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Residents press Mattawan council for clarity on fence enforcement and file FOIA requests
Summary
Several residents told the Village of Mattawan council that fence notices conflicted with prior guidance, reported property damage during village winter activities, and said they have filed FOIA requests for records and communications, asking for documents by April 15 to check consistency of enforcement.
During public comment at the March 23 meeting, multiple residents raised concerns about recent enforcement notices requiring removal of fences along village rights-of-way and asked the council for consistent, transparent handling of similar cases.
Elizabeth Vaughn told the council the fence at 57584 Murray St. replaced an existing fence that predated her 1992 purchase and said a prior village manager, Terri McLean, told her a like‑for‑like replacement required no additional approvals. Vaughn said the Village damaged that fence during winter maintenance earlier this year; after receiving a noncompliance notice she removed the fence before the deadline but has filed multiple FOIA requests seeking records of how similar cases were handled. Vaughn asked for a timeline and cost estimate for producing responsive documents, requesting production by April 15, and warned she has the resources to pursue the matter further if records do not demonstrate consistent enforcement. She asked the council, directly: "do you have the time and the resources?"
Gillies Black spoke on behalf of Pauline Williams, saying Williams’ fence has existed for about 40 years and urging the council to consider grandfathering long-standing structures, particularly when a resident is retired and on a fixed income. Erin Garnaat of 24239 Second Ave. said her fence predated purchase and that the Village previously repaired Williams’ fence, questioning why enforcement is being pursued only now. Pauline Williams also raised a separate complaint about a corner wall at Second and Main and said some vehicles (including Frontier trucks) park in ways she finds objectionable.
The council did not resolve the fence complaints at the meeting; members agreed to place related items on a future agenda for further discussion. Residents’ FOIA requests (which reference addresses including 57283 Main and the parking lot adjacent to Bird Dog) were listed in communications; the transcript records the residents’ request for documents by April 15.
What’s next: council members noted the matter will return on a future agenda so staff can gather records and clarify enforcement practices.
