Sand Lake Enlists Communications Firm Amid Fire Services Dispute

The village of Sand Lake in Kent County, Michigan is exploring communication strategies amid ongoing debates over the future of its fire services, approving a potential partnership with communications firm ChangeMakers during a special meeting Tuesday.

The village board voted to permit officials to seek the company’s services if needed, though no payments have been approved. Any formal contract would require another vote by the board.

“I understand that misinformation is a huge deal these days,” Sand Lake Trustee Jack Christensen explained during the meeting. “The reason that we’re considering contracting with them is to disseminate the information the public is seeing, and to correlate [it with] our own information.”

Fellow Trustee Kevin Wright added that the partnership would “help cut through the misinformation,” while Village President Molly Doerr emphasized the importance of ensuring “correct information gets out so that people can make educated decisions moving forward.”

The communication strategy comes at a critical time for Sand Lake. In December, the village announced it would stop providing fire services to Ensley, Nelson, and Pierson Townships after March 31, citing an inability to reach a “unified, long-term solution” with the townships, with cost being a primary factor.

While Sand Lake has approved a memorandum of understanding to extend fire services with Nelson Township for an additional six months, the situation has sparked significant controversy. Nineteen of the department’s firefighters have signed a letter threatening to resign if, after current contracts expire, Sand Lake only offers fire services “within the village limits.”

The firefighters are pushing for all townships to be included in a comprehensive long-term plan, highlighting the regional importance of the fire department’s coverage area.

The dispute has escalated to the point where Sand Lake’s very existence as an incorporated village is now in question. Voters in both Sand Lake and Nelson Township will decide in a May 5 special election whether the village should be disincorporated and absorbed by Nelson Township. The ballot will ask: “Shall incorporation of the village of Sand Lake be vacated?” According to the Kent County Clerk’s Office, a two-thirds majority is required for the measure to pass.

The potential dissolution of the village has stirred mixed feelings among longtime residents. Skip Taylor, who has lived in Sand Lake since the 1980s and also owns property in Pierson Township, expressed ambivalence about the proposal.

“If that happens, I’m not sure Sand Lake will ever be what Sand Lake was,” Taylor said. While acknowledging the disincorporation might lower his taxes, he’s uncertain about sacrificing the village’s distinct identity. “For all these people, like myself, who have been here for a long time, it would be tough to not have the village of Sand Lake.”

The fire service dispute illustrates a common challenge facing rural communities across Michigan and the nation – balancing limited tax resources with essential public services across multiple small jurisdictions. Small villages and townships often struggle to fund services independently, leading to complex cooperative agreements that can be difficult to maintain when financial pressures mount.

If the disincorporation vote passes, it would represent a significant administrative restructuring for the area, potentially changing how services are funded and delivered. However, it remains unclear whether dissolution would resolve the underlying issues with fire service funding and coverage that triggered the current crisis.

The May 5 special election will ultimately determine not just the administrative structure of the community, but potentially the future of fire protection services for thousands of residents across multiple townships in Kent County.