Comstock Township - December 8, 2025 Parks and Recreation Meeting

Updated 1 day ago

The Board reviews a prescribed burn plan for Robert Morris Park and other areas, with discussions on the benefits and community communication strategies. The board approved moving forward with additional burn plots. The meeting also covered the park concessions schedule for the next season, focusing on optimizing product offerings and operating days. Budget adjustments were discussed, including approval of COLA increases for staff and addressing budget discrepancies. The meeting concluded with reports on park maintenance and recent community events, such as the holiday tree lighting.

Chapters

Call to Order (00:02:28)
The regular meeting of the Charter Township is called to order.

The meeting begins with the official call to order of the regular session for the Charter Township.
Approval of Agenda (00:02:40)
Discussion on moving reports and correspondence above member comments and adding a COLA discussion for park staff.

Members discuss adjustments to the agenda, including moving reports and correspondence, and adding a cost of living adjustment (COLA) discussion for park staff under business items after commissioner roles.
Public Comments (00:04:04)
Public comments are requested, but there are none.

The floor is opened for any public comments, but no comments are made by attendees.
Consent Agenda (00:04:07)
Approval of the consent agenda, noting the mercantile bill is not available.

The consent agenda is reviewed and approved, including last meeting minutes and the November invoice distribution report. It is noted that the mercantile bill is not yet available.
Presentation of Prescribed Fire Burn Report (00:04:37)
The burn report detailing the October prescribed fire burn.

Detailed report presented on the prescribed fire burn conducted in October. The report includes information on the burn plan, outcomes, and future burn plans. There is discussion on monitoring and benefits of the burn to the environment and training opportunities.
Business Items: Park Concessions (00:20:28)
Discussion on the operation days for park concessions and products to be offered.

The board discusses and suggests a plan for operating park concessions, focusing on opening days and product offerings based on previous revenue and user attendance.
Business Items: Commissioner Roles (00:23:34)
Discussion on commissioner roles with a decision to retain the current structure.

Commissioner roles are reviewed, and it is decided to maintain the current roles without changes, with members expressing satisfaction with the current arrangement.
Reports and Correspondence (00:24:59)
Review of reports including the November revenue and expenditure report.

Various reports are reviewed, including the November revenue and expenditure report. Issues with the printing of reports are noted, and assistance is offered to correct these problems.
COLA Discussion for Park Staff (00:29:30)
Discussion on cost of living adjustment for park staff and upcoming evaluations.

A COLA increase for park staff is discussed, with plans to align with Township board decisions. Upcoming performance evaluations for staff are also mentioned, with a timeline for completion.
Discussion on Park Monitoring and Maintenance (00:33:40)
The ongoing monitoring of parks was discussed, including trash pickup schedules and staff efforts.

The committee discussed the current monitoring and maintenance of parks. Weekly monitoring is done by staff, Joe and Dakota, who pick up trash. Discussions focused on whether additional measures are needed to monitor the parks, especially during winter, and how to handle situations of dumping and unauthorized activities in the parks.
Dumping at DNR Landing (00:35:50)
Dumping issues at the DNR landing were highlighted, with efforts to clean up the area.

The issue of illegal dumping at the DNR landing was brought up. Joe has been dealing with truckloads of waste that need to be taken to the transfer station. The visibility of the area from the road was discussed, noting that it is not easily seen unless you are a passenger looking out the window.
Signage for Comstock Cemetery and Neil Street Park (00:36:43)
Plans to update signage for Comstock Cemetery and Neil Street Park were discussed, merging signage to be more concise.

The meeting addressed plans to update signage for Comstock Cemetery and Neil Street Park. The plan is to combine the signage to make it more efficient and cost-effective, removing duplicate signs. Katie Justice proposed the final concept for the signage layout.
Director’s Report (00:40:08)
The Director's report included feedback on the tree lighting event and future park lighting plans.

The Director's report covered the recent tree lighting event, noting the need for heaters and the success despite cold weather. Discussion included maintaining lights for public enjoyment and plans to add more electrical outlets in the park for future events. The possibility of community sponsorship for lights was mentioned.
Member Comments and Announcements (00:45:51)
No member comments or announcements were made at this time.

The floor was opened for any member comments or announcements. There were no comments or announcements made by the members present at the meeting.
Adjournment (00:46:02)
The meeting was adjourned without objections.

The meeting was adjourned after confirming there were no further comments or objections. A motion for adjournment was passed.