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.


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Will Supervisor Gale Allow Mullett Township Fines To Enrich Cheboygan County Courts?

Supervisor Mary Anne Gale has ignored previous input from other Board members and Mullett Township legal counsel Tim MacArthur, some based on prior experience, that "enforcing" a Blight Ordinance can be both a long and expensive process and it may literally take years and thousands of taxpayer dollars to clean up a blighted property. 

Trustee Brown and some other Board members expressed concerns that if an individual actually disputed or fought a citation, any fines due would go the District Court. Mullett Township spends the money, Cheboygan courts reap the harvest. Realistically, as legal counsel had advised, most individuals will "clean up" under threat and court action will not be required. The draft ordinance does not address a method to locally capture fines and costs. It moves from the threat of a fine directly to a court action to collect a fine.

This is volunteered, "free" information. 
REVISED JUDICATURE ACT OF 1961 (EXCERPT)
Act 236 of 1961


600.8396 Municipal ordinance violations bureau.
Sec. 8396.
A county, city, village, or township may by ordinance establish a municipal ordinance violations bureau to accept admissions of responsibility for municipal civil infractions and to collect and retain civil fines and costs pursuant to a schedule as prescribed by ordinance. The expense of operating a municipal ordinance violations bureau shall be borne by the county, city, village, or township, and the personnel of the bureau shall be county, city, village, or township employees.

The above Michigan Act empowers municipalities to collect fines and costs for local ordinance violations when an individual accepts responsibility for the violation. As an example, if Mullett Township had a "Parking Ordinance" to enforce NO Parking areas, with a $50 fine, the guy with a white van who received a municipal ticket would pay the $50 and costs to Mullett Township. The gentleman with the black Lexus who contested or denied responsibility would still be able to have his day in court. 

This link  Manchester Township Municipal Ordinance Violations Bureau  is an example of another township's ordinance that captures fines and costs on all civil infractions that do not proceed to court. 

 As Topinabee and limited areas of Mullett Township becomes gentrified, changing expectations will certainly require the Board to enact other ordinances to restrict activities or behavior. A NO TRESPASSING ordinance may be required to stop the public from entering the Topinabee Beach Park this winter. Alanson has just proposed a ban on smoking in all public parks. 

 If Mullett Township is going to start down the road restricting private property rights and freedoms; be proactive for a change and enact an ordinance to keep resultant fines and costs within the township when possible.