Munising Township officials have officially ended their discussions about absorbing Grand Island Township.

“For now, it is off the agenda,” Munising Township Supervisor Lisa Howard said at the township’s regular monthly meeting on Monday, Oct. 2.

The decision comes after Grand Island Township voted on Sept. 25 that they would stay autonomous as a municipality and not continue to pursue consolidation between the two townships. Grand Island had first approached Munising Township about consolidating – the legal definition provided by state law – because Grand Island has so few residents.

Howard said that Grand Island Township Supervisor Dena Ramsey hoped that the two townships could work in the future if Grand Island was in a similar situation.

“(Ramsey) wanted to let me know that it was a split vote and asked the board that the door stay open in case that need is ever there again,” Howard said.

Munising Township officials said in multiple meetings that they were only interested in absorbing the township to “be neighborly” and that there were no significant advantages to taking over Grand Island Township. There were no pushes by any other township board members to keep the absorption process going.

The township also used the last of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. After a payment to the Alger Parks and Recreation day care construction project, the township used the rest of its approximate $49,000 to replace fire number signs across the municipality.

The Munising Township board also heard an update from Kathy Reynolds of Alger Chamber of Commerce and Greater Munising Bay Partnership and accepted a bid from Seaberg Enterprises to expand the cemetery.