The Lowell Charter Township Board had its regular meeting on Monday, May 15. All members of the board were present.
Among the items that were discussed on the agenda were: the sign ordinance, a quote to repair a shared entrance to the North Grand River Riverfront park and Walgreens parking lot and repair of the beach volleyball courts, as well as appointments.
Kent District Library Report
First, the board heard an update on activities from the Kent District Library.
KDL was recently recognized as a “Five Star Library.” This is “…the highest form of public library recognition based on how our patrons utilize the library,” said Nicole Lintemuth, who sits on the Kent District Library board.
Her report also mentioned outreach to the community. The youth librarians go out to the schools and “entertain the kids with storytime.” Librarians went out to Creation Kingdom, among other learning institutions. Based on the schools’ curriculum, the librarians will drop off books to help facilitate the learning and growth of students.
Also, adult librarians have gone out to Green Acres, Schneider Manor, and Maple Ridge Manor where they deliver books and help facilitate book clubs. They also have book deliveries. “At the library, we’re trying to do everything we can to not only bring people in, but to also meet people where they are at,” said Kurt Lardie, regional manager at the Englehardt and Alto library branches.
Not only was outreach discussed, but the report contained information about circulation. “We had a great year last year,” according to Lance Werner, director of Kent District Library. “All of our numbers are coming back. We have 4,000 new active card holders. Total circulation has gone up 6%.” The computer and Wi-Fi usage went up as well. The library took a hit due to COVID, but the major theme of the report was “People are coming back.”
The library will be implementing an interactive virtual service called Temi. “You will be able to talk to someone “live,” Werner noted. “A robot can help people check things out.” This is a new model that will assist patrons without incurring more labor costs.
The report included how libraries try to be a part of the community that they serve as well. “We’ve been involved with all of the events in the historic downtown,” added Sandy Graham, who also serves as a regional manager for the Englehardt and Alto branches.
Fire Department Report
Fire Chief Shannon Witherell was present to give a report on the Lowell Area Fire Department.
Most notably, the department’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) score has improved. “The lower we score, the better we did,” Witherell said. The audit report scored the department from a 6/6Y (last audit score) to a 4/4Y (current audit score). For comparison, the City of Indianapolis is at a 3/3Y. The Lowell department scored three times better than the national average of a department their size.
The report showed the department could have scored better with the water flow in the township. Witherell noted that if you look at the fire hydrants, you may see certain spray painted colors on the tops of the hydrants. Blue is the best and red is the worst. “In the townships, we don’t have a good mapping system of where the hydrants are located” for flow testing, according to Witherell.
The Lowell Area Fire Department has two full time employees and one part time employee. Other firefighters are paid on-call. The department is at its busiest on Wednesdays. The teams are overseen by lieutenants, and there are four teams.
Amend Sign Ordinance
The Planning Commission recommended that the Township Board adopt an ordinance amendment to allow reader boards in AG 1 and AG 2 zoning districts and non-illuminated signs for home occupations and home based businesses.
The ordinance amendment was unanimously approved.
Quote to Repair Shared Entrance to Park
The township board also reviewed a quote to repair the entrance to the North Grand River Riverfront Park which has a pothole and normal “wear and tear.” The entrance is shared with Walgreens who was said to be “on board” with paying half of the quote.
The repair work was approved unanimously by the board.
Maintenance of Beach Volleyball Courts
The beach volleyball courts at the South Grand River Riverfront Park have been used quite frequently. There was discussion to level out the courts once a month. The board approved the expense of trucking in sand and leveling the courts.
Approval of Appointments
Aaron Kaeb and Dave Hoogenboom were unanimously appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals for three year terms.
The next regular meeting of the Lowell Township Board will take place on Monday, June 19, at 7pm at the township hall.
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