It took about four meetings of discussion on the two “free” Humvees the City of Belleville received from federal government surplus, but on Monday the City Council voted to accept the vehicles.
Council members were concerned about the cost of putting the “free” vehicles into service. There was no government time limit on acceptance of the Humvees.
Police Chief Gene Taylor, who obtained the surplus vehicles for the city, said it would take about $800 for him to put the signage and lights on the canvas-top Humvee to turn it into a police utility vehicle. He said if they wanted to change the camouflage color, he would need about $1,200 more to paint it.
Chief Taylor said it would not be a patrol vehicle and would have no radio. It would be a multipurpose vehicle and, in fact, he said, he used it just the other day to clean out the city hall garage.
He said it could be used in disaster situations and would be perfect for going into the wooded area by the railroad tracks to save wear and tear on his patrol cars.
He emphasized that it is a specialty unit, like the city’s snowplow that is just used at certain times. There is no air conditioning in the vehicle, but the heater works fine, he said.
The council voted 4-1 to allow Taylor to use drug forfeiture funds of up to $2,000 to put the police Humvee on the road. Voting no, without comment, was Councilman Brian Blackburn.
In a second motion, the council voted unanimously to keep the four-door, hardtop Humvee for the fire department and pursue “any and all” financial options to get the estimated $8,300 needed to put it into service as a road-worthy emergency truck.
This Humvee would replace the 1979 Chevy truck that is used for grass fires as part of the mutual aid agreements with other communities. That truck sometimes will not start and the lightbar is about to fail completely, the council was told.
Fire Chief Lee Grant gave a detailed report – verbally and in handouts – to the council on what is needed for this vehicle to make it a legal emergency vehicle.
The $8,300 total includes a new lightbar on top; lights for grill, fender, and rear; a set of exterior lighting for nighttime use; replacing Jeep doors with non-armored metal doors; crew cab truck hard top; graphics and decals; wiring and other details.
The painting of the Humvee to change it from camouflage to fire engine red is expected to be done at the Wayne/Westland Schools as a class project and without charge. The paint is the only item on the list that is not absolutely a necessity, Chief Grand said.
Some of the equipment on the 1979 grass truck will be transferred to the new rig, but some is too old.
“What happened to ‘pull the equipment off the old truck and put it on the new truck and slap on decals’?” asked resident Mike Renaud. “It went from no cost to $8,000.”
Chief Grant said he was asked to go into detail on what is needed to make it legal and, “This is what it costs in the real world to put it in service.”
Councilwoman Kim Tindall said it was her understanding that to qualify for Western Wayne Mutual Aid, the city has to have a vehicle to help fight grass fires and Grant said that was so.
“From what I’ve heard from Van Buren Township, we’re going to have a large expense for radios,” Renaud said, referring to VBT’s plan to switch to 800 MHz radios in the near future. Since VBT dispatches police and fire in Belleville, the city would have to have the 800 radios to be able to communicate with VBT.
Renaud suggested that buying a new truck over five years would require less funds per year and Tindall noted that in the long run, it would cost more.
“I’m not ready to give up on trying to make this work,” Tindall said of the Humvee for the fire department and Mayor Pro-Tem Rick Dawson added, “Me, either.”
At one point, Tindall suggested, half in jest, that the city have a bake sale for the fire department to raise the $8,300 needed.
Chief Taylor said if the council approves the fire department keeping the Humvee it could be parked four or five months until the funds can be raised. He agreed there could be cookie sales and bake sales and, possibly, some of the fire fighters could do some of the repairs.
Kay Atkins, attending the meeting to ask for street closings for next summer’s Music Lakeside events, offered to start a fund raiser.
“I think we could raise $8,300,” said Atkins, who is in the middle of a fund-raising drive to build a Council for the Arts center on Main Street.
“I’m not ready to let the vehicles go back [to the government],” Dawson said. “We’ve got to be able to find the funds.”
Fire Auxiliary President Kelly Grant said, “There is a fire auxiliary. It’s idiotic to ask them to raise money to get something that’s required by the city.”
She accused the council of being more interested in getting the Strawberry Festival tape markings off the curbs than addressing fire safety concerns.
“I’m lying to Western Wayne and the ISO guy that the vehicle is up and running,” Chief Grant said referring to the current 1979 grass fire truck, which sometimes won’t start.
“I support your endeavors and how hard you people work,” Dawson replied. “We’re not expecting you to raise funds. What she said about the tape is a slap in the face to us. I don’t understand.”
Chief Grant said there has been talk at city hall that the auxiliary could be a source of funds. He conceded Dawson was not the one responsible for that idea.
Tindall also noted the fire fighters and auxiliary put in a large amount of volunteer hours and the council appreciates that.
In other business at the Nov. 7 meeting, the council:
• Set a public hearing on a revised sign ordinance for the Nov. 21 council meeting;
• Approved a Responsibility Policy and Administrative Policy for the 2012 Strawberry Festival, adding a $500 fine if the tape marking vendors’ booths isn’t removed from the Main Street curbs by the Friday after the festival is over. Some tape is still in place from the 2011 festival;
• Approved the partial closing of High Street for the Jingle Bell Run on Dec. 3. Also, the four parking spaces on southbound Main between High and Denton will be closed for the run;
• Took no action on a request by the BYC to use Fourth Street Square for an ice skating rink on the weekend of Dec. 3, since no one from BYC was present to make the request;
• Approved closing part of High Street for the 2012 Music Lakeside series at 7 p.m. on Thursdays from June 21 through Aug. 9. There was no opposition to having the Art Colony in Horizon Park on those days. John Juriga said he hoped the council would come up with $500 for the “goose spray” next year, which this year solved the problem of unwanted fowls and their droppings at the concerts;
• Approved the site plan for Hillside Cemetery columbariums, for the storage of human cremated remains, as recommended by the Cemetery Advisory Committee. The sites are available for those interested in erecting their own private columbarium units;
• Encouraged Dawson to proceed with gathering information on a new recycling program for city residents that would bring funds to the city and incentives to residents. Dawson said he first heard about it from Westland Mayor William Wild and Dawson currently is pursuing information specific to Belleville;
• Discussed a sign to put up when High Street is closed for a special event so motorists don’t turn in there and then have to turn around. DPW Director Keith Boc said they do have two signs that say “No Through Traffic,” but they are very big and very heavy and takes two people to erect;
• Approved accounts payable of $98,014.86 and one departmental purchase in excess of $500: to S&J Asphalt, $4,990 to seal High and Liberty streets, from the major street fund;
• Agreed Halloween in downtown Belleville went off safely and that attendance was slightly down;
• Heard City Manager Diana Kollmeyer say that she has been gathering information for the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority concerning the city’s burned-out house on Savage Road (such as cost of debris removal) and once they get all the information, there will be some action from the insurance company;
• Heard Mayor Richard Smith announce that Tom Tinsley of Contract Welding was the person who crafted and donated the new DPW yard sign. Tinsley is the person who has done many similar things for the community and is a “great community partner”, Kollmeyer said. Tinsley was not interested in a public thank-you or a plaque, the mayor said; and
• Heard Chief Taylor report that the Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor dropped by the police Department on Friday to thank the department for coming to 34th District Court so prepared on Thursday and for being so professional. Those involved were Chief Taylor, Cpl. Schrecengost, and Officers Mueller and Vandeweghe. Taylor said it was a nice “attaboy” for the department.