1651 Frankfort Hwy
PO Box 2129 Frankfort MI 49635 (231) 352-9791 |
OPEN 9-Noon
Mon - Tues - Wed Click here for individual hours & emails CLOSED Thurs-Fri Click here for holiday closures This website information updated as of Wed, May 21, 2025 at 11 a.m. |
- REGULAR BOARD MEETING: 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at the township hall. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend, or watch the video of the meeting when it is posted, approximately 24 hours later. The agenda and documents that the Board will use in conducting its business are posted below. When indicated by underlining, they are readable online or downloadable/print-ready. We recommend thinking twice before printing, as some documents are quite lengthy. Also, check back as we get closer to the meeting date, as the agenda may be tweaked and documents may be added.
Minutes for approval: Reg Bd 4.16.25; Special Meeting 4.25.25
Correspondence:
Guest: Popp/Frankfort City-County Airport Authority FY 2025-26 Budget
County Commission: Report
Fire & Rescue: Report
Financials: Detailed Reports; Summary; Warrant Report (*); P&Z Recording Sec pay raise (*)
Departments & Committees---
Airport: Reports; FCCAA pay recension of pay (*)
Assessing: Designated Assessor Opt Out (*)
Blight: update
Buildings & Grounds: update; sign purchase (*)
Cemeteries: update
Clean Up Day: update
Enforcement: Marble resignation (*)
Newsletter: Draft
Planning & Zoning: update
- ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING: 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 5, 2025 at the township hall.
- ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY pickup begins and needs volunteers: There are roadways available through the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Adopt-a-Highway program for communities or individuals interested in making the two-year commitment to clean up state highway roadsides. The first Spring pickup date is already past, but sign up is still possible for future dates.

- YOUR STATE LEGISLATURE AT WORK: Click here for a comprehensive list of law recently passed that could effect life in our township. They all took effect as of 4.2.2025. There are many directly effecting our environment. Topics range from speed limits to firearms, and lots more in between.
- TRANSPARENCY IS OUR MIDDLE NAME: Your government reps at CLT want you to know what we know, what we do, what we are planning. Democracy needs our constituents to be interested, involved and informed. It ironic that in this day and age of so many different types of non-stop-in-your-face media, we are still having trouble communicating with our residents. We send out newsletters twice a year. We update this website several times a week. Draft and, later, approved minutes are always on our website to read or download. If you stop by, we're ready to answer your questions in person. What else? Here's a great suggestion: view CLT Board meetings by checking out our YouTube channel. Every once in a while we screw up the mechanisms, but we only do that rarely and as a result, you have access for your viewing pleasure to official board business as it was being decided.

- CELL PHONE TOWER AT THE 7TH STEET PUBLIC BEACH & BELLOWS PARK: Notice from the COF, 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 CLT constituents in our July Board Meeting. Click here for the link to the packet of material supplied to public by our Board July 17, 2024. Also, click here to see our Winter 2024-25 Newsletter in which we further conveyed information to our constituents about our Board concern for inter-governmental communication and this project, as well as others. 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 nor the APC Tower Company communicated interest again before we learned, instead, the City of Frankfort had already signed a contract at the end of May, 2024 and asking only for our zoning permit. The signed contract allows construction and lease of a section of this Frankfort-owned parcel of land.* The City of Frankfort agreed with the companies that approached them that there was a need for such infrastructure to serve the wider community's desire for complete modern communications coverage. Bellows Park extends from Crystal Lake to Thomas Road. The location of the tower, perched on the wooded ridge, is on northeast corner of Bellows Ave and Thomas Road. (See photo, which shows view of tower from South Shore.) Any additional antennas are to be added in the near future. What is pictured here is current.

(*) Wondering about this Frankfort-owned "island" in the midst of our township? Although situated in the middle of CLT boundaries, the land parcel on which sits the public beach, the picnic pavilion, boat launch and tree-covered ridge, was donated by the Bellows Family back in the 1930's and thus owned by the City of Frankfort. COF never annexed the parcel, but is the owner of record and has maintained the park physically and financially through the many years. Most recently, the neighboring Pugh family members contributed $250K to the improvement of the park. In the last decade, the beach area was made safer with a protective wall separating it from the road pavement, a rain garden was created to catch runoff, and a new pavilion was built. Further proposed changes for improved services include bathrooms.
- 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 has already connected a large multiple of homes to the newly constructed Crystal Lake Twp fiber-to-home network; they are still working to finish their goal. 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.