The Sumpter Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously at its July 10 meeting to place a renewal of the Fire Protection millage before voters in the Nov. 6 General Election.
The previous millage has expired. The previous one mill had been reduced to .889 mills by the required millage rollback.
This ballot question will return it to one mill ($1 per $1,000 of taxable value) which would be levied for four years, 2012 through 2015, inclusive, for fire department operation and maintenance.
The tax is expected to raise an estimated $337,938 in the first year the millage is levied.
In other business at the July 10 meeting, the board:
• Approved a memo of understanding, contingent upon the attorney’s review, to allow Huron Valley Ambulance to park a unit in the fire hall, so there would be 24-hour car in Sumpter, available for calls in Sumpter and nearby areas. HVA personnel could sleep in the bunkroom. “I think it’s beneficial to us,” said Fire Chief Les Powell in presenting the memo, adding it was proposed as temporary, but there is no end date on the memo of understanding;
• Approved the Annual Implementation Plan for 2013 for the Senior Alliance, which is the designated Area Agency on Aging body for Southern and Western Wayne County;
• Approved going out for bids to fence the new parking area at Banotai Park;
• Approved paying warrants totaling $114,548.40;
• Held a moment of silence in memory of Barbara Moody who passed away unexpectedly on July 5. She was the wife of Deputy Supervisor Craig Moody;
• Heard Trustee Bill Hamm, who is also a fire fighter, announce that the firehouse treadmill took its last turn and they needed someone to donate a treadmill of some sort. The fire hall already has a stair-stepper. Someone in the audience raised a hand, so Trustee Hamm said it looked like they had a donation already;
• Heard resident Mary Ban say Sumpter Township is more sophisticated and up to date than some other nearby townships who do not have emergency warning sirens. She said she appreciated the sirens going off at 4:30 a.m. on July 5 to warn of the big storm coming. She said Sumpter got the sirens because it was a priority. Ban said she still contends Huron Township should have come to Sumpter to set up the joint dispatch system, instead of the other way around; and
• Discussed what to do about the new state fireworks law that has resulted in lots of nighttime noise, after resident Marty Kalasz brought up the issue. Attorney Rob Young said there has been a lot of discussion in statewide groups and local municipalities on the subject. Everyone is trying to get it right, since the law is new and may yet be amended. Police Lt. Eric Luke said for a disturbing the peace citation, the complainant has to sign a complaint, give his/her name, and show up in court, which some are unwilling to do.