VBT approves $7M in bonds to help build Community Center

At its regular meeting on Nov. 1, the Van Buren Township Board of Trustee unanimously approved selling up to $7 million in general obligation bonds to get the rest of the money needed to complete the Community Center/Senior Center construction, now under way.
Supervisor Kevin McNamara said they would set the date of the ceremonial groundbreaking for the project after they find out if the Wayne County Commission officially approved $4.5 million in ARPA funds for the project.
Two days later, on Nov. 3, the County Commission approved 14 projects for ARPA funds including Van Buren Township’s $4.5 million.
The Resolution passed by the township board stated that the township intends to be reimbursed from proceeds of the bonds for any expenditures undertaken by the township for the project prior to issuance of the bonds.
The bonds will be payable in annual installments not to exceed 30 with interest rates to be determined at a public or negotiated sale. The bond will be issued without a vote of the electors, unless a petition requesting such a vote is signed by not less than 10% of the registered electors residing within the boundaries of the township is filed with the township clerk within 45 days after publication of this notice. [It is published in today’s Independent.] If such a petition is filed, the bonds may not be issued without an approving vote of a majority of the qualified voters residing within the boundaries of the township.
Supervisor McNamara said the township doesn’t know how much money it will need to complete the project, but it will only bond what is needed.
He said he went to downtown Detroit earlier that day with Community Services Director Elizabeth Renaud, her Deputy Tammy Dohring, and his Deputy Dan Selman to attend a four-and-a-half hour committee meeting where the ARPA funds were discussed before recommendations were made to the full County Commission for the final decision.
He said in that Nov. 1 committee meeting the $4.5 million grant was approved and the township has another $3 million in ARPA funds for the project. He said in the worst-case scenario the total that will need to be bonded is $6.5 million.
He said the township will pay a small surcharge for the bonds, a quarter of a percent or about $10,000 a year, because it doesn’t want to pay off the bonds over 20 years.
“If rates go down over the next few years, we can re-bond and our cost will go down,” he said.
He said they started the project thinking it would cost $7 million and it has grown to $16.5 million.
Clerk Leon Wright said he was impressed because Supervisor McNamara said he would get the money from Wayne County and he got the money from the county.
“I’m ecstatic,” Clerk Wright said, noting he had been wanting a Community Center for many years and worked to get it. “This is the next level in achieving a premier community,” he said.
Trustee Kevin Martin was absent and excused from the meeting.
In other business at the 47-minute meeting, the board:
• Approved the 2022-2025 Michigan Association of Fire Fighters contract. The board had met in closed-door session for more than an hour before the regular meeting to discuss the MAFF contract. Treasurer Sharry Budd said, “This is a contract we can live with for the next four years”;
• In one motion approved the 2022 Amended and 2023 Proposed General Fund Budgets, the 2022-27 Salary Schedule, the 2022 Amended and 2023 Proposed Special Revenue Funds; and the 2022 Amended and 2023 Proposed Water and Sewer Budget;
• Approved the personal service agreement for Jason Locke as the new Parks Director at a salary of $64,890. He most recently served as Step-up Supervisor with the city of Allen Park in the Department of Public Services with experience in the management of a municipal service. The department is responsible for the maintenance of the city roadways, properties, and parks. His knowledge spans more than 23 years in local government with expertise in forestry, landscaping, and heavy-duty equipment operations;
• Approved the second reading and adoption of the rezoning of 1166 Sumpter Rd. from C-Local Business District to Sumpter Road Mixed-Use District. This is the first rezoning under the newly adopted 2022 Sumpter Road Corridor Plan;
• Approved a contract change order for an additional pathway through Riggs Park to VBT Iron Belle Trail Section H Project from Erie Construction LLC for an increase of $106,577.50. This is budgeted as part of the Riggs Trailhead Project. The original contract for Pathway work was $319,036 and now, with the change order, it will be $425,613.50. This will save on mobilization costs, as well as secure materials costs, since all the Pathway work will be done at once instead of some next year. Most of the Pathway work is expect to be done this year;
• Heard Supervisor McNamara say he needs Meals on Wheels volunteers to drop off meals to seniors. He said volunteers are needed for a few hours a day and for several days a week, if possible;
• Heard Clerk Wright tell of details of the upcoming election on Nov. 8 and how the area of the treasurer’s hall will be closed to the public at 3 p.m. Nov. 7 to set up that area to use as an Absentee Voters counting space because of the construction at the other end of the building. The polls also were moved around at township hall because of the construction;
• Heard Recreation Director Jennifer Zaenglein report that the township had its best Candy Loop ever with 1,500 people participating. “It didn’t taper off ‘til we were done and out of candy,” she said, thanking the student volunteers who helped, among many others; and
• In discussing the budget, heard McNamara announce that the public safety department is fully hired up now and three additional fire fighters will be added next year. If a grant comes through, it will be six new fire fighters. He said public safety was given raises to make what neighbors were paying and then the neighbors gave their people big raises. He said the Water and Sewer service will have no increase in 2023, for the second year, but this will change in the future, since the money has to be spent on services and the township’s job is not to just make money. Deputy Supervisor Dan Selman said this is a living budget and if needs come up, the board can amend it.