Trustees ditch costly snow-making machine

Plymouth Township — Township children will have to rely on Mother Nature for sledding because an industrial-sized snow making machine purchased last year by officials is on its way out.

Trustees last month voted to do away with the $20,000-plus “ski resort quality” machine that’s proved to be a money pit, said new Supervisor Kurt Heise.

Heise, who campaigned for office on the promise of ridding the community of the costly machine, said it’s been a symbol of government waste in the Wayne County suburb.

The township’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted in favor of having Heise seek a buyer for the machine purchased under the prior administration. It was used last season for the “modest” sledding hill at Plymouth Township Park, he said.

“Most people found it to be very unusual and unnecessary,” Heise said. “I have never heard of any municipality that has any type of snow making machine like this, especially for such a limited and small use. It’s just a hill. It’s really quite modest. There’s nothing spectacular about it.”

Former township Treasurer Ron Edwards led the effort to purchase the snow machine. According to meeting minutes, the $21,480 PoleCat Snowmaker from SMI Snowmakers of Midland went before trustees in February 2015.

Edwards could not be reached Monday for comment nor could the township’s prior supervisor or clerk who also voted for the amenity.

Longtime Trustee Charles Curmi said the snow machine was among several amenities proposed for the park to make it a destination and improve property values.

Curmi, who voted against the purchase, said it did work well, but it wasn’t a necessity.

“I’m not sold on that. It’s not a required public purpose,” he said. “It’s a luxury.”

Heise said the machine was used last winter but officials found they’d need massive amounts of water and a heavy duty electrical system to run it. Use of the system, he said, also required upgrades to a nearby park pavilion.

“The whole arrangement approached, if not exceeded $50,000,” Heise said.

Township trustee Gary Heitman said the board held a public forum prior to voting unanimously to get rid of the machine and “not one person spoke up in favor of it.”