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January 23, 2014
MINUTES OF REGULAR ROMULUS CITY COUNCILMEETING
January 6, 2014
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.
Roll Call
Present:
Kathleen Abdo, John Barden, Linda Choate, Harry Crout, Sylvia Makowski, Celeste
Roscoe, William Wadsworth.
Administrative Officials in Attendance:
LeRoy D. Burcroff, Mayor
Ellen L. Craig-Bragg, Clerk
Stacy Paige, Treasurer
1.
Moved by Makowski, seconded by Roscoe to accept the agenda as presented.
Roll Call Vote:
Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion
Carried Unanimously
.
14-001 2A.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Abdo to approve the minutes of the regular meeting
of the Romulus City Council held on December 23, 2013.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden,
Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-002 3A.
Moved by Roscoe, seconded by Choate to approve PC-2013-017/018; Special Tree
Rehabilitation Systems Neurocare Campus PDA Rezoning & Preliminary PDA Site Plan Review.
Discussion: Brad Strader, LSL Planning Consultant, gave an overview on behalf of the Petitioners,
Special Tree Rehabilitation Systems Neurocare Campus. Councilman Wadsworth requested that a
sign be placed on Chase Road to prohibit commercial use during the construction of the project. Jim
Richert, spokesperson for Special Tree, reported that a sign is already in place that states,
"Commercial Vehicles Prohibited".
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Roscoe,
Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Abstain
- Makowski - Conflict of interest; son is an employee of Special
Tree.
Motion Carried
4.
Moved by Choate, seconded by Roscoe to accept the Chairperson's Report.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried
Unanimously
.
5.
Mayor's Report - Mayor Burcroff made several announcements and had remarks regarding the
following:
a.
Mayor recognized DPWWorkers for a great job on snow removal.
b.
Mayor recognized the First Responders in regards to an incident that occurred
over the weekend.
c.
Snow Emergency Information - Safety Director, John Leacher, gave an explanation and update
on "Snow Emergency" and "Code Red".
d.
The Senior Center will serve as a warming center - weekdays, 8am to 4pm.
e.
Employee Recognition - Sylvia Dubisky was recognized for her years of service at the Romulus
Senior Center.
- DPW workers - George Simko, Nicole Harvey, Dwayne Parker, David Druyor and Scott Hadyniak
for their service during the holiday break while fixing a water main break.
f.
Mayor alerted residents who have water sump pumps in their homes that there is a device that can
be purchased and added on to the sump pump that will serve as an
emergency back-up to help prevent residents from incurring large water and sewer bills; or another
possible option would be to install an electric sump pump.
g.
Senator Hopgood currently has a program showing on Romulus Cable Channel 12 at 9:00 a.m.,
12 noon and 4:00 p.m. to raise awareness regarding the opposition to the hazardous waste injection
well.
14-003 5A1.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Crout to adopt a memorial resolution for the fami-
ly of Shirley Hall.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe,
Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-004 5A2.
Moved by Crout, seconded by Abdo to adopt a memorial resolution for the family of
Reverend Richard Bell.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe,
Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
14-005 5A3.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Crout adopt a resolution acknowledging Bud
Hoffman on his 90th birthday celebration.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout,
Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
14-006 5A4.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Makowski to concur with the administration and
authorize the mayor and clerk to enter into a service contract extension (to expire October 26, 2014)
for the Department of Public Works HP Wide Format Printer/Scanner with Reprographics One Inc.
in the amount of $1,189.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe,
Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-007
5B. Moved by Roscoe, seconded by Abdo to concur wi th the
Administration and appoint Chris Dunn to the City of Romulus Housing Commission to fulfill the
term of the vacant board member position. The term will expire on February 26, 2015.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-008 5C.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Crout to concur with the administration and appoint
Sylvia Makowski to serve on the City of Romulus Municipal Library Board as the City Council
Liaison - appointment to run concurrent with her City Council term; and James Napiorkowski to
serve as resident board member with a term to expire on April 11, 2016.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
-
Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Roscoe, Wadsworth
Nays
- None.
Abstain
- Makowski.
Motion Carried.
14-009 5D.
Moved by Makowski, seconded by Choate to concur with the administration and
appoint Maria Lambert, Debra Hoffman, Ellen Craig-Bragg, Merrie Druyor, Lynn Conway, Julie
Wojtylko and Cynthia Keleman to serve on the Romulus Arts Council and Commission. All terms
to expire on November 11, 2015.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski,
Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-010 6A1.
Moved by Roscoe seconded by Makowski to approve a one-hour study session request
from Debra Hoffman, Financial Services Director for Monday, January 13, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. to
present the audited June 30, 2013 financial statements to City Council.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
-
Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried
Unanimously
.
14-011 6A2.
Moved by Abdo seconded by Roscoe to approve a one and one-half (1 ½ ) hour study
session request from Debra Hoffman, Financial Services Director for Monday, January 27, 2014 at
6:00 p.m. for a "Municipal Finance Overview" seminar, presented by the city auditors, Plante &
Moran.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-012 6A3.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Choate, to authorize the mayor and clerk to sign
an addendum to the City of Romulus contract with Municipal Code Corporation (Municode). This
is the final step in the recodification process. The addendum outlines the charges that will be
incurred to process supplements for future ordinances which will include making them available
online for the public.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe,
Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
6B.
City Treasurer, Stacy Paige, announced the winners of the 2013 Romulus Drug Task Force, Red
Ribbon Essay Contest.
7.
Public Comment - None
8.
Unfinished Business - None
9.
New Business
Councilman Wadsworth requested a list of the mayor's appointees along with their job descriptions
and salaries.
10.
Communication - None
11.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Roscoe to adjourn the regular meeting of the Romulus City
Council.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
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 January 6,
2014.
Publish
: January 23, 2014
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CANTON
INVITATION TO BID
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Charter Township of Canton, 1150 Canton Center S, Canton, Michigan will accept sealed bids
at the Office of the Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. Thursday, February 6, 2014 for the following:
2014 SIDEWALK REPAIR and GAP PROGRAM
Bids may be picked up at the Canton Township Engineering Department 2nd floor. A nonrefundable fee of Fifty ($50.00) will be charged
for the bid packet picked up or sixty-five ($65.00) if mailed (checks or money orders only - Payable to the Charter Township of Canton,
no cash). Bid documents are on file and available for review at Construction Association of Michigan, Reed Construction Data, McGraw
Hill Construction Dodge, and Construction News Service of Michigan, Inc. Contact Erika A. Hidalgo at: 734/394-5158 for any ques-
tions on the project. All bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked with the proposal name, company name, address
and telephone number and date and time of bid opening. The Township reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals. The
Township does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provi-
sion of services.
TERRY G. BENNETT, CLERK
Publish 01/23/14
EC012314-0869 2.5 x 2.466
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CANTON
ACCESS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS
The Charter Township of Canton will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services, such as signers for the hearing impaired
and audio tapes of printed materials being considered at the meeting, to individuals with disabilities at the meeting/hearing upon two
weeks notice to the Charter Township of Canton. 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 23, 2014
EC012314-0865 2.5 x 1.557
in a beautiful spot, she said.
A guard who saw her sitting to
rest her weary legs. He put her in a
line of senior citizens ahead of the
crowd. Once again, she said, the
help she found during the trip,
from strangers, had to be the result
of divine intervention. “When I
saw him (Mandela) as I passed by, I
just said, 'Thank you Jesus, what a
privilege to be here'” she said. One
of the event organizers also took
Galloway Blake aside when she
noticed her difficulty walking and
allowed her a special seat near the
casket.
She said made so many new
friends at junctures in her journey,
all willing to help her and provide
her with special treatment and
help in her unforgettable experi-
ence. One of those experiences
took place in a park far below
whereMr. Mandela's body lay.
“It was such a beautiful garden,
so pristine and lovely. I did what I
toldmy daughter I would do before
I left home. I put the little South
African flag a new friend had given
me into the ground and I kissed the
soil of Africa,” she said.
She was surprised at the west-
ernization of the country, she said,
with six-lane highways and
upscale automobiles and the west-
erndress of the people.
“I said, 'This is Africa. It doesn't
look anything like the way it is
shown onTV,'” she said.
She wrote a poem for the family,
and while in line near the home
where Mr. Mandela died, actually
encountered a member of the fam-
ilywho said shewould give it to the
rest of the family.
“Everyone said the entire fami-
lywas gone, already, on the 10-hour
drive to the funeral, but this
woman was there and saw me,”
she said, once again crediting
divine intervention for her access
to theMandela family.
She visited thememorials toMr.
Mandela and to other anti-
apartheid heroes and visited
Mandela Square, a huge shopping
mall where a 20-foot statue of Mr.
Mandela is installed.
“I looked around and I said, this
is what Mandela did, there are all
colors, races, Indians, Blacks,
Whites, all here, together,” she
said.
She arrived home on Tuesday,
Dec. 17, only nine days after she
knewshe had tomake the trip.
“It was God's will, I know that,”
she said. “He was there every step
of theway.”
Journey
FROM PAGE 1
I said,
‘This is Africa.
It doesn't look
anything like
the way it
is shown on TV.’
”
I
NKSTER
- R
OMULUS
Jacqueline Galloway Blake
Chamber event rescheduled
The Inkster Chamber of Commerce has
been forced to reschedule the 15th Annual
Business Community Networking Mixer that
was planned for Jan. 28 at the Booker Dozier
RecreationComplex.
The roof of the recreation building col-
lapsed during the recent inclement weather
and heavy snowfall, forcing chamber officials
to reorganize the event.
When a new date and or venue is selected,
the chamber will mail out invitations and infor-
mation, according to a chamber spokesperson.
For more information, contact the chamber
office at (734) 553-1391.
operational in cold weather. Burcroff said
the city's recreation master plan will be
updated.
The mayor said even more emphasis will
be placed on the success of the Romulus
Athletic Center (RAC). He announced the
creation of the Romulus Indoor Winter
Olympics, a competition for children ages 3
to 14 Feb. 17-18 at the RAC. He said the pro-
gramwill help keep young people active dur-
ing theirwinter break fromschool.
CommunityOutreach
Improving community outreach is anoth-
er of Burcroff's campaign promises that has
been fulfilled, he said. He appointed staff to
improve communication with the public,
hearing concerns, providing assistance and
heading off issues before they escalate.
Improved communications and trans-
parency are two other goals. The mayor said
the city website, www.romulusgov.com, and
the
city
Facebook
page,
www.facebook.com/cityofromulus, will be
usedmore formessages to the public.
The mayor's office will reach out to busi-
nesses each month as department head
meetings go on the road, visiting a different
business each month. The road visits will
allow department heads to learnmore about
local businesses and let business people
knowwhat's going on in the city.
Public Safety
Burcroff announced that non-violent
crime was down 15 percent in 2013, while
violent crimewas down 13 percent.
Police officers are working with commu-
nity outreach staff to create more neighbor-
hood watch programs citywide. The mayor
said 18 groups have already expressed inter-
est in the program.
The mayor announced that the city has
received a grant for $729,465 to hire more
firefighters. He said the city will use the
funds to employ three more full-time fire-
fighters and three more part-time firefight-
ers - without having to provide a match for
the funds.
Expanding fire services is important to
meet the needs of the large community, he
said.
Budget and finance
The mayor said the city works with a five-
year budget forecast. announced that an
audit by Plante & Moran revealed that the
city has a “stable fund balance” - also known
as a rainy-day fund - of 17 percent. While the
amount is more than the auditor's recom-
mendation for a community, the goal is for
the city to remain financially sound.
“You can't just run a business by the seat
of your pants, just like you can't run govern-
ment by the seat of your pants,” Burcroff
said. “We have a four-year term and have a
five-year plan… We'll have a strong budget
projection aswemove forward.”
In addition, he said city officials are on
pace to spend about $1 million less than the
amount budgeted for the current fiscal year.
“That's pretty good,” he said. “That's the
way you want to run a business and the way
to run city hall.”
Growth in theCity
Burcroff said Romulus is a community
that has plenty of undeveloped land and
wants to do everything possible to attract
businesses and home builders to the city. He
said staff meets with potential developers
and presents a “fast track” method of eco-
nomic development that will use tools in
placewhile simplifying the process.
He also raved about improvements at the
Romulus Public Library and the service pro-
vided at the Romulus Senior Center, calling
both important assets to the city.
Coming Enhancements
Burcroff gave examples of enhancements
that will have an impact in the city in 2014.
He said the Goddard Road repaving proj-
ect in downtown Romulus is the largest road
project receiving federal aid in Wayne
County. The project will include streetscape
improvements, including traffic lights, side-
walks - “a complete fresh look.”
In addition, the World War I monument
currently at Goddard and Shook will be relo-
cated to the downtown Pavilion at Romulus
Historical Park. Plants and additional beau-
tificationwillmake the area complete.
He said the city needs to improve signage
at entryways to the city, saying the right
brand will provide the right image for the
city.
“Perception is everything,” he said. “We
need to do a better job of marking the entry
points to our city. It's good for business, good
for residents and good for our identity.”
Message
FROM PAGE 1