Oshtemo Charter Township’s Board, Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Downtown Development Authority, South Drake Road Corridor Improvement Authority, and Friends of the Parks gathered for a joint boards meeting Sept. 15 to share updates across township projects.
Sanitary sewer expansion moving into phase two. The township’s USDA-funded sanitary sewer expansion project has completed phase one, with phase two now underway and multiple new connections being established. The township is addressing failed septic systems in affected areas and offering hardship assistance to residents who need help connecting to the new sewer system. A new texting program has also launched to keep residents updated on the project as it progresses.
Board developing plan to publish public comments online. In response to a high volume of public feedback, the board is working on a formal procedure to publish public comments on the township website, similar to how meeting minutes are posted, to improve transparency and public access.
Downtown Development Authority. The DDA is finalizing approval from Consumers Energy to add a second set of holiday banners to existing poles downtown and is completing plans to install DDA-funded streetlights along Ninth Street.
Friends of the Parks. The group reported a leadership transition and continued work on park programming and fundraising, including new benches made from reclaimed materials along the Fruit Belt Rail Trail and ongoing community cleanups and events.
Planning Commission. The commission is drafting a new energy systems ordinance and working to consolidate the township’s environmental ordinances into a single document, incorporating public input along the way.
Election preparation. Ballots for the November election have been received, and testing of voting tabulators and voter-assist terminals is underway ahead of the election.
Community conversations paused for November and December. The township’s community conversations series will not meet in November or December so the Planning Commission can hold additional meetings to advance ordinance work. Township officials said they intend to resume the conversations once that work is further along.
Residents looking to connect to the new sewer system, request hardship assistance, or sign up for project text updates can contact the township’s public works department for details.
