VBT raises water, sewer rates for 2024

The Van Buren Township Board of Trustees approved amended budgets for 2023 and proposed budgets for 2024 at its regular meeting on Oct. 17.
That includes increases in rates for water of 5.9% and sewer of 3.9%, following a study by consultants who recommended the increases. The increases were approved for 2024.
“We’re still one of the lowest in the area,” said Supervisor Kevin McNamara.
Water/Sewer Director Kevin Lawrence said of 15 communities, VBT is the second lowest, with Taylor the lowest. He said the average bill will go up $7.60 per quarter.
Approvals also included the amended 2023 and proposed 2024 budgets for nine special Revenue Funds Budgets and the 2024 salary schedule, with raises of 3%.
Supervisor McNamara said the general fund budget is a balanced budget, with $24,260,000 in revenue and $24,240,000 in expenditures.
He said the township had been in a rebuild mode and now they are heading into a maintenance mode. He said they have left future capital improvement funds in place.
McNamara said the township has received many grants and has been “killing” grants. He said VBT has received many upcoming grants, including those for Haggerty Road, Belleville Road, Tyler Road sidewalks and more coming.
He said Standard & Poors gave the township a Double-A rating for credit, like Canton, Livonia, and the state of Michigan, and, “We got that before we got the Visteon settlement.”
Clerk Leon Wright said this is the first time the board has presented an actual balanced budget.
In other business at the 45-minute meeting, the board:
• Approved the job descriptions for two full-time positions for the new Community Center: Recreation Programmer and Facilities Coordinator. The Recreation Programmer will help Recreation Director Jennifer Zanglein with oversight, education, and special needs and the Facilities Coordinator will cover maintenance of the building under Zanglein. Salaries are $57,142 each;
• Approved the first reading of Ordinance 10-17-23 to allow the Board of Trustees to modify the required minimum separation distance between group child care home uses, as recommended by the planning commission. Planning and Economic Development Director Dan Power said local municipalities have the ability to modify the 1,500’ distance separating regulated daycares. He said there is a large need for daycare in VBT, including Country Walk subdivision, where two facilities are near each other;
• Approved Special Land Use for a distribution center by Crossroads Distribution Center North 11, LLC to be located west of Haggerty Road, south of Van Born Road, as recommended by the planning commission. It is for construction of a large, warehouse-style building on 69 acres out of the 175 they have and includes an extensive conservation easement;
• Approved the Van Buren Township Support Emergency Operations Plan, which Supervisor McNamara said is, “what we do doing disasters.” It supports the Wayne County Emergency Operations Plan for use in the event of disaster or severe emergency of natural, human, wartime, technological or terrorism origin;
• Heard Trustee Kevin Martin announce that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and board members are wearing pink to support this. He said it most commonly affects women and awareness is important;
• Heard Clerk Wright announce that they recently learned that former Supervisor and Trustee Paul White’s wife Sue died on Sept. 24. Sue was always kind-hearted, he said. McNamara said they will send a message to White and all board members will sign;
• Learned the Candy Loop at Quirk Park is set for Saturday, Oct. 21, with a rain date of Saturday, Oct. 28. [It did rain on Oct. 21.] Zanglein said 800 to 1,000 people regularly attend the event. She also noted the Punkin’ Rollout at Van Buren Park sled hill is at 10 a.m., Nov. 4. “It’s weird. It’s fun,” she said, noting there were 50-75 people at the first Rollout last year. This year they have Growth Works as a sponsor and the first 150 people to attend get donuts. There also will be a 20’ inflatable pumpkin;
• Heard McNamara announce that the township’s last Forgotten Harvest food distribution is the day of this meeting. He said they started Forgotten Harvest planning to go six weeks and it turned into three years. He said there is still a need for it. He thanked all the volunteers who helped over the years during all kinds of weather; and
• Heard Clerk Wright announce that the only election for VBT voters on Nov. 7 is for those in precincts 7 and 8 for an operational millage question in the Lincoln School District. This will not cancel that night’s township board meeting.