Van Buren Township LDFA reelects Dotson, Peters, Delaney

Michael Dotson, campus president at Wayne County Community College, was reelected chairman for 2020 at the Jan. 14 regular meeting of the Van Buren Township Local Development Financial Authority (LDFA).
Retired attorney Doug Peters was reelected vice chairman and contractor John Delaney was reelected second vice chairman.
In other business at the 28-minute meeting, the LDFA:
• Reviewed the state-required 2019 Synopsis of Activities prepared by Dan Selman, executive assistant to Supervisor Kevin McNamara. Selman noted the primary focus of the LDFA at this time is payment of the debt obligations for the Visteon bonds. Due to economic conditions, the LDFA will not capture enough tax revenue to cover the scheduled debt service and due to the shortfall that occurred on Oct. 1, the LDFA was loaned $700,000 on Sept. 4 by the township to assist in the bond payment. The LDFA will continue to pursue legal action against Visteon in partnership with the township;
• Was reminded the informational meetings required by state law will be held at the 2 p.m. March 11 meeting and the 2 p.m. Sept. 8 meeting;
• Heard LDFA member Scott Medlen, who manages Grace Lake for Sovereign Partners, report that the complex will be having some available space for sub-leasing. He said there is space leased by Visteon and GE that is not being used and will be sub-let. When pressed for the cost of such space, he said it would be in the vicinity of $20 per square foot. He also said he was working on signage for the public walking trails and the parking lot. He said he likes the idea of planting fruit trees in the ITC corridor along the trails and will seek consultants for the project;
• Heard Supervisor McNamara report that Grace Lake has some beautiful meeting spaces. He introduced Medlen to LDFA member David Schreiber, who is economic development official for Wayne County and sometimes needs meeting spaces;
• Heard Peters ask whatever happened to the two little lots on Ecorse Road owned by the LDFA. Delaney said although they had been put up for sale, they were still available. Nothing has been done since the LDFA rejected the $500 bid for them. Peters said he thinks the township should be getting tax money for that property. Delaney said there is adjoining property that may be going up for sale and the buyers could then come to the LDFA to get the lots for an entry from Ecorse Road to the 50-60 acres behind the lots;
• Heard Delaney voice concerns about how people can be put in touch with the LDFA and McNamara said they can just call the township and they will be put in touch with Chairman Dotson; and
• Heard McNamara say the township will be looking into the costs necessary to upgrade the township website. “We have dozens and dozens of dead ends on our website,” he said.
Present at the meeting were Dotson, Peters, Delaney, Medlen, McNamara, Schreiber, James Williams and Sara Cortese. Absent were Leonard Armstrong and Chuck Covington. There is one vacant seat.