Supervisor McNamara tells of new grants for Van Buren Township

After all the business was done at the March 7 regular meeting of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees, Supervisor Kevin McNamara had some announcements.
He said the township got a $30,000 Parks and Recreation grant for the Iron Belle Trail to begin the easement process for a trail along East Huron River Drive from the Metro Park entrance to the Belleville City limits.
Supervisor McNamara said he would like it to continue on the other side of the city to Rawsonville Road.
The Iron Belle Trail is a trail that runs from Belle Isle Park in Detroit to Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula. This 1,273 hiking trail is 72% complete and is the longest designated state trail in the nation. A 774-mile biking route is also a part of the project and it is 58% complete.
CDBG summer works grant
Supervisor McNamara also announced that the township received a $50,000 summer works program grant.
He said they were hoping to pair this with another grant and it was being kept secret. He explained that 10% of the federal Community Development Block Grant funds were being retained by the county to put together grants for housing rehab for low to moderate income property owners through the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency.
He said just before the township meeting he went backstage in Dearborn where County Executive Warren Evans was getting ready to give his state of the county address. He said he asked Evans if he could announce the grant that VBT was a part of and Evans said he could.
He said VBT got together with four other communities – Huron Township, City of Belleville, Sumpter Township, and Garden City – for the Western Wayne Region Housing Rehab Program.
This community group received $300,000 to share. McNamara said VBT Treasurer Sharry Budd was on the committee to select the winners.
Ron Akers, VBT director of planning and economic development, said the agency also offers access to building services and income counseling for low-moderate income residents.
Treasurer Budd said July 1 is the beginning of the CDBG year and so that’s when the money would be available.
“Thanks to the supervisor for going after these grants,” said Trustee Reggie Miller.
McNamara said the township doesn’t get all $300,000 in that CDBG grant and has to share it with the other four. But the community that spends it first gets it, he said.
He said there are more interesting reports coming in the future.
In other business at its March 7 meeting, the board:
• Heard Trustee Miller announce that ALDI’s grand opening was set for March 9. She said she had contacted ALDI and asked them to come, originally suggesting the former Farmer Jack building;
• Approved the last step needed to get Menard into construction of its new building just north of Walmart – special land use for a home improvement store with outdoor sales and storage of landscaping and home improvement supplies. Trustee Paul White made the motion to approve, saying “I am especially proud to make the motion.” Trustee White said in 2010 he called Menard in Wisconsin and started the process that eventually led to Menard building in VBT. “Nobody’s happier than I am,” he said;
• Pulled the March 1 prepaid list out of the Consent Agenda and approved it separately, with the $110 payment for a passport for Clerk Leon Wright removed. Supervisor McNamara said Clerk Wright asked that it be removed. Wright will reimburse the township for the cost. After discussion, Supervisor McNamara said Wright received a $600 check from the Association of Wayne County Clerks to attend the conference. “I think he did a good job, but made a mistake,” McNamara said;
• Approved the purchase of Dell EqualLogic Disk Storage Array out of the Information Technology Capital Outlay budget as part of the Consent Agenda;
• Heard Dawn Dayton, public relations person for the Van Buren Civic Fund, announce the fund had donated $7,432.71 to Belleville High School for video equipment and $4,800 to the Belleville Lacrosse Athletic Association for helmets and practice equipment. Members of the Civic Fund standing with her were Mark Laginess, Carol Thompson, Craig Atchinson, and Sharry Budd. Dayton said the Van Buren Civic Fund was started in 2004 with a donation from Visteon and the fund has granted $450,000 to different local organizations since then. Trustee Sherry Frazier said the Civic Fund improves the quality of life in VBT. Dayton said the Civic Fund’s annual fund raiser, the Detroit Tigers Alumni Softball Game, will be held May 30 on the field behind township hall;
• Presented Sophia Zoller with a framed proclamation honoring her work for the township on the event of her resignation as secretary from the VBT Downtown Development Authority, where she has served 28 years, from the beginning of the DDA when it first was seated on March 27, 1990. She had been secretary since March 1992. She also served on the Environmental Commission beginning in 1985. Zoller said she feels she should resign because, “It gets dark too quick” and she doesn’t feel safe driving in the dark;
• Approved the reappointments of Craig Atchinson and Chris Brown and the appointment of Dawn Chappell to the DDA with terms to expire March 9, 2021;
• Approved the final reading of Ordinance 02-21-17 (1) to grant exclusive use and enjoyment of township owned property around Belleville Lake to the abutting property owners. Supervisor McNamara said there have been seven attempts to get ordinances passed for the lake and this has been “20 years in the making, at least”;
• Approved the final reading of Ordinance 02-21-17 (2) to amend the VBT Zoning Ordinance 06-02-92 to add a new article regarding the Belleville Lake Shoreline Districts;
• Approved the final reading of Ordinance 02-21-17 (3) to amend the VBT Zoning Ordinance 06-02-92 to rezone those portions of township-owned Belleville Lake parcels that are located below the 655-foot contour line (1929 NGVD) or “Brow of the hill” to Belleville Lake Shoreline Districts;
• Heard Trustee Reggie Miller ask if the township could send a letter of thank you to all the members of the lake ordinance committee and McNamara said that was a good idea and they would;
• Approved the first reading of Ordinance 03-07-17 to amend and replace Ordinance 12-01-15 Article V – Coal Tar Products, Sec. 42-151 through 42-158, with new Article V – Coal Tar Products, Sec. 42-151 through 42-159. The amendments establish a lower PAH limit, a sealcoat applicator registration, and enforcement procedures. Treasurer Sharry Budd thanked the Environmental Commission for all their work on this coal tar ban and also the late David Wilson who initiated the ban. VBT was the first community in the state to ban coal tar sealants and soon others followed;
• Heard Treasurer Budd announce that there will be no drive-through dog clinic this year because they lost their veterinarian (Dr. Gerald Graf retired) and haven’t got one to take his place. She said the dog licenses go on sale at the township on April 1;
• Heard John Delaney criticize, once again, the way the agenda was set up six years ago that allows people to talk about agenda items only before the agenda items are discussed by the board. People can’t comment effectively if they don’t know what is being presented, he said;
• Also heard Delaney ask about the fifth amendment to the landfill host agreement with Waste Management. McNamara said they are negotiating and the township is hiring Plante Moran to review the Waste Management books for third-party validation of the dollars and tonnage involved at the Woodlands landfill. He said the township has used Freedom of Information Act requests of “pretty much” every landfill in the state and, “We will have the Bible on host agreements”;
• Heard Ernie Tozer say the original host agreement states the golf course cannot be used for landfill or landfill-related use, but the fifth amendment to the agreement allows the landfill to expand there. McNamara said the township put in deed restrictions and once the landfill is removed, “Taxes immediately go to 9 mills … We pay five mills, they pay four… Landfills are a nuisance to me, but we can use the money to build things for the community.” McNamara quoted former Trustee Jeff Jahr who said, “Landfill income has become a drug to this township.” McNamara added that Canton spends its landfill money for amenities for the community and the residents pay high taxes. McNamara said most VBT residents want the landfill instead of higher taxes. “I’m sorry for the township,” Tozer said. “I’m very disappointed.”