VBT Life Saving Award goes to Everett, Pierce

Van Buren Township Fire Chief David McInally honored fire fighters Rachel Everett and Christopher Pierce with a life saving award at the Jan. 20 regular meeting of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees.
Chief McInally said the two were able to enter a home that was on fire and quickly find and rescue occupant Robert Halabut. After treatment at a hospital, he is back in his home residence, McInally said.
On Dec. 27 at about 1:40 p.m., the fire department received a call for black smoke coming out of a home at 8124 Belleville Rd.
A coordinated effort by the police and fire department made it possible for the first two firefighters on the scene to quickly enter the home and rescue the occupant by the time the second engine and ambulance arrived, McInally said.
A number of firefighters, including deputy chief Andy Lenaghan, attended the meeting in support of the two firefighters.
In other business at the brief meeting on Jan. 20, the board:
• Approved the legal services contract for Butzel Long to serve as the township’s employee relations and labor attorneys, as recommended by Human Resources Director Nicole Monia. Firms applying were “grilled” by Monia, the full-time electeds, and three directors, along with providing information on their labor cases with final decisions. Butzel Long attorneys Rebecca Davies, Craig S. Schwartz, and Kevin Lynch were present at the township board meeting to be hired. Their reduced hourly rates for VBT are: $300 for shareholders, $225 for other attorneys and associates, and $175 for paralegals;
• Approved moving $1.6 million in the 2026 Fire Department budget for the purpose of administering a FEMA Assistance to Firefighter Grant for six fire departments. Chief McInally said Van Buren will save $200,000 on new, high-standard air packs, and will pay 10%. Van Buren will get grants on other equipment, as well, he said;
• Approved the 2026 Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) contract for $28,433 for van/bus operations. The local match of $65,817 is met by the township general fund and in-kind services. The total budget is $94,250;
• Approved a budget amendment to the 2026 Supervisor and Assessing Department’s Capital Outlay Budgets in order to purchase a new RICHO high-task printer for $9,995. The current printer in use had been in the clerk’s office mail room and some of the toner it uses in no longer being made;
• Approved the supervisor’s reappointments of regular members John Herman and Charles Larocque to the Board of Zoning Appeals with terms to expire Dec. 1, 2028;
• Heard clerk Leon Wright, who was chairing the meeting in the absence of supervisor Kevin McNamara, say that the board just had a closed-door session on four contracts concerning public safety; and
• Heard two residents say they would like the township board to issue moratoriums on data centers and make sure the Cannoli project now under consideration is included in the moratorium.
Before the regular meeting began, the board went into closed-door session to discuss the strategy and negotiations of a collective bargaining agreement.
The board met with a bare quorum of four: Clerk Wright, treasurer Sharry Budd, and trustees Donald Boynton and Will Frazier. Absent were supervisor McNamara, and trustees Kevin Martin and Bryon Kelley.