VBT Board approves Gonczy’s for grass cutting, other services

At the April 16 regular meeting of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees, the board approved the selection of Gonczy’s Property Maintenance for township grass cutting and related services for 2019 at a cost of $62,730.
Gonczy’s was the previous holder of the contract, which started in 2012.
This contract is for the 2019 season, with an annual renewal option for up to two years at the same price. The second bidder was Pioneer at $66,850;
In other business at the April 16 meeting, the board:
• Approved the first readings of ordinances to rezone parcels at 13440 Martinsville Rd., and next door at 13510 Martinsville Rd., from M-1, Light Industrial, to 1-B, Single Family Residential. The owners of the parcels wish to sell their single-family homes and banks will not offer mortgages to the buyers because the use is noncompliant with the zoning. The property owners said they didn’t know their properties were M-1 zoning until they wished to sell them;
• Heard Supervisor McNamara announce that Linda Stevenson has passed her training and is now a Level 4 Assessor. He said there were eight in her class and she’s the only one who made it through. “She’s a rare, rare duck out there,” he commented at the work/study session the day before. “There are not too many Level 4’s walking around”; and
• Heard Treasurer Sharry Budd announce Deputy Treasurer Sean Bellingham has renewed his Certified Public Finance Administrator Certification which is a certification requiring many hours of continuing education every five years. He has renewed in 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019.