By By NORMA LERNER / Edwardsburg Argus
EDWARDSBURG - Ontwa Township salary increases for the supervisor, clerk and treasurer were approved Monday night for the 2006-07 fiscal year that begins April 1.
The new salaries with $660 increases each from last year are supervisor, $15,660; Clerk, $17,300; and treasurer $17,300.
Each of the four trustees will remain unchanged at $1,440. The trustees got a raise last year of $20 each.
Voting against all the increases was Trustee James Ralph. He said he was against the increases as all board members are "paid more than enough."
The board in other business, unanimously approved a lot split for Nathan Barber of 69200 Country Trace St. off of Christiana Lake Road.
Barber owns 3.78 acres on the road, part of which borders Christiana Creek. He had been seeking a three-way split of his property which was denied by planning officials, so he requested a two-way split for friends who are getting married and want to build a house. He will need to apply for a variance because of a private road ordinance that regulates access for emergency vehicles.
One neighbor of the 13 homes on the road, Mike Mauer of 69160 Country Trace, said three lots would be too much, but two would not cause any problem.
The couple getting married said they wanted to build a house and raise a family in the "wonderful" Edwardsburg school district. They added they would preserve the woods on the property in response to a neighbor, Terri Thompson of 69246 Country Trace, who was against any of the wooded area being cleared.
The board also approved an amended preliminary plat of South Fork for Chris Marbach who increased two lots by two acres each in the subdivision. There are seven lots on the plat on Redfield Road.
In another matter, the board approved the preliminary plat for North American Industrial Park Subdivision on May Street, with 64 acres divided in 12 lots.
In other business, the board:
will send a letter to Earl Proctor of Proctor Heating and Cooling on May Street regarding junk cars on his property.
Accepted an agreement between the Edwardsburg village, the township and the department of public works for a sanitary sewer system in the village of Edwardsburg.
will accept resumes for vacancies on the planning commission and zoning board of appeals.
received eight building permits for January totaling $1,214,000.
Ontwa Township-Edwardsburg Police received 288 complaints for January, made 23 arrests and patrolled 6,707 miles.
Edwardsburg Fire Department made 14 runs for December and nine for January. They were authorized to start negotiations for the purchase of the former Georgie Boy service center on M-62 South for a future fire station.
Mason Township Board contracted with Edwardsburg Ambulance to cover the township beginning April 1, previously covered by Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service.