MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Township Board approved the 2016 recommended budget in a 5-1 vote during the Sept. 15, Township Board meeting.

However, during the discussion to adopt next year's fee schedule, Trustee Milton Scales moved to raise Meridian Township's initial rental registration fee from $800 to $1,200, which was then supported by Treasurer Julie Brixie.

"We've had a lot of discussion about the different rental rates between our community and adjoining communities. We have 8,000 rental units in this township. We have a large majority of rental units being apartment complexes, but we have single-homes, multiple-dwelling homes where there are rentals that we have some absent landlords that are causing our Code Enforcement a large amount of troubles," said Trustee Scales.

Trustee Scales said he attended a Code Enforcement meeting earlier that day where he saw the "large amount of work" the current Code of Enforcement Officer handles, who only works 29 hours per week.

"I would like to see an increase in code enforcement work... but in order to do that, we need to find a funding source, and I'm looking at this as a funding source to head in that direction," said Trustee Scales.

However, after comparing Meridian Township's rental registration fees with surrounding communities' rental registration fees, Trustee John Veenstra opposed the motion.

"We are already much higher, significantly higher, several times higher, than most of the surrounding communities, with one exception being East Lansing. I fully support having rental registrations. I think we all realize there are some bad landlords and they need to be required to maintain their properties properly and do right by their tenants. At the same time, there are a few tenants who are jerks, but those are really enforcement issues," said Trustee Veenstra.

Currently, Meridian Township's initial rental registration fee is $800/parcel, with Lansing Township being $300/parcel, City of Lansing being $400/parcel, City of East Lansing being $1,550/parcel, Delta Township being $205/building, and Delhi Township being $550/parcel. (Source: Township Board Sept. 15, 2015 Packet; p. 71)

Trustee Veenstra continued defending his argument to oppose the motion by stating that raising the fee would be "counterproductive" and "improper."

"I submit that this increase in the fee is counterproductive and that it will work against landlords having enough money to properly maintain their property. Furthermore, I think this is improper just on policy, because a fee should have a reasonable relationship to the cost providing a service. If the amount of the fee is way above the cost of a service, then it is no longer a fee, it is a tax and should be labeled as such."

Clerk Brett Dreyfus followed in agreement with Trustee Veenstra, saying that "the real issue is large, high-density apartment complexes not paying their fair share."

"(Large apartment complexes) pay a way disproportionate, lower cost ,and in fact, those are the ones that have the highest risks and need the most amount of inspections and the most amount of oversight, not an individual residential home. This is a complete backwards approach. It is not appropriate to raise the rental registration fee initially from $800 to $1,200," said Clerk Dreyfus.

Clerk Dreyfus continued saying he agreed that raising the fee would be counterproductive.

"The real thing we need to do is raise the rates on multi-family and apartment complexes, just like many of our neighboring communities have done. That's what makes it fair, is by basing it on the size that needs to be reviewed and the number of units that need to be reviewed. It penalizes landlords for no reason, it does not help to bring in any type of Code Enforcement that we really want. What we really need to do is to look at the other aspects of the rental program, not the initial fee," said Clerk Dreyfus.

After a lengthy exchange between board members, Trustee Scales eventually withdrew his motion.