At its regular meeting May 18, the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees unanimously passed the first readings of two ordinances: one a revision to the curfew ordinance and one a new truancy ordinance.
The two ordinances will be back before the board at its next meeting, June 1, for final approval.
VBT Public Safety Director Carl McClanahan, who is serving on an interim basis, said the ordinances are needed to give his officers the tools they need to control juvenile misbehavior, especially leading to home invasions.
The first ordinance revision, repeals the old curfew ordinance and replaces it with a new curfew for minors.
“We did research and did use the Canton ordinance as a model,” McClanahan said.
He said the biggest difference is that the current ordinance targets juveniles, “under 12 years old, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.”
The new ordinance is for juveniles 13 years and under, but allows them to be out an hour later. They must be off the streets from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
He said the new ordinance also says it is unlawful for minors under the age of 17 to be in a public place from midnight to 6 a.m. The former cutoff was 11 p.m.
At the workshop session on May 17, Trustee Jeff Jahr said, “We’re relaxing the curfew hour,” and McClanahan explained that this is the same as Canton and, “We don’t want to interfere with school functions.”
The second ordinance is new and allows officers to have probable cause to investigate school-age children who are doing other than attending school during school hours.
McClanahan said this will mitigate things that happen during school hours, specifically home invasions.
“This gives us the right to approach and investigate,” McClanahan said.
The ordinance says it is unlawful for minors of school age enrolled in a public or private educational program to be absent from school “and found loitering, idling, wandering, strolling, playing or aimlessly driving or riding about in or upon a public place” when school is in session.
There are ten exceptions to the ordinance.
“Having it as a misdemeanor allows us to bring the problems in from the streets to our station,” McClanahan told the board.
Those wishing to study the ordinances before they come back before the board for final approval may call the clerk’s office at 734-699-8909.
In other business at the May 18 meeting, the board:
* Heard a report from 34th District Court Judge Tina Brooks Green and then approved the 20010-11 proposed $3.8 million court budget, which is down 5% from last year’s $4,990,000. Judge Green said the court does not amend its budget throughout the year. “It is what it is and we don’t change it and live within it,” she told the board. “We do more with less,” added Judge David Parrott at the board’s workshop session. Judge Brian Oakley also was at both the workshop and the regular session with the other two judges and Court Administrator Al Hindman;
* Approved a revision to the investment policy to allow five-year investments (rather than three years) to get a better interest rate on funds that won’t necessarily be needed during that time;
* Approved designating Supervisor Paul White as the commissioner and DPW Director Todd Knepper as alternate commission for the new Downriver Utility Wastewater Authority;
* Approved the job description and personal services agreement with Lynette Jordan, making her the senior director at a salary of $46,000. She fills the position that has been vacant since February;
* Approved the job description for the senior coordinator, the job being vacated by Jordan, and authorized the supervisor to advertise for a candidate. The position will be part time, 35 hours a week, and pay from $14 to $18 per hour. At the $18 rate, the pay would amount to $33,000 with no benefits;
* Approved a revision to the Public Safety Committee bylaws to change the monthly meeting to the first Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m., to allow the group to use the board room. This would result in better audio and video recording for cable casting on Channel 12. The group has been meeting at 5:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month. The bylaw change officially changes the meeting time from 7 p.m., which is stated in the bylaws, to 5:30 p.m., the time they have been meeting;
* Heard Supervisor White read a letter from Mindy Porzondek, praising Lt. Dennis Brooks for the excellent job he did teaching the CCW course the previous Saturday and noting it was too bad that eight people who had signed up hadn’t shown up. Those slots could have been filled by others who wanted the free class, she noted;
* Heard Supervisor White read a letter from Daniel G. Vincent, the Public Safety Director for the City of Grosse Pointe Farms, praising the work of Officer Ryan McCormick and his K-9 as he helped with a narcotics sweep at Grosse Pointe High School on April 28;
* Heard Clerk Leon Wright read a letter from Joanne Murphy of Royal Oak which praised the work of Joanne Montgomery in the clerk’s office who helped find certain graves in the cemeteries; and
* Heard VBT Historian Cathy Horste explain the Rubby Ducky race on Belleville Lake Aug. 12 to earn funds for the Belleville Area Museum. Clerk Wright agreed to sell tickets and so Horste presented a large, helium-filled yellow ducky balloon to Deputy Clerk Kathy Kline to remind everyone about the tickets.