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February 13, 2014
MINUTES OF REGULAR ROMULUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
January 27, 2014
Romulus City' Hall Council Chambers. 11111 Wayne Rd. Romulus, M1 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, Linda Choate, Harry Crout, Celeste Roscoe. Excused:
Sylvia Makowski, William Wadsworth.
Administrative Officials in Attendance:
LeRoy D. Burcroff, Mayor
Ellen L. Craig-Bragg, Clerk
Stacy Paige. Treasurer
l.
Moved by Choate, seconded by Roscoe to accept the agenda as presented.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
-
Abdo, Barden. Choate. Crout, Roscoe.
Nays
– None.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
14-023 2A.
Moved by Roscoe, seconded by Abdo to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of
the Romulus City Council held on January 13, 2014.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Crout.
Choate Roscoe.
Nays
– None.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
3A.
Petitioner:
Paul Stanford, Housing Counselor, Community Housing Network, and (a non-profit organization)
located in Wayne, MI, provided information regarding the Network's Foreclosure Prevention
Program and other services,
14-024 4A
. Moved by Roscoe, seconded by Crout to concur with the administration and appoint the
following persons to the Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee: Linda Choate, Stacy Paige,
Julie Wojtylko, Maria Lambert, Abbie Akins, Jerry Frayer, and John Leacher.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Crout, Choate Roscoe.
Nays
– None.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
4.
Moved by Choate, seconded by Crout to accept the Chairperson's Report.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
-
Abdo, Barden, Choate. Crout, Roscoe.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
14-025 5A1.
Moved by Choate, seconded by trout to adopt a resolution recognizing Brian McNeil as
the 2013 Brownstown Township Firefighter of the Year.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo. Barden,
Choate, Crout. Roscoe. -
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
14-026 5A2
. Moved by Roscoe, seconded by Abdo to adopt a memorial resolution for the family of'
James Hollis, Sr.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate. Crout, Roscoe.
Nays
–-None.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
14-027 5A.
Moved by Abdo, seconded by Crout to concur with the administration and approve a
three (3) year extension of the existing service contract for auditing and consultant services with
Plane and Moran with Headlee inflationary increases annually for audit services following the June
30, 20 14 audit.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
– Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout. Roscoe.
Nays
– None.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
14-028 5B.
Moved by Choate, seconded by Roscoe to adopt a resolution to authorize the mayor and
clerk to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with Wayne County for the Goddard Road
Resurfacing Project ('West Airport Service Drive to Merriman Road), cost not to exceed 10% of total
construction cost, which is estimated at $44,032.00.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate.
Crout, Roscoe.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
14-029 5C.
Moved by Roscoe, seconded by Crout to concur with the administration and approve the
anticipated 2014/2015 CDBG allocation and proposed projects.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo,
Barden, Choate, Crout, Roscoe.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
14-030 5D.
Moved by Choate, seconded by Roscoe to concur with the administration and approve
the re-appointment of Judy LaPorte to the Officer Compensation Commission with a term to expire
on December 31, 2020.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden. Choate, Crout. Roscoe.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
14-031 5E.
Moved by Abdo, seconded by Crout to approve the re-appointment of Frederick Hay,
Gerald B. Wendland, Virgil Varner, Terrell Bird, Sheldon Chandler, William Crane and Mark
Lewkowicz to the City of Romulus (-Historical Commission with terms to expire on December 29,
20 15.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate. Crout, Roscoe.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried
Unanimously.
14-032 5F.
Moved by Roscoe, seconded by Choate to introduce Budget Amendment 13/14-9 to set
up an expense account for the Local 4126 retiree insurance benefits "buy-out" per Council Resolution
#13-336.
FUND/DEPT.
CURRENT AMENDED
ACCOUNT NO. ACCOUNT NAME
BUDGET
AMENDMENT BUDGET
RETIREE HEALTH CARE FUND
Expense
678-8110-881.79-96
"OPEB "Buy-outs"
0
84,500
84,500
Retained Earnings
Retirees Ins. Benefits Fund
676-0000-395.00-00
Balance
2,793,739 (84,500)
2,709,239
To set-up an expense account fir the Local 4126 retiree insurance benefits "buy-out" per Council resolution #13-
336
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate. Crout, Roscoe.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried
Unanimously.
14-033 5G.
Moved by Choate, seconded by Roscoe to introduce Budget Amendment 13/14-10 to
adjust the budget to reflect the increase in building permits revenue and also to reflect an additional
Teamsters employee being used for building inspections.
FUND/DEPT.
CURRENT
AMENDED
ACCOUNT NO.
ACCOUNT NAME
BUDGET AMENDMENT BUDGET
GENERAL FUND
Revenue
101-3910-511.47-40
Building Permit Revenue
430,000
320,000
750,000
Expense
101-3910-739.70-20
Building Dept. Regular Wages 309,810
41,100
350,910
101-3910-739.71-10
Building Dept. Overtime Wages 15,000
7,000
22,000
101-3910-739.72-10
Building Dept. Social Security 23,300
3,470
26,770
101-3910-739.72-20
Building Dept. Medicare
5,450
810
6,260
101-3910-739.72-30
Building Dept. Retirement
33,290
5,420
38,710
101-3910-739.72-40
Building Dept. Health Insurance 92,500
28,710
121,210
101-3910-739.72-50
Building Dept. Dental Insurance 6,750
640
7,390
101-3910-739.72-60
Building Dept. Life Insurance
245
35
280
101-3910-739.72-70
Building Dept. Long Term Dis.
1,760
220
1,980
101-3910-739.72-80
Building Dept. Worker's Comp
2,250
100
2,350
Fund Balance
101-3910-739.72-80
General Fund Balance
2,649,055
232,495 2,881,550
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Roscoe.
Nays
-None.
Motion Carried
Unanimously.
14-034 5H.
Moved by Roscoe, seconded by Choate to introduce Budget Amendment 13/14-1 l to re-
allocate funds for the newly re-established Recreation Commission for the balance of the 2013/14
budget year.
FUND/DEPT.
CURRENT
AMENDED
ACCOUNT NO.
ACCOUNT NAME
BUDGET AMENDMENT BUDGET
GENERAL FUND
Expense
101-5110-751.70-26
Recreation Commission
0
1,530
1,530
101-5110-751.72-10
Recreation Social Security
0
95
95
101-5110-751.72-20
Recreation Medicare
0
22
22
101-5110-751.72-80
Recreation Worker's Comp
0
4
4
Expense
101-2410-724.70-20
Human Resources Regular Wages 125,376 (1,651)
123,725
To-reallocate funds for the newly
established Recreation Commission
for the balance of the 2013/14
budget year.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Roscoe.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried
Unanimously.
14-035 6A1.
Moved by Roscoe, seconded by Choate to schedule a public hearing on Monday,
February 24, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. regarding proposed amendments to the Purchasing Ordinance. The
hearing will be field in the City Hall Council Chambers, 11111 Wayne Rd. Romulus, MI.
Roll Call
Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden. Choate, Crout, Roscoe.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
6B.
Treasurer's Report - Treasurer, Stacy Paige, announced that property taxes are due on February
14, 2014.
7.
Public Comment - None.
8.
Unfinished Business - None.
9.
New Business - None.
10.
Communication -Councilwoman Roscoe announced the annual Soul Food Dinner will he held on
February 12, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. at Romulus Senior High School.
14-036 11.
Moved by Choate, seconded by Roscoe to authorize the city treasurer to disburse funds
as listed in Warrant 14-02 in the amount of $589,422.68.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden,
Choate, Crout, Roscoe.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
12.
Moved by Roscoe, seconded by Crout to adjourn the regular meeting of the Romulus City
Council.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Roscoe.
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
27, 2014.
Publish: February 13, 2014
P
LYMOUTH
Response delay prompts
change to radio system
Members of the Plymouth and Northville
FireAdvisory Boardmet last week in a regu-
lar bi-monthly session to discuss fire depart-
ment business.
This was the first meeting of themembers
since a radio communications problem last
November delayed response to a 911 call for
more than 25 minutes in the City of
Plymouth. The 60-year-old woman suffering
a heart attack subsequently died after
repeated calls from police officers at the
scene for more help were not immediately
answered.
Discussion at the meeting did not directly
address the subsequent delay and requests
for more help, but did reference the arrival
of two police officers and the HVA staff,
which occurred six minutes after the radio
dispatch, according to taped recordings of
the incident. The police officers on scene
were not-paramedics or cross-trained fire-
fighters.
Official minutes and agenda notes from
the meeting stated:
“The event was when the
fire “tones' to activate the Plymouth Station
were not broadcast over the radio resulting in
a delayed response of the Fire Department.”
(Item #10-Review of response times-PLY-
MOUTHSTATIONONLY)”
PlymouthCityManager Paul Sincock said
previously that there would be an investiga-
tion of the medical run. He said, after the
incident, that he was concerned, but not
“overly concerned” about the situation.
“It's not a matter that they didn't respond,
but that they responded in a timely fashion
when they were notified to respond,”
Sincock said at the time.
At the meeting, Sincock read aloud a pre-
pared report to the nine attendees and five
on-call firefighters in attendance.
“…the City of Plymouth has a three-tiered
level of response to medical emergencies in
Plymouth. That includes police officers, para-
medics and fire fighters.”
According to the recordings of the emer-
gency call obtained under the Freedom of
Information Act, first to arrive on the scene
were two City of Plymouth police cruisers
and the responding officers immediately
began CPR in an attempt to save thewoman,
apparently in serious cardiac arrest.
“A review of the run shows that the para-
medics from HVA were on scene in less than
three minutes, along with two medically
trained police officers. This incident indicated
that the integration of responses still was able
to provide a timely response to a medical inci-
dent, despite the fact there was a communica-
tion failure,” the official report states.
Normal operating procedures would
have required the Northville on-call fire-
fighters assigned to the downtown Plymouth
station to respond to the emergency tone
with the city-owned ambulance from the
garage at Main and Church streets to the
home of the caller, a distance of about a half
mile.
After 18 minutes with only two para-
medics and two police officers at the scene,
there had still been no response from the
Northville on-call staff, or the Plymouth city
ambulance, according to the 911 recordings,
despite repeated requests for more help
fromtheEMTs and officers.
Neither Sincock or Chairman of the Fire
Advisory Board City Commissioner Ed
Hingelberg addressed the technicalities of
the radio-dispatch problem at the meeting.
“This integration of response was designed
and provides for a timely response to medical
runs even if one element of the response team
is delayed…” the report stated. “As a result of
this event and as part of the on-going continu-
ous improvement efforts, some procedures
regarding fire”tones' on the Radio for
Plymouth have been changed. This has result-
ed increased reliability of the radio system.”
Reports show that City of Northville
responders finally arrived in the Plymouth
ambulance at the scene at 2:01 a.m., 25 min-
utes after the initial 911 call to find that the
womanhad expired.
“There are some in this room who might
put a spin on this (information) and twist it
anyway theywish,”Hingelberg said.
The DeFrain lawsuit alleged Plymouth
Township, as her employer, committed sexu-
al discrimination and marital status discrim-
ination by extending her probationary peri-
od for an extra six months. She alleged that
her involvement in a dating relationshipwith
another officer was the reason she was given
for the extension of her probationary period.
“At the time the defendant's police chief
extended plaintiff's probationary period, no
rule prohibited or otherwise regulated dat-
ing or marital relationships between two
members of the police department,” her
court pleadings alleged.
In her lawsuit, DeFrain claimed only she
was singled out for disciplinary action and
no action was taken against the male officer
with whom she was sexually involved. That
officer was one of the patrolmen who
resigned last month. His wife, formerly with
the detective bureau, was transferred to the
patrol division after the incident became
public, according to previous reports.
Sources say the police sergeant who
supervised both DeFrain and the male offi-
cer with whom she was involved was termi-
nated in mid-January for dereliction of duty
after negotiations for a separation agree-
ment failed.
“No male employee of defendant's police
department, including the male police offi-
cer who purportedly was engaged in a dating
relationship with plaintiff, was subjected to
adverse employment action by defendant for
engaging in a dating, sexual, or martial rela-
tionship with another employee of the
department,” according to DeFrain's court
pleadings.
In their court responses to the allegations,
attorneys for the township denied that
DeFrain's probation was extended due to the
sexual relationship, suggesting her job per-
formance was not up to department stan-
dards. DeFrain was hired in February, 2012
as rookie police officer.
DeFrain claimed Township Police Chief
Thomas Tiderington, at the time of the inter-
view during which he extended her proba-
tion, stated that he and police department
management thought she had adequately
demonstrated the ability to perform the job
of a swornpolice officer.
Police
FROM PAGE 1
Now in session
State Rep. Kurt Heise hosted the Rev. Steve Mateja to give the invocation at the start of
House session recently. Mateja is the associate pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel
Catholic Church (OLGC) in Plymouth. "It is an honor to have Father Mateja here in
Lansing to give the invocation for today's session," Heise said. "OLGC, both as a parish
and a school, is an anchor in our community and I am very supportive of their mission.
To be able to welcome Father Mateja here is an honor and a delight. He represents
what is good about our community and it is great to be able to have a man of his char-
acter and community standing here in Lansing with me."OLGC is the largest Catholic
Church in his district, has a K-8 school, and is one of the largest churches overall in his
area.