VBT board approves agreement with county on Denton Rd. bridge

The Van Buren Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with Wayne County at its Feb. 20 meeting that authorizes the county to reimburse the township for its expenses related to design engineering of the Denton Road bridge.
The township staff will continue to work moving the design engineering and bridge project forward, said Ron Akers, director of municipal services.
On the day of the vote, the Denton Road bridge had been closed for 506 days due to its instability. Both the county and the township agreed the bridge must be replaced.
To move the project forward, the township got permission to do preliminary engineering plans at its expense, with the belief the county would reimburse the township and then take charge of construction once state funds are received.
The township had provided preliminary engineering, load rating, and updated the MIBRIDGE, which is the Michigan Department of Transportation reporting software.
The county is required to reimburse the township for the costs of design engineering when it receives funding from the state of Michigan not to exceed $499,940, which is equal to the township’s contracted engineering amount.
State Rep. Reggie Miller, D-Van Buren Township, who previous served as township trustee, announced she was able to get $11 million in state funds for the project, which would be available once the state budget was approved.
Supervisor Kevin McNamara said there may be an issue with the high-pressure gas line that goes over the bridge. There is a proposal to redirect gas service from the South I-94 Service Drive to the homes on the west side of the Denton Road bridge.
Director Akers said the township will be done with its part of the bridge project in early March.
In other business at the 30-minute meeting on Feb. 20, the board:
• Approved the reappointments of Joe Baskin and Victor Delibera to the Downtown Development Authority board, with terms to expire March 9, 2028. Baskin is a business owner in the district and Delibera is a resident in the district;
• Approved the personal service agreement with Stephan Harvey as Facilities Coordinator. Supervisor Kevin McNamara said 20 to 30 people applied and Harvey was the one with top credentials, having run a family janitorial business among other experience;
• Approved the first reading of an ordinance amendment on the use of alcoholic liquors by the underage. Second reading and adoption is set for the next meeting. This adopts state law, not as a misdemeanor, but as a civil infraction. Attorney Angela Mannarino said the township very infrequently uses this ordinance, “But we want to make sure we have the right ordinance.” Clerk Leon Wright said under this, the first time is a mistake, and they have a second chance. Supervisor McNamara said he’s the one who started the program in tandem with the schools to keep the prosecution local and in Growthworks, which has a 80% success rate of keeping kids out of the system, against a national rate of 20%;
• Approved the first reading of an ordinance amendment on the use of tobacco and vaping by those under 21, similar to the previous ordinance. Second reading and adoption is set for the next meeting;
• Approved amendment No. 2 to the Plante Moran Realpoint contract and amendment No. 6 to the Newmann/Smith Architecture contract for the new community center, now expected to open in April. The opening date was extended because of DTE’s schedule delay with primary cable relocation in the area of the gym, Black Box theater sound booth addition and associated technology equipment ($76,500), DTE’s delay in delivery of its transformer for HVAC equipment, and delayed final parking lot asphalt paving until better weather conditions in April due to DTE’s delays of underground utility installations. Increase in architect cost was $27,500 which includes cost for designing an irrigation pump required for landscape sprinkler system and $49,000 for Plante Moran services for five additional months of building. Director of Community Services Elizabeth Renaud said despite the extra expenses, the project is still under budget overall. She said the “closeout” activities are important to make sure the township got what it paid for;
• Learned J. Stalmack sent a letter to Police Chief Wright in appreciation of the professionalism shown by Police Officer David Champagne during her Jan. 12 accident;
• Was advised by Clerk Wright that the township’s secondary health provider which services employees who actually go to the doctor saved the township $249,514 by the last day of December and the township received a check for that amount;
• Heard Treasurer Sharry Budd announce that Feb. 29 is the last day for residents to pay their property taxes in her local office at township hall;
• Heard Clerk Wright say he has been a Van Buren Township clerk for 16 years and interacting with the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority (MMRMA) and Van Buren now is getting a lot of accolades for its police department, with just one case that’s dragging along. He said the chief and assistant chief are doing a great job. “I don’t hear the things I used to hear,” Wright said; and
• Heard Supervisor McNamara say the township is going to miss “Chip” Bazzy, who just retired as police lieutenant. Supervisor McNamara said Bazzy told him that cops don’t like to write tickets that are so hard on these people. Now they get warnings and a chance before enforcement takes place. “Lt. Bazzy made a huge change in our community on that,” he said.