Sparse attendance and a small crowd makes for a short August Board meeting

County Clerk/Register of Deeds Bob Genetski presented highlights of his 2025 report

The Casco Township Board of Trustees August meeting opened with public comment by Casco Township resident John Barkley. Barkley, a member of the Al-Van Humane Society Board, updated trustees on the organization's work. The no-kill shelter expects to spend approximately $600,000 in 2025 providing care for about 400 cats and dogs. Casco Township has budgeted $5,000 for Al-Van for the current fiscal year.

Barkley did not request additional funding at the meeting but said increasing veterinary costs are likely to result in a larger request in the future, and that a request of $7,000 may be likely. Al-Van's Paws on Parade fundraiser is scheduled for Sept. 20 at HawksHead.

Barkley also asked trustees to respond to the possibility of seeking millage funding for the Al-Van Humane society. Overhiser said the organization would first need to determine what legal authority it has to pursue a millage.

South Haven Area Emergency Services (SHAES) Chief Brandon Hinz reported another busy month for the department, with 75 Casco Township calls in July — 35 fire calls and 40 EMS calls. For its entire service area, SHAES has responded to 1,945 calls, year to date-- more than 60 ahead of the previous year's pace. Hinz said the department expects to exceed 3,000 calls this year.

July also set a record for staffing activity, with 413 shifts during the month, the busiest month ever for the department. SHAES has been approved to add four personnel as well as a part-time position as it works to keep up with increasing demand. The department is also awaiting word on a $50,000 equipment grant from the State of Michigan.

Hinz reported that the first ever Casco Township-based National Night Out at Station One was a success.

SHAES has launched a new website designed to be easier to use, particularly on mobile devices.

Trustee Dan Fleming asked Hinz about fire safety involving large battery-storage facilities, a subject under consideration by the Planning Commission. Hinz said SHAES personnel have received training on electric vehicle fires but have not had specific training on large-scale battery storage. He noted that communities where battery-storage projects are constructed often receive firefighter training related to those facilities and that newer systems can include integrated fire-suppression equipment.

Supervisor Allan Overhiser thanked Hinz for SHAES' recent presentation on department finances and staffing, saying the department has worked to develop a plan to increase staffing while continuing to provide a high level of service.

Fennville District Library Board member Bob Sherwood reported a busy summer, with 102 programs and events for children, teens and adults attracting a combined attendance of 1,424. The library also received a $30,000 gift from a patron to digitize its collection of the Fennville Herald, which is currently maintained in hard-copy form.

Another patron contributed $2,000 toward development of a new tool-lending program. The library is also working with Fennville Public Schools on a sports-equipment lending program. The school district will purchase the equipment, which will be housed at the library and available for checkout.

In September 2027, Fennville District Library and other members of the Lakeland Library Cooperative are scheduled to move from the Sierra library system to Polaris. Sherwood said the transition will require training for both staff and patrons but is expected to provide a more user-friendly system.

Clerk Rachel Ridley reported on the August primary election, which included 671 people voting at the polls, about 100 early voters and approximately 650 absentee voters. Allegan County Clerk and Register of Deeds Bob Genetski, present at the meeting, reported that 35.68 percent of Casco Township voters cast ballots in the primary, compared with turnout of about 31 percent countywide.

Genetski presented highlights from his Annual 2025 Report from the Allegan County Clerk/Register of Deeds to the Taxpayers of Allegan County. He led by discussing the county's free property fraud alert program. He said vacant property owned by people living outside the area and carrying no mortgage can be particularly susceptible to fraudulent property transfers. He reported no current open property-fraud cases in Allegan County.

County figures also showed 34 fewer land sales, although the overall value of property sold continued to increase.

Genetski also discussed the rapid turnover among local election officials. Of 32 local clerks serving in Allegan County in 2017, only five remain in office, with 11 clerks retiring in 2024 alone. He also said the State is requiring the purchase of new election tabulators at a cost of $15,000 per precinct.

In Planning Commission news, the Board agreed to distribute the draft Casco Township Master Plan for review by neighboring municipalities and other required recipients, contingent on removing the names of people who responded to the township survey, which had inadvertently been included in the updated Master Plan draft. Once the review and comment period is completed, a public hearing will be held before final action on the plan.

Trustee Dan Fleming also reported that the Planning Commission continues to examine issues involving data centers and battery-storage facilities.

The Parks and Recreation Committee is considering a survey to gather residents' views about future park priorities. Board members discussed whether the survey should include a question about selling township-owned property and using the proceeds for parks. Fleming questioned how such a question should be framed and suggested residents should also be able to indicate whether they would prefer that money be used for another purpose. One parcel of approximately 28 acres is included in the township's parks inventory, although Board members said it was not originally purchased for use as a park. There was no decision on the matter.

The Board approved millage rates included in the 2026-27 budget:

• General Fund — 1.0207 mills

• Roads — 1.4640 mills

• Second road millage — .9748 mill

• Fire — 2.2 mills

• Parks and Recreation — .25 mill

• Ambulance — .65 mill

• Senior Services — .5 mill

• Police — .35 mill

The Board also approved a 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment for township employees, retroactive to July 1.

In other township business, the Board reviewed and approved a boundary-line adjustment involving lots near Pershing and Adams. The proposal would transfer approximately 26 feet from lots 11, 13 and 15 to lots 12, 14 and 16.

A proposed amendment to the township's land-division ordinance had not yet been received and therefore was not considered.

A request for a noise ordinance variance was submitted too late for consideration. Township rules require applications to be submitted at least 60 days before an event.

Fund balances, rounded, include:

$1.2 million in the General Fund, with another $200,000 in a certificate of deposit;

$1.18 million in the Road Fund;

$489,000 in the Fire Fund plus a $200,000 CD;

$129,000 in the Police Fund;

$178,000 in Parks and Recreation;

$93,000 in the Cemetery Fund;

$66,000 in the Senior Services Fund and

$1M in the collected tax account.

Treasurer Kenny Clevenger and Trustee Mary Campbell were both absent from the meeting. About six members of the public were present in addition to Supervisor Allan Overhiser, Clerk Rachel Ridley, and Trustee Dan Fleming.

The Casco Township Board of Trustees meets at the Casco Township Hall, 7104 107th Avenue, on the third Monday of the month at 7:00 pm. The Board now uses an amplification system.