Belleville refunds $308,080.10 to school district for water bill overcharges

The Belleville City Council approved paying $308,080.10 to the Van Buren Public Schools as reimbursement for overcharges on its water bills from 2016 to 2020.
At Monday’s regular meeting of the council, City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson said that last April it came to his attention that from 2016 to 2020 the formula was wrong on the software and the school was being charged too much.
He said he took a “deep dive” to find out what was wrong. He tried to determine if it was an internal error by an employee with something not being entered right or if the error was by that company that supplied the software.
He said that company no longer is a service provider and has sold its business.
“We did a solid analysis,” Robinson said, adding, “The school system was very patient.”
He said the city’s accountant said “to pay the money back at this time and be done with it.”
The money was paid from the Water/DPW department.
At the beginning of the meeting, an auditor from Alan C. Young & Associates virtually presented the annual financial audit of the general fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.
He gave the city an unmodified opinion, which he called “the gold standard,” or the top rating. He said they had no deficiencies, sound finances, and a totally clean audit report.
The revenue went up 13% from $2,415,867 in 2020 to $2,734,410 in 2021.
The total fund balance grew from $1,641,205 in 2020 to $1,958,009 in 2021.
He said the Sanitation Fund (trash pickup) became problematic because not enough was coming in to pay the contract and the city lost $42,000 and that fund balance now was down to $59,000.
“You don’t like to raise rates, but the general fund could have to start paying for this,” he said.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the council:
• Approved Girl Scout Cookie booths for noon to 6 p.m. on Feb. 19, March 5 and 6 and April 3 at Fourth Street Square and Feb. 20 and April 10 for drive-up sales at Victory Park. Darlene Gerick is Troop Support Coordinator for Girl Scouts D1101, which has five troops. Each troop will have a day for a booth to sell boxed cookies, with the last day for troops to combine and sell any leftover cookies they have from the season;
• Approved the Flop E Bunny Candy Hunt from noon to 2 p.m. on April 16 at Victory Park put on by the Belleville Central Business Community. The purpose of the event, as stated in the application, is “Celebrate the secular Easter Season.” Local non-profits, including CAF5, and the fire department are expected to participate. Those compensated at the event will be the D.J., photographer, and Girl Scouts. Councilman Steve Jones recused himself from the vote because he is being paid as D.J.;
• Approved the Belleville Farmer’s Market at Fourth Street Place from 4 to 7:30 p.m. every Monday from June 7 to Oct. 24, with no market on the Fourth of July and Labor Day. Vendors and crafters will be included. Fourth Street Place will be closed from Main Street to the library. Market Master and D.J. will be compensated. Councilman Jones recused himself because he is being paid as D.J.;
• Approved Steve Cinnamon’s 21st annual Father’s Day Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 19 at Victory Park;
• Approved accounts payable of $1,121,984.90 and the following departmental purchases in excess of $500: to Atchinson Ford, $1,389.91 for maintenance/repair of police vehicle #217; to BS&A Software, $2,250 from Treasurer’s department for payroll training; to Metro Environmental, $1,785 for hydro excavation for water main break, DPW; to Mr. Muffler, $940 for wheel bearing and break repair on police vehicle #218; to Oakland County Treasurer, $4,410.49 for police CLEMIS membership for fourth quarter 2021; to Osborne Concrete, $673 for concrete for headstone footings and $1,058 for road replacement due to failed sewer, DPW; to Priority One, $1,535.88, police reserve officer badges; to Stryker Sales LLC, $16,064.54 for LUCAS device for fire department; and to Van Buren Public Schools, $308,080.10, reimbursement for overcharges on water bill, from Water/DPW;
• Heard Councilman Jones ask about the building next door to city hall that is waiting to be demolished. He said there is a broken window and the posters have fallen down in the front windows and the place looks bad. He said he has had a lot of complaints from residents. DPW Director Rick Rutherford said he had hoped to get the contractor to board up the broken window, but he had problems with employees. Then, things came up, including the broken water main. City Manager Robinson said he has been waiting for the building to be torn down and will keep calling the county, which is in charge of it;
• Heard Planning Commissioner John Juriga say he had been at a Rotary Club meeting and Rotarian Keith Bruder said the club was interested in a public service project and suggested the club work on the fence at Victory Park. Mayor Pro-Tem Ken Voigt said fixing the fence is part of the grant being sought for the park. Robinson said if the Rotary calls him, he’ll give them some ideas; and
• Heard Rutherford say there is no planning commission meeting this week because the several items that will be coming to the agenda are not quite ready. He said the commission will meet again on March 10.