4/10/2025 - Solon Township | Board Adopts Budget, Fireworks Ordinance, Rental Cap — Solon Township

Summary

The Solon Township Board held its regular meeting on April 10, 2025, adopting the 2025-2026 budget and the Consumer Fireworks Ordinance (No. 2025-01) following a public hearing. The board also approved a pay increase for maintenance and deputy staff, scheduled a special meeting with the Cedar Chamber of Commerce, and continued extensive discussion on the Short Term Rental Ordinance, ultimately agreeing to cap the number of permitted rentals at 80. Committee reports, treasurer's report, and several unfinished business items regarding township hall repairs, parks, and the Cedar River project were also reviewed.

Public Comments

Fireworks Ordinance Public Hearing:

Melinda Lautner said she represented herself and others opposed to the ordinance, calling the fines extreme and noting Solon was the only township in the county without one. She cited five years of data (eight complaints, five of which were gunshots, none from short-term rentals) to argue there was no need for the ordinance. She also questioned why the board "closed" rather than "recessed" the regular meeting; Clerk Shirley Mikowski responded that closing/reopening was the township's normal practice.
Judy Janosik supported the ordinance and said she never linked it to the Short Term Rental Ordinance.
Joan Gauthier (board member) noted grammatical errors needing correction and asked about adding holiday weekends to the ordinance, per a resident's request; the board declined to add this.
Steve Tostige asked about fine severity; Supervisor Chris Comeaux said fines would not exceed $1,000.
Steve Morgan (board member) explained the ordinance would be complaint-driven based on his experience as former undersheriff.
Charlie Smith asked whether burning permits or no-burn days would be tied to the ordinance; Comeaux said that falls under fire department/DNR jurisdiction, not this ordinance.

General Public Comment (Short Term Rentals and other topics):

Kathy Dawkins (Leland Township) asked the board to consider adopting a Proclamation for International Compost Awareness Week (May 4-10, 2025); this was added to the May meeting agenda.
Dennis Richardson (Rustic Resort) confirmed a fee schedule would be presented at the next meeting and argued septic system size, not a per-bedroom occupancy formula, should govern rental capacity.
Scott Rollenhagen compared Solon's proposed inspection requirements to five neighboring townships, stating Solon's were far more stringent.
Aaron Ackley argued that cutting off short-term rentals mid-season would be "financially catastrophic" and asked the board to delay enforcement until spring 2026 to allow time to comply.
Steve Tostige called the inspection requirements excessive and suggested hiring a home inspection company rather than individual inspectors; he also proposed creating an arbitration board to handle rental complaints.
Jess Wagner (Bingham Township, Michigan Short Term Rental Association board member) noted her familiarity with short-term rental ordinances across the state and county.
Renee Spalding, co-owner of Lemcool Heating and Cooling, requested the option to operate a food truck on a vacant lot she owns and asked about applying for a special use permit.
Charlie Smith said he had not heard board members discuss resident survey results on short-term rentals; he described a negative personal experience with a short-term rental in his subdivision and argued such rentals should not be allowed in residential areas.
Judy Janosik said she would not oppose inspections if she were a short-term rental owner.

Parks and Recreation Matters

Treasurer Joan Gauthier opened the Parks Improvement Fund with the budgeted $20,000. The board discussed needing new nets for the tennis courts and new basketball nets, and raised liability concerns regarding the current condition of the tennis courts; Shirley Mikowski will consult township insurance representative Paul Olson. Mikowski will also contact Apple Fence about installing a fence, and will follow up on repainting/replacing the faded sign at Vlack's Park. Kelly Claar will contact Joe from Deering's Tree Service regarding a Forester Management Plan; Deering's has already provided cost estimates (forwarded by email) for pruning willows along the river and removing several trees at the beach park. The Parks and Recreation Committee did not meet in March, per Kelly Claar's report.

Infrastructure Projects

Cedar River Project: Chris Comeaux voiced public support for the project, championed by Ray Pleva, calling it important to the community. Funding has not been secured; Comeaux will look for grants. Agenda subitems (Buoys, Navigable Cedar River) were listed but not discussed in detail. Treasurer's report showed a Cedar River Marina Project fund balance of $10,068.32 plus a CD of $15,153.68 (total $25,222.00).

Bunting's Road: Comeaux reported contact from Brendan Mullane (Leelanau County Road Commission) and Greg Bunting. If approved by the county, Bunting has offered to pay one-third of the cost to repair the road behind Bunting's Cedar Market, with the township and county each paying one-third.

Fire Department Interlocal Agreement: Comeaux received an email from Kasson Township raising an attorney's concern about the Interlocal Agreement. Adoption of the agreement is on hold pending Comeaux's review; he will forward the email to the rest of the board.

Other Business

The agenda was amended to add "MTA/Board Policies" under New Business.
March 13, 2025 regular meeting minutes were approved with corrections (fire board representative second, Sheriff's Department wording).
March 20, 2025 budget meeting minutes were approved as written.
Township Hall wall repair: Shirley Mikowski is working with Colby Thoreson (LRM) and the Leelanau Conservation District on required permits.
Township Office: The board decided at the budget meeting not to proceed with the township office project due to increased costs, opting instead to consider remodeling the downstairs bathrooms. Comeaux will meet with Corey Flaska (Leelanau Construction) to discuss applying the existing down payment to the bathroom remodel.
Short Term Rental Ordinance: Extensive board discussion on permitted rental cap (initially proposed at 140 based on 15% of 948 improved properties; Steve Morgan proposed reducing to 75-80; board agreed on 80). Discussion also covered guest occupancy limits (two per bedroom including children), commercial insurance requirements, and camper use restrictions. Zoning Administrator Christina Deeren will update the ordinance to reflect 80 rentals and bring fee structures to the May meeting; a Public Hearing remains pending.
Special meeting scheduled for May 15, 2025 at 7:00 P.M. with the Cedar Chamber of Commerce (motion approved 5-0).
MTA/Board Policies: Kelly Claar reported the township lacks required state board policies and recommended separate work sessions; Joan Gauthier suggested using MTA sample policies and reviewing neighboring townships' policies. Comeaux will check with neighboring townships.
Planning Commission did not meet in April as of the report; a Public Hearing for the Master Plan was scheduled for April 15, 2025.

Financial Summary

The board adopted the Solon Township Budget for fiscal year 2025-2026 (motion carried 5-0).
Parks Improvement Fund opened with budgeted $20,000.00.
Huntington Bank Checking: $36,291.53 (including $9,000.66 ARPA funds; $27,290.87 available).
General Savings: $243,886.62; two CDs at 3.55% totaling $158,877.99; Total General Savings $402,764.61; Total Funds Available $430,055.48.
Road Improvement Fund: $20,532.38 total (savings and CD).
Fire Fund (Sinking): $159,759.62 total (savings and two CDs).
Sidewalk Fund: $18,751.82 total.
Parks Improvement Fund: $20,000.00.
Total Other Township Funds Available: $219,043.82; Total Current Assets: $649,099.30.
Non-Township Funds: Cedar River Marina Project fund $25,222.00 total; Parks and Recreation Fund $17,540.14 total.
Voucher numbers 15881-15910 were approved for payment (motion carried 5-0).
The board approved a pay increase for maintenance staff and deputies from $20.00/hour to $25.00/hour (motion carried 5-0).
Funding for the Cedar River Project has not been secured; Comeaux stated he will pursue grant opportunities.
The township office project was tabled due to increased costs; the existing down payment may be redirected toward bathroom remodeling.

Action Items

Shirley Mikowski to continue working with Colby Thoreson (LRM) and the Leelanau Conservation District on the wall repair permit.
Chris Comeaux to meet with Corey Flaska (Leelanau Construction) regarding reallocating the township office down payment toward bathroom remodeling.
Shirley Mikowski to consult insurance representative Paul Olson regarding tennis court liability.
Shirley Mikowski to follow up with Apple Fence on fence installation.
Shirley Mikowski to contact the township's sign vendor regarding the faded Vlack's Park sign.
Kelly Claar to contact Joe from Deering's Tree Service regarding the Forester Management Plan.
Chris Comeaux to review and forward the Kasson Township attorney's email regarding the Fire Department Interlocal Agreement to the full board; adoption remains on hold.
Chris Comeaux to pursue grant funding for the Cedar River Project.