Township board decides to delay GIS mapping

ERWIN TOWNSHIP — While the Erwin Township agreed that it was a good idea at Wednesday’s meeting, they agreed to delay the Geographic Information System mapping of the township until the update of the township’s property cards is complete.

Township Supervisor Larry Grimsby explained he was in the process of confirming and updating the information on the property cards — which are the records of the assessing data of the parcels of land in the township.

“I don’t want to put that information in there, because if somebody goes on and looks up that information, and it’s not correct, it makes no (sense),” Grimsby said. “... I’m very supportive, myself, of this system, but I think right now, I would rather (wait to move forward).”

The GIS survey would be a digital map of the township with information on each parcel, like that found on the property cards, imposed on the map.

Grimsby told the Daily Globe he hoped to have the update complete by spring with the GIS mapping complete sometime this summer.

According to the proposal from Coleman Engineering, the service would cost roughly $3,200.

The township is one of the few communities left in Gogebic County, Grimsby said, that hasn’t completed GIS mapping and that the county is encouraging all communities to move forward with it.

In other action:

— The board discussed a letter from a resident regarding the condition of Bonnie Road near where it enters the township. According to Grimsby, the road’s steep grade means the homeowner is constantly dealing with flooding and other issues related to runoff onto his property. Grimsby explained that the road is technically a county road and there was little the township could do, however, he said he would continue to talk to the Gogebic County Road Commission about the issue.