Brownlee resigns from Environmental Commission after 34 years

David Brownlee has resigned from the Van Buren Township Environmental Commission after serving on it for 34 years. He has been the chairman for most of those years.
At the regular meeting of the commission on July 15, via Zoom, chairman Brownlee announced his resignation.
He said his service had been a labor of love since the early 1980s. He said he had been fortunate enough to be associated with a lot of people associated with the Environmental Commission. He said vice chairman Norm DeBuck will take over for him after he leaves.
“Belleville is home to me,” Brownlee said, adding he has lived in Van Buren Township for 65 years.
He said he and his wife have purchased a home out in the country in Wake Forest, NC. He said his grandchildren are there.
Brownlee said he hopes to serve in a similar way in that area.
Trustee Paul White, township board liaison to the Environmental Commission, thanked Brownlee for his service to VBT and for “the battles you have fought to make the township have a better quality of life.”
“You’ve done a wonderful job for the residents of VBT,” agreed DeBuck and the other commissioners joined in with their thanks.
Public Service Director Matthew Best thanked Brownlee personally and for the township.
“The commission wouldn’t be what it is today without you,” Director Best said and then read of letter of thanks from Supervisor Kevin McNamara.
He held up a glass plaque engraved 1986-2020 and Brownlee said he would pick it up at the township hall on Friday.
Brownlee said he’s seeing algae clumps and a lot of milfoil at his dock off Ryznar Drive. He said this the first time he’s seen milfoil around his dock. A large growth of milfoil is at the far western part of Belleville Lake.
Best said at Kent Lake in Kensington Metropark milfoil is starting to become an issue along the shoreline.
In other business at the 31-minute meeting, the commission:
• Heard Best report that the rip-rap has been put in place on the earthen part of French Landing Dam. Best said the French Landing earthen berm is wider than most and two trucks can ride on it, side by side. Brownlee said local resident Bittenbender sent out a diagram of that berm on Facebook; and
• Heard Best remind everyone about the PFAS fish advisory that advises everyone to avoid eating fish from the Huron River, although preliminary tests show a decrease in PFAS in fish. Brownlee said the fish stay contaminated until they die, so it might be a while before the advisory is over. Best also warned everyone and their pets to stay away from foam on the lake. He also said because of the weather there also could be some algae blooms and it’s best to stay away from blue green algae.