WINDSOR CHARTER TOWNSHIP

2025 NEWSLETTER

OFFICE HOURS:

The office, at 405 W. Jefferson, is open M-F from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Check the website for the 2025 Holiday Policy and for any office closures. Office Phone: 517-646-0772.

Clerk: Meredith Barnhart-Smith Treasurer: Lisa Rumsey

[email protected] [email protected]

Website: www.windsortownship.com

PHONE NUMBERS:

EMERGENCIES DIAL 9-1-1

Supervisor Beth Shaw 300 W. Jefferson, Dimondale, MI | Phone: 517-648-3528

Office Hours: by appointment

Email: [email protected]

Assessor Pete Preston 300 W. Jefferson, Dimondale, MI | Phone: 517-646-0040

Office Hours: Tues. 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM or by appointment

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Public Service Director Kyle Barker Phone: 517-242-4536

Emergency Services Chief Phil Miller Non-emergency calls & activate Burning Permits

Phone: 517-646-0893 | Email: [email protected]

Library Director Kate Gillham 405 W. Jefferson, Dimondale, MI | Phone: 517-646-0633

Library Hours: Tues & Thurs 10-6, Wed 10-8, Fri 10-6 & Sat 10-2 Email: [email protected]

Trustees of the Township: Curt Myers, Sandy Pray, Robert Gardner, & Stacy VanElls

MEETINGS: All meetings are held in the meeting room, at 300 W. Jefferson (lower level)

Township Board: Every Month 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday – 7:00 PM

Planning Commission: Every Month 2^nd Wednesday – 7:00 PM

Board of Appeals: As needed

Board of Review: March: Check new assessment notice in late February for specific times.

SUPERVISOR’S REPORT – BETH SHAW:

As we wind down 2024, I am looking forward to taking on the position of Windsor Township Supervisor, and becoming part of “Team Windsor”, which includes our township board, emergency services, schools, and most importantly, the citizens of Windsor Township. I am dedicated to working with the Village of Dimondale, Dorothy Hull Library, all our individual departments within the Township, and our citizens to make Windsor Township second to none. We are “better together”. I believe we will accomplish great things. I am new to this position; however, I have training scheduled in December with Michigan Townships Association. I have been working with those at the Township, County, and State levels to become more familiar with all the processes. I would like to assure each one of you that I am committed to transparency and community input. Each decision made will include research, thought, integrity, and what is best for OUR community. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

MEREDITH BARNHART-SMITH, CLERK:

Greetings! I am honored and excited to join the Clerk’s office. I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself, I have been a member of this great community nearly my whole life. My parents built their first house on Creyts Road a couple of years before I was born where they raised me, my sister, and my brother. As an adult, I have chosen to stay in the community and raise my son Terry here with my husband David. I have been involved with the Planning Commission, Board of Review, and Board of Appeals and consider it an honor to represent Windsor Charter Township. Thank you for trusting me as one of the leaders in our incredible community. I am excited to get to know each of you and to begin this journey together. Warmest regards!

ALL THE BEST FOR 2025! Meredith

GREETINGS FROM THE TREASURER’S OFFICE, LISA RUMSEY:

If paying by check, please remember to include a phone number. Postmark dates are not accepted as payment dates. The tax payment due date is stated on the front of the tax bill. The due date means the payment must be in our office on that date, at the end of the business day. We accept cash, checks or money orders.

The office will be open extended hours, from 9:00am thru 6:00 pm on Monday, December 30, 2024, for tax bill payments to be dated paid in 2024. The office will be closed December 24 & 25, 2024 and December 31, 2024 & January 1, 2025. Don’t forget we have a secure drop box, located outside the township office entrance for tax payments and voting materials. Cash payments should be for the exact amount and brought into our office. The Dorothy Hull Library does not accept tax payments. On Friday, February 28, 2025, we will be open extended hours, 9:00am thru 6:00 pm for the last day of 2024 property tax payment collection in our office. All real property tax payments for 2024 tax seasons must be received in the township office on or before February 28, 2025, by 6:00 pm. After that date, we must turn our records over to the Eaton County Treasurer and payments will need to be paid directly to them. Partial payments can be made during tax seasons.

If you have any questions about your tax bill please don’t hesitate to call (517-646-0772).

HAVE A SAFE AND HEALTHY 2025! Lisa

PETE PRESTON, ASSESSOR:

Anyone who has received a winter tax bill with “PRE 0%” and believes they are eligible for the Principal Residence Exemption “PRE 100%”, or believes they are eligible for a poverty or veterans’ exemption, please contact the Assessor. Remember to check your new assessment notices, which will be arriving in late February, on dates and times for the March Board of Review.

PLANNING COMMISSION:

The Planning Commission has been busy with Special Use Permits, Renewals, and Zoning requests. We finished the year with a Site Plan Review for the new Consumer’s Energy Service Center on Canal Road. The Planning Commission meets the second Wednesday of each month and the public is encouraged to attend as we address growth in the Township. Watch the Township website for updates.

EMERGENCY SERVICES - FROM THE DESK OF CHIEF PHIL MILLER:

Home Fire Insurance: I have heard from several members of our community that their fire insurance rates have increased substantially, because of incorrectly listing our fire department listed as an ISO class 10. Some insurance companies have been known to use hydrants as the only credible water source in the event of a fire. The ISO office recognizes that very few communities have complete coverage by fire hydrants and they give credit for automatic and mutual aid water shuttles. Windsor Township Emergency Services went through a rating inspection, and we are currently an ISO Class 5 Department for any residence or property within 5 road miles of the Emergency Services Building. If you have any questions about our ISO rating, please contact Chief Phil Miller at 517-646-0893.

Winter Weather Coming: Whether we like it or not, Winter weather will be with us before you know it. The Emergency Services Department would like to remind people to make sure their vehicles are ready for when the snow flies. Make sure all of your lights are working; Windshield wipers are in good shape and the fluid reservoir has a quality winter fluid with de-ice in it. Also, it is a good idea to make sure your battery and cooling system has been serviced and will not leave you stranded. During the winter months, stay informed about what weather conditions may be forecasted for the times you drive. We recommend tuning into your local TV stations, radio or local emergency management as your source to get the weather conditions or forecasts. If you are one of the Windsor Township Residents who have to commute early, please make sure you wake up and leave early for work if we are receiving inclement weather. Remember that roads are not always plowed and running late on slippery roads can be the recipe for disaster.

Have a Merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season. Chief Phil Miller

NOTES FROM THE LIBRARY

It’s been another busy year at the library!

Our new Program and Outreach Coordinator, Molly, has been hard at work this year keeping our regular reoccurring programs going, as well as introducing several new programs. We are especially delighted to have been able to reinstate Storytime (Thursdays every week at 10:30 a.m.). Some of the other exciting programs this year have included a writing workshop for kids, a ukelele strum, a CPR training class, and several author visits. Following us on Facebook (Dorothy Hull Library) is a great way to see upcoming events, but you can also find monthly paper calendars in the library. We also had a record year of participation for our Summer Reading Program, and we can’t wait to show you what we’re planning for next year!

Looking for more ways to get involved at your local library? The Library Board meets at the library every 3rd Thursday of the month at 6:00 p.m., and the public is welcome to attend. We also have some select volunteer opportunities available, so please get in touch if that interests you.

As always, you can contact us with questions or if you’re interested in signing up for a library card. Your card gives you more than just access to thousands of physical and electronic books! We also have DVDs, Wi-Fi hotspots, Potter Park Zoo Passes, Impression 5 Science Center Passes, and a variety of electronic resources. We also participate in MeLCat, so if we don’t have the title, you’re looking for we can borrow it from another library in the state and have it delivered here for you.

Happy holidays, and best wishes for the upcoming new year! We hope to see you in the library soon.

Kate Gillham, Director

BURN PERMITS:

Are you new to Windsor Township, or haven’t burned in the Township before? Windsor Township uses a permit system for the burning of brush or leaves. If you live in the Township and would like to burn, then you need to go to the Township office located at 405 W. Jefferson St. and purchase a burn permit. The permit costs $25.00 and is good for the calendar year it was purchased. Once the permit is issued, then you need to call the number on the permit to activate it. Activation of the permit is good for 7 days. The Township Office is open Monday-Friday between 9am and 4pm.

Burn permits do not allow holders to transport wood or brush in from another location or municipality for burning within Windsor Township. It also does not allow the permit holder to burn construction materials at any time. A permit is not needed to have a recreational campfire or a fire for cooking. Burning of brush or leaves is prohibited within the Village of Dimondale although recreational campfires are allowed. Any questions, please contact us at 517-646-0893.

DO YOU STILL NEED A GREEN SIGN?

They are still available at a cost of $15.00. Contact the Township Office (646-0772) to place your order or stop in the office to fill out a form.

Like us on Facebook. https://facebook.com/windsorchartertownship.

BEST WISHES FOR A SAFE AND WONDERFUL 2025