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The Lake Township Planning Commission voted unanimously to invalidate all actions taken during its July 15 meeting, including decisions about RV storage in residential areas, after it reconvened Monday evening.
The planning commission reconvened after residents raised concerns that notice for last week's meeting was not posted far enough in advance, as required by Michigan's Open Meetings Act. There also were concerns that the meeting was labeled as a regular meeting on the agenda despite the meeting date not being formally added to the regular meeting list.
When questioned about those concerns during the July 15 meeting, Chairman Robert Siver reassured meeting attendees that "our bylaws" allow the chair to call meetings. Siver also said the meeting notice "was far enough in advance" when commission member Keith Hoffman asked to clarify when notice was posted.
According to Michigan's Open Meetings Act, a schedule of regular meetings is to be posted within 10 days of the first meeting of each calendar or fiscal year and include the date, time and location of the meeting. If there is a change in the schedule, a new notice must be posted within three days of the meeting at which the change was made.
If a special meeting is called or a meeting is rescheduled, notice must be given 18 hours prior to the start of the meeting. Notices must be prominently displayed by the public body and available online, if the public body has an existing online presence.
Despite Siver's assurances, Township Supervisor Valerie McCallum told the Tribune in an email July 16 that "We are consulting with legal counsel and it is possible the meeting will be reheld."
Shortly before 5 p.m. July 16, McCallum confirmed the meeting would be reheld at 6 p.m. Monday, July 20.
During Monday's meeting, Siver acknowledged the notice mishap and took responsibility for the delay.
"Unfortunately, it just didn't get posted," he said. "I didn't catch it. It's on me."
Siver also explained why the meeting was being reheld, citing a provision in the Open Meetings Act that addresses this situation.
"That prior meeting is being reheld tonight with a proper special meeting posting," he said. "Under the Michigan Open Meetings Act, a municipal body is allowed to redo a meeting that may have been held in violation of that statute's public meeting notice requirements."
As a result of invalidating and reholding the meeting, Siver told planning commission members that they would not receive pay for the July 15 meeting but would be paid for the July 20 meeting.
After this, Nicole Collins made the following motion, which passed unanimously:
"Given that the public meeting notice for the planning commission meeting on July 15, 2026, appears to have been omitted or deficient, I hereby move to invalidate all of the actions taken at the July 15, 2026, planning commission meeting, and to address the same at this meeting."
The planning commission then returned to its agenda items from July 15, including the RV storage issue. Draft zoning language regarding RV storage is expected to come back to the commission for future consideration.
To avoid a similar situation, Siver suggested the planning commission add a safeguard to the bylaws next year for "when the chairperson is out of town." No formal action to create a safeguard was taken or adopted during the meeting.
The next regular meeting of the Lake Township Planning Commission is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the Lake Township Hall, 4988 W. Kinde Road, Caseville.
