VBT Board approves memorial at Quirk Park for Egypt Covington

Chuck Covington brought a proposal to the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees at its work/study session on Sept. 17 and regular meeting Sept. 18 for a memorial at Quirk Park for his late daughter Egypt Covington.
The township board voted unanimously to approve the proposal, but they weren’t quite sure whether it could be put in this fall or would have to wait until spring. Also, they are not sure where it would be placed.
The township is working on a master plan for Quirk Park and is planning to place a large splash park there, as well.
He brought a certified arborist, Bob Paris, of Davey Tree Service with him to the work/study session and Davey will plant and take care of the redbud trees that are a part of the memorial.
The memorial will be at no cost to the township, Covington said. It would include three to five redbud trees, a bench, and a memorial, engraved with Egypt’s special words.
Covington told the board that Egypt was raised in Van Buren Township and lived here all of her years except for two years in school. She was in the first Camp with a Cop and Daddy/Daughter dance.
He said he would like to have it sited near the slide at Quirk Park because he has a family picture that includes Egypt at that place.
“The entire board and community supports this,” Supervisor Kevin McNamara said to the Covingtons.
The policy on memorials will be put together, but this memorial for Egypt is the first one and will not wait for the policy, McNamara said.
In other business at the 36-minute meeting, the board:
• Was advised that Van Buren Township is profiled in the Michigan Township Association’s monthly magazine for earning a certificate of achievement in the clerk’s office as a Township of Excellence. VBT Fire Chief Amy Brow is also highlighted in the magazine for being one of the only two women fire chiefs in Michigan;
• Approved increasing the hourly attorney fee for the firm of Butzel Long from $300 to a flat fee of $375 per hour;
• Approved the 2019 board meeting schedule, most on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7 p.m. for the regular meetings, and the work/study sessions at 4 p.m. on the Mondays preceding the regular Tuesday meetings;
• Approved an increase in election inspector fees from $160 to $210 per day for precinct chairperson; from $150 to $200 per day for precinct co-chair/electric poll book/ICC computer; and from $140 to $175 per day for precinct inspector. Clerk Leon Wright said he had 15 absentee voter counters for the August election and plans to have 21 in November;
• Approved the combination of eight lots at the former 79.98-acre Smith Farm in Denton for the Subaru project, with the farmhouse home of Harold Smith not included in the combination;
• Approved a 5% increase in water and sewer rates as of Jan. 1 and the rest of the water and sewer rates and fee schedule for 2019;
• Approved departmental fee schedule for 2019;
• Approved an updated Reimbursement of Travel, Meal and Lodging Expenses with a chart to determine whether flying or driving is less expensive, a $59 per day food expense, and five days to turn in receipts. Trustee Kevin Martin said there was no abuse of the policy, but this is just a more clean and concise policy. “I disagree, vehemently, that we did not have abuse in the past,” said Trustee Sherry Frazier. She said Trustee Martin’s statement was misleading the public. Trustee Reggie Miller added, “It wasn’t housekeeping. Beyond that … It just rubbed everyone the wrong way. This is more transparent”;
• Heard Trustee Frazier announce that the League of Women Voters is holding a Spotlight on New Voters at 7 p.m. Sept. 25 where certificates will be given to first-time voters. “There’s never been a more important time to vote,” she said, noting Belleville has a strong LWV chapter which is aligned with the Plymouth-Livonia group;
• Heard Trustee Miller announce she has learned you can now get water testing kits at checkout at J.C. Penney;
• Heard Trustee Paul White announce that there is a requirement to have your street address posted on the lake on lakeside property so police boats will be able to find you quicker in an emergency; and
• Heard Supervisor Kevin McNamara say chemicals from Fenton caused the do-not-eat-fish advisory a few weeks ago and now there is a toxic algae bloom in Belleville Lake. He advised the public to stay out of the water, at least the green water. “It really smells bad,” he said, advising there is no treatment for the bloom and you have to wait until it dies. He said as it dies it releases toxicity. There is a fast current in the lake, so it will clean quickly, McNamara said.