VBT approves $157,516 in BS&A Software to replace Springbrook

The Van Buren Township Board of Trustees approved the recommendation of IT Department Director Steve Rankin to replace the remaining Springbrook Software used by the clerk, treasurer and water and sewer departments with BS&A Software at a cost of $157,516.
This was at the regular board meeting on March 17.
Supervisor Linda Combs said the financing will be covered by the water department and general fund. A big Michigan Municipal Risk Management Association refund is expected and will be set aside to probably cover the whole cost, she said.
VBT has used Springbrook since 2003 for performing finance, utility billing, and cash receipts related duties. At the time of the purchase in 2003, BS&A did not have those modules developed, Rankin said.
There have been problems with Springbbrook for years and BS&A performed an on-site demonstration for the three departments on March 4 of these modules and all the departments agreed this would be a big improvement to make their jobs more efficient.
In addition, this would allow the township to use one vendor/one system for its main business software applications and would streamline service / support / dispute issues, Rankin said.
It is expected to take through October / November to migrate completely to BS&A and so Rankin said he will look into seeing if Springbrook’s annual maintenance cost of $19,079, due in June, can be prorated for the months of actual use remaining.
BS&A is located in Bath, MI, (near Okemos) while Springbrook is in Washington state and often when VBT employees are having trouble with the software Springbrook employees are still sleeping with a three-hour time difference.
Trustee Jeff Jahr noted that the board did not have a study session on this move, although it was discussed during the budget sessions last year.
“It’s a good move, we’ve got to go forward, but we have to keep our eye on the budget…,” Trustee Jahr said. “But, $150,000 is a lot of money … The well is running dry … We have to look at our expenditures.”
Rankin said as far as the IT budget, he has cut money and, “I take pride in saving money. This issue? I can’t crow about it. I treat it like it’s my money and I know it’s the taxpayers’ money.”
He said it’s a long-term investment. VBT has spent 12.5 years with Springbrook and he expects VBT to be with BS&A that long or longer.
Treasurer Sharry Budd made the motion to approve the switch to BS&A, adding, “This is something I’ve wanted for a long time.”
Also at the March 17 VBT meeting, the township board:
• Approved an agreement between Wayne County and VBT for improvements to Quirk Park. They will be putting in two dugouts at a total cost of $18,322. Wayne County will pay $10,000 from the county millage and Van Buren Civic Fund will pay $8,322;
• Postponed considering the request by Elro Corporation to approve a five-year extension of the Planned Residential Development (PRD) agreement and final preliminary plat for the Bedford Cove subdivision to expire April 9, 2020 and to require a written report from the developer every two years. VBT Director of Planning and Economic Development Jack Knowles said Elro’s attorney has some revisions and would like to wait until the April 7 meeting;
• Approved first reading of an ordinance to rezone five parcels of about 1.99 acres of land at the northeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Denton Road from C (Local Business) to C-1 (General Business);
• Approved special land use approval by Belleview Development LLC for the establishment of a drive-through restaurant at 10705 Belleville Road, site of the former Big Boy restaurant, with only one driveway. There will be three restaurants in the new building with the northernmost a drive-through;
• Approved the Maintenance Agreement on the Downriver Sewage Disposal System;
• Heard Aimee Page, RN, of The Senior Alliance give a report on the valuable services the Area Agency on Agency gives to the seniors of VBT;
• Heard John Delaney complaint about the flawed public comment availability on the agenda where people get to speak on agenda items only at the beginning of the meeting before the board discusses and takes action. At the end of the meeting, the public can talk about everything but the agenda items. “I object to this format,” Delaney said. Clerk Leon Wright said this is set up for “two bites” of comments. He admonished Delaney to have a seat until being recognized. Wright said to raise your hand to be recognized, not just get up and stand by the wall waiting for a turn to speak. This confused the public since for years speakers have stood in line along the wall waiting for their time to speak. Delaney told Wright, “You are asking us to bite the apple before it falls off the tree…”;
• During the second public comment period heard Delaney say Waste Management is going to start accepting blight from Detroit and the contract has been signed. He claimed the landfill will fill up sooner because of the thousands and tens of thousands of houses being buried here. Supervisor Combs said this will not cut down on the life of landfill since three different WM landfills will be taking the demolished houses. Trustee Phil Hart said he looked at a five-year plan and was told due to the Great Recession the waste stream was less and it kind of balances out. But, it is something to keep an eye on;
• Heard Val Wasser of Haggerty Sub tell about the conditions around houses that are being flipped, with a woodchipper in front of a house for a year. People coming out who never owned a house before. Boats in the yards and travel trailers. He said if the township nipped the blight in the bud it would be helpful. Combs said this isn’t the first complaint from Haggerty Sub and she will get Lt. Charles Bazzy on it;
• Heard a resident compliment the board that is in place with everyone doing a great job. He said he is not so much about the money being paid to the blended rate officers, but, “Who wants to have a dad work 80 hours a week?” he asked… “One person should not be working all these hours… Forget the money … He shouldn’t be working that many hours… A lot of firemen are looking for jobs.” Combs said her administration is look at way to solve the problem;
• Heard from several medical marijuana provisionary center supporters, with Jamie Lowell inviting the board to visit his Compassion Center in Ypsilanti. He said they heard that VBT was considering a moratorium to put an ordinance together and they wanted to help. Martin Yono of Wixom asked the board to form a program for caregivers to grow medical marijuana. He said he owns a chain of hardware stores and a Kelly Services for medical marijuana. He asked about a building on Martz Road behind the gas station on Rawsonville. A caregiver wants to go in there and grow medical marijuana to take to compassion centers. Tonya Mora said she is starting a company called Sweet Dreams which mixes organic oils with marijuana oil. She is looking for a building so she can open. She said she was a corrections officer for 14 years and her brother is a MSP trooper;
• Heard Director Knowles said he thought the moratorium on medical marijuana provisionary centers would be on the agenda that evening, but, “I didn’t plant these people in the audience. It is a small part of what I’m experiencing each week,” Knowles said; and
• Heard Rick Thompson, who said he was a journalist, say a lot of communities have gone before them so VBT can steal shamelessly from their ordinances. He said seniors are a very big number of marijuana users.