Sumpter Twp. buys new fire truck from R&R Services for $402,158

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
The Sumpter Township Board of Trustees approved the purchase of a new fire truck during its regular meeting on Dec. 10.
The Smeal fire truck is being purchased from R&R Services for $402,158. R&R had the lowest bid following the specifications out of three, with the other bids being $398,000 and $433,000.
Fire Chief Joe Januszyk said the new truck will hold 3,000 gallons of water, which is more than the total of the three trucks that were retired by the department.
Chief Januszyk, Trustee Peg Morgan, and some fire officers went over the bids to come up with the recommendation.
Chief Januszyk said he hopes this will help Sumpter Township with its ISO rating. He says it’s peculiar in that if the ISO rating goes up, insurance costs go down.
In other business at the 21-minute meeting, the board:
• Approved the first reading of an amendment to the Floodplain Management FEMA Ordinance, namely to take out reference to a former map that is not accurate since Sumpter was able to help about 99 properties get removed from FEMA’s new floodplain. FEMA said the amendment passed by Sumpter Sept. 10 was reviewed by the national Flood Insurance Program Coordinator, but that office failed to notice the map revision. FEMA requested Sumpter re-approve the ordinance amendment to account for the removal of FEMA Map 0370E dated Feb. 2;
• Approved the cost of six emergency sirens for $116,700 from West Shore Services, with a Wayne County Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant reimbursing 75%. Locations will be NE corner of Haggerty and Arkona, Haggerty N. of Wear, SW corner of Savage and Bemis, NW corner of Harris and Sumpter (PNA), SE corner of Sherwood and Arkona, and SE corner of Willis and Rawsonville;
• Approved the following Senior Center Advisory Board Members: Karen Mickens, Margaret Rochon, Barbara Tomason, Ken Stewart, and Clarence J. Hoffman, Jr.;
• Approved accepting and signing the agreement for a $20,000 Wayne County Parks grant;
• Accepted the resignation of part-time police officer Dave McKeon. Police Chief Jim Pierce said the police department is “moving in another direction”;
• Approved support of the Moose Lodge’s request to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission to transfer its liquor license from 831 E. Huron River Drive to 45476 Harris, the PNA Hall;
• Heard Trustee Peg Morgan ask about an oil company sending out contracts to Sumpter residents for oil drilling. Deputy Treasure Karen Armatis said the township considers this between the property owners and the oil company and is not a township concert. The properties involved have been on Wear and Clark roads. Deputy Clerk Esther Hurst said the township has been telling people they have no opinion on what they do with their property;
• Approved paying warrants, through the end of the year, of $437,276.92 on a roll-call vote; and
• Heard Mary and Barney Ban speak about how their property has been put into a flood plain and their land is in the area that is the highest in the township. They said it would affect the value of their property if they want to sell. Their property wasn’t in the floodplain in the February map, but now it is. “There’s no reason in my opinion for that to be floodplain,” Barney Ban said. Township attorney Rob Young said they will ask the Hennessey engineer to come to the next meeting on Jan. 14 to get an answer.
Young said people say you can’t fight city hall. “This is city hall and we fought the federal government and won,” he said, saying the township paid to have the overview done and residents contributed.
He said why the map would be changed to the detriment of the residents in the northwest part of the township is a mystery and the township will look into it.
Absent and excused from the board meeting were Supervisor Johnny Vawters, Clerk Clarence J. Hoffman, Jr., and Treasurer John Morgan. The board voted to have Deputy Clerk Hurst chair the meeting.