CRYSTAL LAKE TOWNSHIP IN BENZIE COUNTY MICHIGAN

NEWS - EVENTS - UPDATES

Current as of Tuesday, 2.8.23 - 11 a.m.

Invasive Species Alert in Benzie County: click here

END-OF-YEAR TAX COLLECTION: 2022 Winter taxes may be paid without accruing interest or penalties through Feb. 14th, 2023. Outside of the limited hours when the township hall is staffed, tax payers should drop the payment in the outside black "drop" box located in the lower of the two entrances. All payments received by drop-off will receive a receipt mailed to the address on the bill. In addition, the treasurer can email a receipt if given an email address. The treasurer will be collecting 2022 taxes, summer and winter, until February 28th, 2023 when the tax roll is given over to the county for collection and all subsequent payments must then be made at the county treasurer's office in Beulah. The treasurer or her designee will be in the township hall 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on February 28th, 2023. The township treasurer cannot back date payments if received by mail after February 28th, 2023.

A BUDGET HEARING will be held at 6:45 PM, Tuesday, Feb 21, 2023 at the township hall, just before the regular board meeting AND
THE NEXT REGULAR BOARD MEETING will be held 7 PM Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at the township hall. The public is welcome. Anyone needing special accommodations is urged to call the township well in advance for possible arrangements. Approximately a week before the meeting, check below for the underlined links for the agenda and other readable/downloadable documents that will be used for consideration of when discussing/deciding township business and issues. [ (*) denotes a decision expected.] NOTE: Be discriminate about what you want to print out, if anything, because some documents are quite lengthy. The township is phasing out having hard copies of these documents available to the public --except by request-- because most of the public can, instead, easily access them digitally via a smart phone or computer screen.

FEEDBACK DESIRED FOR FRANKFORT PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO BELLOWS PARK: There is a proposal to have CLT contribute funds to further improve conditions at the Frankfort Public Beach at the north end of where 7th Street ends at Crystal Lake. The bulk of the improvements --although not all the suggested improvements-- would include better lighting, better toilets, a better dock. We welcome feedback from the constituents and would like to hear your thoughts, the sooner the better. You may send your questions to the supervisor, Amy Ferris, at supervisor.clt@gmail.com (or contact any other board member by consulting the Staff Info page on the menu line above) OR you can leave a comment or concern via our website messaging link. To find the details of the proposal click here for Frankfort's cover Letter, list of projects and cost estimates. Click here for a schematic of what exists presently and what is proposed at the park site (2 pages that, if printed out, can be fitted together.) Click here for a closer up proposed schematic of proposed park improvements. Click here for flush toilets design (again, 2 pages; if printed out they can be fitted together.)

STATE URGING COMMUNITIES AND RESIDENTS TO CHALLENGE THE FCC’s BROADBAND MAP: Because high-speed internet is not available to nearly a half-million homes in Michigan, the state is urging every Michigander to check their home and business address on the preliminary broadband map to ensure it accurately reflects their level of internet access. The Michigan High-Speed Internet Office is also working to challenge the map, but it’s important for everyone across the state to know how to view and challenge the map. Please share the following information and links with your residents and community members. To access the FCC broadband map:

1. Visit broadbandmap.fcc.gov/homebroadbandmap, then type in an address and see if the reported coverage is accurate. You can access the
site from a computer or a mobile device.
2. Residents can submit a challenge by clicking "Location Challenge" if the location of their home or business is missing or incorrect,
OR by clicking "Availability Challenge" if the internet service information is incorrect.
3. Residents should visit the website of any internet service provider that claims to serve their location and us the website's "Check Availability"
similar tool to determine if the provider can service their location. If they can't, a screenshot of their website can be submitted to the FCC as
evidence for an availability challenge.

Follow the instructions on how to file an availability challenge using the new map. A how-to video is also available.

MARCH BOARD OF REVIEW (BOR) is made up of three persons who are tasked with looking at the current year assessment roll. Assessors must send out their assessment change notices via the United States Postal Service not less than 14 days before the first meeting of the BOR, which in 2023 means before March 1st. Property owners may find an error in that assessment, may disagree with the assessment, or may feel they are exempt from paying taxes which are based on the assessment. The township urges anyone first contact the assessor, Jill Brown, and discuss the situation. If the problem cannot be resolved by first talking to the assessor, then every person who chooses to appear before the March BOR is technically challenging a decision of the assessor. There are only two days a year, 12 hours all together, in which a property owner may appeal the valuation of a property. To make an appeal, tax payers must complete --at minimum-- the official petition and preferably turn it in before Friday, March 10. (There may be other forms required, as well. For example, if one is applying for an exemption based being a disabled veteran, or on poverty, one can can visit the Assessment website page or contact the township for assistance in procuring all the correct forms.) General property information may be found at www.bsaonline.com. After the BOR's organizational meeting on Tues. March 7th (which is for board business only), the 2023 meeting dates where appeals to 2023 assessments can be heard by the BOR are Monday, March 13th, 3-9 p.m. and Tuesday, March 14th, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. If you would like to schedule an appointment to appear, or need special ADA accommodations to do so, please contact the supervisor, who is the BOR Secretary. Appointments are not required, however; also, written appeals are allowed. All meetings of the BOR are subject to the Open Meetings Act and public is welcome to attend. To review the Board of Review page on this website for more information, click here.

VOLUNTEERS and WORKERS NEEDED:

Cemetery Committee: If you're interested in the historical aspects of our two cemeteries, we are looking for someone to work on an historical compendium documenting some of the more interesting gravesites. Are you a photographer and have working knowledge of spreadsheets? We need the file of gravestone photos updated. We are also looking for a committee member who has family in East Cemetery and would would advocate for issues in that particular cemetery. See Supervisor Ferris.
Budget & Finance Committee: This "sub" committee is a new idea and never been formed before. Pending approval of the board, it will serve as another layer to our government's system of checks-as-balances and help steer the township's formation of a budget. Details as to the scope of the work will be forthcoming. Contact Supervisor Ferris.