Dexter Township Approves Seven Road Commission Projects for 2012

The Dexter Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved seven road projects for the 2012 fiscal year at their meeting on Tuesday.

The project cost totals $104,800 with $16,546 in matching local road funds and $6,932 in matching drainage funds from the Washtenaw County Road Commission.

"I think it's important to our residents that we get moving on these projects since we're moving into road construction season," township supervisor Pat Kelly said.

This year's projects include:

• Donner and Island Lake roads to Colby Road: Shaping the surface and adding 1,875 tons of gravel at an estimated cost of $19,500.
• Colby and Riker roads east to Donner Road: Shaping the surface and adding 1,495 tons of gravel at an estimated cost of $15,500.
• Fleming Road from Dexter-Pinckney Road west to McGuiness Road: Shaping the surface and adding 1,330 tons of limestone at an estimated cost of $18,500.
• Wylie Road from Dexter-Pinckney Road to Dexter Gables Lane: Shaping the surface and adding about 1,164 tons of limestone at an estimated cost of $16,000.
• Wylie Road from Island Lake Road south to Lime Township: Shaping the road and adding about 1,064 tons of limestone at an estimated cost of $15,000.
• Fleming Road from Dexter-Pinckney Road to Dexter Townhall Road: Bern removal and restoration at an estimated cost of $8,700.
• Madden Road from Colby Road to Quigley Road and Colby Road from Donner Road to Riker Road: Berm removal and restoration at an estimated cost of $5,800.
• The township will also pay $27,944 for three applications of brine for dust control throughout the year.

In other action:

The board approved a $5,000 contribution to the Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE) bus service. The donation will be used to help with expenses for the nonprofit organization. WAVE buses provide transportation for Dexter Township residents to Chelsea, Ann Arbor, area attractions and hospitals. According to Michaelene Pawlak, executive director of WAVE, service in Dexter Township has increased 211 percent, with 1,472 rides in 2012 versus 473 rides in 2011.

"I believe gas prices and the economy is having an impact on ridership," Pawlak said, addressing questions about the increased use of WAVE.

Pawlak said non-emergecy medical transportation makes up the largest category of riders.

"Being that WAVE is so critical for a lot of people, I believe its appropriate to allocate some of our funding to help defray the costs of transporting residents of Dexter Township," trustee Jason Maciejewski said.