National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » Douglass Township Board approves referendum wording for 2 wind ordinances

DOUGLASS TOWNSHIP – The Douglass Township Board voted at a special meeting Monday evening to place two wind energy ordinances on the November general election ballot after voters gathered enough signatures to referendum both ordinances.

“The reason we’re here tonight is basically so we can get these referendums on the ballot in November,” Supervisor Terry Anderson said during the 10-minute meeting, which didn’t feature any public comment.

Clerk Ronda Snyder read the resolution aloud and the board then voted 4-0 to approve it (Trustee Pat Althoff, who lost in the Republican primary election Aug. 2 to township resident Eric Tester, was absent from Monday’s meeting).

Proposal 1 on the ballot will state, “Shall Ordinance No. 173 entitled an ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance of the township of Douglass (wind energy conversion systems) adopted by the township board of the township of Douglass on July 6, 2022, be approved?”

Proposal 2 on the ballot will state, “Shall Ordinance No. 174 entitled an ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance of the township of Douglass (special land use for wind energy conversion systems; savings clause; site plan approval; other amendments; outdoor lighting) adopted by the township board of the township of Douglass on July 6, 2022, be approved?”

Anderson, Snyder and Trustee Tom Jeppesen are all facing a recall in the November election. As a result, Montcalm County Clerk Kristen Millard in an Aug. 12 letter to the township board announced that she has appointed Deb LeFever, a former deputy clerk for the city of Greenville and the city of Carson City, to run all election-related duties for Douglass Township starting “immediately.”

“Ms. Snyder may not perform any duties in relationship to the November general election,” Millard wrote. “As absentee ballots need to be processed very shortly, immediate action had to be taken on putting an impartial officer in place that has knowledge of election duties.”

Douglass Township will be responsible for paying LeFever an hourly wage and LeFever will maintain office hours at the township hall in relation to the November election. The topic of paying LeFever an hourly wage will be on the township board’s next regular meeting agenda, which is scheduled for Sept. 7, according to Millard, who also told the Daily News that the shift in election responsibilities from Snyder to LaFever has been very peaceful and cooperative thus far.

“We are all trying to do the best we can do to have a smooth transfer of responsibilities,” Millard said.