Sumpter wants to assess whether to repair or replace buildings

Before allocating any funds for repair of township buildings, Sumpter Township Board of Trustee members agreed they wanted to follow through on an appraisal of all the township buildings to see if they should be replaced instead of repaired.
This was in response to line items proposed by Finance Director Scott Holtz at the Feb. 28 public hearing on the proposed $5.83 million general fund budget for 2023-24.
Holtz had proposed $300,000 for a new roof for the township hall and $300,000 to set aside for emergency use for “surprises.”
Trustee Don LaPorte said that $300,000 number kept coming up and he would like to determine what they are going to do with township hall. He said it should be determined whether they are going to put “lipstick” on this old pig or construct a building more condusive to serving residents.
He also would like to cut expenses so they are not spending more than they’re taking in.
Trustee Peggy Morgan agreed, saying she is against throwing good money after bad, by making repairs at the community center and putting a new roof on the township hall. She proposed hiring a grant writer because other communities are snatching up the money available. She said a few grants would go a long way.
Holtz said he’s signed up for all grants available and Township Manager Tony Burdick and he are looking under every rock.
Trustee Morgan asked if they were looking at federal funds and Holtz said they can start looking there, too.
Manager Burdick said the township can get a consultant who knows all the grants available. He would be paid a fee for looking and then get a portion of the grant.
Burdick said he is all in favor and has started looking at a number of localized sources.
Trustee Tim Rush, who also serves as deputy supervisor, said Supervisor Tim Bowman presented a conceptual drawing of the community center, but it would take a couple of years.
Burdick said the consultant can be talked about at the next workshop.
Also, during the budget public hearing, Holtz said last year’s proposed budget was $5.6 million and the new budget is $5.83 million.
He said property values went up 5% and taxes will be going up based on the taxable value of the resident’s property. He estimated 15% fewer new housing permits this year.
Under expenses, he proposed seven new computers to replace those that are seven to ten years old and purchase of new filing cabinets in the clerk’s office. He said they have old cabinets leaking asbestos, which is a safety issue.
Holtz said they had put an extra $30,000 a month to fund the pension for police and now they are 87% funded. He recommended cutting back to $25,000. He said the board already approved a new police department vehicle.
He said new doors are needed on the community center.
He said the landfill royalty fund, as of March 31, 2022, was $7.5 million and he has budgeted $8 million in the new budget. He figures reduced royalties by 15%.
Holtz said the board will have to decide what to do with the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds that they have invested and are maturing April 1.
Also, the Great Lakes Water Authority has announced a 4.7% increase in rates for Sumpter. He said there will have to be a discovery process on whether to raise water rates. He said he would like to see a rise done incrementally rather than one big increase.
Also, he said it is time to have a landfill audit to make sure the township is getting what it should be getting.
Fiscally Ready Communities is a project coming up that determines whether there should be construction or maintenance for five years before starting.
Trustee Matthew Oddy said he would like to have a balanced budget. He said money is set aside, but he doesn’t want to use that emergency fund.
He said it would take $12 million to put up a building to house everything and even if they get grants for half, it is a huge amount of money.
He said he would like to see the $300,000 for the roof pulled until evaluations are done.
Also, he said the water and sewer funds are separate from the general fund and you don’t take money from the general fund to cover the rise in water rates.
LaPorte referred to Van Buren Township’s community center now under construction and said Sumpter is using a 75-year-old school for police and a community center that doubles as a senior center.
He said the $12 million figure will climb to $14 or $15 million over the next few years.
LaPorte said he would support funding repairs for buildings in the budget, identified in advance. Maybe the roof needs and patch so they could move into a new building in 18 months.
He said they keep going to this imaginary tree with the million dollar bills hanging on it.
Resident Mary Ban said she would like to see a copy of the budget being proposed at this public hearing and Holtz said he didn’t make any copies for the public. He said he didn’t know how many to make and he was trying for a cost savings.
In other business at the Feb. 28 meeting, the board:
• Had a workshop with Burdick asking the board how it wants to spend the ARPA funds which has a deadline of December 2024 for a decision and must be complete by December 2026. He asked Public Safety Director Eric Luke to comment on the Human Relations committee’s new policy that is coming in the future. Director Luke said there is a retirement within his staff and more are coming because a lot hired in at the same time. An attrition plan will be made to start the process before its needed;
• Approved the recommendation by the planning commission to rezone 45476 Harris Rd. (the former PNA/Moose Hall) from R-2 to C-1. Plans for use of the building are incomplete, said Trustee Oddy, noting the owner is considering a daycare, coffee house, and other uses and is still evaluating the options;
• Approved the attendance of deputy Treasurer Campbell at the MMTA basic institute program April 23-28 with a cost not to exceed $1,332;
• Approved offering all eligible employees the MedMutual Voluntary & Dependent life program effective March 2023 at no cost to Sumpter Township;
• Approved the fire department grant writing fee of $5,165 to JW2 Fire Consultants for the 2022/23 FEMA AFG cycle;
• Approved assigning the township manager, township attorney, and public safety director to the Blight Remediation Committee and direct them to address extreme, last-resort blight issues. A municipal civic infraction will be used on the worst cases which could result in the township putting up the money for destruction and, if not paid in 12 months, putting it on the tax bill;
• Approved tabling consideration of four offers for a 69.36-acre parcel on Martinsville Road and asking the two top bidders of $250,000 each to come back with their highest offer and an intended use, and reinstate the contract with Moving the Mitten real estate which expired in December;
• Approved considering Ashley Harris a deputy treasurer from 12-5 p.m., Feb. 28, and pay her five hours of deputy treasurer pay;
• Heard Mary Ban thank DTE for the incredible job it had to do after the ice storm. She said she hopes DTE will reassess the township’s power needs, especially with the bigger homes going in. Concerning the Ohio train derailment and waste coming to Van Buren Township and Romulus. Ban recalled going to EPA meetings years ago when the toxic landfill was being permitted in Van Buren Township. DPW Director John Danci said leachate wells in the Great Lakes area makes no sense; and
• Heard Trustee LaPorte thank the fire chief and fire fighters for the huge amount of calls they covered over a 48-hour period and continued for four to five days after the fact.