VBT board OKs 4-day work week as a permanent policy

At its regular meeting on Sept. 6, the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the 10-hour, four-day work week for AFSCME employees.
The municipal building will be open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and will be closed on Fridays.
Deputy Supervisor Dan Selman said they had a three-month “autopilot” that expired on Sept. 2. He said a preliminary survey was done by staff and continued through traffic in the building.
He said the board had a closed session discussion on the contract. Deputy Selman said there was an increase in morale for employees over the last three months and new hires like the idea of a four-day work week.
From the SurveyMonkey responses from the public, 359 (80.49%) gave their full support, 29 (6.9%) did not support the change, and 58 (13%) had no opinion.
The survey response from staff was 40 (83.33%) loved it; six (12.5%) were “going with the flow” and “were good either way,” and 2 (4.17%) wanted to “lose it” and wanted their Monday through Friday with a TGIF (Thank goodness it’s Friday).
In other business at the one-hour-thirty-one-minute regular meeting on Sept. 6, the board:
• Held the second of two required public hearings to receive comments on the $750,000 special assessment roll for the 176 properties in the Greenbriar Subdivision Special Assessment District and then approved the assessment roll, with Supervisor Kevin McNamara recusing himself and leaving the board table because he lives in the subdivision. Those not paying the $4,400 total per residence up front will have the $891 per year for five years ($4,455 with interest of 1.5%) on each winter tax roll starting this year. There is a 30-day period for appeals to the State Tax Tribunal before the SAD roadwork can begin;
• Approved a variance from engineering standard of the VBT Engineering Standards manual to allow construction of a stormwater detention basin for the Kenworth site on the I-94 Service Drive that has a permanent pool of stormwater that is less than four feet deep. Treasurer Sharry Budd was recused from the discussion and left the board table because her family now rents the property for the farm and will no longer use it. Supervisor McNamara said the board had just approved the same design for the community center;
• Approved a resolution approving the 2022 Sumpter Road Corridor Plan, an amendment to the VBT 2020 Master Plan, as recommended by the planning commission;
• Approved the selection of Stanwade metal Products, Inc., to purchase an 8,000-gallon split fuel tank for a cost of $56,595.28 to be placed on the property where the water tower is. A road will have to be built back to the tank. The old tank will be decommissioned and sold;
• Selected Erie Construction LLC, low bidder of two bids at $319,036, for the VBT Iron Belle Trail Section H Project, in addition to project engineering costs for a total project construction budget of $367,440. This is the part of the trail from the Edgemont Street in the city of Belleville to Riggs Park at Martinsville Road along E. Huron River Drive. The DNR wanted a few benches and trash receptacles along the trail and they will be placed at Riggs Park, said Elizabeth Renaud, director of community services. A final review of the construction drawings by Wayne County may impact the cost, so 10% contingency is being held. Renaud said Section B of the trail, from Rawsonville Road into Van Buren Park has been bid and a groundbreaking is being set up for later this month;
• Heard Supervisor McNamara state that a few holdouts, less than five, didn’t sign off on the property easements, but that will not stop the project along Huron River Drive. He said they will build it closer to the road in those cases, but “We are coming with a bulldozer.” He said the Iron Belle Trail throughout the township will be maintained by VBT, but not on those parts in front of people who didn’t sign. “When they see how beautiful it is, maybe they’ll sign,” he said;
• Approved the first reading of an ordinance to create the Sumpter Road Mixed Use (SRMU) zoning district and Sumpter Road Overlay District (SROD) and related zoning ordinance amendments, as recommended by the planning commission. This ordinance implements the Sumpter Road Corridor Plan;
• Approved the first reading of an ordinance regarding identifying gasoline service and filling stations as special land uses which will require public hearings and approval by both the planning commission and board of trustees for any new proposed gas station use and provides specific special land use standards for gas stations, as recommended by the planning commission. Dan Power, director of planning and economic development, said there are two active gas station sites now and they will not be affected;
• Approved a contract modification with the Michigan Department of Transportation in the amount of $58,989.70 for the Denton Road water main project due to an additional water main that was placed due to the actual location of the existing water main. This was change order #1 and now the adjusted contract amount is $279,564.70;
• Approved amending the 2022 Amended Budget from $36,993 to $47,000 and approve the purchase of a Ford F-150 from Atchinson Ford at a cost of $46,819.44. Kevin Lawrence, director of water and sewer, said this vehicle was ordered in February of 2022, with a total cost estimated at $38,000. However, due to Ford Motor Co. not allowing any A& Z, D, and X plan discounts as they have in the past, the cost is now $46,819.44. This truck will be added to the Water and Sewer Department fleet. It will provide needed transportation for new employees;
• Approved, under the consent agenda, the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) Group Transit Asset Management Plan for SMART Sub-recipients for fiscal years 2022-26;
• Approved, under the consent agenda, a resolution calling for the State of Michigan and County of Wayne to allocate American Rescue Act Funds in support of the Downriver Utility Wastewater Authority; and
• Heard Supervisor McNamara announce that because of upcoming construction on the community center, Forgotten Harvest is moving to Wayne County Community College on Haggerty Roads as of Sept. 20. He said it will also be reduced to the first and third Tuesdays of every month, instead of every Tuesday. He said volunteers are needed for both Forgotten Harvest and for Meals on Wheels deliveries. “We’re stretched,” McNamara said.
Closed-door session
Before the regular meeting, the board held a one-hour-and-six-minute closed-door session to consider negotiations of the bargaining agreements of the Police Officers Labor Council (POLC) and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The attorney’s recommendations were approved in the regular meeting under the consent agenda.