township Hall to begin discussing zoning ordinance language. The focus of the meeting is: signage, shoreline, clarifying that short-term rentals are not allowed in any zoning district, and approvals required for Special Use Permit amendments.

The Survey Committee has finished up their sub-committee work and will pass along their recommendations to the Planner. The Town Board will receive an executive summary from the planner by mid-August. The Planner will provide everything directly to EPIC-MRA to prepare for the community survey.

Updates From Down The Hall

The Clerk’s Office: The clerk’s office has been busy keeping up with the Qualified Voter File (QVF) inbox, paying bills, answering cemetery inquiries, and working with engineers at Gosling Czubak to finalize the RFPs for the materials and construction of the sustainable trail in the Hemlock Wing at Pelizzari Natural Area.

The Treasurer’s Office: By now, everyone should have received their tax bills. If you still haven’t received yours, please give the treasurer’s office a call, (231) 223-4484, and we’d be happy to send you another copy in the mail or by email. Bills are due September 15.

The Zoning Office: The zoning office continues to be busy with new permit applications and is currently about three weeks out in processing completed applications; they are reviewed in the order received. Having all the necessary paperwork when the application is submitted is important to avoid delays. If there are any ordinance violation concerns (junk, zoning, or others), please submit a violation complaint form for the issue to be reviewed. This can be filled out online on the Township website here.

Looking Ahead to Next Week – and Beyond: 

The Township Board meets on Tuesday, August 12, at the Township Hall. The 6 p.m. Special Meeting will be in order for the Town Board to enter closed session pursuant to MCL 15.268(e) to consult with the Township attorneys regarding strategy in Wineries of the Old Mission Peninsula Association v. Peninsula Township, Case No. 1:20-cv-1008, because doing so in an open meeting would have a detrimental financial effect on the settlement position of the public body. Then return to open session pursuant to MCL 15.263

The 7 p.m. Regular Board Meeting has a packed agenda and an even more robust packet.

Please keep an eye on all upcoming meetings via the Township website and our live streamed meetings (saved for 30 days on our YouTube Channel.)

Have a great weekend, everyone! Here’s hoping that our skies stay clear and the water stays perfect!

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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Also Read…

Township Board to Discuss Halting Activities, Services Pending Winery Lawsuit Outcome

Could Township Properties Be Sold to Cover Winery Lawsuit Damages? What Does WOMP’s Attorney Have to Say About This?