VBT thanks Ashley Shukait for providing Resource Guide

Ashley Shukait of Van Buren Township, a public health consultant, was thanked by the VBT Board of Trustees at its March 19 regular meeting for providing a 75-page online 2019 Resource Guide for the public to use.
“We’re all blessed because of your work,” Supervisor Kevin McNamara said of the guide, which is targeted at the tri-community area of 48111 and a ten-mile radius around it.
“The school and Sumpter Township asked about it. It’s nice when somebody calls and we can tell them where to go for help,” he said.
The Resource Guide is on the VBT web site and Supervisor McNamara said it’s there now, but they are reformatting. He said in the past, the township had a few pages of resources to offer the public, but Shukait’s list is very comprehensive.
At the end of the regular meeting, McNamara called Shukait to the podium to thank her for her work and she told how she happened to put the list together.
She said all hospitals are required to have a list and some of the information is available through basic Google searches. In small communities, however, resources available come by word of mouth.
She said she started collecting and then offered it to the township to help the public.
She was invited up to the board table so all the board members could shake her hand and thank her for her work.
In other business at the 34-minute meeting on March 19, the board:
• Heard Trustee Reggie Miller tell about the Friday Fill-up program at Trinity Episcopal Church that deals with childhood hunger. The local project is highlighted in Woman’s Day magazine. The project offers food to over 100 students at a few schools so they have food on week ends, Trustee Miller said, noting there is a 15% rate of childhood hunger in Michigan. “When there’s a snow day, some kids don’t eat,” she said. “It’s a wonderful program,” Trustee Sherry Frazier agreed. Later, Clerk Leon Wright set up the township hall as a collection site for food for the program. For more information on volunteering to pack the backpacks with food or to offer donations, people can call Trinity at 697-3391;
• Approved the second reading, and final approval, of an amendment to the township zoning ordinance regarding security fencing and fencing in the front-yard of non-residential zoning districts. This is for businesses that require extreme security and does not apply to residential zoning;
• Approved the second reading and final approval of an amendment of the Fire Prevention Code to bring it up to date;
• Approved the telecommunications right of way permit application for US Signal Company, which will be located at the northeast corner of Haggerty and Tyler roads;
• Approved the drug and alcohol testing policy required by FTA be mandatory for all September Days Senior Center CDL transportation drivers of the S.M.A.R.T. vehicles. At the work/study session the day before, McNamara said the township’s new bus is in the S.M.A.R.T. driveway and, Dan Selman added, “If we want the bus, we have to adopt this.” Human Resources Director Nichole Sumpter said the new policy is the same as the township’s only more detailed;
• Heard Treasurer Sharry Budd read a memorial statement on the work of the late Virginia Melcher, who started the September Days Senior Center. She was thanked for her contributions to VBT and a moment of silence was held;
• Heard a letter from the Canton Township Public Safety Department to the VBT Fire Department, thanking them for assisting Canton in fighting a fire in an apartment building;
• Heard the Public Safety Department will be holding a Drug Takeback event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 27 in cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Authority. Prescribed medications will be accepted, but no liquids;
• Learned a soap-making class will be held April 23 at the senior center and free tire disposal will be held 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 1 in the township hall parking lot. Also, a prescribed burn will be at the Lower Huron Metropark between March 15 and June 1. Also, park pavilion rentals are being taken and baseball camp is set for April 1-5. Also yard waste pickup resumes April 1 and a magic show is set for 3 p.m., April 13. Also, free legal advice for seniors will be offered at 1 p.m., April 25. Also, a town hall will be held at 7 p.m., April 8, at the Belleville High School Commons to hear the proposed Iron Belle Trail non-motorized route through VBT and Belleville; and
• Heard Charles Larocque of Country Walk Phase III ask the township to send a police car to monitor traffic infractions between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. on N. Cumberland Drive when the kids are going to school. McNamara said they already have it set to have a police car there at 7:30 a.m. Later in the meeting, Clerk Wright thanked him for coming in to report the problem. “You care about the community you live in,” Clerk Wright said.