In a close vote, the Orion Township Board of Trustees decided to agree to a consent judgment, effectively ending lawsuits filed by both the township and former state senator Mat Dunaskiss in the matter of a marina on Pine Island in Lake Orion.
Dunaskiss will be allowed four docks, or eight boats at a time on the property.
Other stipulations of the agreement include no overnight camping on the island, no sales of gas or other goods and hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (aside from holiday weekends) for island visitors.
In addition, Dunaskiss is required to take care of some cleaning/maintenance issues on the property, which he told the board he has started and will complete by the end of the weekend.
‘If there’s something that’s unsightly, pick up a phone and let me know,? he said. ‘I’m in the phone book.?
The four trustees voted in favor of the consent judgment. Matt Gibb said it was in the best interest of the entire township to avoid further litigation fees on the matter.
‘We have a delicate problem at Pine Island,? Gibb said. ‘There is no specific law on the books in Orion Township that guides us.?
The supervisor, clerk, and treasurer were not in favor of the agreement.
‘We’ve gone on almost two years with this,? Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk said.
‘It boils down to Mr. Dunaskiss getting an advantage that no one else on the lake gets,? he added.
Dywasuk said the township’s code enforcer has already received calls on other marina-related issues on the lake since the township revealed a potential agreement in early May.
Lake Orion Lake Association President Jerry Richards encouraged quick action on getting an ordinance in the books that would prevent future such dilemmas.
‘We would like to energize this process of getting a marina ordinance as quickly as possible,? he said. ‘We’re here to help.?
In addition, Richards said some residents on the lake, not the Lake Association itself, are looking into a recall petition for those that voted in favor of the consent judgment.
‘A couple of the trustees did a good job of explaining the details, but that still doesn’t make it right,? he said.
Richards said those residents are currently working on petition language, which must be approved by a judge. If approved, Richards said 3,710 signatures of Orion Township registered voters would be needed to set the recall process in motion.
‘If they want to recall over this issue, I think it would show how petty they are,? Dunaskiss said. ‘Clearly this is an issue that has been grandfathered in as continuous use.?
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