Shavonne Lynise Watkins, 33,
has been charged with involun-
tary manslaughter and second-
degree child abuse in the death of
her 1-year-old daughter, Malaya
Tatnall.
The baby and her brother were
left alone in a Romulus home
which caught fire Oct. 25, claiming
the life of the toddler.
Firefighters were called to the
home on the 15000 block of
Mountain Way Street, near
Eureka and Brandt roads, at
about 1:45 p.m. According to offi-
cial reports, the home was fully
engulfed in flames when the fire
crews arrived on the scene.
Firefighters were able to pull the
3-year-old boy from the burning
home and transport him to a hos-
pital where he was treated for
smoke inhalation. He has report-
edly recovered from his injuries.
The intense heat and smoke
claimed the life of the baby girl
before firefighterswere able to get
toher in the burning home.
Neighbors, who notified the
fire department, had attempted to
gain access to the home to rescue
the children, according to reports,
but were unsuccessful. Fire offi-
cials said that several neighbors
were upset when Watkins
appeared on the scene and dis-
covered that her house was on
fire. Her children had been left
alone on other occasions, accord-
ing to neighbors, who were visibly
upset, according to police and fire
reports. Police took Watkins into
custody at the scene for her own
protection, according to official
reports, but she was not charged
at that time.
An immediate request for a
warrant for her arrest on the
charges was delayed as theWayne
County Prosecutor's office
requested more information from
Romulus police investigators.
Watkins was arraigned in 34th
District Court before Judge David
Parrott on the charges. Parrott set
a cash bond of $10,000, which
Watkins paid.
Her preliminary examination
on the charges took place for Jan.
6 at the 34thDistrict Court.
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
January 14, 2016
B
ELLEVILLE
- R
OMULUS
Belleville downtown authority limits grant funds
CITY OF ROMULUS
NOTICE OF
Public Hearing and Proposed Program Statement
For the FY 2016/2017
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM
Pursuant to federal guidelines, the City of Romulus is scheduling a Public Hearing on Monday,
February 1, 2016 at 7:00 pm
for the purpose of receiving comments or suggestions regarding
projects for the fiscal year 2016/2017 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
(CDBG) Program. The CITY OF ROMULUS expects to receive an ESTIMATED $168,250.
The primary objectives of the Federal HUD CDBG program are to assist low to mod-
erate income families directly or to provide benefits in areas where 51% of the residents are
low to moderate income, such as replacing the urban infrastructure of streets, improve recre-
ational facilities and programs and assist in meeting special needs of the elderly and physical-
ly disabled.
The following projects, subject to the Public Hearing Process, have been proposed and
will meet HUD objectives by benefiting low and moderate-income families, preserving deteri-
orating housing stock and enhancing parks and public facilities.
FY 2016/2017 Proposed Projects
ESTIMATED RECEIVED From
ACTIVITY/Location:
CDBGALLOCATION: * Program Income:
Senior Services - LMC - 05A-
Citywide
Public Services -15%
$25,237
36525 Bibbins
Chore/minor home repair services,
Transportation, education,
Recreation & staffing
Park/Recreation Facilities – LMA -03F
Replace aging equipment, restore grounds
& purchase new equipment/structures
in Parks in qualifying areas in Romulus
$52,588
Park/Recreational Jobs - LMJFI -03F
$73,600
Retain at least 3 Parks employees for
qualifying Parks in Romulus, MI 48174
*These jobs are made available to
one full time and two part time,
qualifying persons.
General Administration - 21A (10%)
Salary reimbursement for contract
$16,825
administration
Sub-Total $168,250
Housing Rehabilitation LMH –from P.I.
*$5,000
TOTAL
ESTIMATED
Allocation: $168,250.00
$5,000
The city *anticipates receiving approximately $5,000 in Program Income received through
repayment of housing rehabilitation liens, to be used for emergency housing rehabilitations,
and /or Senior Services, if additional funds are received.
All interested parties, organizations, agencies or individuals are invited to submit, in writ-
ing, a “Request for Funding” or comment on the Proposed Projects at, or prior to, the Public
Hearing. For further information, contact the Economic Development Department, City of
Romulus, 11111 Wayne Road, Romulus, MI 48174, (734) 942-7545.
Publish: Thursday, January 14, 2016 in The Eagle Newspaper
RM011416-0001 2.5 x 8.625
MINUTES OF REGULAR ROMULUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
December 28, 2015
Romulus City Hall Council Chambers, 11111 Wayne Rd. Romulus, MI 48174
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Mayor Pro Tem, John Barden.
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call
Present:
Kathleen Abdo, John Barden, Harry Crout, Celeste Roscoe, William Wadsworth.
Excused:
LeRoy D. Burcroff, Linda Choate, Sylvia Makowski.
Administrative Officials in Attendance:
Robert Dickerson, Chief of Staff
Ellen L. Craig-Bragg, City Clerk
Stacy Paige, Treasurer
1.
Moved by
Crout,
seconded by
Roscoe
to accept the agenda as presented.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
15-429 2A.
Moved by
Wadsworth
, seconded by
Abdo t
o approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the
Romulus City Council held on December 14, 2015.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
3. Petitioner: None
4.
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Abdo
to accept the Chairperson’s Report.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
5. Mayor’s Report
6A. Clerk’s Report:
15-430 6A1.
Moved by
Wadsworth
, seconded by
Roscoe
to concur with the Property Disposition Committee
and City Assessor, Julie Albert, to not acquire any of the properties included on the Wayne County Treasurer’s
Tax Foreclosed Properties in Wayne County for year 2015 dated December 9, 2015 due to the fact that none of
the properties are adjacent to existing city-owned property.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
15-431 6A2.
Moved by
Roscoe
, seconded by
Abdo
to adopt a resolution to thank State Representative Erika
Geiss for her unwavering support of House Bill 4686 which expands a municipality’s ability to defend itself
against sidewalk litigation that often tends to be frivolous.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
6B. Treasurer’s Report
6C. Officers Compensation Commission Report:
Councilman Wadsworth complimented the Officers Compensation Commission on their hard work in review-
ing the elected officials salaries and if he receives a raise in salary, he will donate it back to to the City.
Councilwoman Roscoe complimented the Officers Compensation Commission and said that she will follow
suit with Councilman Wadsworth. Councilwoman Abdo expressed if no action is taken by Council, the raises
go into effect in 30 days and that no raises should be given to elected officials because there are 60 homes that
are foreclosed in Romulus according to the Property Disposition list. She encouraged residents to call Council
members to express their thoughts on the raises. She also stated that she has been in contact with 28 people
regarding the raises. Councilman Crout expressed that it wouldn’t be right to give a raise to elected officials at
this time when the City is asking the residents for a millage increase. City Clerk Ellen Craig-Bragg clarified
the reference made regarding the 60 foreclosed homes by pointing out that the tax-foreclosed properties listed
on the Property Disposition list are vacant lots and uninhabitable houses. Mayor Pro-Tem Barden compliment-
ed the Officers Compensation Commission for their hard work and expressed that it’s up to the individual as to
what they do with their raise in salary.
7. Public Comment
8. Unfinished Business:
Councilman Wadsworth spoke about the calls he received from residents complimenting the DPW workers on
the fine job they did on the Inkster Road and Middlebelt Road water main breaks over the past two days.
Councilman Wadsworth also complimented the new signage that has been placed around the City directing
persons to the various city buildings. He asked if the administration could add the Library and Animal Shelter
to the signage
9. New Business
10. Communication:
Councilwoman Roscoe thanked the DPW workers for coming in during the holidays to fix the water main
breaks.
15-432 11.
Moved by
Abdo,
seconded by
Crout
to pay Warrant 15-24 in the amount of $906,516.97.
Motion
Carried Unanimously.
12.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Roscoe
to adjourn the regular meeting of the Romulus City Council.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
I, Ellen L. Craig-Bragg, Clerk for the City of Romulus, Michigan do hereby certify the foregoing to be a true
copy of the minutes of the regular meeting of the Romulus City Council held on December 28, 2015.
RM011416-0002 2.5 x 7.603
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CANTON
ACCESS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS
The Charter Township of Canton will provide necessary, reasonable auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities at
the meeting/hearing upon a two week notice to the Charter Township of Canton. These services include signers for the hearing
impaired and audio tapes of printed materials being considered at the meeting. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary
aids or services should contact the Charter Township of Canton by writing or calling the following:
Gwyn Belcher, ADA Coordinator
Charter Township of Canton, 1150 S. Canton Center Road
Canton, MI 48188
(734) 394-5260
Published: January 14, 2016
EC011416-1238 2.5 x 1.557
NOTICE
PLYMOUTH CHARTER TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS
If you experience an overflow or backup of a sewage disposal system or storm water system, you must file a written claim with
the Plymouth Charter Township Department of Public Works within 45 days after the overflow or backup was discovered.
Notice should be mailed to Plymouth Charter Township, Department of Public Works, 9955 N. Haggerty Rd., Plymouth,
Michigan 48170. Failure to provide the written notice will prevent recovery of damages. Contact the Department of Public
Works, 734-354-3270, Extension 3, for assistance immediately upon discovery of an overflow or backup.
Thank You
PLYMOUTH CHARTER TOWNSHIP
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
NANCY CONZELMAN
Clerk, Charter Township of Plymouth
Publish: January 14 & 21, 2016
PT011416-0020 2.5 x 1.718
Members of the Romulus City
Council authorized additional
improvements Monday to the
Romulus Civic League facility on
Wahrman Road that will be com-
pletedwithout any cost to taxpay-
ers.
Council members unanimous-
ly approved an additional $3,500
in repairs to the building that
will be funded through a commu-
nity host agreement with a
Romulus business.
“This is money that was previ-
ously allocated based on private
donations. It is not coming from
the general fund,” said Romulus
Mayor Leroy Burcroff. “It was
private donations we were able
to use, approved by our attorney,
to help civic groups just like
this.”
The city authorized $15,000
from
the
Community
Enhancement Fund to pay for a
new roof on the building in 2014.
That project was completed for
$11,500. The remainder of the
money will pay for new interior
ceiling tiles, a door, gutters and
rain spouts as well as other
minor repairs, saidBurcroff.
The city entered into a com-
munity host agreement with
Environmental Quality on Van
Born Road in 2014 that allows
the company to transfer non-haz-
ardous material from incoming
rail cars to trucks that then take
the materials to either of its sites
in Detroit or Van Buren
Township. The agreement stipu-
lates that EQpays the city $.25 for
every ton of material transferred
at the facility, which is ear-
marked for community enhance-
ments.
Belleville
Downtown
Development Authority (DDA)
officials have some bad news for
the planners of community
events in the city.
The budget for contributions
from the DDA has been reduced
to $1,500 per event for this year
and to only $1,000 for 2017-2018.
That is a serious reduction from
the $15,000 to $19,000 the author-
ity was spending annually on
various community events dur-
ing the past years, but officials
said bond payments have seen
increases from $17,000 to
$28,000, which will impact the
DDAbudget.
Coordinator Carol Thompson
told the members of the authori-
ty that community groups receiv-
ing grants for various civic caus-
es have been informed that the
events must be helpful to down-
town businesses. Thompson told
the DDA board members that
there hasn't been much of a
change for those local business-
es.
She added that it is necessary
for the DDA to scale back until
tax capture revenues begin to
increase in the community. She
added that research indicated
that not many other DDA groups
fund local festivals, but seem to
concentrate on farmers markets
and façade programs in the com-
munity.
She said it would be neces-
sary for others in the community,
including the local businesses, to
fund events such as Winterfest
andArtaffair.
Her suggestion was unani-
mously approved by a vote of the
DDA board members during the
Dec. 16meeting.
The board members said that
they would continue to support
downtown events, but that a cap
would be put on the amounts
granted to the various activities,
not to exceed $1,500. Previous
grants had been as much at
$8,000.
To qualify for consideration
for a grant from the DDA, the
event must be open to the public
and take place within the down-
town DDA district. Local busi-
nesses must participate and the
event must promote downtown
Belleville and include sponsor-
ships from other in the commu-
nity or region. Preferencewill be
given, officials noted, to public
events which attract a diversity
of participants.
Thompson said the local
groups who have requested
financial assistance in the past
from the DDA will be notified
this month of the changes in the
budget and criteria.
This is money that was previously
allocated based on private donations.
It is not coming from the general fund.
”
Upgrade at Civic League OK’d by council
Mother charged with abuse in death of baby girl
Shavonne Lynise Watkins
