QUINNESEC — Quinnesec resident Michael Day has been appointed to the Breitung Township Board.

Town trustees Monday chose Day for the vacant seat created when Rich Wales resigned at the Nov. 6 meeting.

Day, 75, is a 40-year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, where he held the rank of chief warrant officer. He has lived in Quinnesec since retiring in 2010.

He is the current secretary of both the Breitung Township Zoning Board of Appeals and the Tax Assessors Board of Review.

“I want to thank everyone on the board for your confidence,” Day said. “Rich was fantastic all the years he was on the board. Not only was he a great trustee, he is a fantastic neighbor — we became the best of friends. So I want you to know I realize I have got some huge shoes to fill and I will give it my best shot.”

The appointment will run until next November 2024. Sharon Reuter, the other person who expressed an interest in the vacancy, will be tapped to fill vacancies on other boards and committees, board members said at the meeting.

In other business, the board:

≤ Approved Fire Chief Jim Rose’s recommendation to hire Jacob Metz to the fire department. Rose said Metz already has completed basic training, lives in the area, has an interest in fire service and is ready to start. Metz will likely be assigned to the East Kingsford station.

≤ Heard from Rose that while on a mutual aid call to assist with the fire last week in downtown Stephenson the tanker truck had a tire blow out near Hermansville. The tanker is currently out of service and has considerable damage to the driver’s side fender, headlight area, hood and bumper, Rose said.

While fire truck tires do not receive much wear as they usually are driven relatively short distances, this tire was nearly 30 years old, Rose said, though he added it’s unknown whether age was a factor. The board discussed the need for frequent inspections and tire replacement when they reach a certain age.

≤ Authorized a rate increase to $1.25 per township resident for being part of the Kingsford, Iron Mountain, Norway, Dickinson County — or KIND — drug team. The new rate is expected to generate $7,316.25 in the first year, compared with $4,389.75 at 75 cents per resident in the past.

Township Trustee Aaron Rochon, who also is Dickinson County undersheriff, explained the 75-cent rate had been in place for the past several years, but a change in state forfeiture laws will decrease revenues, making the increase necessary.

≤ Voted to pass a resolution to opt out of Public Act 152, which is required when employee contributions for their health care premiums are less than 20%. Public Act 152 aims to limit public employers’ expenditures for employee medical benefit plans. Township employees saw a 2.5% increase in premiums this year, bringing the total employee contribution to 17.5%. Another 2.5% increase next year will make opting out unnecessary.

≤ Approved the water board’s recommendation lowering water lines connection fees for a four-unit multi-family housing development on Morin Street in East Kingsford. According to the water board, all four lines were done together and only two trenches needed to be dug rather than four, reducing time and equipment needed.

The connection fees of $3,000 per line for a total of $12,000 were reduced 40% to $7,200. Tap fees will remain at $6,000 for the four lines. The project may expand by eight more lines for a total of 12 new water accounts. The water board would like to develop a policy regarding multiple lines being connected at the same time and location.