Summary
The Centerville Township Board met April 8, 2026, with a quorum of Ronald Schaub, Katrina Pleva, Jolyn Arens, and Kerry O'Non present (Elizabeth Chiles absent). The Board approved the amended agenda, prior meeting minutes, treasurer's report, bill payments, and a signor change on township accounts, all by 4-0 votes. Major discussion centered on a Cunningham-Limp assessment of the fire station's condition and the Fire Department's 2025 operations, along with a planned millage increase for Fire Department Operations.
Public Comments
No public comments were made at either opportunity during the meeting.
Infrastructure Projects
Bob Peplinski of Cunningham-Limp presented an assessment of the fire station, distributing a report to the Board. He explained the bay area's non-compliant flooring and decontamination zone standards, then outlined four options: doing nothing; a light renovation (approximately $1 million, addressing only some high-priority needs); a heavy renovation ($4.5-5 million); or demolishing and rebuilding on the current site ($5-6 million). He noted the fire department itself does not commission estimates; the owning townships (Solon and Centerville) do, and a construction manager would provide pricing as the design phase progresses. No decision was made on which option to pursue.
Other Business
Fire Chief Doornbos gave the annual report, covering the current roster, the operations budget (personnel payroll as the largest component), and a 30% increase in calls in 2025, the busiest year on record. Standard response time remains 10 minutes; training and public outreach were also reviewed. The Planning Commission report noted an approved cottage addition by the ZBA, discussion of grants and citizen-driven committees (raised by Rolf von Walthausen), a camper situated in a swampy area on 651, and that the Northgate court decision is expected in 2-6 months. The Cedar Area Fire and Rescue Board discussed Cleveland Township potentially joining the fire department group (a four-township merger) and agreed to rotate meeting locations; its next meeting was changed to May 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in Cleveland Township. The next Planning Commission meeting is May 4, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. The next Board of Trustees meeting is May 13, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., with Brendan Mullane of the Road Commission expected to attend.
Financial Summary
Pleva moved, supported by Schaub, to remove Tesha A. Milliron as signor and add Lauryn M. Pleva as signor on Centerville Township's 4Front Credit Union and Lake Michigan Credit Union accounts, effective 4-8-26; carried 4-0. The Treasurer's report was accepted 4-0 (Schaub moved, O'Non supported), and bills were approved for payment 4-0 (Pleva moved, O'Non supported). Schaub distributed the year-end P&L report; Pleva relayed auditor input that savings account funds are pre-accounted for, but the Board remained unclear on how to record fund withdrawals without double-counting in the budget. The millage for Fire Department Operations will increase to 2.50 mills at the August election.
Action Items
Schaub will call the auditor for clarification on accounting for savings account withdrawals. Arens will contact Scott Sheehan regarding updating the fee schedule, which needs to be codified in the ordinance; the Planning Commission is to review the fee schedule and bring a recommendation to the Board at its next meeting. Lauren Teichner is drafting the millage language for the August ballot. On the unresolved Northgate matter (decision expected in 2-6 months), Schaub suggested the Township propose an offer of what it could allow, though this was discussion only, not a Board decision.