VBT’s 2015 fee schedule adopted without the water/sewer hikes

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
It’s not that the water and sewer rates aren’t going to go up by 6 or 7% in Van Buren Township at the first of the year.
It’s just that board members expected a special presentation by DPW Director James Taylor explaining the 2015 rate hike and they didn’t get it.
At the regular board meeting on Dec. 2, the board unanimously approved the rest of the 2015 fee schedule with the exception of the Water/Sewer Department portion.
Trustee Reggie Miller was the one that asked that the Water/Sewer section be pulled out for further discussion.
“We discussed it at the work/study, but did not go deep enough,” Trustee Miller said of the Nov. 17 meeting, where Director Taylor said he would prepare a presentation on the rate hike for the Dec. 2 meeting so it could be seen by those watching at home on the cable channel.
“My understanding was that Director Taylor was putting together a presentation for tonight,” agreed Trustee Jeff Jahr. “We should defer this to another meeting.”
Supervisor Linda Combs said Taylor has a presentation and he could give it at the next work/study session. She asked if board members wanted it in public and they all said they did.
John Delaney said from the audience that Taylor should have been there that evening, since he said he would be. He said the residents were expecting it.
“He’s not feeling well,” Supervisor Combs said. “People get sick.”
At the Dec. 8 special work/study on the budget, Taylor gave a presentation on the water rate hike and now it is down to 6% instead of the 7% previously announced.
Emergency Sirens
After a long discussion, the board restated the motion made at its last meeting to confirm that the township is buying 13 emergency sirens at a cost of $252,850 including installation (instead of the $273,128 previously stated) which comes out of the General Fund fund balance and there will be an annual cost of $5,395.
The sirens cost $19,450 each.
The siren purchase will be paid for through funds from the VBT Downtown Development Authority, the federal Community Development Block Grant funds, and the township.
Trustee Jahr, an attorney, said this project is really being fast-tracked and he learned it will be shipped by Dec. 15 for installation very early next year.
Public Safety Director Greg Laurain said he has been told they will be installed the second or third week in January.
“This was extremely confusing because this project was being rushed,” Jahr said.
Treasurer Sharry Budd said the money from the CDBG fund needs to be reapportioned and approved by Wayne County. The county handles the CDBG funds for the federal government. She said the township will have to go through the county hoops to get approval.
Budd said this year’s CDBG allocation won’t be available before July 12.
Clerk Leon Wright said the township needs to hold off on installing those emergency sirens paid with the CDBG funds.
“We’re tap-dancing around,” said Jahr. “We were told ‘no problem’ and now we can’t enter into the contract.”
Clerk Wright said it’s just that CDBG can’t reimburse the township until after the funds are available.
“With the problems we’re having with the budget, I can’t see spending a quarter of a million dollars,” Jahr said. “We’ve received no assurances from the DDA and the county for the CDBG.”
Supervisor Combs said the CDBG is paying for four sirens, $77,400, and the DDA is paying for three, $72,000.
Treasurer Budd reported that the Civic Fund has voted to fund the six emergency sirens the township was committed to paying for.
Wright said that the last four, paid for by the CDBG, would be put up last.
“But we will purchase them all in one fell swoop,” Miller stated.
“We can purchase and install them and then get reimbursed?” Jahr asked.
Budd said no, you can’t.
Trustee Phil Hart said they could add to the motion the expectations of three entities to reimburse the township, but that wasn’t supported.
“The motion made by Leon at the last meeting was confusing, understandably,” Jahr said, referring to Clerk Wright.
“The Civic Fund already met and passed a motion to buy six sirens,” said Budd, who sits on the Civic Fund.
“And, the motion was made by the DDA and the county said the CDBG was OK,” said Miller.
“We have already signed the contract for the sirens,” Jahr stated. “Folks, we’re only talking about a quarter of a million dollars.” Then, he added, “That’s sarcasm, folks.”
Jahr stated: “This is academic … the sirens are ordered and on the way.”
The sirens were ordered before Dec. 1 to take advantage of the lower price before their prices went up.
AutoZone Storm Water System
A resolution to approve the AutoZone Storm Water System Maintenance and Repair Agreement with the property owner as required by Wayne County was removed from the agenda.
Board members said it was a mistake to be on the agenda since the board is working with its attorney on a way to not have to take responsibility for any private systems.
AutoZone is in the middle on this because it happened to be the business seeking permits from the county at this time when the board wanted to say no.
Wayne County is the only county in the state requiring this and the township attorney said the county has no legal language to support this requirement.
In other business at the one-hour-and-15-minute meeting the board:
• Approved the supervisor’s reappointments of Angela Nettro, Juanita Jensen, Harry Roesch and Loretta Speaks (alternate) to the Board of Review with terms to expire Dec. 31, 2016;
• Approved the extension of collection of the 2014 Winter Property Taxes without penalty from Feb. 14, 2014 to Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. Since the township offices will be closed from Dec. 24 through Jan. 4, those wishing their taxes stamped paid in their presence in 2014, must come to the township by Dec. 23. Deputy Treasurer Sean Bellingham said anything dropped into the drop boxes at the township before the employees’ return to work on Jan. 5, will be back-stamped to Dec. 31;
• Approved an Automatic Mutual Aid Agreement between VBT Fire Department and the Detroit Metro Airport Authority Fire Department. The intent is to quickly deploy specialty resources to the scene of working fires at the Wayne Disposal/EQ facility and the Cadillac Asphalt facility, and the 19 commercial structures at the Willow Run Airport that fall under the Airport Authority’s jurisdiction. VBT agrees to send one fire engine and the Airport Authority agrees to send one vehicle equipped with 3,000 gallons of foam when appropriate conditions are met;
• Approved the fiscal year 2015 Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) Municipal Credit Contract. The estimated funding level for 2015 is $28,348, of which $20,000 will be used for recreation transportation and $8,348 for senior transportation. A local match of $32,597 is met by the township’s general fund and in-kind services;
• Discussed why the work/study meeting was cancelled for Dec. 1. Clerk Wright said no one on the board submitted anything for discussion for that meeting, so he had no agenda. Delaney said it should have been held anyway and suggested a list of things that could have been discussed;
• Voted to hold a special work/study session at 4 p.m. Dec. 8 to discuss only the budget. The board must vote on the budget at its meeting on Dec. 16 and board members said they hadn’t seen the final budget yet, put together after the two days of budget meetings in November. Clerk Wright said, “We had two days to discuss the budget, then the three of us were to put it together and we’ve done so.” He referred to the three full-time officials: Clerk, treasurer, and supervisor. “We want to see something,” Jahr said. “In the one meeting coming up it will be take it or leave it.” Clerk Wright said the budget wasn’t ready to give to them that evening. Supervisor Combs said were a few things to finalize and she would send it to them later that week. Trustee Hart asked Combs to include a narrative on what’s off the budget and information on the fund balance; and
• Heard 34th District Court Judge David Parrott express gratitude for his reelection, noting 56% of the vote in VBT was for him. He said he is “humbled and honored by the trust and confidence of the people of Van Buren Township have placed in him.” He said it was very deeply moving to have that kind of support. He pledged to hold himself to the high standards of the 34th District Court … where he judges fairly and firmly, when necessary. “I will continue to help people on the bench and in the community,” he said adding, “It’s the people’s court. If you need help, give us a call and we’ll do whatever we can.”