A Quick Tour Of Mullett Township

Mullett Township News & Views-Promoting Open Government in Mullett Township

There is also the Mullett Township Party Line or you make drink the Kool-Aid from the Topinabee Development Association "Artesian" Well

Mullett Township is a general law township in Cheboygan County, Michigan. The population was 1312 in the 2010 US census. The township and Mullett Lake are named for John Mullett, who with William Burt, surveyed much of the area between 1840 and 1843.

The commercial center of the Township is the quiet unincorporated Village of Topinabee located on the west shore of Mullett Lake on M27 highway. The village is a trailhead for the DNR Trail with off-street parking and restrooms.

The village has a Post Office, Convenience Store with gas pumps, Public Library with 24 hour outdoor WiFi, an artisan-owned woodwork shop, a breakfast cafe and a bar and grille. Township owned buildings include the Library, Township Hall and Fire Hall, and an unused former school building on Lea St.

Recreation needs are served with a beachfront park and covered picnic area, free public boat launch at the north end of the village, a small public access to Mullett Lake across from the Nokia Cafe and tennis court, ball-field, and playground equipment at a public park located up the hill on Lea St.

The east side of Mullett Township is largely rural, with no commercial development. Township services include a Fire Hall and volunteer East Mullett Lake Fire Department.


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

June 5, 2012 Mullett Board of Trustees Meeting


The June 5, 2012 Mullett Board of Trustees Meeting was well attended and with a lengthy agenda this blog will attempt to report the meeting in some detail. 

The first agenda item was the bid tabulation by Paul Rapuskey of Wade-Trim for the Boy Scout Park driveway/parking lot/ADA ramp project. The low bidder was C & J Excavating & Trucking with a bid of $39,239.37. This process started last year when the Board hired Wade-Trim to survey and design a much needed driveway and parking lot at Boy Scout Park in east Mullett Township. The project entails a gravel drive and designated parking area with a concrete ADA path from the parking area to the existing Pavilion. 

After planning for this project for over half a year, after the Board’s approval of the design, after it was stated the project cost could be as high as $60,000,, after incurring a $5,900 engineering bill, after the invitation to bid went out to a selected few contractors, and after the bids were opened on May 9, 2012 and Wade-Trim was authorized to tabulate the bids, Mullett Township Clerk Rachel Osborn suddenly had cold feet.

She stated she felt the cost was too much for only“250 feet” of driveway and, cast the only NO vote. If Ms Osborn was facing opposition in this year’s election, we might call this political posturing an attempt to show fiscal restraint. But, there are no seekers for the Clerk’s position and she has never shown any fiscal restraint while voting herself two pay increases in her first term or throwing money around on her pet projects. Was the no vote cast because this project did not have the support of the Topinabee Development Association? Mr Tom O’Hare, TDA member, and one half of the TDA’s public representation on the Mullett Township Park Board was in attendance but remained silent and offered no comment or support. Tom O’Hare is clearly only concerned with park projects he can see from his back yard.

Supervisor Koviak of Burt Township was in attendance and the Mullett and Burt Township Boards are working to clarify the joint ownership and an inter-local agreement with cemetery rules for the Burt-Mullett Cemetery.

With the floor open to public comment, Dennis  Jonski made his annual plea for needed pavement repairs to the Patterson, Sutherland, and Chapman streets. 

Tom O’Hare announced that he and David Ogg had reviewed further work on the Topinabee park plans which met with their approval. The legislators are still playing politics with approval all of the MNRTF grants and a final approval of the Grant is not yet done.

Tom O’Hare also announced the Topinabee Development Association will hold their annual meeting on July 7, 2012 from 4 to 7 PM at the Topinabee Pavilion as part of the TDA’s Commemorative Ground Breaking Ceremony for the Topinabee Beach Front Park project that is funded by a $280,000 MRTF Grant and $120,000 of Mullett taxpayers matching funds. Tom O’Hare encouraged everyone to attend and “BYOB” to promote public consumption of alcohol in the Topinabee Park on a Saturday afternoon.  A heated and confused discussion between Board members and Tom O’Hare over the township liability and legal requirements for alcohol consumption on township owned property ensued and Tom O’Hare stated he would comply with any legal requirements. 

Kathy Flory announced her candidacy for Mullett Township Treasurer to those in attendance. She is facing a primary run-off against incumbent Treasurer Karen Morgan.  Although other candidates have filed and were apparently in attendance at the meeting, no one else introduced themselves. 

This blog coordinator asked the Mullett Board to consider rescinding a Resolution formally adopted on February 5, 2008 that empowers the Topinabee Development Association to seek grants and other funds from Federal, State, County, Township and private sources to develop the TDA streetscape plan. This resolution has given the TDA the power to approach Federal and other entities seeking grants and funds to build the Topinabee the TDA envisions with the implication that they have the support of Mullett residents at large.

Trustee John Brown presented a large format colored map with FEMA designated “flood plain” areas indicated in red. If you were not in attendance and wish to see if your property is affected, the Cheboygan County Planning and Zoning has information on the website. 

Mullett Clerk Rachel Osborn again read a letter from 35 “residents and non-residents” concerned that the Topinabee Park improvements will create parking problems and asked for the Mullett Board to consider adding more parking lots for park users. Clerk Osborn also sought a reply for those individuals who are still trying to close Topinabee Shore Drive to public access, restricting free access to a road end on Mullett Lake. The Sutherland road end, 47 feet more less is already encumbered by a “squatter”, a shed owned by Brian Callaghan encroaching about 12 feet on this public road end. He and other Topinabee Shore property owners will continue to try to close this lake access to the public. The Sutherland road end is a valuable asset to Mullett Township residents and it is vital that this historical access to Mullett Lake be maintained or it will be lost to future generations. 

Supervisor Bill Morgan presented the Board with a water quality report from the East Mullett Fire Hall. Apparently, excessive iron levels are the issue and a question was raised whether this is a health issue and if potable water is needed at the hall. Supervisor Morgan stated the hall is occasionally used for “baby showers” or other functions by East Mullett residents and Clerk Osborn stated this was news to her. The Township Hall in Topinabee is rented to Mullett residents at a nominal fee but apparently Mullett Residents on the other side of the lake has been using the East Mullett Fire Hall without charge. 

The Board reached a consensus to investigate options including a water treatment system to remove the iron, and two different size replacement well options. Trustee John Brown asked Supervisor Morgan to secure two bids. He stated if he was having his own well repaired/replaced, he would seek at least 2 bids, 

Trustee Dennis Dombroski received his long sought approval to have his Mullett-Burt Road crack sealed at cost to the township of $2,800. Clerk Osborn stated she also uses this road.

$10,000 was approved for brine application used for dust control for those Mullett residents living on un-improved or gravel roads.