Individuals who want to install a seasonal boat pier in a lake right-of-way that is under the jurisdiction of the Cass County Road Commission will see an increase in the pier permit fee beginning Oct. 1.
The fee increase, from $50 to $100, was one of several adjusted last week by the road commissioners as part of an amended policy fee schedule. Five other permit fees were increased from $40 to $50. All decisions were based on the costs for processing. The average permit costs $75 to process, including site assessments, according to Louis Csokasy, road commission manager.
Permits increased from $40 to $50 were for construction, bore under a road, tapping storm or sanitary sewer and permit for a new subdivision. Fees for all other permits issued by the road commission will remain the same.

Gumwood Road work nearing completion
A $260,000 paving and road reconstruction project on Gumwood Road from the Indiana state line to Redfield Street in Milton Township is expected to be completed this week. The road is scheduled to reopen Friday.
Road crews are making minor modifications to the northern portion of the “S” curve that is separated by the Michigan-Indiana state line. Additionally, an extreme elevation in a large curve further to the north is being flattened and lengthened to move the curve slightly west about seven feet to improve safety. Gumwood Road was closed on July 6 for the work, which covers 0.69-mile.

Summer road work on schedule
Of the 78 projects that the road commission has under way this summer for paving, chip and seal or gravel overlays, 50 have been completed. The majority of the projects involved asphalt and all work is expected to be finished by Sept. 30.

Road commission to undertake study in Calvin Township
A study to help the road commission staff decide which paved roads they will recommend to Calvin Township for reversion to gravel is expected to be completed by winter.
The study is being done in response to the defeat of a vote last week in Calvin Township to levy 3.2 mills for maintenance of local roads. The millage vote was the result of a three-year plan that the road commission completed with the township and which detailed the road work that needed to be accomplished in the next three years and the amount of money it would take to do it.
Csokasy said that his staff will assess each road in Calvin Township and look at the condition of the paved roads on a scale of zero to 10 (10 being the highest rating), the traffic volume and the population density. Those roads then will be priority rated to determine which ones that the commission will recommend be reverted to gravel.

Meeting change and special hearing
The regular meeting of the road commissioners that is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 2 has been canceled because of the Labor Day holiday. The Sept. 16 meeting will be held as scheduled. Additionally, a budget hearing has been set for 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 27 to approve the budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins on Oct. 1.
All meetings of the road commission are open to the public and are held in the Charles Collins Meeting Room of the road commission headquarters at 340 North O’Keefe St. in Cassopolis.