Summary
The Solon Township Board met on April 16, 2026, with all board members present. The board approved prior meeting minutes, heard a detailed building assessment presentation from Cunningham-Limp regarding the Cedar fire station, reviewed the Treasurer's report, received committee updates, and acted on several New Business items including an assessor pay increase, adoption of MTA Principles of Governance, a liquor license resolution for Traverse City Whiskey, a sports league lease agreement, and a schedule change for the August regular meeting. No final decisions were made on the fire station renovation options presented.
Public Comments
During the initial public comment period, Melinda Lautner asked whether there would be a question-and-answer period during the Cunningham-Limp presentation; Chris Comeaux responded that the board would not be making any decisions that evening.
During the second public comment period (Item 13):
- Mike Lanham, Kasson Township representative to the Cedar Area Fire Board, recommended hiring a professional for the fire department building project and recommended involving and listening to the public.
- Charles Smith asked whether the building assessment report was available to the public; Shirley Mikowski confirmed it is posted on the township website.
- Judy Janosik reminded the board to use the microphones.
- Renee Lemcool expressed concerns about the updated Food Truck Ordinance, noting that private business owners previously could operate seven days a week but the draft now limits this to four days a week. She stated this change would be detrimental and not cost effective for businesses, and noted uncertainty about whether a permit must be pulled weekly. She mentioned it would be helpful to have a food truck available for the St. Nicholas Day event.
- Melinda Lautner suggested the board hold a work session following the fire department report. She agreed repairs are needed but not at a cost of 5 million dollars, and suggested the soil be checked to see if a drain field could be installed. She stated she had not heard support for a substation on M-72 and did not think Cleveland Township would want to invest in a station so far from their township. She noted that Greg Julian had previously looked into purchasing property near Myles Kimberly for a station and suggested a second assessment and soil check before proceeding further.
Parks and Recreation Matters
Kelly Claar reported the Parks and Recreation Committee met March 24, 2026, changed its meeting date to the third Monday of the month, and is working on revisions to the Parks Ordinance, expected to be ready for the May board meeting. The next committee meeting was set for April 20, 2026, at 6:30 P.M.
Regarding Vlack's Park, Kelly Claar reported that Deering Tree Service had not completed cleanup work. She also spoke with Robyn Schmidt of EGLE, who had met with Tim Cypher; information on maintaining the creek is available on the EGLE website.
Kelly Claar outlined park needs including painting and reglazing windows at the Solon Schoolhouse (estimated at $1,200.00), ordering and spreading mulch for the playground, and installing a gate to close off Vlack's Park. Chris Comeaux asked for an assessment of rotted wood before painting. Joan Gauthier will reach out to Thom Greene, who is willing to help find funding for the Solon Schoolhouse project. Shirley Mikowski will check past meeting minutes for prior discussions on mulch and the gate. The board voted to approve the Solon Schoolhouse painting/reglazing supplies not to exceed $1,200.00; motion carried 5-0.
The Cedar Chamber of Commerce (Renee Lemcool) reported plans for Polka Fest and repairs to the tennis courts, which were in better condition than the prior year. The Chamber may need to purchase filler (previously donated) at an estimated cost of $2,000.00 plus 30-40 hours of labor. Ms. Lemcool asked a board member to review the tennis courts before repairs and noted a broken bench across from the Clerk's house.
The board approved a Solon Township Property Use Agreement for the Cedar Softball CO-ED League (applicant Sarah Lautner) for use of the ball fields May 1 - October 20, 2026, Tuesday nights 5:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M., including provisions allowing metal bats/maintenance equipment and motorized maintenance vehicles on the field. Motion carried 5-0.
Infrastructure Projects
Cunningham-Limp (represented by Bobby Peplinski and Seth Johnson) presented a building assessment of the Cedar fire station, identifying immediate safety concerns, best-practice issues, and areas of no concern.
Immediate concerns included lack of separation between the "hot zone" work area and living quarters, unsealed floors allowing contamination, absence of a fire protection system throughout the building (though the building is grandfathered and not in code violation), and no vehicle exhaust capture system.
Best-practice issues included substandard living quarters (a small addition that could affect staff retention/hiring), fitness equipment located in the apparatus bay, ADA accessibility shortfalls including restrooms, and outdated storage requiring a ladder for access.
No concerns were noted for the roof and mechanical systems.
Three options were presented: (1) mild renovation, estimated $300,000-$600,000; (2) heavier renovation, estimated $4.5-5 million; (3) new building, estimated $5.2-5.7 million.
Board discussion covered the condition of the apparatus bay (masonry cracks, overhead doors near end of life, concrete depth concerns for heavier vehicles), site suitability given high water levels, potential footprint impact on parking and ballfields if a larger facility is built, whether portions of the building could be saved or added onto, and the cost-effectiveness of building up versus renovating. Cunningham-Limp noted the layout is possible on the site but does not address parking, road, or water level concerns. The largest annual increase in construction costs was noted as 15% in 2020-2021, with costs generally increasing yearly. No decisions were made; the board indicated further steps would involve public input.
Under Fire Department reporting, Chris Comeaux noted Mike Lanham replaced Greg Julian as the Kasson Township representative. Renovation plans were discussed, requiring the interlocal agreement to be altered to include all four townships, which would bond to fund the project; the main department would remain in Cedar with a substation built on the west side, also funded through bonding by all four townships. The department came in under budget for the second consecutive year, aided by transitioning to Advanced Life Support billing (collecting nearly $100,000; residents are not billed, insurance companies are billed, and visitors are charged). A new ambulance has arrived. Kelly Claar asked about the approximate cost for two stations and expressed concern about the footprint of a new building.
Other Business
The Planning Commission (reported by Steve Morgan) met April 7, 2026, discussing the PUD section of the Zoning Ordinance and reviewing an updated Master Plan draft for further discussion at their next meeting.
The Food Truck Ordinance was reviewed, incorporating comments from Zoning Administrators Sara Kopriva and Jenn Cram (memo attached). Key points discussed included: the Planning Commission received no complaints from businesses at their public hearing; food trucks would be allowed four days per week in the business district only, with a maximum of five trucks at a time; questions remain about whether permits are issued weekly, licensing responsibilities, noise restrictions on private property, and site plan submission requirements for truck location and parking. Steve Morgan noted food trucks are self-sufficient (own electricity, water, trash removal) and are inspected by health and fire departments. The board was asked to review the ordinance further and bring questions to the next meeting.
Master Plan: Steve Morgan thanked Joan Gauthier for her work correcting and cleaning up the Master Plan. The Planning Commission plans to review it again before holding a Public Hearing; the Zoning Administrator is also reviewing it. The most recent draft is posted on the township website.
The board approved changing the August 13, 2026 regular meeting date to August 20, 2026 at 6:00 P.M.; motion carried 5-0.
No conflicts of interest were declared, and no correspondence, township board comments, or announcements were reported.
Financial Summary
Treasurer Joan Gauthier reported placing most funds into CDs, including $20,000.00 budgeted into the Parks Improvement Fund, with an additional $15,000.00 planned for the Road Improvement Fund by month's end.
Key account balances reported: Huntington Bank Checking $13,482.74; General Savings (2010) $96,305.79; General Savings CD 1007 $250,000.00; General Savings CD $112,354.30; General Savings CD $54,408.14; Total General Savings $513,068.23; Total Funds Available $526,550.97. Road Improvement Fund (2049) $3,612.47; Road Improvement Fund CD $20,699.52; Total Road Improvement Fund $24,281.99. Fire Fund Savings (2023) $593.31; Fire Fund CD $105,418.11; Fire Fund CD $87,316.44; Total Fire Sinking $193,327.86. Sidewalk Fund (2036) $13,862.37; Sidewalk Fund $8,664.57; Total Sidewalk Fund $22,526.94. Parks Improvement Fund $40,689.54. Total Other Township Funds Available $280,826.33. Total Current Assets $807,377.30.
Non-Township Funds: Cedar River Marina Project (7383) $796.38; Cedar River CD $9,000.00; Cedar River CD $15,954.31; Total Cedar River $25,750.69. Parks and Recreation $1,035.95; Parks and Recreation CD $23,756.99; Total Parks and Recreation Fund $24,792.94.