First of all, we want to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and hope that your Holidays were filled with love, joy and happiness.

You may have noticed that there have not been many recent posts to the website.  There are a number of reasons for that.  First of all, the Holidays did take a toll on available time for posting items on the website.  Second, there really have not been many issues worthy of posts.  Third, with the addition of Mr. Stuart as our Township manager, Township business seems be getting done in a professional and timely manner.

There are many items that will occur in 2016 that will provide opportunities for updates on this website, and we are committed to do so.

Here is a list of things that will occur in 2016 that will impact our Township:

• Elections of Supervisor, Board, and Parks and Recreation Commission members
• Approval of millage proposals that are coming up for renewal (plus any new ones the Board may propose)
• Resolution of the Blossom Ridge issue that is currently in Court ordered mediation
• Resolution of the Mill Race issue with the Clinton River Watershed Council
• Resolution of lawsuit by two Parks and Recreation Commission officials (as well as private citizen) against fellow Parks and Recreation members  – issue has been rejected in two previous court proceedings but is being appealed
• Water supply and treatment plans for Oakland Township
• Road improvement plans for Oakland Township
• Paint Creek Cider Mill Building improvement plans
• Appointment of a Planning Commission vacancy that has been open since September due to the Supervisor’s reluctance to appoint an individual acceptable to other Board members
• Review and approval of draft changes to the Township Ordinance 16, that have been waiting for action from the Board for almost 4 years
• Development and approval of a new Township Master Plan
• Appointment of Planning Commission and ZBA members as current terms expire

We will continue to report on these items and others as they come up in our Township.

Some of you may have visited the Oakland Township Sentinel site published by Bob Yager.  His most recent post indicates that he will no longer be posting information on that site.  We would like to thank Bob and his wife for their dedicated service of providing information to the citizens of Oakland Township.  We wish both of them the best in their future endeavors, and hope they continue to be involved in Oakland Township issues.  They have made significant contributions in keeping all of us informed.  We will miss them!

Richard Michalski

PS:  One item that did not get reported late last year is that the Board formally approved an ethics policy for the Township.  It ended up being essentially the ‘Principle’s of Township Governance Document”  that was developed by former Trustee Judy Keyes in June of 2013.