Public Notices

The Open Meetings Act (OMA) of Michigan requires notice to be given before a meeting is held and requires minutes to be prepared as a record of actions taken at the meeting.  Perhaps most imprtantly, the OMA is the source of requirement that all votes of a public body must be made public.

Lawrence Township complies with the OMA by posting notices of meetings at three locations:  Lawrence Community Services Building (Fire Station), Lawrence Post Office, Lawrence Township Hall (near the Business Office door).  In addition, public notices are posted to this website.

REVISED

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON INCREASING PROPERTY TAXES

The BOARD of TRUSTEES of LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP will hold a public hearing at the date and time below on a proposed increase of .0396 mills in the operating tax millage rate to be levied in 2020.

The hearing will occur during a special meeting to be held on Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. To prevent the spread COVID-19, this meeting will be held by electronic remote access with limited in-person attendance, if permitted at the time of the meeting by executive order or other law.  To the extent the meeting will be in person, it will be held at the Township Hall, 411 N. Paw Paw St., Lawrence, MI 49064.

The purpose of this meeting is to consider and potentially vote on the following: public hearing regarding Truth in Tax.  The date and location of the meeting to take action on the proposed additional millage will be announced at this public meeting/hearing.

To join the meeting remotely, you may phone in or participate online.

The public may participate in the meeting via computer or smart phone, through freeconferencecall.com, using the following link:

https://join.freeconferencecall.com/clerk060

Online meeting ID: clerk060

The public may also participate by calling into the below phone numbers and providing access code 475629#:              toll free (844) 854-2222          or         non-toll free number (760) 548-9303

You will only be able to speak at the meeting during the public hearing and public comment portions of the meeting and pursuant to previously adopted procedures. You may contact the BOARD OF TRUSTEES members by emailing Kim Thompson at clerk@lawrence-township.org to submit questions or input to the Board.  Necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services will be provided to individuals with disabilities upon reasonable advance notice by contacting the Township Clerk, Kim Thompson.

If adopted, the proposed additional millage will increase operating revenues from ad valorem property taxes 1.62% over such revenues generated by levies permitted without holding a hearing.  If the proposed additional millage rate is not approved the operating revenue will increase by .80% over the preceding year’s operating revenue.

The taxing unit publishing this notice, and identified below, has complete authority to establish the number of mills to be levied from within its authorized millage rate.

This notice is posted by:

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP

Kim Thompson, Clerk

411 N. Paw Paw St.,

Lawrence, MI 49064

(269) 674-4255

Revised and reposted on 07/27/2020

NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETING TOWNSHIP BOARD

TO ALSO BE HELD ELECTRONICALLY

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP

VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN

To:       The residents and property owners of Lawrence Township, Van Buren County, Michigan, and any other interested parties.

Please take notice that a regular meeting of the Lawrence Township Board will be held on Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. in person and also by electronic remote access.  We’ll discuss and potentially vote on the following:

• Review of Minutes
• Approval of Expenditures
• Written reports as presented
• Status of Planning Commission Meetings
• Truth-in-Taxation 2020 Tax Rate Request
• Other matters permitted by Law.

To prevent the spread COVID-19, this meeting will be held by electronic remote access with limited in-person attendance, if permitted at the time of the meeting by executive order or other law.  To the extent the meeting will be in person, it will be held at the Township Hall, 411 N. Paw Paw St., Lawrence, MI 49064.

The public may participate in the meeting via computer or smart phone, through freeconferencecall.com, using the following link.  For best performance, please download the desktop or mobile app for Free Conference Call (FCC).

https://join.freeconferencecall.com/clerk060

Online meeting ID: clerk060

The public may also participate by calling into the phone numbers below:

non-toll free number (760) 548-9303 or

         toll free (844) 854-2222 and providing access code 475629#          

Members of the public will only be able to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting and such comment will be limited to three minutes per person. To provide for orderly public participation, a person wishing to speak must state their name and request to be recognized. The Board will recognize all persons wishing to speak during public comment. If, prior to the meeting, members of the public have certain questions or wish to provide input on any business that will be addressed at the meeting then such persons may contact the Township Board members through Kim Thompson, Township Clerk, by email to clerk@lawrence-township.org, or by mail at P.O. Box 445, Lawrence, MI 49064. A copy of the meeting materials and agenda may be found on the link on the Township’s homepage at lawrence-township.org The Township will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities at the meeting upon 72 hour advance notice by contacting Kim Thompson, Township Clerk, by email, phone, or mail at the below.

Date Posted: 7/27/20                                         _______________________________

Lawrence Township Clerk  

411 N. Paw Paw St

P.O. Box 445

Lawrence, MI  49064

Email clerk@lawrence-township.org

PEDDLERS/SOLICITORS PERMIT REQUIRED

With summer on its way, we will begin to see Peddlers/Door-to-Door Sales persons in our community, once the Stay-at-Home orders are lifted.

Lawrence Township requires these persons to have a Solicitor/Peddler permit issued by the Township Board prior to beginning such activities in the township. 

Part of the permit process is to validate with the parent company that the person IS an employee and to perform a background check to ensure that our neighbors are safe.

If you are approached in your home or the community by any of these persons, ask to see their Township issued permit.  If they are unable to produce one, ask them to leave and inform them that they MUST obtain a permit or they are not allowed to solicit in our community.
 

Please get as much information as possible (vehicle description, name of individual, license plate, picture of vehicle, etc.) and notify Lawrence Township by sending an email to supervisor@lawrence-township.org or calling 269-674-4255. 

If they refuse to leave your property, call 911.

Road Commission Launches New

Service Request App

Recently the Van Buren County launched SeeClickFix, a new app allowing citizens to report non-emergency road issues.  Residents and the motoring public can take a photo of a road issue, such as a pothole, give the location, add a description, and click “submit” to send requests directly to the Van Buren County Road Commission through SeeClickFix.  

Road Commission Interim Managing Director/Operations Director, Greg Brucks, states, “SeeClickFix makes it easier for staff at the Van Buren County Road Commission to identify and address road-related issues in a timely fashion.  SeeClickFix is a mobile app that lets citizens report issues on-the-go, and receive real time notifications when the service request has been updated.  This will not only serve to increase civic engagement by involving citizens in community dialogue, but will also improve the efficiency in which service requests are addressed.”

SeeClickFix is available immediately for citizen use as follows:

•On Facebook at www.facebook.com/VBCRC

•On the Van Buren County Road Commission’s website at www.VBCRC.org

•Download on the App Store or on Google Play

•On line at www.SeeClickFix.com

For answers to any questions about SeeClickFix, please contact the Van Buren County Road Commission at 269-674-8011, Extension 0.  The Road Commission urges you to, “Get Connected.  Get Involved.  Get Results.”