VBT Trustee Phil Hart gets recognition from Wayne County Commission

At the Oct. 20 regular meeting of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees, the board witnessed Wayne County Commissioner Al Haidous present VBT Trustee Phil Hart with a framed resolution.
Commissioner Haidous said the county commission has honored Hart because of his commitment to excellence at Ford Motor Company and at Van Buren Township. Hart recently retired from Ford after 38.5 years of service. He is a long-time township trustee.
In other business at the 40-minute meeting, the board:
• Watched Public Safety Director Greg Laurain accept a check for $750 from Sam Shami of Leo’s Coney Island, which was 10% of his business on 9-11. Director Laurain said the funds will be used to provide fire extinguishers and fire alarms to those in need;
• Heard Pam Fleming of the Belleville / Van Buren Goodfellows announce that registration for Christmas assistance begins Monday, Nov. 2, at the VBT Police Department. There is an application that can be printed out from the web site, but it has to be presented in person at the PD. For more information, call her at 699-8934 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday;
• Approved the supervisor’s reappointments of Kiz Ahamiojie and Ronald Merritt II to the Environmental Commission with terms to expire Oct. 1, 2018;
• Held a public hearing on the transfer of $34,000 in 2013 Community Development Block Grant funds from housing rehabilitation to demolition and then unanimously approved the transfer. The money has to be spent by the end of the calendar year and there are several projects ready to go;
• Approved the special land use request by Trilogy Residences, LLC, to demolish the existing tennis courts at 41500 Bellridge Blvd. and construct a 7,785 square foot community clubhouse with a pool and patio in the same area;
• Approved the first reading of the rezoning request of Belleville Development LLC to rezone two parcels to C-2, one with conditions, to make way for a new motel on the North I-94 Service Drive. The second reading is scheduled for Nov. 17;
• Approved the proposal from Wade Trim Engineers in the amount of $39,500 to provide professional services relating to the construction of the Walden Woods Paving Repairs Project. It is paid 80% by Wayne County and 20% by the Walden Woods Homeowners Association;
• Removed from the revised agenda approval of the amended and restated VBT Governmental Non-ERISA Retirement Plan;
• Heard Supervisor Linda Combs read a letter from School Supt. Michael Van Tassel thanking the VBT police department for being at the school’s home football games; and
• Heard another letter, this one from “Phyllis and Cindy,” who thanked the Public Safety Department for what they do, adding, “Thanks to you, I don’t even have to own a gun.”