Summer 2015 Newsletter

Office Hours: Monday—Thursday 7:30—5:30 Closed Fridays

The Star

Passports Mon—Thurs 8:00 a.m.—4:00 pm.

269-375-1591 phone 269-375-0791 fax

Published by The Charter Township of Texas 7110 W Q Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

July 2015

Take a run thru the corners Saturday, August 15, 2015 @ 9:00 a.m..

Let ’ s meet at Texas Drive Park!

The LOL 5K is a family friendly, community wide walk/run event. It is the first 5k to ever hit "The Corners"! This 5k will have you entertained and smiling, if not laughing while you take in the beautiful sights and energetic entertainment that will line the course. The tour begins at Texas Drive Park and continues down Texas Drive thru the corners. Headed east on Q Avenue you will then wind thru the beautiful Applegate community eventually making your way to Texas Drive and back to the park.

Proceeds from the event will benefit LAUGH, Inc and the Texas Township Parks & Trails. For more information and registration visit their web page @ www.LOL5K.net.

Our office will be closed for the Labor Day Holiday, Monday, September 7th. Township offices will reopen for regular hours on Tuesday, September 8th at 7:30 a.m.

Welcome Doug Plachcinski! Joining the team on July 6th as the first full-time Planner / Zoning Administrator / Economic Development Coordinator, Doug replaces Russ Wicklund who served Texas Township for over 15 years.

Doug has over 15 years of experience in local planning and zoning administration, transportation planning and modeling corridor studies, farmland and open space preservation, and capital improvement planning. As a graduate from the University of North Carolina he holds a Bachelors ’ in Geography and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering concentrating in Transportation systems from Wayne State.

Doug will work closely with the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Township Board DDA and Parks Committee as well as coordinating Economic Development.

Doug may be reached at 269-375-1591 during regular office hours of Monday—Thursday 7:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m. or by email at dougp@texastownship.org .

Request for Proposal ( R FP ) for a feasibility study of Township Hall was authorized by the Township Board of Trustee ’ s at their June 22nd meeting. Superintendent VanderWiere is working to provide the board with alternatives to satisfy the needs for space in the township offices. The current office was built in 1996 and has been reorganized several times over the last 20 years to accommodate the ever increasing growth. The board is looking at all alternatives including but not limited to remodeling, rebuilding, and reorganizing.

In conjunction with possible building modifications; Superintendent VanderWiere and Clerk Kerr have been researching software to begin electronic record storage. This will reduce some of the physical space needed to retain documents and save dollars that are currently used to retain documents off site.

Electronic Records Management was approved in the 2014 Capital Improvement Plan.

November 3, 2015 Election- The County Board of Commissioners at their July 21, 2015 meeting approved the request from the Kalamazoo County Public Housing Commission to place a county-wide ballot proposal on the November 3rd ballot. The proposal is asking for a 0.1 mill property tax to assist homeless families with school-aged children. Additionally, in November, voters in the Portage Public School District will be asked to support a millage request.

The Township is always seeking individuals to work in the precincts on Election Day. To qualify you must be a qualified elector in the State of Michigan. Inspectors must be trained every two years in even numbers years or prior to working their first election. The pay rate for inspectors is $ 155.00 per day plus an additional $ 30.00 for required training. To apply, please contact Clerk Linda Kerr at 375-1591 or lkerr@texastownship.or to request an application.

Summer Tax Time – Treasurer Cutting advises Summer tax bills have been mailed out. Texas Township Summer Taxes are due from July 1, 2015 to September 14, 2015. On September 15, 2015 a 1% fee will be added, MONTHLY. Do you have a Mortgage Company for your property taxes? Are you escrowed?

Make sure your banking institution is requesting your tax bill if they are responsible for paying it. If you are responsible for your own paying of property taxes and have not yet received your summer bill, please contact our office. ( 269) 375-1591.

Are you eligible for Summer Tax Deferment? Is your household

gross income $40,000 or less. Also, if you are 62 years of age; paraplegic, hemiplegic, quadriplegic; Eligible service person, eligible veteran, eligible widow or widower; blind person or totally and permanently disabled. Is your property classified or used as agricultural real property, and the gross receipts of agricultural or horticultural operations in the previous year are not less than your household income. The application for deferment of summer taxes can be found on the State of Michigan website; Michigan.gov or come into the Township office to pick one up.

The deferment applications must be turned into the Township

Treasurer by September 15, 2015.

Property Tax Exemption—Veteran ’ s who qualify for the Veteran’ s exemption from property tax must file each year to receive their property tax exemption. The exemption is available to veteran ’ s who have been honorably discharged and are unable to work due to a medical disability received as a result of their service. For additional information visit our web page www.texastownship.org or call our office and we can place a packet in the mail. The Assessor ’ s office holds regular hours of Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30—5:30.

Waste Hauler Ordinance—Amendments to Collection Times Hate being woken by the banging of the garbage truck? On June 22, Township Trustees passed a resolution amending the times Waste Haulers may begin providing service for residential customers.

Effective July 1, 2015, Residential Waste Haulers may operate from 7:00 a.m.—8:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday and from 7:00 a.m . – 4:00 p.m. Saturdays and legal Holidays.

Waste Haulers were mailed a copy of the revised ordinance in June apprising them of the change in ordinance.

For a copy of the ordinance you may visit our web page at www.texastownship.org/

ordinances-zoning or contact the township office at 375-1591.

The Star — In an effort to save dollars for publishing and mailing paper copies of the township newsletters; the township will begin mailing two newsletters a year—January and July. Quarterly newsletters will be sent electronically to those who wish to be included on our mailing list. If you are interested in receiving your quarterly newsletter by email please visit our web page at www.texastownship.org/newsletter.

Please join us for the 3rd Annual Texas Township Fire Department Firefighters Association Ice Cream Social and Children's Carnival.

When: Saturday, August 8th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Where: Farmers' Market / Joyce I. Neubauer Pavilion 7110 West Q Avenue, Kalamazoo, M 49009 The Great Lakes Burn Camp Parade will pass through the Corners around 1:30 p.m. transporting burn injured children to their week at camp on Pretty Lake.

The net proceeds from this event are shared equally between the Great Lakes Burn Camp and Texas Township Firefighters

Association.

If you would like to volunteer to staff the Social and Carnival tables between 12:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. on August 8th, please contact Trish Roberts at 269.217.2924 or email troberts.tt@gmail.com.

If you would like to make a donation, please make your check payable to TTFD Firefighters Association and mail it to Texas Charter Township Fire Department, ATTN. Don Koop or Trish Roberts, 7110 West Q Avenue, Kalamazoo MI 49009 If you, your family and neighbors want to enjoy the fun, come to the Pavilion between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. In addition to the ice cream, hot dogs, root beer floats, face painting, carnival games, bounce house and prizes, Texas Township Fire Department will have their rigs and equipment on display. Please help us make 2015 the best Social yet. Please note:

Texas Charter Township does not finan-

cially support this event. However, its elected officials and employees do volunteer their time and talents.

ACCEPTING APPLICATION FOR FIREFIGHTERS The TEXAS TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT will be forming an eligibility list for both FULL-TIME and PAID-ONCALL FIREFIGHTER positions for future employment opportunities.

To complete an application and have a

written test scheduled for these positions, go to https://www.texastownship.org/fire. You can also receive an application in person at the Township Hall or the Fire Station. You must complete and return your application to be eligible.

Detailed qualifications and position information are available on our website at www.texastownship.org/fire TEXAS TOWNSHIP IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Township Awarded MDOT Grant for Texas Drive Trailway Phase II. This trailway is approximately 2.6 miles long and will start at the end of Phase I on Texas Drive near Rota-Kiwan and will travel along Texas Drive cutting into Al Sabo and then follow the Consumers Energy lines to 12th Street and then north to the roundabout at 12th St/Texas Drive, where users will be able to connect to the City of Portage Trail System. The Township was officially awarded MDOT grant monies this June to construct Phase II of the Texas Drive Trailway. We were awarded MDNR grant monies in 2013 for this project as well, and have been working diligently to receive the MDOT funding to assist in the cost of construction. The trailway will be funded through MDOT, MDNR and Township monies. Once MDOT releases the grant monies for our project, it will be let for bidding. Construction could start as early as this fall!

The Downtown Development Authority and Township Board of Trustees are working to fill in sidewalks throughout the DDA district with eventual connections to adjacent neighborhoods. This objective was identified through the 2014 Township Strategic Plan and 2013 Community Survey. The goal is to enhance the walkability of the DDA District to provide connections to the Corners Business District and the Farmer ’ s Market.

Interested in the township roads?

Want to be a part of decisions on future road projects? 2015 is the 5th year of a 10 year special assessment to maintain our secondary roads in Texas Township.

Through the Township Special Assessment and General Fund monies approximately 2.5 million dollars have been spent on maintaining township secondary roads in the last 5 years. We are inviting you to join members of the Road Committee and Township Officials on a bus tour to see how your money is being spent and to voice concerns or ask questions about any road issues. The tour will be held on Monday, September 14 @ 4:00 p.m. leaving from the Township Hall. Please call the Township Office at ( 269 ) 375-1591 or email Trustee Jeff VanderRoest @ jvanderroest.tt@gmail.com to sign up for the bus tour. There will be limited seating available so please respond as soon as possible.

Q Avenue Speed Study was approved by the Township Board of Trustee ’ s at their June 8th meeting. A representative from the Michigan State Police met with the Texas Township Board and informed board members and the audience regarding procedures for setting speed limits. The study will embrace West Q Avenue from 10th Street to Interlochen. Ultimately, the only way to reduce the speed limit is to

Reduce Your Speed.

Charter Township of Texas 7110 W Q Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49009

This publication is a free service for residents in Texas Township. If you are not a resident, please accept a complimentary copy

2015 Dumpster Days 6321 South 6th Street

August 1, September 5, October 3 -Hours :

9:00 a.m.—NOON

-Minimum charge of $ 5.00 - larger loads will still be assessed for additional fees - Addition of streamline recycling offered on site Dumping is only allowed on the approved day. Those dumping on unapproved days may be charged criminally. Do not dump if attendant is not on duty. The following items cannot be accepted: Appliances without the Freon recovery tags, tires, hazardous waste, garbage, large loads of uncut lumber / or concrete blocks, rocks and yard waste. vider for removal of yard waste.

Arrangements may be made with your local waste pro-

Consider donations of usable goods in lieu of dumping. Alternates save

compacting fees, landfill waste, and gives to new life to old items.

Fall Shred Day - Saturday October 24, 2015 9:00 a.m.—NOON—Township Hall Open to everyone! No limit to the amount you may bring! No residency requirements!

Help us fill the Mattawan Area Food Pantry with a non-perishable food donation.