Meeting Minutes: Blog of Wednesday's Board of Trustees Meeting

Despite a torrential rainstorm outside, business continues as usual inside town hall as the board of trustees considers the promotion of two firefighters, purchase and mailing of summer tax bills and the adjustment of 2011-12 water and sewer rates among other issues at tonight's meeting.

A public hearing to discuss the 2011-12 township budget will also be held before the first public comments session.

7 p.m. – Supervisor Mark Grabow calls the meeting to order and all assembled stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. All members of the board are present, including legal counsel.

7:09 p.m. – Additions to the agenda include codification of recent amendments made by the board, tabling the revised site plan for Windemere Farms Condominiums to the meeting on July 11, and tabling indefinitely the township's consideration of cost estimate and project approval for a temporary turnaround for Hidden Meadows Drive as well as approval of Waste Management fuel surcharge data. A special meeting will be called for July 6 at 7 p.m. to discuss/inform the community of an adjustment to water and sewer rates for 2011-12.

7:12 p.m. – The budget hearing for the township's 2011-12 budget has opened. No community members have addressed the board. Both Grabow and Clerk Michael Koehs stressed that despite a report of a , the budget is still preliminary, and a significant deficit is not expected.

"We estimate our revenues low and estimate our expenses high so that we maintain our fiscal responsibility," Koehs said.

7:19 p.m. – The public hearing session has closed.

7:20 p.m. – The board would like to put township property up for sale on the township website: five lots located in the Koss Farms subdivision. Bids may be submitted up to 10 a.m. on July 11.

7:23 p.m. – The board has rejected the request for a lump sum buy-out of the township’s cell tower leases.

7:24 p.m. – The board approed the annual inspection of the township's warning sire system. Something that really comes in handy, especially considering recent weather.

7:25 p.m. – The board approved Macomb Township’s portion of payment for the Oakland Macomb Interceptor Drain Project. The total cost of this payment is $2,836,890, but the township will save some $770,972.91 by prepaying.  

7:26 p.m. – Firefighters Brad Bartz and Kevin Newhouse have been promoted to paid, on-call firefighters in Macomb Township. Congratulations!

7:32 p.m. – With the retirement of Capt. Dave Myny and Capt. Richard Koss and termination of Lt. Callewaert of the MTFD, the MTFD is down three positions. Chief Robert Phillips is asking to begin the recruitment process for one full-time sergeant.

In the meantime, two fire marshals will be contracted for hourly work to perform fire inspections. Once the full-time sergeant is hired, these positions will be terminated.

The MTFD will also purchase new extrication equipment, as current equipment is slightly outdated and does not function as well as newer equipement would against the steel of newer vehicles.

The Human Resources department will also begin to recruit again for the MTFD.

7:40 p.m. – The township will purchase four MUNIS Applications that will allow the Human Resources department to go almost completely to electronic records.

7:48 p.m. – The board has been asked to receive a Water & Sewer employee's resignation in good standing. The employee turned in resignation on the day the employee left township employment. Normally, to resign in good standing requires two-weeks notice. The board will accept resignation, but not in good standing.

Supervisor Comments:

School Crossing Guard Issue: The township is working with the Macomb County Sheriff's Office, Wayne State, SEMCOG and area schools, primarily Utica Community Schools (Beck and Ebeling), to develop a presentation to educate children on walking to and from the schools. This presentation/program will be taken into the schools to educate the children. The programs will be available for review on June 29 at 1:30 p.m. at the town hall. The township is asking Beck and Ebeling PTA groups to attend this meeting, as well as concerned community members. 

Treasurer Comments:

Summer tax bills will be going out on July 1, and beginning this year summer taxes will be payable to the Macomb Township Treasurer rather than MISD.

Trustees Comments:

Many of the commemorative bricks have been installed in the Veterans and First Responders Memorial, but the Macomb Township Community Foundation is still searching for the sources of 13 applications for clarification.

7:58 p.m. – The board has gone into executive session.

8:07 p.m. – The board has returned from executive session. The union has withdrawn AFSCME Grievance 2011-011.

The board will authorize legal counsel to sign the Belle Tire consent judgment as presented. This was a tax tribunal matter.

Meeting adjourned.