• IMPORTANT ISSUES AT THE NEXT REGULAR BOARD MEETING: 6 p.m. Wednesday, February 19th, 2025 at the township hall. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. Salient topics to be covered will include 1) a look at the first draft of the FY 2025-26 Budget presented to the board; 2) the reconsideration of/voting on a second draft of the Short Term Rental Ordinance; and 3) discussion of the public's organized opposition to the 190 ft cell phone tower placed by the City of Frankfort behind the Bellows Public Beach. Below are readable/downloadable links to a draft agenda and documents that will be used by officials in conducting CLT business. Note: You might want to think twice before printing out these documents, as some can be very lengthy. Anyone needing special accommodations to attend the meeting should call the clerk well in advance for possible assistance.​

​             Agenda: draft 2.19.25 (*)
             Minutes: 1.15.25 Reg. Bd Mtg (*); 1.22.25 Special Mtg (*)
             Correspondence: Rider-Ironman; Bellows Ave Residents-Cell Tower; Trigg-Tx Com: DTE Gas line Extension; Materials Management Planning Committee
             Fire & Rescue: Monthly Report
             Financials: Summary Report; Detailed Reports; Warrant Report (*)
             Airport: Quarterly Report
           * Budget: Draft of General, Cemetery, Fire & Rescue and Road Funds; Salaries  [* Print on 8.5 x 18 paper]
             Special Events: Ragnar (*)
             Old Business: #2 Short Term Rentals Ordinance (*); 
             New Business: Local Radio Invitation

• SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE (STR): An ordinance has long been under consideration by the CLT Board to regulate short term rentals in our township.  This explosion in short term rentals as a commercial business is a growing area of concern. Many other entities including those across the country and abroad have a policy in place to either ban them all together, OR to deal with two possible issues that a plethora of rentals on a very short term basis may bring: nuisances such a noise and loss of a stable community, sometimes voiced as profit to the determent of the permanent population. In northern Michigan, the City of Frankfort, Lake Township and the Grand Traverse all have already instituted policies and installed enforcement mechanisms. The Board did pass a STR Ordinance at the 1.15.25 but the attorney is reviewing it for ​a legal check-and-balance measure.  The Board will be sending out a special mailing to make all property owners aware of this development.  INTERESTING NOTE:  A recent attempt to regulate Short Term Rentals (STRs) at the state level was defeated (HB 5438).  Proponents sought to walk a narrow compromise between state and local interests. On one hand, it recognized continuing township authority to regulate STRs. On the other hand, a new statewide registry would be created. Along with administration and enforcement at the state level, it would have imposed an excise tax of 6% on STRs.

• CELL PHONE TOWER AT THE 7TH STEET PUBLIC BEACH & BELLOWS PARK:  Notice of Frankfort's plan for a new 190 foot communication tower was given to the CLT Board last summer and we, in turn, presented all we knew to the CLT constituents in our July Board Meeting.  Click here for the link to the packet of material supplied to public by our Board at that time. CLT was originally approached about locating the proposed tower in our township-owned wooded acreage near the North Cemetery, but no one from the City of Frankfort or the APC Tower Company communicated interest again before we learned that Frankfort had, instead, leased land located on the corner of Bellows Ave and Thomas Road for the project.  (Although in the middle of our township boundaries, the land parcel on which sits the public beach, the picnic pavilion, boat launch and tree covered ridge, is owned by the City of Frankfort.)  Click here to see our Winter 2024-25 Newsletter in which we further conveyed information to our tax payers about this project. Since tower construction started last month, there has been a ground swell of opposition to it's location.  Although we are fielding many questions and concerns on the topic, we strongly advise you to communicate with other sources of information, as well, such as the officials at Frankfort, the Record-Patriot, UpNorth Live, the internet and the neighbors, all of which are involved with executing, reporting on and/or re-examining the situation.

• PUBLIC BUDGET MEETING:  Noon on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at the Crystal Lake Township Hall.  The property tax millage rate proposed to be levied to support the proposed budget will be a subject of this hearing.  A copy of the proposed budget for public review will be available for public inspection after Wednesday, February 20, 2025 at the Crystal Lake Township Hall or online www.crystallaketwp.org. The Board shall not adopt a budget at this meeting but members of the public may offer comments. The CLT Board will vote to adopt a final draft of budget at their March 19th, 2025 Regular Board meeting. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the Crystal Lake Township Board by writing Township clerk, Judy VanMeter, POB 2129, Frankfort, MI 49635/231-352-9791 [email protected].  This notice complies with MCL 141.436 and MCL 211.24e.

• BOARD OF REVIEW: March 4, 10 & 12 at the township hall.   What's this all about? All non-exempt property must be assessed at 50 percent of true cash value and uniformly assessed with other properties in the classification. The purpose of the Board of Review (BOR) is to ascertain that this has been accomplished by allowing taxpayers to appeal their properties assessed value or taxable value. No person can appeal the property in question to the Michigan Tax Tribunal unless that owner has first appeared before the Crystal Lake Township's BOR.  Some people refer to the process as appealing your taxes; it is actually appealing the property assessment, on which taxes (such as a school millage, a jail millage or township operating tax) are based. The March meetings include, first, an Organizational Meeting to review and examine the property assessment roll made by our Assessors, Dave and Jill Brown.  The first day does not hear appeals; still, the public is welcome to observe the meetings as the BOR is organizing itself and persons may offer commentary during the public discourse period. The following week, the two days dedicated to hearing appeals ("protest') total at least 12 hours, 6 on Monday and 6 on Wednesday. If you are wanting to protest your assessment, initiate the appeal process by first contacting Jill Brown, CLT Assessor, at (231) 881-4000 with questions, to obtain petition and/or to make an appointment for in-person appeals.  Written appeals must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2024 and must be mailed to: Township Assessing 1196 Ranger Drive, Gladwin MI 49624. No emailed or faxed petitions will be accepted.

• NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES: The township is always looking for more secure avenues for communicating and storing information.  One of those steps recently taken is to establish safer emailing and to do that we needed to create all new email addresses for the staff. Prefixes will name the job position (e.g. clerk, deputytreasurer, zoning) and the suffix will henceforward be cltbenzie.org. Check on the "Staff" webpage for everyone's new email address. Then, please make changes to your address book accordingly.

• IRONMAN 2025 & 2026:  ​Frankfort City Council recently voted to sponsor another two years of the Ironman Event.  Once again, no direct or dedicated communication was received from the City to Crystal Lake Township to discuss or request cooperation.  In order to hold the Ironman in much the same fashion as it was held its first four years, Crystal Lake must sign off with the proper authorities (Benzie County Road Commission) in order for Ironman to block regular public traffic/reserve for use solely by racers some of the roadways located within our township.  We have been asking our constituents: Should the CLT Board agree to give permission for yet another two years? Very few responded to our query before the 12.18.24 Board Meeting, and it seems even the low response gives the impression that residents are split evenly.  The result was the Board voted 3-2 to give permission for Ironman to use our CLT roads for 2025 and 2026. However, it was also decided that at the end of 2026, CLT will re-evaluate, ask for assurances that racers will not obstruct rescue efforts as they have in the past, and require that CLT have a "seat at the table" if Frankfort decides to sign any more contracts.  These conditions must be met, the majority of the board said, or CLT's response for future permission to use/restrict traffic will be an automatic decline.

• FIBER INSTALLATION IN CLT:  Are you seeing the workers and the bright orange colored tubing being trenched into the roadsides around our township? Cherry Capital Communications is getting close to connecting homes to the newly constructed Crystal Lake Twp fiber-to-home network.  CCC is estimating the first homes will be activated in December!  If you are interested in signing up or would like more information, please go to https://portal.cccfiber.com or call 231-264-9970 option 1 for Sales.  After signing up, there are several more steps to getting your home connected:  1) Fiber in conduit will be installed from the road to your home.  2) The fiber will be spliced into the network, which will allow for your home to be scheduled for activation.  3) At the time of activation, a fiber cable is installed in your home with CCC electronics.  The electronics should be installed in the part of the home that has the most internet activity, typically a living room or office.  For larger homes or multiple areas of the home, additional electronics can be installed. The goal is to get as many homes connected along the route as possible.  The best time to sign up is now. A fast internet connection will allow you to stream TV, work from home, improve cell phone service.  Any questions on common applications we are happy to answer your questions.   Click here to view a broadband projected service map. ​​

• COMMUNITY GUIDANCE NEEDED ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: We are currently soliciting public feedback regarding environmental concerns/inquiries in Crystal Lake Township.  If you have any input, please feel free to fill out our form so that we can capture and collate your feedback as we prioritize our 2025 agenda." Click here for form.  Want to volunteer to be on the CLT Environment Committee? Email Abbie Ellsworth.​​

• EMPLOYMENT/VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Your community needs you! There is an immediate need to fill some township "empty seats." High priority is our need for Cemetery Committee Members with family in North or East Cemeteries; and a second Airport Authority appointee. But actually, we would welcome interested community members to join any of these areas: Blight Committee, Board of Review, Environment Committee; Fire & Rescue Committee; Planning Commission; Roads Committee, Zoning Board of Appeals.  However, not only would the township like to see you involved with (y)our local government, in a myriad of ways so would Benzie County and Northern Michigan appreciate your involvement.  Your voice and your skills are important. In addition to feedback, consider volunteering, or working in a staff position.  Click here to take you to our Employment & Volunteerism webpage for volunteer opportunities.  Last but not least, we recommend you check with the county website or look up some of the area's non-profits to might benefit from your assistance.​​