City Council hosts party for retiring Boc, but he doesn’t come

Keith Boc, who is retiring from Belleville City employment on Feb. 28 — his 50th birthday – was honored at a brief party during the city council meeting on Feb. 18.
The only problem was that Boc had called in sick that day and didn’t come to the meeting.
Mayor Kerreen Conley had baked a special cake, showing the parts of Boc’s job as director of public services. They had invited five of the six mayors Boc had served under during his 28 years of service.
Present were Mayors Glenn Silvenis, Richard Smith, Thomas Fielder (now a councilman), and Conley. Later Conley said Mayor Bev Steinhauer told her she marked her calendar, but then the event slipped her mind. She said they didn’t know how to get in touch with Mayor Dennis Fassett.
Mayor Conley showed the plaque the council got for Boc, read the engraving on the plaque, and then read some prepared positive remarks on Boc’s service to the community.
At about 8:30 p.m., Mayor Conley recessed the meeting for about 12 minutes and members of the audience and all the mayors ate the cake and had their pictures taken together.
In other business at the Feb. 18 meeting (held on a Tuesday because of Presidents’ Day), the council:
• Approved the mayor’s appointment of Rick Dawson to the Board of Review with a term to expire Dec. 31, 2016;
• Heard Aimee Page, representing The Senior Alliance, give a report on the services that help residents in the city;
• Approved the Belleville-Area Council for the Arts’ “Hares on the Square” event, formerly called “Bunnies on Main,” April 14-20 in the planter boxes on the Fourth Street Square;
• Approved signing a letter of engagement with Employee Solve, Inc. of Birmingham to offer Human Resources help to the city in the area of retiree health care for a $3,500 fee over a 60-day period;
• Unanimously accepted City Manager Diana Kollmeyer’s recommendation not to raise fire department training/practice wages from $7.40 to $10 an hour at this time and to revisit the request during upcoming budget cycle. She pointed out the hourly rate for training and practice recently was increased from $5 to $7.40, in that evening’s payables the city had to pay $2,200 for non-participation in the Western Wayne County Mutual Aid Hazmat team, and the city also had to replace six batteries in a fire truck the previous week for $600;
• Approved the interlocal agreement creating the Western Wayne County Fire Department Mutual Aid Association and MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm system) Division;
• Discussed the city’s Snow Removal Ordinance and Policy, and decided the Fire Hall should be in a top position on the Policy priority list for snow removal instead of in a secondary position. They decided an educational program this summer will be undertaken to alert the citizens that when a snow emergency is declared, their vehicles have to be moved off the streets for snow removal. No ordinance was adopted as yet;
• Discussed amending the fee and fine schedule for Special Events because of Strawberry Festival problems with vendors using residents’ utilities without permission. It was decided not to change anything at this time;
• Received from Police Chief Gene Taylor a proposed traffic control order to help solve the blocked roadway at Harbour Pointe subdivision caused by parking on both sides of the narrow streets;
• Approved City Manager Kollmeyer’s recommendation on Civil Service Retirees Spousal Health Care that was added to the agenda at the meeting. For both Civil Service and union employees if a spouse isn’t 50 by the time of retirement, the spouse is not eligible for health care until reaching 50. She recommended at age 65 the spouse has to take Medicare, or sooner if eligible. This is to control the legacy costs and clarify costs to the city, Kollmeyer said. Also the city will provide $150 per year of service for supplemental Medicare A and B insurance for the spouse; and
• Approved $88,682.59 in accounts payable and the following departmental purchases over $500: to Burhop’s Collision, $634.25 for police vehicle repair; to Michigan Association of Planning, $625 annual membership (Building Department); to Oakland County Treasurer, $2,382 for CLEMIS for police department; and to Western Wayne County Mutual Aid Association, $2,220 for Hazmat, fire department.
The council did not approve $18,955 in requested upcoming fire truck repairs by R&R, telling Fire Chief Brian Loranger that he had to go out for bids on the repairs since they were over $5,000.