Special meeting invites community input

Board of Trustees discuss potential extraction ordinance

The Union Township Board of Trustees held a special meeting to further discuss the potential extraction ordinance with community members.

The meeting was held via Zoom on Thursday and attendees could view it either online or by phone.

The board decided on holding this meeting at the April 22 meeting, as they wanted to get input from those who work on extraction operations as well as other community members that could be affected by potential sand and gravel pits.

Public comment started the meeting off as those for and against the ordinance as well as the potential sand and gravel project on Millbrook Road. The Millbrook Road project has been considered for approval since 2019 but was put on a temporary moratorium, in order for the township to update the current ordinance before making a decision.

Jim Zalud, one of the people involved with the Millbrook extraction project, spoke first and noted that some improvements have been made to the ordinance but it still causes too many issues for potential projects or stop extraction operations all together in town.

“The entire ordinance is flawed and needs to be scrapped, so a new one can be created,” Zalud said.

One of the other speakers who spoke against the ordinance included Joseph Quandt, an attorney who is representing some of the people who run extraction related businesses in town.

Quandt feels that none of the letters and information that him and other extraction operators

sent in throughout the process have been considered completely by the board or the staff members that have been working on the ordinance. He also said that is clients aren’t looking to spend resources on the matter.

“A collaborative effort would be better for this issue,” Quandt said.

Quandt suggests tabling or postponing the issue in favor of holding a stakeholder meeting to further discuss the matter and take stalk of the information provided.

Brian Morris, a concerned citizen who helps run the NO PIT on Millbrook Road Facebook page, argued for the ordinance as he is concerned of the potential number of gravel pits. Morris also said they will have more affected people at the next meeting.

Another concerned citizen, Denise Richards, thinks the ordinance protects the entire community, not just one person or business and the call for collaboration is a stall. She further urged the board to vote yes on the issue.

Richards also has sent in a number of letters on the issue, one of which was read at the meeting.

“Board members have examined and discussed the Extraction Ordinance at length,” Richards said in the letter. “It’s not a perfect document, but it’s far better than no document. Adjustments can be made that are favorable to all involved; but not only adjusting bits that favor the applicants and those with the biggest, most expensive attorneys.”

A letter from Luann

A decision may be made at the next board meeting or the moratorium could be extended to further work on the ordinance.

Steiner, a resident who lives near a retired gravel pit that is now being used as a soil farming pit, was also read.

“We have nonstop gravel trucks all day long driving up and down our gravel road,” Steiner said. “It is non stop dust. Many times these trucks are going much faster that they should. You can’t open your windows because the dust is so thick. You can’t enjoy the outside because you can’t breathe due to dust.”

The board then entered a closed session in order to discuss information on the project with the township attorney. The closed session lasted approximately an hour before they returned to publicly discuss the ordinance.

Once the board members returned, some felt the revisions to the ordinance were good and that they’ve allowed significant input for both sides. Other members were concerned about the construction related costs as well as the potential lawsuit from extraction operators that could occur if the ordinance passes.

A decision may be made at the next board meeting or the moratorium could be extended to further work on the ordinance.

For more information, visit uniontownshipmi. com.