The Van Buren Township Board of Trustees welcomed Jeffrey Jahr as its newest member at its Sept. 15 regular meeting.
Judge Lisa Martin swore Jahr in at the top of the meeting to fill the vacancy left by the passing of Trustee William Frazier. Jahr was subsequently appointed as the board’s liaison to the Planning Commission.
A longtime resident, Jahr comes to the board with a wealth of experience working within the township, having served on the Planning Commission, Environmental Commission and Zoning Board. He even cut grass for the Department of Public Works many years ago.
Members of the board are excited about the appointment. Trustee Byron Kelley commented that Jahr is “very familiar with township protocol” and “very well-trained.” Treasurer Sherry Budd recalled serving on the board with Jahr’s father and noted his grandfather’s prior township involvement, remarking that he is “kind of following a tradition.”
Jahr is very appreciative of the opportunity to serve his community and thanked the board, adding, “I’m devoted to the community and hope I can serve well.”
In other business at the 31-minute meeting, the board:
- Approved the reappointment of Medina Atchinson to the Planning Commission and Jill Yob to the Environmental Commission, with terms to expire on Oct. 1, 2029;
- Approved the reappointments of Michael Dotson, Peter Kudlak and Priya Nayak to the Local Development Finance Authority, with terms to expire Aug. 12, 2030;
- Voted to participate in the University of Michigan Sustainable Towns Program, an initiative that pairs small groups of students with township staff to conduct a sustainability assessment over two semesters at no cost to the township;
- Agreed to the sale of the township-owned property at 585 W. Columbia to Van Buren Public Schools;
- Responded to a resident concern regarding multiple vehicles congregating on Venetian Avenue around 10 p.m. on Monday evenings;
- Adopted a resolution to donate 1.109 acres of township property to Wayne County for the Belleville Road Lane Widening Project, expanding the road from two to three lanes with a dedicated left-turn lane and traffic light.
The meeting adjourned at 6:31 p.m. Supervisor Kevin McNamara and Clerk Leon Wright were absent and excused.