Fall 2009

At the annual meeting I will be proposing to the membership a plan to assist the Township in repaving our roads.

As most of you know our roads are in bad repair and getting worse. The trickle down effect from the Department of Transportation to the county Road Commission to the Township is just that, a trickle. All areas are lacking in funds because of the economy.

The last major road resurfacing done in our association by the Hillsdale County Road Commission was Shannon Drive about five years ago. The application was so bad that most of the stones ended up in people's yards and driveways. What I will be proposing is that we use some association funds to offset the cost of maintaining our roads. Our goal is to get a better product and more roads resurfaced.

We spend association funds to control weeds in the lake, to maintain and to run the weed harvester, to upgrade the equipment in the parks and to stock the lake with fish. Spending funds for roads is an area where almost every member of the association will see and feel the benefit.

What I have discussed with Don Figiel, the Township Supervisor, is that we resurface approximately a mile a year. We would start with Shannon Drive from Emerald Drive to Somerset Road. We would contribute one third of the cost not to exceed $10,000 per year. Shannon Drive would be our test mile because it is in the worst condition.

I know that what I am proposing may seem to some a bit extreme, but with the economy as it is and the lack of state or county highway funding, I believe that this plan is one of the few if not the only option that we have to maintain our roads.

I hope that all members will come to the Annual Meeting and support this plan or at least express their concerns. If you cannot attend the Annual Meeting you can e-mail your opinion on this issue to me at tony.helen.harsch@comcast.net

Tony Harsch