Summary
The Bingham Township Board held its regular meeting on April 20, 2026, with Supervisor Werner, Clerk Amalfitano, Trustees Layman and Grant present, and Treasurer Korson excused. The Board approved the agenda and prior meeting minutes with corrections, heard a detailed presentation from the County Road Commission Manager on road funding changes, approved a purchase of window blinds, and reviewed multiple committee reports including Parks and Recreation, Planning Commission, Zoning, Fire Authority, Assessor, Treasurer, and Clerk reports. Vendor and payroll payments were approved, and the Board discussed upcoming budget planning ahead of the June Annual Meeting.
Public Comments
No public comment was offered during the designated Public Comment agenda item (Item 7). However, comments were taken during the Road Commission presentation and at the end of the meeting.
- Nick Jeffrey asked how O'Brien Road and Sandy Ridge were repaired by the Road Commission and how much money is in the Township's road budget. An exact budget figure was not available; the Board attempted to estimate it, noting that Metro funds had previously been used for roads and that funds were set aside last year.
- Angie Avis noted that a road millage does not guarantee that any particular resident's road would be chosen for repair.
- Rachel Amalfitano asked how many private roads exist in the Township.
- Nick Jeffrey commented on the Board approving a millage.
- David Avis commented on Special Assessment Districts (SADs) and millages.
- An unnamed attendee asked whether GFL would accept electronics on Clean-up Day.
A resident (unnamed) also complained during committee reports about the dumpster and porta-john placement at Hendryx Park, stating it spoiled their view; the Board discussed the complaint and agreed to review the situation and report back, noting it is unlikely the porta-john can be moved due to its concrete pad.
Parks and Recreation Matters
Michael Rokita, working toward his Eagle Scout badge, presented signage plans for the parks, including sign text and estimates from three companies. Discussion covered sign size, existing signage, and the possibility of adding a kiosk at each park. The Board voted (Grant/Layman, motion carried 4-0) to authorize Grant, Amalfitano, and Werner to work with Rokita to advance his project within his limited timeline.
The Parks and Recreation Committee reported being on-budget, with $6,000 available in capital improvement funds for projects, pending Board approval for expenditures. Some park equipment needs welding repairs. The Boughey Park parking lot is planned for completion in the fall, pending a required wetlands evaluation. A bid is being obtained for a 10-space parking lot at Groesser Park, expected to be completed next spring.
The Hendryx Park dumpster/porta-john complaint (noted above) was also discussed under this committee's report.
Infrastructure Projects
Brendan Mullane, County Road Commission Manager, presented on changes to road funding, including a shift from a per-dollar to a per-gallon fuel tax, which is expected to increase available funds. He explained the "neighborhood road fund" concept and noted that Road Commission funding no longer requires a Township match. Of funded amounts, 75% goes to primary roads and 25% to local roads; primary road funds can be used for improvement and maintenance, while local road funds are restricted to maintenance only.
Mullane also explained "chip sealing," a process that can extend road life by 10-12 years, with asphalt typically able to be chip sealed twice. He reviewed county spending on primary roads and provided projections for future road work. He clarified that local road repairs must go through the Township (e.g., via a Special Assessment District), and that the Township is not responsible for paying for local road improvement/maintenance but acts as the approving agent for such funding.
Extended discussion followed among the Board and audience regarding road improvement and maintenance funding options, including questions from Trustee Grant about whether a previous millage could be applied to local roads and what the maximum millage is that can be collected without an election.
Other Business
- The Board approved (Grant/Werner, motion carried 4-0) the purchase of new blinds for $4,774.00, to be funded from budget lines 245 and 259, with Werner authorized to place the order.
- The Cemetery Committee (Werner) is obtaining a bid for cemetery maintenance.
- The Zoning Administrator/STR Administrator (Steve Patmore) submitted a written report; he is currently working on land divisions, and STR registrations number about 70.
- The Planning Commission approved the Lee Creek Winery and Events proposal with several conditions and will now resume review of the Master Plan. No further update was available on the planned winery on Donner Road. A FOIA request was received, and Patmore compiled the responsive documents to pass to Amalfitano.
- The Fire Authority report (Layman) noted some employee turnover.
- Written reports were submitted by the Assessor and Treasurer.
- Clerk Amalfitano reported she was not sent enough mail-in voting envelopes.
- Supervisor Werner reminded the Board to begin considering budget items ahead of the Annual Meeting in June.
Financial Summary
- Blinds purchase approved for $4,774.00, funded from budget lines 245 and 259.
- Vendor payments of $13,196.94 and payroll payments of $12,900.42 were approved (Grant/Layman, motion carried 4-0).
- The Parks and Recreation Committee has $6,000 available in capital improvement funds, pending Board approval for specific project spending.
- No exact figure was available for the amount currently budgeted for roads, though the Board noted that Metro funds were previously used for roads and that funds had been set aside last year.
Action Items
- Grant, Amalfitano, and Werner to work with Michael Rokita to advance his park signage project within his limited Eagle Scout project timeline.
- Werner to order approved replacement blinds for the building.
- Board to review the Hendryx Park dumpster/porta-john placement complaint and report back with their thoughts.
- Werner to continue obtaining a bid for cemetery maintenance.
- Parks and Recreation Committee to bring specific capital improvement project requests to the Board for approval.
- Wetlands evaluation to be completed for the Boughey Park parking lot project.
- A bid to be obtained/finalized for the 10-space parking lot at Groesser Park.
- Patmore to pass FOIA-related documents to Amalfitano.
- Board to consider budget items in preparation for the June Annual Meeting.