In Brief: Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting

Cameras, vandalism and a resolution to transfer responsibility of a historic district dominated Wednesday's meeting of the Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Commission at the Paint Creek Cider Mill.

The commission also discussed several other items, including a partnership and sponsorship policy, improvement updates for Lost Lake Nature Park and possible grants for more park improvements.

Here's a quick summary of what commissioners covered Wednesday:

• Oakland Township Parks and Trails Planner Mindy Milos-Dale updated the commission on the to . Engineers are planning a topographical survey, tree survey and wetland survey before construction can begin.
• All four commissioners* voted to enlarge the parking lot at Lost Lake Nature Park to accommodate parking for special events, specifically the township's .
• The Parks and Recreation Commission will do a walk-through at Marsh View Park on Aug. 9 following completion of construction work.
• The commission is also considering applying for a grant to make improvements to the area on the west side of Adams Road between Gunn Road and the Paint Creek Trail. Improvements would include providing a trail connection and fishing access to Paint Creek.
• The commission considered a resolution to pass responsibility of the 15-acre Cranberry Lake Historic District to the Oakland Township Historic District Commission. The commission held off on voting on the resolution in hopes of meeting with township attorney Steve Joppich and the Historic District Commission to work out details of the transition before adopting the resolution. “Running historic properties is very expensive," said Commissioner Joseph Peruzzi. "They soak up a lot of money.”
• The commission voted to adopt a policy outlining partnership and sponsorship requirements for the commission. The policy opens up the commission to partnerships with individuals, nonprofit organizations, other commissions and businesses.
• The commission discussed recent vandalism at three Oakland Township parks that includes spray-painted graffiti and homemade pop-bottle bombs. The incidents have occurred during the past six weeks, said Parks and Recreation Director Becky McLogan. The Parks and Recreation Department has requested extra patrols from Oakland County Sheriff's deputies and is looking into ways to deter vandalism.
• The commission approved a $8,220 photo monitoring contract for several Oakland Township parks. The parks are selected based on the relative scarcity or high quality of the natural areas the commission is trying to protect or improve, Commissioner Alice Tomboulian said. “This is a way of monitoring over time how the stewardship has changed the landscape," Parks and Recreation Director Becky McLogan said. Milos-Dale added, "This is a cost-effective way of tracking change."

*Commissioners present were: Colleen Barkham, Peruzzi, Tomboulian and Lana Mangiapane. Also present were Milos-Dale, McLogan and Oakland Township Supervisor Joan Fogler.