Pittsfield Board Given Kudos For Financial Results

In Wednesday's meeting, Mark Kettner, CPA and Principal, Rehmann Robson Business Consultants, gave kudos to the Pittsfield Township Board of Trustees in his presentation on the audit of the 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

Kettner, who said the firm’s opinion on the financial statements was good and deserved a certificate of excellence, noted the current year change in fund balance for the General Fund was approximately $73,000.

“These are pretty strong results given the economy,” he said. “The revenue is under budget but so are expenses. These are good results for the board and citizens.”

Township Supervisor Mandy Grewal thanked the township’s financial director Tracy Watkins for her hard work.

In another hopeful sign of the township’s economic strength, residents can look forward to more shopping choices as early as next summer, after the board gave unanimous approval to a rezoning request and preliminary site plan for retail giant Costco to build a store on 17 acres near the northwest corner of South State and Ellsworth roads.

A Special Meeting of the trustees is set for noon on July 27 at the Township Hall to address a second reading of the rezoning ordinance and adoption of the 2010 Pittsfield Township Master Plan.

Trustee Gerald Krone asked about electric car charging stations. Costco has said that of its 50 stores that have recharging stations, stations at only three stores are used. Krone said he would like the infrastructure put in place to meet the demands this new technology.

Grewal thanked the Planning Commission for its work, as well as stakeholders and residents for being engaged in informing the Board’s decision.

Local shoppers can look forward to a 149,000-square-foot wholesale store with parking for 720 vehicles, and gas station for 12 vehicles. Job hunters will be eyeing the potential for 200 or so new jobs. Drivers, pedestrians and bike riders will have easy access to the area and also enjoy an urban style pocket park/plaza provided by Costco at Ellsworth Road and Airport Plaza.

The board agreed to enter into a Road Improvement Agreement with the Washtenaw County Road Commission, for the design and construction of crosswalks and pedestrian signals for the south and east legs of the Lohr/Ellsworth intersection, at a cost not to exceed $20,000. The improvements are part of the Lohr-Textile Greenway Project non-motorized pathway,

  Tom Dodd, chair of the township’s Historical Commission and secretary of its Historic District Committee, gave a detailed presentation about the Sutherland-Wilson farmhouse at 797 Textile Road, as the possible future site of a historic district. The farm, in the family for six generations since 1832, was bought by the township in 2000 from Harold and Mary Wilson.

Grewal commended the committee on its fast-tracking of the project, noting these projects often take years. A public hearing is set for Aug. 8.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is set  6:30 p.m., July 13 at the township administration building, 6201 W. Michigan Ave. Meetings are held once a month in summer.