VBT DDA swears in 2 new board members: Thomas, Renaud

Angelica Renaud, who has been in business locally for 25 years and with A-Line Design for 14 years, and Jessica Thomas, general manager of Holiday Inn Express, were sworn in as new members of the Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority on Feb. 25.
Van Buren Township Clerk Leon Wright was present at the meeting at DDA headquarters at Harris Park to swear in the two members who are filling vacancies.
Thomas replaced Jim Chudzinski who sold his business in the DDA district and Renaud replaced Carol Bird who died Nov. 19.
The DDA was introduced to Ryan Brenay, a senior at Belleville High School who is one of the three BHS interns serving at the township. Ryan is working in the building, planning, and economic development department and the DDA.
DDA Executive Director Merrie Coburn said Ryan is working on creating a survey to assess what the needs of the businesses are, as well as creating a new business welcome packet.
In other business at the 46-minute meeting, the DDA:
• Approved the proposal from Wade Trim to complete multiple DDA plan updates for an amount not to exceed $58,000. This includes an update to the Capital Improvement Plan adopted in 2020, incorporated with an Asset Management Plan and 10-year financial projections to help the board align and prioritize projects during budget planning. Also included is a refreshing of the DDA Development and TIF Plan, last updated in 2009, and the Market Conditions and Community Profile Report, done in 2020, to set new priorities;
• Approved the proposal from Davenport Brothers Construction Company for repairing the ten benches in Harris Park for an amount not to exceed $12,250. The paint on the legs of the benches is chipping and peeling away, exposing the gray bare metal. Davenport will provide the labor to remove the benches, remove the slats, deliver to the company to strip and spray with new black coating, and deliver and reinstall the benches;
• Discussed the Belleville Road Widening project that is set to go out for bids in August. Executive director Coburn said there will be a southbound lane open for regular traffic during construction and a guarantee there will be an emergency northbound lane also open only for the fire department. Right-of-way acquisition for the project is progressing and the cost has been $2 million so far. Coburn said Michigan Bell has a line through that corridor just north of State Farm and is holding up on property acquisition, with a court date set for March. She said they do have an agreement with Michigan Bell. The DDA is on schedule for the project, as set by the state and county, and will have all the right of ways in hand by the time the bids go out;
• Heard DDA member Joyce Rochowiak ask if any the decisions in Washington on federal grants will affect the road widening and Wade Trim engineer Wayne Hofman said things are very cloudy right now about how they will reappropriate or spend existing funds. Supervisor Kevin McNamara, who is a member of the DDA board, said the township has $589,386 in an earmark grant and re-allocated FY22 earmark funds from Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and he’s sure they have gone through. Hofman said there should better clarity this summer;
• Discussed the Tyler Road Non-Motorized Pathway project, with a $2.7 million budget. Coburn said the grant total is $1,794,428 with a 20% match to be paid by the DDA. She said Wayne County indicated there was a change and the pedestrian crossing signal near Walden Woods subdivision, which was a red flashing beacon at eye level, now will be a Hawk signal, where the light is higher. Additional grant TAP grant funds of $557,237 will cover the pedestrian Hawk signal and wayfinding signage;
• Heard Coburn say she was going out for bids for cleaning services of the DDA offices at Harris Park. Since there is not a lot of traffic in the building and weekly cleaning may be too much, she said they could go to biweekly. The DDA has had the same cleaner for five years. Proposals are due March 17; and
• Learned Smokin’ Buns recently opened in the Belleville Road Plaza and Inspirations Hair Salon is under new ownership.
Absent from the meeting were DDA members Joe Baskin, Dawn Chappell, Victor DeLibera, and Velon Willis.