By Sterling McGinn
The Columbus Township Board may be saved from state intervention after several interested individuals stepped forward to run for the multiple positions that are slated to be empty following the November election.
The township of approximately 169 residents was facing a very uncertain future after many long standing officials decided to not seek re-election. The outgoing board has advertised the positions and Township Supervisor Jeannie King recently sent letters to every registered Columbus Township voter stressing the need for individuals to step forward to keep the board functioning.
At the April 9 meeting of the township board, Jeff Anderson was appointed to fill the upcoming clerk vacancy. Longtime Clerk Don Leech submitted a letter of resignation last month in the hope that his absence would draw interested parties. Leech’s resignation takes effect April 30.
Anderson has been a resident of Columbus Township for approximately three years. “I grew up in the Detroit area and moved up to Grayling in my late 20s,” Anderson said. “I used to own a computer business doing sales and service.”
Anderson will become township clerk on May 1 and will run in the November election to continue with the position. Leech will assist Anderson during the transition, and said that his son can be Anderson’s deputy if interested.
The supervisor and treasurer positions will also be open because Kelly and Jeannie King also decided not to run for re-election. Neither is Trustee Emerson Smith, which creates another pending vacancy. Appointed trustee Ed Stielstra, who was appointed to the seat Ed Auge vacated, said he plans to run for the seat.
Jeannie King said resident Roger Auble wants to run for supervisor and that Dan Schultz, a CPA, is relocating to the family farm in McMillan and is interested in becoming the township treasurer.
“Dan Schultz, who did not meet the residency requirements to file the candidacy paperwork now, can be a write-in candidate in the August primary, or if no one else runs or puts in, could be appointed by this board before we are done,” Jeannie King said.
In other news, Columbus Township Fire Department Chief Paul Gaberdiel submitted his intention to resign effective June 1. He will remain on the department as a firefighter, but is planning to travel and thought it’s best to hand the chief position to someone else.
“I just feel I can’t service the department as what it should be going forward,” he said. Gaberdiel stated that he did not have a candidate yet for the position. The department has about 10 firefighters, with all but one residing in Lakefield Township.
The board also discussed the fire agreement between Columbus and Lakefield Townships, which is up for renewal in July. Columbus Fire Department services Lakefield Township, which pays a base fee of $20,000 per year to Columbus for that. This year, Lakefield provided an additional $10,000 as partial payment for the tanker truck purchased last year.
The board briefly discussed the fire department, which will soon be without a chief.
“There have been comments on whether Lakefield should take over the fire department, but they are not interested,” said Jeannie King.
Trustee Emerson Smith is concerned about how many firefighters show up to calls and feels the department is not functional. Fire Chief Gaberdiel said about six or seven Columbus Township firefighters respond to calls.
The township is working to secure written mutual aid agreements with Portage, Seney, and Germfask fire departments.
Columbus Township no longer has an agreement for mutual aid from the Newberry Fire Department. Jeannie King said that the Newberry Village Council would not vote on the agreement they presented, and was planning to charge the township for services if the agreement was not met.
