Van Buren Township backs off announced steps to reopen twp. hall

In its first meeting since March 16, the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees was informed at a Zoom virtual meeting on May 5 of a plan to reopen township hall in phases.
A few days later the township had to back off the plans and postpone reopening.
Township hall has been locked to the public since early March due to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order. Two days after the May 5 township meeting — on May 7 – Gov. Whitmer unexpectedly extended her Stay Home order to May 28.
Director of Public Services Matthew Best said he put together a plan for his department for how the building would open and they would mitigate the risk as much as possible.
He said data shows that one infected employee can infect 90% of the employees over 20 days if no mitigation is done, so they have paid close attention to mitigation. He said OSHA wrote a document and it justified what he had put in the VBT plan.
Best said landscape workers were allowed to return to their jobs two weeks ago and on May 7 construction can start along with related government activities to support that, such as providing permits and plan review. He said they will start advertising this on their website.
Supervisor Kevin McNamara said on Friday that since the governor extended the Stay at Home order that was to lapse on May 18 the township had to postpone its reopening schedule.
Director Best said the township can take permit applications by email, website or phone and checks can be put in the township drop box or sent by mail. There is a new address than can be used: [email protected] .
“Based upon OSHA, the governor, and the CDC, plans rarely stay unchanged,” said Supervisor McNamara.
Trustee Reggie Miller asked if they will be taking the temperatures of employees when they do open and Best said both visitors and employees will have their temperatures taken.
Best said they have two thermometers – one for the front door and one for the police department – with more on the way.
Trustee Miller asked if they are testing employees other than police and fire, who have all been tested. Best replied that was not recommended by OSHA.
Trustee Kevin Martin asked, that once they get to that point, who would do the testing, who would take the temperatures and ask the screening questions?
Supervisor McNamara said Fire Chief Amy Brow has the credentials to train whoever is needed for that.
“If they have a fever, we kick them out,” McNamara said.
“It’s still being decided who will do visitor temperature taking,” Best said.
“We’re not going to hire anybody,” said McNamara, noting the township has a hiring freeze in place. He said Parks and Recreation Department personnel possibly will work the entrance, when the time comes, and then switch off.
Trustee Miller said she got tested at Van Buren Urgent Care that day and it was billed to her insurance. She encouraged others to get tested since it is available right in the community.
Best said a test is fine, but then you could get infected on your way home when you stop at the grocery store.
“My staff signed up to get tested,” said Clerk Leon Wright. He said he and his deputy Joanne Montgomery were tested, along with the treasurer. “It’s to protect the employees and everyone who comes in … A safety net. It doesn’t mean you can’t acquire it going forward.”
Best said VBT is designated as a “medium-exposure facility” because it’s in Wayne County.
McNamara said the schedule announced is contingent on what the governor says. [On Friday he indicated the opening is postponed.] In other business at the one-hour-and-45-minute meeting, the board:
• Discussed a recommendation to update the township website. McNamara said, “We’ve got a mess” referring to the website. McNamara’s assistant Dan Selman said the site is six years old and needs updating, especially to be made compliant with the 2016 ADA law. McNamara said they had an app a few years ago but it didn’t work right with the site. “If we’re going to be in an app world, we can’t have an old website,” McNamara said. He said they will put out a request for proposals and bring something back to the board. “The millennials will be using it,” he said;
• Approved the board meeting minutes of March 16 and six weeks’ worth of prepaid bills and the voucher lists for April 7, April 21, and May 5; and
• Held a moment of silence in memory of two men, who McNamara called “two, high-profile statesmen” for VBT: former Supervisor David Jacokes and former Fire Chief and Director of Developmental Services David Cameron McInally.
Updates
Supervisor McNamara said on Friday that the offices at township hall will be closed until May 28 to comply with the governor’s new executive order.
But, since the governor reopened construction and real estate the township has the assessing office running remotely to help real estate.
Building permits are available by contacting the township and the front page of the township website shows how to get the permits.
He said they need to have some things approved by the planning commission and so a virtual planning commission is being planned for May 27.
Also, he said, bulk pickup of trash will begin May 11.
McNamara said although the township doors are locked, there are workers in the treasurer’s office two to five times a week, the clerk’s office is manned three days a week, and the assessor’s office three days a week. If a person needs help, all they need to do is call, he said.
“Every service you could get from us before is online now, except public meetings,” he said.