Meet 1Washtenaw: Superior Township

28 separate units of government make for a rich and diverse Washtenaw County. 1Washtenaw, is a meeting point, advanced by Washtenaw County government, for those cities, townships, and villages to compare notes and priorities, seizing opportunities for collaboration.

“Meet 1Washtenaw” is a series of interviews with local unit of government officials that highlights these municipalities and their leaders.  The interviews are conducted by Nina Johnson, the County’s 1Washtenaw Coordinator.

Superior Township is located in the northeast of corner of Washtenaw County, bounded by Salem Township to the north, Ypsilanti Township and the City of Ypsilanti to the south, Ann Arbor Township to the west, and Canton Township of Wayne County to the east.  Prospect Road took me directly to the Superior Township Hall to meet with Township Supervisor, William McFarlane.  As I traveled, I passed a rural development—large homes on lots of acreage of land, preserved open spaces and parks, farmland, and further down the road there were urban developments.  All on the same road!  Talk about diversity!

Tell me a little about Superior Township.  What sets it apart?
Superior Township was originally settled as a farming community.  In the 1940’s Superior Township experienced dramatic growth due to the Willow Run bomber plant and the Willow Run airport.  War housing was constructed in the area to accommodate the families moving into the area.  The areas surrounding the war housing remained rural farming communities.  New subdivisions and apartments later replaced war housing.  The Township continues to maintain a rural feel in the face of several new developments.  As the Township Supervisor, I am committed to maintaining and preserving open space and parks for the residents to enjoy.  The County’s Parks and Recreation Department has purchased parcels through the Natural Areas Preservation Program (NAPP) to ensure the preservation of natural areas.

The Township is a very diverse community. Many families are drawn to the Township because of its diversity, parks, and open spaces.  These things aid in increasing the quality of life for families.

Recently, Hyundai built a large American Technical Center on the corner of Geddes Road and LeForge Road. The technical center has been primarily responsible for stimulating the most recent additional growth in the Township, while also diversifying the economic structure of the community.

How has your township changed with technology?
Having a lot of our services online has helped us tremendously.  Now, our staff can focus on other aspects of their jobs instead of spending a large part of their day at the service counters.  In the past, we had a very long line of customers wanting to review assessing records.  We now have a web page on our site for assessing records.  Customers are able to conduct a large percentage of Township business online.  We also have the township’s growth management plan online to keep our residents and others informed of what’s happening in Superior Township.

What has been the greatest change over time in Superior Township?
Our greatest change over time has been in the level of service we have been able to provide to our residents.  For example, in the past we relied on paid on-call fire fighters.  We lost precious time in responding to emergency situations.  Now, we have two stations complete with kitchens and living quarters to accommodate on-duty staff.  We also have full-time fire fighters in addition to paid on-call staff. The staff will leave directly from the stations, resulting in time saved in responding to emergencies.  We have increased the level of police protection via the Sheriff Department corresponding to the growth.

Michigan’s “home rule” status has made many things possible over the years, but do your think attitudes are beginning to shift as population increases?
Over the years, we have been able to collaborate with surrounding townships on a number of different projects.  We have been able to cut costs and provide efficient services to customers by working with Ann Arbor Township on home inspections.  When home inspectors are on vacation or ill, Ann Arbor Township has been able to help us out and vice-versa.  This allows us to provide continuous and efficient service to our customers.

With the help of a grant, we were able to build a non-motorized trail along MacArthur Blvd, making it safer for families to walk in the area.  We are also pursuing a project with Ypsilanti Township to provide non-motorized trails along Clark Road.

We are currently working with about 5 other townships to explore the possibility of a Regional Police Authority.  My goal as the Township Supervisor is to keep costs down and improve the quality of life for the residents.  We have a mindset regarding spending tax payer’s dollars only when we have to.

What County services do you use—GIS, website services, map store?
Currently we use a number of County services---Drains, Sheriff Department, County web content folks for the Superior Township website, Equalization and now, Wireless Washtenaw.

What about the relationship with the County would you change?
We have always shared a good working relationship with the County.  I would like to see all of us sitting at the table and talking through the issues at hand instead of litigation.  While you might not walk away with everything you want, I’m sure there is something that would work for everyone which we could live with.

What do you see in the future?
Technology is the future.  Information technology will change the state of Michigan.  Washtenaw County is experiencing some of that change now with Google in the area, adding diversity to our employment structure.  There are other states/areas that experienced similar changes with their economy.  Texas, at one time, was known strictly as an oil community.  Over time, folks realized that in order for the state to thrive, there needed to be diversity in its economic structure.  Texas was able to diversify and made a comeback.  Michigan, and Washtenaw County, will need to follow a similar plan of action.