Sign Ordinance prompts controversy at Surrey Meeting

Raising more controversy at the lengthy Surrey Township meeting Tuesday evening was violations of the Townships restrictive sign ordinance.

The Township Planning Commission is in the process of drafting a new, less restrictive ordinance. They will meet to work on the matter July 21 at 7:00 p.m.

Meantime, the Township has scheduled court action for violations cited against Reiss Real Estate for multiple signs on property advertised for sale.

Alan Reiss was at the meeting Tuesday to “inform the board” about ordinance violations by other real estate firms and businesses in the Township. He said he was advised to bring the information to the board by his attorney. He presented the board with a packet of pictures of other signs that violate the restrictions of the ordinance.

“I want to inform the board of these other infractions. The pictures were taken since we got the first violation letter in May,” he said. “If the law is going to be enforced it should be enforced equally. We feel we have been treated unfairly. You are taking Reiss Real Estate to court. All I’m doing is informing the board.”

Reiss said he had unsuccessfully requested a meeting with the Township board and attorneys.

Township Clerk Glenna Bradbury said, “When you asked for the meeting, I asked, ‘Who would pay for the Township attorney to be present?’ You said, ‘If you’re right, I pay. If I’m right, you pay.’”

Responding to a request from Zoning Administrator Rod Williams, Supervisor Rick Miller contacted the Township Attorney about enforcement of the old ordinance. He said they advised him to “hold” enforcement since a new ordinance would be in affect within a month. Williams said he was told not to enforce the old ordinance.

Township Treasurer Esther Pitchford said the board was not notified about this. “Everybody is saying it is the Supervisor’s decision [to contact the Township attorney]. If so, what are we doing here?”

Township trustee Joe Maxey said he didn’t understand why the attorneys would say to put the ordinance enforcement on hold. “I don’t feel comfortable with not enforcing something that is in effect. While the ordinance is in effect, it should be enforced.”

Bradbury agreed. “If we have something, we have to abide by it until it is changed.”

Chuck Gaskill, an agent at Reiss, said “This has been going on for much more than a month. Rod [Williams] drives 130 miles a month. He has to see the other violations, but Reiss is the only one given a violation.”

Williams said that wasn’t true. “Others have been cited and have complied with the letters.” He said he has written five tickets for violations since the first of the year. “Four were resolved,” he said.

Real Estate agent Wayne Turpening said his firm had also received a letter about a violation. “If you have a signed ordinance, you have a responsibility to enforce it. You have 400 real estate agents that list property in this area. The ordinance is unnecessarily restrictive. One other thing is upsetting. Only Reiss and our firm attended the Planning Commission meeting [about the ordinance]. Both received violation notices. What you have now is an absolute dinosaur.”

Former Supervisor and newly appointed Planning Commission member Russ Hamilton told the board, “You have kind of stepped on yourself. You stepped back on [enforcing] the ordinance, but you are still moving forward on the court case against Reiss.”

In a letter to the Township Board, Williams asked for written direction about the enforcement. He said, “I was given unilateral direction as to not enforce the ordinance until after the Planning Commission had done their review. Please provide this department with a written direction as to which way the board would like to proceed on this matter as there are several signs showing up since the article in the paper came out concerning the enforcement of the sign ordinance.” He said Attorney Marcy Klaus recommended he ask for written direction.

The board was in agreement to continue with enforcement of the ordinance and move forward with the court case against Reiss Real Estate.

Miller said, “I was asked to contact the attorney by Rod. I am just trying to be a mediator here. With the board’s permission, I will tell them to proceed [with court action] – not to put it on hold.”

Other business at the Surrey Township meeting included:

*A presentation by Y.A.C. [the Clare County Youth Action Council] a volunteer group of 14 to 21 year old youth organized to help needy citizens. The presentation was by Bailey Rose and Jarrod Marhofer. Fourteen teens from Clare, six from Farwell and two from Harrison are in the group.

*Former Supervisor Russ Hamilton was appointed to fill a position on the Township Planning Commission vacated by the resignation of Rudy Hicks.

*A report on the status of South Road by resident Paul Peet, who noted that brining was inadequate and gravel is needed. “I’m asking you to do all you can to help the County take care of the roads,” he said.

*Planning Commission Chair Mahlon Parsons requested that any suggestions, as reported in a published letter, be forwarded to the Planning Commission. “We never received any suggestions or recommendations,” he said. “We solicit anyone’s opinions.”

*Building fees were approved using State figures.

*July 15, with an alternate date of July 16 was set to interview candidates for Township Assessor. The board voted to terminate assessor Frank Gentz’s contract when it expires July 31 at the June meeting.

*Extra funds in the budget totaling $7,000 were approved for the Surrey Township Library.

*Bills totaling $137,414.93 were approved.