Highline has been busy installing high speed fiber optic internet in our community. They have already run most of the fiber optic lines in the public road right of ways as evidenced by the small green pedestals popping up along the roads. This year they will be continuing their build out- connecting individual homes along the public roads as well as finishing running fiber optic lines down many of the private roads that are so prevalent in our community. Whereas Highline was able to bury fiber on the public roads using the established right of way, no such right of way exists from the public road to homes on private roads. In order to grant access to Highline to bury fiber optic cable down your private road, a Right of Entry form must be completed. This comes with a catch, however. Highline has indicated that in order to run the necessary fiber optic cable down a private road, every property must complete the Right of Entry form. If one property does not complete the form, no properties on that private road will be connected to the network. 

Highline has obtained the necessary ROEs to extend fiber along the following roads:

• Big Lake Road
• Palmquist Road
• White Birch Road
• Poor Lake Road
• Maplewood Road
• Allen Lake Road
• W Cisco Lake Road (north driveway)
• Channel Road
• West side of Clearwater Lake (driveway)

If you live on a private road that is not listed above, please be sure to complete the ROE to grant Highline permission to run fiber down your road.   In order to complete a Right of Entry form with Highline, it is easiest to fill out the form electronically. The person working with our community is Joe Erickson. Send him an email to Joe.Erickson@HighlineFast.com.  Identify your property location and he will prepare the form to be signed electronically. He can also be reached at 906.280.6298.

A copy of Highline’s letter to Private Road homeowners is attached as well as the Right of Entry form.
ROE Letter>  ROE Form>

Completing the Right of Entry form does not commit you to subscribing to Highline’s service at any time.  Currently, Highline is running this fiber optic cable at no charge to residents as part of a federal grant. If they are unable to lay this cable on a private road because of a lack of a Right of Entry form and are asked to come back at a later date, this will likely be done at the homeowner(s) expense.

For those of you living on private roads, our ask of you is simple- please reach out to your neighbors and assure that they have received this information and are willing to complete the Right of Entry form with Highline. If they did not receive this post, then please forward this to them.

If you have any questions about your private road installation – please contact Joe Erickson at 906-280-6298 or joe.erickson@highlinefast.com.

Any other questions, please feel free to contact Yvonne Clark, Trustee, at 906-477-3029 or John Oliver, Trustee at 847-639-7978.

Watersmeet Broadband Task Force
Yvonne Clark, Trustee
John Oliver, Trustee
Bob McGuffin
Greg Clark

During its Regular Meeting on December 20, 2023, the Watersmeet Township Board of Trustees finalized and approved language modifying the Watersmeet Township Zoning Ordinance. Specifically, Section 6.02A has been modified to read as follows:

6.02A Primary uses (Without Special Approval)
11. A Seasonal Trailer Coach may be on the property year-round provided that the trailer coach maintains
current registration and license plates and provided the trailer coach remains road worthy.

The 30-day review period has ended, and the changes are final.  Copies of the ordinance are available the township office.

Click here to download Zoning Ordinance>

On March 13, 2024, following a properly noticed public hearing, the Watersmeet Planning Commission unanimously approved the Watersmeet Master Plan 2023-2027.

The Master Plan was subsequently approved by the Watersmeet Board of Trustees on March 27, 2024.

NOTICE

During its Regular Meeting on December 20, 2023, the Watersmeet Township Board of Trustees finalized and approved language modifying the Watersmeet Township Zoning Ordinance. Specifically, Section 6.02A has been modified to read as follows:

6.02A Primary uses (Without Special Approval)
11. A Seasonal Trailer Coach may be on the property year-round provided that the trailer coach maintains
current registration and license plates and provided the trailer coach remains road worthy.

The entire ordinance can be viewed at the Watersmeet Township office, N4689 1st Street, Watersmeet, Michigan on weekdays from 9 am to 3 pm. The modifications to Section 6.02A will become effective 30 days from the date of this posting (3/21/24).

Questions or comments may be forwarded to Julie Mathiesen, Watersmeet Township Clerk, P.O. Box 306, Watersmeet, MI 49969.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
FOR
WATERSMEET TOWNSHIP

The Watersmeet Township Board of Trustees will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 4:30 PM.  The hearing will be held at the Township Community Center, located at N4689 1^st Street, Watersmeet, MI.  The purpose of the hearing is to review the proposed Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget and support the Truth-in-Taxation process. The property tax millage rate proposed to be levied to support the proposed budget will be a subject of this hearing.   The regular monthly Board of Trustees meeting will be held after the hearing with the budget approval as an agenda item.

Copies of the proposed budget will be available at the Township Offices, also located at N4689 1^st Street, after March 18, 2024.  Comments on the budget will be accepted at the hearing or can be submitted in writing to Julie Mathiesen, Watersmeet Township Clerk, P.O. Box 306, Watersmeet, MI   49969.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Watersmeet Township
Board of Review

Organization Meeting:
March 5^th, 9:00 a.m.

First Meeting:
Monday, March 11^th, 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Second Meeting:
Friday, March 15^th, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Meetings take place at:
Watersmeet Township
Community Center
N4689 First Street, Watersmeet MI

Print Friendly Notice>

PLANNING COMMISSION
Public Hearing

Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Time: 5:00PM
Location: Watersmeet Community Center

Purpose of Hearing:
5PM Public Hearing: The purpose of the hearing is to allow public review and comment on a revised Watersmeet Township Master Plan. Watersmeet township is providing this notice of public hearing in accordance with the MICHIGAN PLANNING ENABLING ACT Act 33 of 2008, Section 125.3843.

Both the Planning Commission and Township Board have approved a proposed final draft of the revised Master Plan.  We encourage attendees to read this ahead of time and be prepared with written comments.

Public Hearing Agenda:
a.  Call to Order and Roll Call
b.  Summarize Purpose of Meeting
c.  Enter Public Hearing
d.  Public Comment – 3 minutes each. State name and address for the record.
e.  Exit Hearing
f.  Planning Commission Deliberation.
g.  Adjournment

Print Friendly Notice

Draft Master Plan

A new search engine has been added to the Watersmeet website which now allows a user to search for key words not only in pages and posts but documents as well.

We hope you will find this addition helpful when navigating the website.

In November 2022, Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment that gives voters the right to vote early and in person before statewide and federal elections. Early voting takes place for a minimum of nine consecutive days, ending on the Sunday before an election.  Early voting sites must be open for at least eight hours each day during the early voting period.

At least one early voting site must be available to all voters in every city and township.  Local clerks may partner with other cities and townships, or their county, to run an early voting site together.  This decision is based on population density, site accessibility, and expected voter turnout.

For the 2024 election year, Watersmeet Township has partnered with Gogebic County and several other townships to share a single early voting site, located at the Gogebic County building in Bessemer.  Voters from more than one precinct, city, or township can vote at this single site.  The schedule for early voting at the Bessemer site is below.

Election Day in-person voting for Watersmeet voters will continue to be held on election day, at the Watersmeet Township Community Center.  Absentee voting will continue as it has in the past.

For additional information about early voting, please visit the Michigan Secretary of State website at:  https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/early-in-person-voting, or contact Julie Mathiesen, Watersmeet Township Clerk, at 906-358-4501.

GOGEBIC COUNTY PUBLIC NOTICE
ESTABLISHMENT OF EARLY VOTING

 To All Qualified Electors in Gogebic County

Notice is hereby given by resolution of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners under authority granted in Public Act 81 of 2023, that the location of early voting site for all Federal and Statewide election dates will be the following:

All qualified electors in Gogebic County have the right to mark a ballot and deposit the ballot in a tabulator beginning the second Saturday before an election and ending the Sunday before the election.  Early voting will be available at the early voting site for the following (CST) hours:

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Clerk’s Office at 906-663-4518: Email: clerk@gogebic.gov

Watersmeet Fire Department Emergency Response Call Statistics
2023