VBT Board approves agreement that cancels free trash pickup

About 50 people were in the audience of the almost three-hour meeting on Dec. 19 when the Van Buren Township Board voted 4-3 to approve the fifth amendment to the host agreement with Waste Management on Woodland Meadows landfill.
The part of the agreement the crowd liked least was the canceling of free curbside trash pick up that residents have enjoyed for more than 20 years.
Voting yes were Supervisor Kevin McNamara, who single-handedly negotiated the final details to the agreement; Clerk Leon Wright, who was on the team negotiating for three years before that; Treasurer Sharry Budd, who said the agreement was “a good deal”; and Trustee Kevin Martin, who said it was “for the greater good of the community.”
Voting no were Trustees Sherry Frazier, Reggie Miller, and Paul White, who all had asked for more time to present the details to the public and get citizen input. They were in favor of renegotiating to find a way to continue the free pick up and thought the process used to rush the agreement to a vote was not proper.
A slightly different version of the fifth amendment was presented to the former township board at the end of 2016, but it was passed on to the new board and not brought to the new board for a vote until 22 days before its passage last week.
A motion earlier in the meeting by Trustee Frazier to postpone the decision until they can get together more information for the public was defeated by the same 4-3 vote.
The involved agreement takes away free curbside trash pick up for residents in about mid-2023 and closes the golf course next to the landfill at the end of the 2018 season so it can expand for more trash dumping. Free disposal of trash for residents bringing it in will continue for the life of the landfill.
An estimated $250 million will be paid to the township over the next 40 years of the landfill’s extended life. That sum includes $8 million in cash that Supervisor McNamara said he would like to lock up in a CD investment.
The 269-acre landfill, at the corner of Van Born and Hannan roads, will expand by 200 acres and be the same height as what is there now.
The $300,000 golf course escrow fund was to be released to the township immediately upon signing. The township also has the option of leasing the golf course clubhouse from Waste Management for $1 a year and WM will pay $5,000 a year for the building’s maintenance. It is yet to be determined if the township will use the building.
“I appreciate the community coming out and raising questions and I don’t have the answers they seek — and I’m a trustee!” Trustee Frazier said. “The process we went through smells rotten.”
Trustee Frazier said the document on Waste Management finances came from Plante Moran to Supervisor McNamara on Aug. 8, but it wasn’t passed on to the board then.
“We’ve had this information just 22 days,” Frazier said, adding the board hasn’t gotten the information out to the public.
“Shame on us for not getting with the community,” Frazier continued, adding that she appreciates Waste Management’s service and this is a complex issue, “and I don’t feel comfortable taking it lightly … I know how a community becomes reliant on landfill revenue.”
Frazier said Waste Management supplies 30% of the VBT budget.
“We can’t walk away from our landfill,” she said. “But we should have had public hearings, get public input. It shouldn’t have been brought to us the way it was.
“I feel betrayed,” Frazier continued. “You thought it was a good idea,” she said to Supervisor McNamara. “You negotiated it. What’s new in it?”
Supervisor McNamara said the replacement of the $4 million golf course and the ability to bid out trash pick up to the lower bidder, instead of paying Waste Management for the pick up.
During public comments, it was pointed out that Supervisor McNamara, Clerk Wright, and Treasurer Budd all took campaign contributions from Waste Management.
“All three of you who took money from Waste Management, shame on you,” Frazier said.
“I resent highly that yesterday [during the work/study session] when I said six people have spoken on issue, the one with the most information on the landfill hasn’t spoken,” Frazier said. “I went to her office and she said it’s a good deal,” referring to Treasurer Budd. “I’m disappointed.”
“We gave more information on this this…” McNamara responded. “This has been around for four years … Trustees were elected to make difficult decisions.”
“I will give you my opinion,” Budd stated, but did not continue.
McNamara said that there are no landfill gas payments, a question asked by a resident making a public comment. He said Sumpter Township didn’t get a check from its landfill for gas. He said Ameresco has the gas rights for Woodland Meadows. The gas is sent north to Woodland Meadows landfill in Canton.
As to the deed restriction, McNamara said, the land was supposed to be industrial and the landfill could have expanded, so the deed restriction was put in place.
“Why do we use the landfill money for the general fund?” McNamara asked, referring to one of the questions asked. He said Canton used its landfill money to build things for the community and the residents paid with taxes to run the township. He said VBT used landfill money to run the township.
“People have overwhelmingly told me they don’t want taxes,” McNamara said, adding this deal with Waste Management would mean 40 years without a tax increase for VBT.
He said the use of the closed landfill is not yet determined and the Environmental Commission will be working on that.
“We’re getting so much more than anyone else out there,” McNamara said referring to other communities with landfills. “It’s a game of poker.”
As to seniors who can’t pay for trash pickup, McNamara said he brought a program into the township for seniors who can’t pay for their water.
“I don’t know how we’re going to do it, but we will,” he said of help for seniors who can’t pay for trash pick up, adding, “Waste Management Charities?”
Frazier suggested asking the community what it wants to do with the $8 million and McNamara said, “What this board decides to do with the money, the $8 million, you will vote.”
“Last year, August or so, VBT was looking at receivership in 2019,” McNamara said, adding the passage of the public safety millage buoyed the township finances up.
“The grants [from the landfill] will maintain our levels of services and there is no reason to raise taxes for 40 years,” McNamara said. He noted the federal government makes you pay long-term debt first, referring to the Visteon bonds.
“This agreement makes VBT solid as the Rock of Gibraltar,” McNamara said.
Trustee White went through the pages of the agreement and pointed out the sedimentation ponds on Ecorse Road and the loss of $200,000 a year for the tax fee, under the laws of the State of Texas, since Waste management is headquartered there.
White predicted another amendment to the landfill agreement in five to six years, since that has been the history.
White said people in the community spend their money better than the township spends their money. He referred to the extended cab pickup truck recently purchased for a building official to make her rounds. He said the cancellation of curbside pickup will cost the residents $56 million out of their pockets over the next 40 years of the agreement.
White said Waste Management does an outstanding job and he has no issues with how they operate. But, they make $26 million in annual profit and he doesn’t believe in his heart that Waste Management would leave if it didn’t get this agreement signed.
“I don’t see the big rush to approve this,” White said. “Looks like we’ll be on the losing end of this.”
He said the township’s debt services could be solved by the board with money it already has. He said the board gets investment reports from the township every three months and, “We are in good shape financially — not as bad off as you think.”
Trustee Martin said he is in favor of the landfill agreement, since 25% of the township’s operating revenue is from the landfill. He said it’s for the greater good of the community and if the township loses the landfill, the residents would have to pay more taxes.
Clerk Wright said he was puzzled over the people who can’t afford to pay for garbage pickup and don’t want the landfill.
He said this agreement originally was negotiated over three years by former Trustee Phil Hart, Supervisor Linda Combs, attorney Patrick McCauley and Wright. He said the main issue was the free pickup.
“A year ago we had a town hall meeting and the future board asked to delay it so they could vote on it,” Wright said.
Treasurer Budd said she was on the board when it accepted the Visteon bond deal. She said the state, state rep., the county, everyone was pushing to have Visteon in VBT. Now, she said, the former Visteon Village is 100% occupied and the new owners are building a 700,000-square-foot addition. [Editor’s Note: Actually, the addition is 124,000 square feet.] “There’s no way we knew what would happen in 2008,” Budd said, referring to Visteon’s bankruptcy.
She named all the things the township has purchased with landfill funds over the years, including support of the public safety department. Once the latest public safety millage was approved, a long-term debt fund was set up using the money the township no longer had to spend on public safety.
“The landfill has done our township well, offering stability and financial security,” Budd said.
Budd said she resents comments about her taking money from Waste Management. She said someone else took care of her campaign funds and she doesn’t even know how much they gave.
“I’m not ashamed of that,” she said, adding she was never asked to do anything for the money. She said she has served the township for 21 years and she is not a dishonest person.
Trustee Miller said she took no campaign donations because she didn’t want it to influence her. She said she would have felt pressured.
“No one is a fan of this landfill,” Miller said. “Eight million dollars is minimal. It’s costing the residents a fortune. That $56 million will be pushed onto all of you. It’s a hidden tax. The trade-off is not worth the benefit.
“For the previous four years, Linda [Supervisor Combs] had a personal problem and wasn’t here a lot. Phil [Hart] said why not put it on a ballot? It affects all.
“I’m not in favor of this,” Miller continued. “I felt this was rushed. Not enough time — just a matter of weeks. This is not a good deal for our residents. It should have been renegotiated.”
McNamara replied, “This fixes those finances. We’ll be able to keep taxes low and services high. This is the last fix.”
Frazier said Waste Management made a good offer, but the whole process was handled incorrectly. She asked the board to look the agreement over during the holidays and get it out to the community.
“We have to address how we’re doing business in the township,” Frazier said. “This is going to come back to bite us. The process was misused and transparency lacking.”
White said he has lived in the township for 57 years and never paid for trash pick up. “Our residents are entitled to free trash pick up,” he said.
Frazier said, “Not free. We can pay for the pick up.” She said the township could pay from tipping fees.
Miller said unless it’s in writing, it won’t happen.
“We can discuss this at a later time,” Trustee Martin said.
“It’s time to make a decision,” McNamara said and took the 4-3 vote that approved his agreement.
Among the 20 people speaking from the audience during the meeting was Don Houttaker, who pointed out the campaign contributions Waste Management made to three board members.
“Not me,” called out White, indicating he took no contributions.
“I know they say money wouldn’t influence their votes, but they don’t give money away free without expecting something in return,” Houttaker said. He said some of the landfill tipping fees are directed to certain departments.
Marc Abdilla and Adam Byrd, representing the police and dispatch unions, were the only speakers from the audience who supported the landfill amendment.
George Deverich said he was involved in the first original host agreement when the deed restriction was put in place saying the landfill could not be in the golf course area. He said the township wanted to be a premier community, even then, and the fear was that Waste Management would want to gobble up the golf course. He said the late Ted Smolinski came up with the deed restriction.
Deverich said he hears the people want the $250 million, but the landfill money was never supposed to be used for general fund money. “$250 million just sounds like a bribe,” he said.
He said he would be glad to pay $700 in additional taxes if he has to so his grandchildren won’t have to see the continual expansion of this landfill. He said they should just let it close in 2025 or the landfill will expand to the south side of Ecorse, as well.
Ernie Tozer said he was in on the deed restriction and it wasn’t put in as a bargaining chip for future negotiations, as McNamara said. “I would rather pay the taxes and keep the landfill where it is,” he said. “We’ve got to dig our heels in somewhere and keep our community whole. We’re trying to push this ahead. Who’s kicking what can down what road?”
John Delaney said the $8 million carrot should be $40 million over 40 years.
“They’ll make $1 billion over 40 years,” Delaney said and referred to “their salesman Matt Best.” Best was chastised at the previous day’s board work/study session for highly praising the Waste Management agreement instead of just offering facts he had collected at McNamara’s direction.
Delaney said according to public records, in 2016 Waste Management made political contributions of $1,200 to McNamara, $1,500 to Budd, and $150 to Wright.
“I am so tired of some of you board members not caring about the middle class,” said an unidentified woman in the audience. “This was a done deal before we came.”