VBT Trustees close offices until March 31 on 6-1 vote

The Van Buren Township Hall will be closed to the public, who will be allowed in by appointment only until March 31, following a 6-1 vote at the township board’s regular meeting on Jan. 19 via Zoom.
The agenda item was introduced by Trustee Kevin Martin who said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” referring to the coronavirus.
The only one voting no was Supervisor Kevin McNamara who said, “I’m against this. I didn’t even want to go on split shifts. It just didn’t work very well the first time around. I believe the government should be open.”
Supervisor McNamara said that a little old lady comes to the door and wants to know why she can’t go to the treasurer’s office to pay her taxes. He said many people are not internet-savvy and don’t call on the phones.
“Meijer’s is open. Walmart is open. Zero new cases yesterday. It’s amazing. We’re coming out of the problem,” he said.
Trustee Reggie Miller said she thinks the board should protect the people.
“They want to pay a bill? Drop it in the box,” she said. “They can make appointments … The numbers are going down, yes … We need to be proactive. We can do it pretty easily.”
“No, no,” said McNamara to the “easily” comment. “Who’s going to stand at the front door?”
Miller replied that Nicole Sumpter, Human Resources Director, said they could get someone for the door. Miller said Director Sumpter had been called away on an emergency and wasn’t present at the meeting.
McNamara said in Belleville and Canton he hears people are screaming they can’t get into the offices. The residents want to know why the township can’t open the door and let a little old lady go to the treasurer’s office, he said.
Clerk Leon Wright said 262 people came into township hall to go to the treasurer’s office one day, but that was because the township hall was closed for two weeks for the holidays.
“We don’t have to close township hall down … We can do the same rotation as we do now,” Clerk Wright said.
“I can do that. That’s not a problem,” McNamara said.
“We need to be leading by example,” Wright said of coronavirus safety, adding they still need screeners at the door. “The little old lady at the door would still be let in,” he said.
Trustee Don Boynton asked if the motion on the floor needed to be changed for “exceptions.”
“We’ll make exceptions, if needed,” said Clerk Wright.
“I’m going to vote no anyway,” McNamara said.
“Government has to be accessible,” said Trustee Sherry Frazier. “It has to be. It’s the people’s government. They have to have access to the people in power.”
“I don’t think we’re denying access to government,” said Trustee Martin. “We’re in a pandemic. This is a short-term stop.”
Martin said he would change the motion adding, “… exceptions can be made on a per-case basis.”
“We have a lot of people bringing cash,” said Treasurer Sharry Budd. “If somebody comes to the door, they should be let in.” She said she didn’t know how her office was going to be able to handle making appointments and serving people at the counter, since there are only two people on a shift.
“A lot carry cash,” Treasurer Budd said, adding that people had put cash in the drop box and that isn’t safe.
Trustee Miller said Canton is open one day a week for cash.
“Now the governor is opening up more,” Budd pointed out. “We’ve been lenient for a long time and now this… They will be angry.”
Trustee Boynton replied: “It’s a pandemic … We have to work it out the best we can … Some people will be angry. Some will be happy … We have to look over the health, safety, and good order of the public.”
Trustee Martin asked if they should keep the treasurer’s office open until Feb. 14 when taxes are due.
Wright said the big overload on that Monday was because they were closed two weeks. Eighty percent of that traffic was to the treasurer’s office.
“Isn’t that counterproductive?” asked Trustee Miller concerning exceptions.
“No, if they want to pay their tax bill we should let them in,” Wright said.
Budd said she just got a text that said actually the taxes are due March 1.
Martin restated his motion adding, “…except for as-case basis.”
The vote was taken and McNamara voted no, as promised. He added, however, “I can figure out a way to make this one work.”
In other business at the two-hour-and-18-minute meeting, the board:
• Heard Clerk Wright give a commemoration of Martin Luther King’s life and work and then asked for a moment of silence in memory of Dr. King;
• Approved the supervisor’s reappointment of Tammy Wall, Kimberly Nofz, Charles Coleman, Daniel Belanger, Denis Willoughby, and Tod O’Neill, along with student representatives Morgan Stuckey and Kennedy Plummer to the Recreation Committee with terms to expire Feb. 1, 2022;
• Approved the annual Michigan Department of Transportation Maintenance Permit;
• Approved the South Huron Valley Utility Authority Rules and Regulations Amendment;
• Approved the Amended and Re-stated Urban County Cooperative Agreement for the Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. This is a three-year agreement. It has minor changes including a prohibition against excessive use of force by the police department. It was noted the township already has that prohibition;
• Approved a resolution to relax certain administrative review processes and fees regarding temporary land uses for outdoor food and beverage service and retail in response to the COVID-19 pandemic through Dec. 31. Last July the township enacted a similar program, which expired on Oct. 31. Director of Planning and Economic Development Dan Power said only Applebee’s and Belleville Yacht Club took part in last year’s program. This program is slightly revised;
• Unanimously approved the first phase of improvements to French Landing Park at an estimated cost of $411,062, as presented by Director of Public Service Matt Best and Marc Russell of Russell Design, who prepared the master plan for the park. Best presented the plan at the last board meeting and had comments from board members since then. He said the plan includes additional picnic tables, replacement paving, a giant tent pavilion, turf removal and reseeding and irrigation through a pump using lake water, and landscaping along Haggerty Road so people can see into the park and also see the lake beyond. In the future they plan additional seating, lighting, and a kayak launch. “This sets the playing field for what we want in future phases,” Director Best said of Phase 1;
• Discussed the Community Center Feasibility Study and the proposed 2022 construction of a $7.2 million recreation center attached to the south end of the senior center. Director Best said this is being presented after one-and-a-half years of work and significant input from people and staff. The draft plans will go to the Recreation Committee for indepth study and input and then specifications will be put together for construction; and
• Heard Trustee Martin say that for the past several years on Martin Luther King Day he has had to go to other communities for a commemoration. He asked the board and Recreation Committee to plan to commemorate the day in VBT next year so this year would be the last time he has to go elsewhere.