Fife Lake Township

Townline Road Update:

After four long years of lobbying for Townline Road improvements, this project is in the final stage of completion.  This project was possible through a cooperative agreement between the Grand Traverse County Road Commission (GTCRC), Paradise Township and Fife Lake Township.  A new culvert has been placed at the lowest spot on this road, that was financed by the GTCRC.  The rest of this project cost was split between the three units.

****8-3-2016, I received a phone call from the manager of the Traverse City MDOT office to let Fife Lake Township know that they are still looking at their options for safety improvements at the U.S.131 and M-186 intersection.  They will be meeting with us in about two weeks to discuss this.  FLT will keep the public updated as we learn more.  

Linda Forwerck, Supervisor

Fife Lake Township extends our profound sympathy to the Fisher and Stevens families who lost their seventeen year old daughters, Haley and Aubrey, in a tragic accident at the intersection of U.S.131 and M-186.  On Monday, we contacted the Michigan State Police and a Traffic Safety Specialist.  Petitions To Save Lives are being circulated throughout the community.  We did meet with MDOT and GTC Sheriff Department on this situation in May of 2016.  They are studying this intersection to see what improvements can be made.  We will be following up on this situation. 

Sewer Project Update

Sewer project updates are posted on the township hall door.

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A great big thank you to Hayes Manufacturing:

Hayes Manufacturing volunteered three of their employees plus two of the owners to plant myrtle in the Fife Lake Cemetery.  They did an amazing job working with Sexton Kelley.  Luckily we were able to transplant the myrtle from the west bank of the cemetery, this saved a great deal of money The myrtle has been placed in the west end of the cemetery on a bank where we could not grow grass.  This will stabilize and beautify the bank.  Pictures are to follow soon.

Go to our cemetery page for pictures and more information on cemetery volunteers and projects.

 * Grand Traverse County needs your help keeping our roadsides clean! Groups enroll for a two-year membership and perform three trash pickups per year along a two-mile section of county road.  An annual safety meeting among volunteers is required.  The Road Commission provides two recognition signs, trash bags, vests and trash pickup when your route is complete.  Best of all…there is no charge for groups to participate in this program! Visit the Grand Traverse County Road Commission website for more information or to view routes open in your township.  http://www.gtcrc.org/General/Adopt-A-Road.htm.

We also have a picture of the Forest Area Federal Credit Union presenting their $800 grant to Fife Lake Township here.

Public Notice:

• Please take future notice that Fife Lake will provide auxiliary aids or services to individual(s) with disabilities.  Persons needing such services should contact the offices of the township clerk by writing or calling the clerk, not less than five (5) days prior to the hearing.
• Fife Lake Township Hall
  124 Morgan Street
  Fife Lake, Michigan 49633
  231.879.3963

Fife Lake Township shall update news and events as needed to help keep the public informed of the activities within the township during each month. Check here for the latest news and events. If you care to place information about a public activity in this space on our web site, feel free to contact Supervisor Forwerck at 231 631-1750 or Clerk Street at 231 879-3963 to have your activity date/dates announced.

Attachments:

fifelaketownshipnewsletterjune2016.pdf	[ ]	192 kB
SIGNEDMILNOTICE09192016WEB.pdf	[ ]	150 kB

Please stop in the Township Hall and see the mural of historic Fife Lake. Click the picture below to get a glimpse of what our town looked like in the past. Or, click here to download a higher resolution version (File size appr. 40MB. Those on slower or metered connections may wish to view the smaller version). 

We continue to get compliments on our Historic Collage in the meeting room.  If you have not seen this, please stop by to look at it.  Many businesses and pioneers of Fife Lake are depicted in this collage.

The township incorporates the waters of Fife Lake, on the south and west side of the village of Fife Lake. The township lies in the southeast corner of Grand Traverse County with Grand Traverse County being in the Northwest corner of the lower peninsula of Michigan. The waters of Fife Lake run over the county line with only a small portion of it on the east end of the lake being in Kalkaska County. In fact, the SE corner of Fife Lake Township is the SE corner of Grand Traverse County and lies adjacent to the adjoining counties of Kalkaska to the east, Missaukee to the southeast and Wexford to the south.

The area of Fife Lake Township encompasses 36 square miles of which 34.4 sq. miles is land and 1.6 sq. miles is water. The body of water known as Fife Lake is approximately one and a half miles in diameter. It is a beautiful body of water containing two islands, one with a home and the other a private campsite. Pickerel, bass, walleye and other fish are found in great numbers within the lake.

Within the township are found the Village of Fife Lake which was incorporated in 1889 near the intersection of Highway 131 and M-186; an unincorporated community known as Walton Junction so named after the junction of two railroad lines in that area near the intersection of M-113 and Highway 131. Camp Pugsley, a state correctional facility lies in the southwest corner of the township along Walton Road. Also within the township are several large tracts of state forest land providing the area with many recreational opportunities in all four seasons from skiing & ice fishing to swimming and hiking. The local economy is dependent mostly on recreational activities. The area would be considered rural Michigan with a 2000 census population of 1,547 residents within the township.

There are limited manufacturing facilities in the industrial park area just northwest of the Village of Fife Lake. Within the industrial park area is Hayes Manufacturing, Inc. and Cintas Corp. providing additional employment opportunities.

The township owns and operates two cemeteries. Fife Lake cemetery is located within the boundaries of the Village of Fife Lake, but is owned and operated by the township. The second cemetery is near Walton on Elliott Road. You may find specific information on the cemeteries by clicking on the cemetery link.

Emergency services within the township are fire, ambulance and police. All three services respond via 911 emergency phone contacts. See their respective links for further information.

Forest Area Community School District, a consolidated district encompassing 120 sq. miles of land area within six different townships across two counties has an upper elementary school building with grades 3-4-5 located within the township of Fife Lake.

As part of the township and village you can find a variety of stores, shops, restaurants, churches, banking facilities and a local grocery store meeting the needs of local residents and visitors.

Fife Lake Township has paid and unpaid committee assignments that residents and interested citizens can make application for service as a member by notifying the Supervisor and/or the Clerk indicating your interest to serve as a committee member. An explanation of the type of work and schedule of meetings will be explained upon receipt of your call.

If you would like to download the application form, click here