QUINNESEC — Breitung Township Board this week denied an appeal from Kerry Schinderle concerning dangerous building ordinance violations at 421 Henford Ave. in East Kingsford.

At a Dec. 20 hearing, it was determined Schinderle had a long history of noncompliance with ordinances and his property was a safety and health risk to his neighbors. The hearing officer gave Schinderle a Dec. 30 deadline to clean up debris from a November fire.

An appeal from Schinderle wasn’t heard at the Jan. 8 board meeting because written notice couldn’t be served. Despite still not being able to serve Schinderle notice of a hearing held Monday, he was on hand to state his case.

“If I did not care, I would not be here. I am concerned about it; the whole thing makes me sick,” Schinderle said. “I have been a resident of that neighborhood for over 70 years and I have been a taxpayer here in the township since 1972.”

Schinderle said he’s hired help and has begun hauling out garbage with a trailer and is currently building a fence.

Township Superintendent Steve Mulka said he has been trying to work with Schinderle for more than 10 years. Mulka said that with the sheer volume of the garbage and debris, hauling it away a little at a time is an insurmountable task and that a fence does not prevent the environmental issues for the neighbors caused by runoff.

“I cannot imagine hauling all that out a pickup load at a time. I just do not think it is practical,” Mulka said. “We tried working with you over the years and it just has not improved. You make some headway and then backslide; it has just been recurring.”

A motion to deny the appeal was made by Trustee Aaron Rochon and a second was made by Trustee Paul Taff. The motion passed unanimously, with Trustee William Day, Supervisor Denny Olson and Treasurer Carol Taylor absent and excused.

The next hearing on the matter will occur at the next Board of Trustees meeting.

In other business:

– Mulka gave the board an update on the traffic situation on the U.S. 2 corridor from Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson in Iron Mountain to the junction of U.S. 141 in the township. With ongoing expansion, there have been numerous accidents and close calls, he said.

Mulka will meet with Ben Feldhausen, Michigan Department of Transportation Regional Traffic and Safety Engineer, and Jim Harris, managing director of the Dickinson County Road Commission. They are initiating a review and analyzing the corridor as a whole and getting input from stakeholders. Feldhausen will present what they are looking at, what they have tried in the past and what has fallen through due to funding.

— Approved a request from Public Works Superintendent Jay Davis to seek proposals for purchasing an equipment trailer and the demolition and cleanup of the warehouse.

— Approved making accountant Christina Maki a third signatory to the township’s bank accounts. Making Maki a signatory will enable her to access the accounts online to reconcile monthly statements.

— Approved hiring Michael Ireland to the fire department. Ireland was previously with the department from 1987-1996 before pursuing a full-time career with the Green Bay, Wis., Fire Department. Ireland will be assigned to the Quinnesec station.