KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Firefighters in Sand Lake have united in opposition to their village's decision to end fire services to neighboring townships, threatening to stop working if the dispute isn't resolved.
The firefighters made their stance clear in a letter signed by nearly all department members, stating they will not work for the village after March 31 if the current plan, moves forward. The letter was shared during a Tuesday night board meeting in Nelson Township.
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The dispute stems from Sand Lake's December announcement that it was "unable to reach a unified, long-term solution" with neighboring Pierson, Ensley and Nelson townships to provide fire services. The village cited cost as one of the primary issues.
Sand Lake, with a population of about 500 people, has been providing fire services to the three townships, which collectively house approximately 12,000 residents.
Townships prepare alternative plans
Nelson Township officials revealed they have made a verbal offer to purchase Sand Lake's fire department, though they're still working out the details with time running short.
At the end of Nelson Township's board meeting Tuesday night, it held a question and answer segment to allow residents to hear from local leaders about the situation. Township officials made it clear they're prepared to move forward with or without Sand Lake.
"If say, for whatever reason, [Sand Lake] says no, we will move forward with Ensley and Pierson and we will start our own fire department and we will have a community fire department and we will all work together," said Robyn Britton, Nelson Township supervisor. "It's not fiscally sound for one township to try to do it on its own. We can't do that and do it right."
Tim Newton, Ensley Center trustee, emphasized the urgency of the situation.
"Number one, it would behoove the village to sell to Nelson Twp. The three entities - Pierson, Ensley and Nelson - are going to be joined together in that venture or we're going to start from scratch and start a brand new one," Newton said.
Dispute over costs
In a mid-December letter, Sand Lake claimed it was paying significantly more per capita for fire services compared to the surrounding townships. However, Nelson Township leaders said Tuesday that their residents pay the exact same millage rate for fire services.
While township meetings have shown overwhelming opposition to Sand Lake's decision, some residents and business owners support the village's move.
"[The Village of Sand Lake President] was elected to do what's good for our residents. She was voted in for that and she's been doing a great job," said Tami Michelfelder, a Pierson Township resident and Sand Lake business owner. "She's tried to - I know I'm speaking for her - but she's tried to connect with these surrounding communities and they've had two years, two years to work out an agreement."
The March 31 deadline looms as all parties work to find a solution that ensures continued fire protection for the region's residents.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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