Van Buren Township approves towing agreement with two firms

A non-binding agreement for towing services with J&T Crova Towing of Belleville and Great Lakes Towing of Van Buren Township was approved by the VBT Board of Trustees at its regular meeting Aug. 15.
Police Chief Jason Wright said the issue of towing came before the board several months ago concerning cleaning up the scenes and towing fees.
He said the board tasked the police department with looking at the situation. He said they first spoke to the township attorney on whether it should be an agreement or a contract and the attorney recommended a non-binding agreement.
He said Romulus had an agreement, as did Ypsilanti, Westland, Livonia, Canton, Madison Heights and Muskegon. He said they established guidelines for what the expectations were in VBT.
When specifying charges for the tow and cleanups, they included a basic tow and heavy tow and looked at the State Police prices.
“We worked on fees and added language,” Chief Wright said, noting the agreement was discussed at the work/study session the day before the regular meeting.
“At least this allows residents to know what to expect when their car is towed and how to handle complaints,” Chief Wright said.
Trustee Sherry Frazier thanked township resident Reggie Ion for bringing up the subject. She referred to the several times he brought the subject to the board and the time he brought in a bucket of car parts that were left in the roadway after a vehicle was towed and the scene not cleaned up near Ion’s home. He dumped the bucket out on the carpet in front of the board to underline his irritation with the board.
“I, as a new board member, didn’t know we didn’t have a contract or agreement,” Trustee Frazier said.
“I’m pleased with Great Lakes and J&T. They have the equipment and they also have holding yards close by.
“I have a family member in the towing business and their reputations are good,” Frazier said.
She pointed out both owners of the firms were present at the work/study session the day before.
“They want our business … and I’m pleased we put this down in writing,” she said. “They know where they can get their cars … or they can call their own tow company. I think it’s good for the township.”
Trustee Paul White also thanked Ion for bringing this issue to the board. He said a year or so ago Ion brought a bucket of pieces of a car.
“This is because of a concerned citizen who brought a bucket of parts to illustrate the problem,” Trustee White. He referred to the document as “a real gentleman’s agreement … so we can have clean roads.”
At the end of the meeting when the public could speak, Ion said he wished they would have gone out for bids.
“You just gave it to your favorite towing companies who’ve been doing it for the last 20 years.
“I’m comfortable with the way it came out,” said Trustee Reggie Miller. “If problems show up we can come back and go out for bids.”
“We can terminate it at the drop of a hat,” agreed Supervisor Kevin McNamara. “I know it’s an excellent agreement because nobody’s satisfied with it. It took two to three months to put it together.”
Ion said he’s sure the police will have a great Christmas party this year. He referred to the party Great Lakes threw for the police department last year.
During the work/study session Supervisor McNamara said township vehicles are getting free tows under 10,000 pounds under the agreement. He said last year there were six such tows, four by Great Lakes and two by J&T.
Also at the work/study, John Bokon, owner of J&T, said there are a bunch of things in the agreement that he questions. He asked exactly how much space the township needs under the agreement.
Supervisor McNamara said, “We know you’ve got a facility that’s decently sized.”
Bokon also asked about the part where the companies are not charging for victims of rape or carjacking. Chief Wright replied, “If we have to impound, contractors are still getting paid.”
Bokon said he has been towing for 40 years and he’d like to make the work for Van Buren Township even. For the past 20 years or so J&T has towed south of the freeway and Great Lakes north of the freeway.
He said the tows on the south side were 350 last year and on the north side it was 750. He suggested they go back and forth, using them every other call.
McNamara said the numbers were actually 500 to the south and 700 to the north.
“We discussed this at great length,” McNamara said. “We want them to respond immediately … we took out switching back and forth … It’s up to Van Buren PD to change, if necessary.”
Chief Wright said that’s the way it’s been for the last 20 to 25 years. He said dispatch shouldn’t have to do rotation.
“The north is busier than the south,” Chief Wright said.
“If it was out for bids, Great Lakes could bid on the south side,” Ion added.
“If one vendor can’t handle a call, we can call the other,” McNamara said “I will monitor this year.”
Paul from Great Lakes said if they leave the scene and it’s not picked up for some reason, they will come back. He said a lot of times it’s a private tow firm that doesn’t clean up. He said the police department will call them and they will clean it up even if they didn’t do that tow.
“I’m hard on my guys,” Bokon said, adding often a private person tow leaves a mess and J&T cleans it up.
In other business at the Aug. 15 regular meeting, the board:
• Witnessed the Van Buren Civic Fund, represented by Treasurer Sharry Budd and Planning Commission Carol Thompson, donate $35,000 to the VBT Police Department for a dive trailer to add to the $10,000 donation from businessman Ron Blank for the trailer. The Civic Fund also donated $7,200 for exercise equipment replacement for the senior center (two treadmills and an elliptical);
• Approved the second and final reading of an ordinance amendment to allow security officers at Wayne County Community College’s western campus to write traffic tickets under the VBT ordinance;
• Approved a $57,500 contract with FTCH to design and give construction administration and engineering services for the pavilion and playground structure project for Van Buren Park with expenses to be paid with federal Community Development Block Grant Funds. The $303,000 in funds have to be spent within a few months so the pieces to the new structures may have to be stored over winter for installation in the spring. If there is enough money in the budget, landscaping will be added to the front of the park;
• Approved the 2017 tax rate of .9144 allocated millage, plus 6.5 voted public safety millage for a total of 7.4144 mills to be levied Dec. 1. The real and personal property value of the township is $986,123,655 and the tax amount is $7,311,515;
• Affirmed the Senior Alliance Annual Implementation Plan for Aging Services;
• Approved the 2018 Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) Municipal Credit Contract. The township receives $28,348 and the local match of $32,597 is met by township general fund and in-kind services;
• Approved the attorney’s recommendation for a settlement in the case of Van Buren Township v. Amanda Jackson, Wayne County Circuit Court Case 15-01063;
• Heard Clerk Leon Wright thank Police Chief Jason Wright for bringing a dunk tank and fire truck to the recent Andover Farms picnic. He said Chief Wright brought the dunk tank and he and his wife stayed for the picnic until the end and then took it back;
• Heard Trustee White state the lunches purchased on the township credit card for the second day of the budget meeting was not legal. He said he would pay for lunches when he thought it was the $56.40 on the voucher list from Gordon Foods. But that amount was for the snacks at the back of the meeting room for the public, and trustees as well. It turns out (according to the receipt obtained by a Freedom of Information Act request from the Independent) the 11 boxed lunches purchased for board members and others cost a total of $107.85 from Which Wich on Belleville Road. The lunches for the four trustees were $8.50 each and the lunches for the three, full-time officials were $11.25 each. The two groups ate separately. A non-binding agreement for towing services with J&T Crova Towing of Belleville and Great Lakes Towing of Van Buren Township was approved by the VBT Board of Trustees at its regular meeting Aug. 15.
Police Chief Jason Wright said the issue of towing came before the board several months ago concerning cleaning up the scenes and towing fees.
He said the board tasked the police department with looking at the situation. He said they first spoke to the township attorney on whether it should be an agreement or a contract and the attorney recommended a non-binding agreement.
He said Romulus had an agreement, as did Ypsilanti, Westland, Livonia, Canton, Madison Heights and Muskegon. He said they established guidelines for what the expectations were in VBT.
When specifying charges for the tow and cleanups, they included a basic tow and heavy tow and looked at the State Police prices.
“We worked on fees and added language,” Chief Wright said, noting the agreement was discussed at the work/study session the day before the regular meeting.
“At least this allows residents to know what to expect when their car is towed and how to handle complaints,” Chief Wright said.
Trustee Sherry Frazier thanked township resident Reggie Ion for bringing up the subject. She referred to the several times he brought the subject to the board and the time he brought in a bucket of car parts that were left in the roadway after a vehicle was towed and the scene not cleaned up near Ion’s home. He dumped the bucket out on the carpet in front of the board to underline his irritation with the board.
“I, as a new board member, didn’t know we didn’t have a contract or agreement,” Trustee Frazier said.
“I’m pleased with Great Lakes and J&T. They have the equipment and they also have holding yards close by.
“I have a family member in the towing business and their reputations are good,” Frazier said.
She pointed out both owners of the firms were present at the work/study session the day before.
“They want our business … and I’m pleased we put this down in writing,” she said. “They know where they can get their cars … or they can call their own tow company. I think it’s good for the township.”
Trustee Paul White also thanked Ion for bringing this issue to the board. He said a year or so ago Ion brought a bucket of pieces of a car.
“This is because of a concerned citizen who brought a bucket of parts to illustrate the problem,” Trustee White. He referred to the document as “a real gentleman’s agreement … so we can have clean roads.”
At the end of the meeting when the public could speak, Ion said he wished they would have gone out for bids.
“You just gave it to your favorite towing companies who’ve been doing it for the last 20 years.
“I’m comfortable with the way it came out,” said Trustee Reggie Miller. “If problems show up we can come back and go out for bids.”
“We can terminate it at the drop of a hat,” agreed Supervisor Kevin McNamara. “I know it’s an excellent agreement because nobody’s satisfied with it. It took two to three months to put it together.”
Ion said he’s sure the police will have a great Christmas party this year. He referred to the party Great Lakes threw for the police department last year.
During the work/study session Supervisor McNamara said township vehicles are getting free tows under 10,000 pounds under the agreement. He said last year there were six such tows, four by Great Lakes and two by J&T.
Also at the work/study, John Bokon, owner of J&T, said there are a bunch of things in the agreement that he questions. He asked exactly how much space the township needs under the agreement.
Supervisor McNamara said, “We know you’ve got a facility that’s decently sized.”
Bokon also asked about the part where the companies are not charging for victims of rape or carjacking. Chief Wright replied, “If we have to impound, contractors are still getting paid.”
Bokon said he has been towing for 40 years and he’d like to make the work for Van Buren Township even. For the past 20 years or so J&T has towed south of the freeway and Great Lakes north of the freeway.
He said the tows on the south side were 350 last year and on the north side it was 750. He suggested they go back and forth, using them every other call.
McNamara said the numbers were actually 500 to the south and 700 to the north.
“We discussed this at great length,” McNamara said. “We want them to respond immediately … we took out switching back and forth … It’s up to Van Buren PD to change, if necessary.”
Chief Wright said that’s the way it’s been for the last 20 to 25 years. He said dispatch shouldn’t have to do rotation.
“The north is busier than the south,” Chief Wright said.
“If it was out for bids, Great Lakes could bid on the south side,” Ion added.
“If one vendor can’t handle a call, we can call the other,” McNamara said “I will monitor this year.”
Paul from Great Lakes said if they leave the scene and it’s not picked up for some reason, they will come back. He said a lot of times it’s a private tow firm that doesn’t clean up. He said the police department will call them and they will clean it up even if they didn’t do that tow.
“I’m hard on my guys,” Bokon said, adding often a private person tow leaves a mess and J&T cleans it up.
In other business at the Aug. 15 regular meeting, the board:
• Witnessed the Van Buren Civic Fund, represented by Treasurer Sharry Budd and Planning Commission Carol Thompson, donate $35,000 to the VBT Police Department for a dive trailer to add to the $10,000 donation from businessman Ron Blank for the trailer. The Civic Fund also donated $7,200 for exercise equipment replacement for the senior center (two treadmills and an elliptical);
• Approved the second and final reading of an ordinance amendment to allow security officers at Wayne County Community College’s western campus to write traffic tickets under the VBT ordinance;
• Approved a $57,500 contract with FTCH to design and give construction administration and engineering services for the pavilion and playground structure project for Van Buren Park with expenses to be paid with federal Community Development Block Grant Funds. The $303,000 in funds have to be spent within a few months so the pieces to the new structures may have to be stored over winter for installation in the spring. If there is enough money in the budget, landscaping will be added to the front of the park;
• Approved the 2017 tax rate of .9144 allocated millage, plus 6.5 voted public safety millage for a total of 7.4144 mills to be levied Dec. 1. The real and personal property value of the township is $986,123,655 and the tax amount is $7,311,515;
• Affirmed the Senior Alliance Annual Implementation Plan for Aging Services;
• Approved the 2018 Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) Municipal Credit Contract. The township receives $28,348 and the local match of $32,597 is met by township general fund and in-kind services;
• Approved the attorney’s recommendation for a settlement in the case of Van Buren Township v. Amanda Jackson, Wayne County Circuit Court Case 15-01063;
• Heard Clerk Leon Wright thank Police Chief Jason Wright for bringing a dunk tank and fire truck to the recent Andover Farms picnic. He said Chief Wright brought the dunk tank and he and his wife stayed for the picnic until the end and then took it back;
• Heard Trustee White state the lunches purchased on the township credit card for the second day of the budget meeting was not legal. He said he would pay for lunches when he thought it was the $56.40 on the voucher list from Gordon Foods. But that amount was for the snacks at the back of the meeting room for the public, and trustees as well. It turns out (according to the receipt obtained by a Freedom of Information Act request from the Independent) the 11 boxed lunches purchased for board members and others cost a total of $107.85 from Which Wich on Belleville Road. The lunches for the four trustees were $8.50 each and the lunches for the three, full-time officials were $11.25 each. The two groups ate separately.

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