Caledonia Township seeks $1.5M federal grant for 17 new homes

Caledonia Charter Township is asking the state for nearly $1.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant money to put in the infrastructure for 17 new homes, according to the draft synopsis of the township board's Aug. 17 meeting.

The board voted Aug. 17 to approve a corrected public hearing notice for that request. The notice says the township wants $1,271,000 in CDBG funds for a single housing infrastructure project in the township, plus 18% in administrative costs, for a total request of $1,499,780. Nine of the 17 households — 51% — would be set aside for low- to moderate-income occupancy, defined in the notice as households at or below 80% of the area median income. The notice says the project would be built on vacant land and that no displacement of residents or businesses is anticipated.

The agenda item describes the correction as a "wording change for the public hearing back in April for the housing grant with the hospital development." The synopsis does not say what was wrong with the original wording. The township held the hearing April 20 at 135 N. State Rd. in Owosso, filed a letter of intent in November 2025 and submitted the full application by May 29, according to the corrected notice, which also states the township has never applied for or managed CDBG funding before. Treasurer Levesque moved to approve the corrected notice, supported by Trustee Ochodnicky, and it carried.

The board also accepted an $87,600 grant for the Brick Plant Causeway project, numbered FH25018, and authorized Supervisor Amy Holek to sign the paperwork and open separate bank accounts for the money. Trustee Spicer moved; Trustee Hagadon supported; the roll call was 7-0 with Holek, Brady, Levesque, Hagadon, Krhovsky, Ochodnicky and Spicer all voting yes. The same two members then moved, and the board again voted 7-0, to amend the motion so the grant is accepted "pending approval of the review by the Township Attorney." Phil Hathaway spoke on the causeway project during the call to public, and the board added the grant to the agenda as new business at that meeting.

On buildings and bills: the board voted 7-0 to accept a $19,550 bid from Eric Cleveland for siding, material and labor. The Current reported that the board voted 6-0 on July 20 to hire Cleveland Contracting for a $20,000 roofing job. Members also approved June payroll and July accounts payable totaling $51,752.56 — payroll checks 27254-27272 at $16,449.63 and general fund checks 20044-20069 at $29,631.03, plus check 20031 held over from July.

The board accepted the verbal resignation of Building Official Gary Palmer, effective July 31, on a 7-0 roll call, then voted 7-0 to take the remainder of Palmer's annual salary and pay 60% of it to Jim Delaney and 40% to Linda Cordier. The synopsis does not give the dollar amount of that remaining salary. The Current reported that the board approved a $3,300 payment to code enforcement officer Delaney in July. A separate agenda item on back pay for the building and code administrator and staff drew no action.

Other business: the board set the transportation millage for SATA at 0.1600 mill for the new year on a 7-0 roll call — 16 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, or about $16 a year on a home with $100,000 in taxable value — and appointed Trustee Ochodnicky to the SATA board. Kay Liebengood was appointed to the Planning Commission to fill what the synopsis calls a long-time vacancy. The board approved a PA 116 farmland agreement for Pincik Land LLC 7-0 and approved Treasurer Levesque's list of recommended CDARs 7-0. Trustee Spicer reported the township's new website is up and running. The board's payment of the library utilities was folded into this month's bills, and Holek told the board that Hagadon will meet with the City of Corunna about the township's contract on the library building. Kent Edwards spoke at the second call to public. The meeting ran from 7 p.m. to 8:40 p.m.

What happens next: The causeway grant is not final until the township attorney's review clears it. Hagadon's meeting with the City of Corunna on the library building contract has no date in the synopsis, and the CDBG application remains pending with the state. The synopsis is a draft until the board approves it at its next regular meeting.