VBT board to vote on expanding WM landfill into golf course

Waste Management will get approval to expand its landfill into the Woodland Meadows golf course on Ecorse Road, if the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees approves the deal.
The current board is scheduled to vote on this fifth amendment to the landfill agreement during its last meeting on Nov. 15 before the board members elected Nov. 8 are sworn in on Nov. 18.
At a 2½-hour special work / study meeting on Nov 3, John C. Myers, Director of Operations for Waste Management’s Michigan Market Area, gave a PowerPoint presentation on what the fifth amendment agreement contains.
Treasurer Sharry Budd was absent from the meeting. Supervisor Linda Combs, Clerk Leon Wright, and Trustee Philip Hart negotiated the agreement for the township and they were present to explain to the rest of the board members who had little information in advance of this meeting.
Myers said the present landfill, Woodland Meadows, has ten years left before it hits capacity in 2026 and closes. The host agreement was signed in 1990 and it has been amended four times. When the landfill closes the agreements expire.
“Waste Management really would be done here,” Myers said, and so would the free trash pickup and dumping for residents, along with the tipping fees and the $365,000 a year donated to parks and recreation, cultural events, and public health and safety (police and fire).
Myers said Waste Management began negotiations 2 ½ to 3 years ago for an amendment to extend the present 269-acre landfill to the 189 acres of the golf course.
Instead of closing in 2026, the golf course property would allow it to operate another 30 years, to 2056, giving it a lifespan of 40 more years.
Myers said this would allow continued funding to the township, projecting an additional $160 million in benefits over the next 40 years and $11 million in grants not in the current agreement. Plus $780,000 for senior programming.
But, the agreement allows for only five more years of free trash pickup, with pickup running until Dec. 31, 2021. After that, residents would pay for pickup and he estimated Waste Management could do it for $10 per household per month.
The free disposal of waste at the landfill would continue for the next 40 years, he said.
The agreement is for no truck entrance on Ecorse Road and property value guarantees for the few homes on Hannan and Ecorse near the landfill. Waste Management pledges to pay 150% of fair market value.
Setbacks would be 450’ from property lines, he said.
“In order to take the golfcourse and convert it to a landfill, we won’t need the clubhouse,” Myers said, explaining Waste Management is offering to lease the clubhouse building to the township for $1 per year and an annual grant of $5,000 for maintenance.
And, Waste Management will pay Van Buren Township a one-time lump sum of $8 million at the time it receives a letter of consistency from Wayne County. This would include air permit, water permit, and solid waste permit and inclusion of the extension on the Wayne County Solid Waste Plan.
“If you were going to vote in favor, it would take three to six months to secure that letter from Wayne County,” Myers said. “I don’t think there’s a lot of risk in that … and we would make the payment of $8 million.”
He said without the fifth amendment, the landfill will close in 2026 and there will be no more fees paid to the township.
With the amendment, they would expand the landfill by 189 acres to the south and it would run to 2056, and the township would get an additional $160 million over the next 40 years and free disposal.
Trustee Reggie Miller asked about an escalator clause and Myers said right now the host fees are set at $1 per ton and increase at Consumer Price Index or 4%, whichever is greater.
“We will tone it down to 2% or CPI, whichever is less,” Myers said.
Trustee Miller asked about fracking waste and Myers said the negotiating committee asked them not to take fracking waste and they agreed.
“Can I ask a question?” said Trustee Jeff Jahr, stating he was not referring to a confidential letter from township attorney Patrick McCauley.
“Somewhere I heard that the agreement allows you to bury anything that is permitted by Wayne County, with the exception of hydrologic fracturing waste,” Trustee Jahr said.
“We can take it today,” Myers replied.
“That’s one of the reasons I want this to go to the Environmental Commission for review,” said Jahr, who had been a member of that commission for many years. He noted that the township’s deputy director of planning and economic development [Matthew Best], who meets with the Environmental Commission, is very knowledgeable on environmental matters.
Trustee Brenda McClanahan asked if the township would continue to get the guaranteed $650,000 and Myers said that was in the original agreement and, “That guarantee has not been lost.”
Myers had said earlier the present landfill had a height limit of 250’ with a flat top and the extension would go no higher.
Jahr asked how high the existing landfill is right now and Myers said he didn’t know but he could find out. “It’s going to be bigger with 10 more years of trash put in there,” Jahr noted.
Clerk Wright started quoting some figures and Jahr asked if board members got that information and Wright said no, they hadn’t.
“Oh, it’s a ‘You have to pass it to find out’ situation,” Jahr joked.
Jahr said he wasn’t around when the original agreement was approved and he said there will be no waste for a 500’ setback and Myers said that was so.
“I’ve heard somewhere there will be ancillary buildings, sedimentation basins, power plant, gas storage building, and flares in the setback,” Jahr said. “Will there be cogeneration?”
Myers said their gas structure is north of Van Born.
“I haven’t have the opportunity to read the contract,” Jahr said. “But it’s not a real setback. There will be more than landscaping.
“I fairness, we have to have a public hearing,” Jahr said. “I represent the community and I want to hear what they think about this.”
“My concern is the odor,” said Trustee Miller. “I don’t have a map … How is this going to affect the residents?”
Myers said law requires active gas collection with a blower station.
Supervisor Combs said she has never had an odor complaint about Waste Management, but many from EQ [hazardous waste landfill].”
“Is money going to public safety?” Miller asked and Myers replied it is in the existing agreement and is being carried forward.
He said the location will look like it does now, with internal roads and the main entry on Van Born.
“Could we get a drawing from you?” Miller asked and Myers said they could.
“The negotiating committee asked us never to do curb cuts on Ecorse Road and our entry will stay on Van Born with no change in the truck route,” Myers said.
Jahr said Ecorse Road is going to be the east-west artery and Grace Lake’s entry is there, too.
“Flares and power plants? That’s what I’m concerned about,” Jahr said.
Trustee Hart said it was his fault that the negotiations dragged on so long because they were taking away pickup.
“We have to have someone pick up the waste,” Hart said. “We have uniform totes now, uniform trucks coming on certain days … We negotiated the best we could. It was a different environment when we negotiated back in the 1990s.”
Myers said the pickup and disposal is worth $1.5 million per year. He said in Livonia every resident had a different vendor and now Waste Management picks up and bills the city.
Jahr said, “Waste Management will give us $8 million to get them off the hook for $1.5 million a year and dump it on the citizens … It’s a bait and switch. They are not giving us $8 million out of the kindness of their heart.”
Jahr said this board has always said “our residents are spoiled and don’t know how good they have it” with free trash pickup.
“Ending it five years early is problematic,” Jahr said.
“There’s not a rush here,” said Miller. “We can get answers to our questions … and Waste Management is not going to walk away.”
“It will give me time to look into this,” Jahr said. “We could take the $8 million and spend it on paying for trash pickup, but then the money will run out.”
Clerk Wright said it took the negotiating committee 2½ years to get this agreement.
“It is something the residents will adjust to,” Wright said. “No way is it a bait and switch.” He said the Public Safety Millage has been called a bait and switch and at no time was it a bait and switch. “That bait and switch thing rubs me the wrong way.”
“We pick up $8 million and put an obligation on the residents,” Jahr said.
Miller asked when the negotiations were finished and Hart said it was a couple of months ago. He explained there was cleanup and work by the attorneys to get the numbers right.
“Without the agreement we will be paying for the disposal and pickup,” Combs said.
Trustee Brenda McClanahan said people want to know the cost for curbside pickup, especially the senior citizens.
Jahr said he remembers talk about excavating dirt from the golf course to take to Detroit. He asked when excavation would begin in the golf course.
Myers said Waste Management has a contract with American Golf until the end of the 2017 golf year. “It’s not a highly used golf course,” he said.
“But it is a nice facility,” Jahr said. “It’s nicer to have a golf course in Van Buren Township – more desirable than a landfill.”
Jahr said the landfill is paying the township $8 million to offset its responsibility to provide trash pickup.
“And, it’s compensation for having no golf course. They will lease the golf building to VBT for $1 a year. Why do we want it?” Jahr asked.
Combs said it could be used for recreation and senior programming.
“We took a tour of it,” Hart said. “It’s in great condition. … It’s an absolutely beautiful facility, but maintenance would be more than $5,000.”
“I don’t think the township wants to go into the restaurant and catering business,” Jahr said.
Wright said he golfs there every Friday and walks outside and doesn’t smell anything.
“You must be doing a great job,” Wright said to Waste Management. “We are lacking amenities in this township … We could put on more activities … We have a lot of programs we could put on.”
Public comment
Diane Madigan said she wanted to talk about campaign contributions from Waste management to board members, which she called a conflict of interest to negotiate or vote on this contract after contributions were received.
She named Trustee Hart, Clerk Wright, and incoming Supervisor Kevin McNamara as taking contributions from Waste Management and passed out a chart showing the contributions, from $550 to $1,500.
“Not one person on this board you could bribe for this piddly amount of money,” said Combs.
“We have to consider the best interests of the township,” said Jahr. “Campaign contributions have nothing to do with it … But to rush this through is morally wrong. It’s set for a hearing on the 14th and a vote on the 15th.”
“This is it,” Miller said. “The illusion you took something for something else.”
“Three board members said this is the best we could do,” Jahr said.
“You told me we needed to vote on this or they would back out,” Miller said to Combs.
“Leon told me that and Linda Combs told me that,” Jahr agreed.
“The perception [of wrong-doing] is there,” McClanahan said of the campaign contributions.
“I’m not insinuating …” Jahr said.
“I’m not going to sit here while you call me a crook,” Wright said.
“It’s improper,” Madigan replied. “You’re talking about residents at risk for health and definite noxious odors… It’s just the wrong thing to do. Phil, you sit there and look smug. What did you do with the $1,000?”
“I’ll never convince you of my integrity,” Hart said to Madigan.
John Delaney said Madigan has been looking at campaign contributions for the last eight year at least and she never said anyone was a crook.
“She disclosed the campaign contributions,” Delaney said, noting those who got them should say they got the money before they vote.
Delaney said if the $8 million is put in escrow for trash pickup, “We’re still stuck for 32 years. Eight million dollars is not really a good number.”
Delaney asked for information on air quality and noted Wright has no medical background, nor does Hart who has an administrative background.
Paul White said if residents paid $10 a month for trash pickup times 12 months that would be $120 per year. That would make $120 x 12,000 homes, equaling $1.44 million per year. Over the next 40 years he said the township would have to pay $57,600,000 for Waste Management to haul trash for the township, with no cost of living included.
White said the township should forget the $8 million and insist on free trash pickup.
David Brownlee, chairman of the Environmental Commission, asked why the commission wasn’t informed about this meeting. He said he stumbled onto a web site and found out about it. Otherwise, he would have first learned about the meeting in the following week’s Independent.
“My feeling is there’s no rush,” Jahr said. “I think Waste Management would support calling for all the answers.”
Chuck Finch said he lives on Hannan Road and this trading of a golf course for a dump moves the landfill a half mile closer to his home. He said he heard about this meeting just two hours previously.
Finch asked why it was so important to have the $160 million from the dump and Combs replied, “Right now, the township is using the money to pay the bills.”
“I’d just as soon pay for trash pickup,” Finch replied.
Wright explained the landfill subsidizes the budget by $3.2 million a year.
“It will be a very interesting vote on the 15th,” Jahr said. He had planned to be in Washington, D.C., but changed his return ticket to be home for the work/study meeting on Nov. 14 and the regular meeting Nov. 15. He is not running for reelection, so these are his last meetings on the board.
“The next regularly scheduled meeting, I won’t be there,” Hart said. Earlier he had announced he has a longstanding plan to go deer hunting. “The Environmental Commission needs to get involved and we need more public feedback.”
Myers offered to answer any question at any time for the board members.
“I think the newly elected board members should ask questions,” Jahr said.