2026 MEETING CYCLES

To see upcoming meeting notices listed, special meetings, cancellations, reschedules, or virtual instructions, click here. For a calendar view, click here. To see public comment guidelines, check the Rules of Public Comment Participation. 

• The Ambulance Department meets the first Sunday of each month – 7:00 P.M. at Powell Township Fire Hall

• The Parks & Recreation Committee meets the second Tuesday of each month – 6:30 P.M. at Powell Township Hall

• The Powell Township Board meets the third Tuesday of each month – 7:00 P.M. at Powell Township Hall (EXCEPT APRIL: RESCHEDULED TO 28 APR 2026)

• The Planning Commission meets the third Wednesday of each month – 7:00 P.M. at Powell Township Hall

• The Fire Department meets the last Thursday of each month – 6:00 P.M. at Powell Township Fire Hall

SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW BASIC NOTICES (followed by Meeting Notices).

NOTICE – SPECIAL BOARD MEETING, APRIL 16, 5PM, OPEN TO PUBLIC

Thursday, April 16, 2026, 5:00 P.M.

Powell Township Hall, 101 Bensinger Street, Big Bay, Michigan, 49808

AGENDA:

1. Review all Powell Township Transfer Station demolition construction bids
2. Accept a bid
3. Discuss new agenda items, if any, for April 28, 2026, Regular Board Meeting

WATER OR EMERGENCY NEEDS? POWELL TOWNSHIP HALL IS AVAILABLE 

Address: 101 Bensinger Street, Big Bay, Michigan, 49808

If there are issues accessing the hall OR transportation needs to get to the hall, call or text 906-204-6833 or the Powell Township Emergency Manager at 906-362-7275 for assistance

• For township residents or guests experiencing individual homestead or township-wide water supply issues after weather or other major events, the township hall is open with staff available to help or answer questions.  Water is available to fill up jugs or carriers. 
• If there are long-lasting homestead or town-wide power outage emergencies OR moderate medical equipment power needs, the hall will open during the day or night once notified. Township residents and guests will be welcome.
• The town hall and adjacent fire hall will have water, cots and blankets, power to include heat or cooling/fans, light, and outlets (for reasonable needs). 
• Food Bank items are also prepared for use if/as needed.

EMERGENCY/NOTICE – TRANSFER STATION (TRASH & RECYCLING) CLOSED & RE-ROUTED TO TOWN HALL -SAME DAYS/TIMES (SAT 8 – NOON, TUE 3 – 6PM) – NO LARGE ITEM DROP OFF UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE 

• The Powell Township Transfer Station (for residents’ trash and recycling drop off) is closed until further notice.
• Garbage drop off will take place at the Powell Township hall on the same days and times. Signs are posted throughout town.
• Please drive in through the Powell Township Fire Hall (103 Bensinger, Big Bay, Michigan 49808) and drive around and behind Powell Township Hall (101 Bensinger, Big Bay, Michigan 49808) and exit through the Town Hall lot.
• Household garbage and recycling only!! No large items will be accepted until further notice.
• If needed, you can get a landfill passes for the Marquette County Landfill at Powell Township Hall for large items.

NOTICE – Marquette Charter Township Draft Master Plan 63-day Review Period Underway

• Marquette Charter Township in Marquette County, Michigan, completed a draft update of their five-year community Master Plan.
• The sixty-three (63) day review period for neighboring townships began Friday, March 20, 2026, as required by the Michigan Planning Enabling Act (PA 33 of 2008, as amended) and the draft is available for review at www.marquettetownship.org.
• Any and all comments are welcome regarding how the updated plan may affect planning efforts for neighboring communities, utility companies, etc.
• You can mail or email questions, positions, or opinions on the draft plan to Jason McCarthy, Marquette Planning and Zoning Administrator, at 1000 Commerce Drive, Marquette, Michigan, 49855 (phone 906-228-6220 ext. 105; email jasonmccarthy@marquettetownship.org).

YOU MAY QUALIFY: FREE HOME WEATHERIZATION UPGRADES

A message from the State of Michigan offices: You may qualify for up to $34,000 in free home weatherization upgrades.

• This could lower your heating and cooling costs and upgrade your home’s systems, seals, and insulation.
• This program is state-funded and completely free for qualifying households.
• Flyers with all contact information are in town hall, on bulletin boards, and available on request by contacting 906-767-0067 or visiting greatlakesweatherization.com.

NOTICE – BILL DIONNE (HALFWAY) FIRE HALL FOOD BANK OPENINGS EXTENDED:

5 – 7 P.M. on APRIL 15, MAY 6, & MAY 20

• With donated funds and volunteers, the Powell Township Emergency Management Department will open the Bill Dionne Fire Hall at Halfway Food Bank starting November 5. Continuing it through summer will be determined in April.
• The Food Bank will open from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. on two Wednesdays per month, now including May.
• Non-perishable food, paper goods, hygiene and cleaning supplies are available for anyone in need.   
• For more information, call Emergency Manager Kim Bourgeois (906-362-7275) or the township office (906-345-9345).

Food Bank Donations

• You can make a monetary donation; make checks payable to Powell Township and note “food bank donation” in the memo line. A great holiday idea.
• You can make a food/supply donation; drop off is available at the Powell Township office during regular office hours (Mon & Thu 9-12), or in the Powell Township Hall whenever it is open/active for events, or dropped off during food bank operating hours at the Halfway Fire Hall.
• For more information, call Emergency Manager Kim Bourgeois (906-362-7275) or the township office (906-345-9345).

MAY 7 IS THE FIRST OF SIX ANNUAL HAZARDOUS WASTE DROP-OFF DATES:

1. Location is Marquette County Landfill (NOT BIG BAY)
2. Timing is 3PM-7PM for each date listed: May 7, June 4, July 9, August 6, September 10, October 1, OR call for an appointment 
3. This is for Marquette County (which includes all of Powell Township) residents 
4. Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority collections are held MAY THROUGH OCTOBER ONLY. 
5. All sites are open to Marquette County residents with only household hazardous waste. 
6. The City of Marquette Rubbish/Compost Site is located at the intersection of McClellan Ave and Pioneer Rd.
7. The West End Transfer Station is located in West Ishpeming (north side of US 41, west of Ishpeming, just west of the DNR field station).
8. For more information including a list of acceptable materials and hazardous waste disposal, details are at recycle906.com or 906-249-4125

FREE SENIOR SERVICES DAYS – FIRST THURSDAY OF MARCH, APRIL, MAY

From the Marquette County Senior Services Center: More free Senior Services Days are scheduled for Powell Township Hall for the first Thursday of March, April, and May.

• Appointments are free of charge and open to all seniors in the area.
• One goal is to help clients with items such as health insurance enrollment.
• Flyers with all information will also post online and throughout town soon.
• To schedule an appointment, call 906-228-0456. 

UPCOMING DAYS ARE:

1. March 5, 8 A.M. – 3 P.M.
2. April 2, 8 A.M. – 3 P.M.
3. May 7, 8 A.M. – 3 P.M.

THE ANNUAL DASH FOR TRASH (and 550 Corridor Cleanup, and Potluck Lunch) IS MAY 9, 2026

Saturday, May 9, 8:00am – 12:00pm, then lunch starts around noon

YOU ARE INVITED – COMMUNITY DINNER

May 12, 4:30 – 6:00 P.M.

Community Presbyterian Church of Big Bay, Michigan, 49808

Menu will be posted throughout the township prior to the event.

THE ANNUAL BIG BAY RELAY IS MAY 16, 2026

What is the Big Bay Relay? Teams come together to go further than they ever have on a course that stretches from Marquette, Michigan, to Big Bay, Michigan, with friends and a community of runners by their side. Your relay experience is as competitive as you make it. Rally your team and challenge the other teams in your division for the top ranking, or simply make it your goal to cross the finish line together! The Big Bay Relay is about coming together as a team and going further than you could as an individual. From an elite runner to the novice runner, Big Bay Relay is the perfect race for anyone.

When Is It? 

1. The 48th Annual Race will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026
2. Starts at 8:00 A.M., at the Kaufman Sports Complex, Marquette, Michigan
3. Finishes at Perkins Park, Big Bay, Michigan

How It Works: Teams are composed of five runners for adults and up to seven for youth teams. Teams cover 26-ish miles, starting in Marquette, MI and ending in Big Bay, MI. Runners run approximately 1 mile each before handing the baton to a teammate and resting until it is their turn again. While one person is running, the rest of your teammates are on support duty in your race vehicle. As each runner begins, the crew in the vehicle drives ahead and meets them at the exchange point to pick them up and drop off the next runner.Race HistoryIn spring of 1972, Marquette held its first Big Bay Relay coordinated by Race Director Karen Kunkle and her husband Jack. The first race brought only ten relay teams and has grown to include over fifty teams in the past several years. A note in the Upper Peninsula Road Runners Club named the Big Bay Relay the 1990 Race of the Year.Some relay teams have been racing for more than 20 years and hold a special place as part of the annual race’s history. If you are an elite runner who wants to compete, or a group of friends that want to try something adventurous, this picturesque relay is for you. For 47 years the Big Bay Relay has been uniting community members, families and friends, and we want you to be a part of this year’s race!

1. More details  here
2. Sign up you or your team(s)  here
3. Email any further questions to  parksandrec@powelltownship.org  and/or  parks-trailsmanager@powelltownship.org

YOU ARE INVITED – MEMORIAL DAY & WEEKEND EVENTS

• Sunday, May 24: Pancake Breakfast at Town Hall (8AM – Noon)

• Monday, May 25: Big Bay Cemetery Memorial Day Tribute Event (TENTATIVELY 10:30 A.M.)

The breakfast menu is PANCAKES, EGGS, BACON, AND SAUSAGE. Suggested donation $10 (adults), $5 (children over 5 years old). Questions? Call 906-345-9345 (ext. 10). More details will follow soon regarding the Big Bay Cemetery Memorial Day Tribute Event. Residents, friends, and family are welcome!

GOT BOOKS? NEED BOOKS? FREE LIBRARY IN TOWN HALL

Powell Township Hall, 101 Bensinger Street, Big Bay, Michigan, 49808

The free lending library in Powell Township Hall is upgrading to a more organized and maintained collection (and a reading space), thanks to a team of energetic volunteers. You can stop by the hall to view or borrow items for free. Also, as you spring clean or organize your own collections to pay items forward (to include books, games, or puzzles), please consider dropping them at Powell Township Hall or the office. Donations are greatly appreciated.

NOW AVAILABLE IN POWELL TOWNSHIP:

HOME DELIVERED MEALS or “MEALS ON WHEELS”

A hot meal is delivered to seniors who are homebound and are unable to prepare nutritious meals for themselves. Suggested donation: $3.50 per meal

In addition to providing healthy and well-balanced meals, the meal deliverers also provide an important service by checking on the homebound seniors when they deliver the meals.

DO YOU QUALIFY FOR HOME DELIVERED MEALS?

– Eligibility requirements for Home Delivered Meals include:

– You or your spouse must be 60 years of age of older.

– You must be homebound and cannot leave your home without assistance.

-You are unable to prepare meals and you have no one nearby to prepare your meals.

Call 228-6522 ext 302 for more information or to see if you or someone you care about qualifies.

WHAT DO THESE PROGRAMS COST?

The suggested per meal donation is $3.50 for each Congregate or Home Delivered Meal, but no one is ever denied service due to their inability to donate. Family members are also encouraged to donate on behalf of their loved ones. Since federal and state funding does not cover the full cost to operate the Senior Meal Programs, the generosity of program participants and their families is crucial. Without these donations CAAM would not be able to serve every senior in need of Congregate or Home Delivered Meals.

Community Action Alger-Marquette Senior Meals Programs serve close to 100,000 meals a year to seniors in Alger and Marquette Counties, helping those seniors live longer, healthier and more enjoyable lives. Volunteers are needed in a variety of ways to continue providing these important meals. If you wish to learn more call our office for more information.

For local info call:

Kim Bourgeois, Powell Township Emergency Manager, 906-362-7275

Gene Champagne, Meals on Wheels Driver, 906-250-2140

SAVE THE DATES

Powell Township residents, please keep these annual township events in mind. Further details, including times, are in local newsletters (including the site newsletter), on the site calendar, and/or will post as they become available.

• January: Thomas Rock Showshoe Event (3rd Saturday)
• February: Fishing Derby (2nd weekend)
• February: Honey Bear Classic Ski/Snowshoe Event (2nd weekend)
• April:  Easter Egg Hunt (Saturday before Easter) 
• May:  Spring Cleanups, Dash for Trash, and Potlucks (1st week)
• May:  Big Bay Relay (3rd Saturday)
• May:  Memorial Day Tribute at Big Bay Cemetery
• June: Summer Concert Series season begins
• June: Park & Trail Recreation Network Volunteers Picnic
• July:  4th of July Parade
• July:  Softball Tournament (weekend after July 4th)
• July:  Fire on the Bay (2nd Saturday)
• August-September:  Softball Tournament (Labor Day weekend)
• September:  Fall Festival (3rd weekend)
• Fall – Spring:  Community Dinners, Open Houses, and Food Banks
• December:  Holiday Tree Lighting (1st Saturday)

MEETINGS ARE IN DATE ORDER (and also available in calendar view here).