SAND LAKE, Mich. — Less than two weeks after its president and the majority of its board resigned amid a dispute over fire services in the area, the Village of Sand Lake is set to pick their replacements.
On Friday at 7:00 p.m. at the Gathering Place in Sand Lake, the two remaining board members will pick two new members to reach a quorum. Then, these four will pick three more members to complete the full, seven-person board, which will then select one person among them to act as president.
Those who are selected fill these open positions will have had to have submitted letters of intent by Wednesday of this week in order to communicate their desire to serve, according to Sand Lake Clerk Michelle Lewis, who spoke to me about the replacement process on behalf of the village attorney.
If the village survives a disincorporation vote in the spring, all members of the board, including the president, will face reelection in the fall.
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This week, I spoke to a man who hopes to be one of those selected to "step up."
"I think it's important to hear everyone's voices and hear what everyone has to say," Justin Van Etten said. "If we don't listen, then we won't get what we need."
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At the end of the month, the Village of Sand Lake will stop offering fire services to Ensley, Nelson and Pierson Townships as its contract with them will have expired.
According to the village, it was unable to reach a "unified, long-term solution" with the neighboring municipalities at least party due to cost.
Now, firefighters for the Sand Lake Fire Department say they won't work for the village if other townships aren't included in a future plan, and the three townships are currently trying to form a new department.
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"It's been a battle to see what's going on," Van Etten said about the dispute over fire services. "We need to run business as usual. We need to get the firefighters sorted out."
"We need to step up," he said.
WATCH: FOX 17's Sam Landstra and Justin Van Etten discuss the dispute over fire services in the Sand Lake area
