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SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
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ICHIGAN
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AGE
2
March 12, 2015
N
ORTHVILLE
- P
LYMOUTH
Board OK’s new computers
Sweet treat
Syrup season begins at Maybury Farm
Film fest entries sought
Plymouth Township will spend
$219,275 to upgrade the financial manage-
ment software at the administration build-
ing.
The expense was approved at the
recent meeting of the board of trustees by
a 6-1 vote with Trustee Chuck Curmi vot-
ing in opposition to the purchase.
The new software, to be installed by
BS&E Software, will replace a 22-year-old
system and allow the use of credit cards
and online bill payment of taxes andwater
bills. The approved payment will include
software, installation, training, data con-
version and support of the system.
The new system was proposed by
Treasurer Ron Edwards who told the
trustees in a letter that the current system
was cumbersome and difficult to learn
and did not have the ability to prepare
specific reports, track projects or prepare
budgets.
He said that the new $200,000 system
will provide those features, prepare prop-
erty taxes, special assessments, utility
billing, dog licensing, accounts payable,
generate purchase orders and includes
several other features. The installation of
the new system is expected to take about 9
months.
every single call that exceed 30 seconds is
addressed. He said that the report is
reviewed with the dispatchers and that a
written report is sent to City of Plymouth
Chief of Police Al Cox. Cox also serves on
the Fire Advisory Board and reports to
Sincock.
“Sometimes it takes longer than 30 sec-
onds to determine if a response is needed,
like the case of a carbon monoxide detec-
tor that was going off but now stopped.”
Brothers explained.
In 2010, after the acrimonious dissolu-
tion of the joint fire department with
Plymouth Township, Sincock recommend-
ed the city commission authorize payment
to ICMA to create the Emergency Services
Review. The joint agreement with
Plymouth Township for fire and EMS
services established in 1995 generated
$950,000 annually to the township for
emergency services. The dissolution of the
inter-governmental operation has caused
an ongoing disagreement between the
communities regarding the financial obli-
gation of the city to the township for pen-
sion costs accrued while the joint opera-
tion existed.
The City of Plymouth followed the rec-
ommendation of the ICMA consulting
teamwhich included LeonardMatarese, a
retired Miami Florida police officer; Ken
Chelist, an engineering management pro-
fessor from Wayne State University and
Jerry Zapolnik, Huron Valley Ambulance
chief operating officer, when the
Northville Fire Department on-call fire-
fightermodel was adopted.
Sincock'smemo says while the dispatch
center is “taking nearly two minutes to
process emergent calls…this is a signifi-
cant improvement over the ICMA 2010
report which showed that call processing
took threeminutes.”
“Beyond politics, our officers have a
good working relationship with the City of
Plymouth. If there's ever an issue, it's
always resolved. We back up each other
every day,” Tiderington said.
Sincock said he was not familiar with
Brothers' monthly Fire Department Issues
Report sent toCox.
“The city and the township…. regularly
work together onmany projects, many you
knownothing about,” Sincock said.
“Let me say this, it's a work in
progress,” he said of his memo regarding
the dispatch operation. “It's an ongoing
process of improvement.”
“Don't drive a wedge where a wedge
isn't needed.”
Sincock insisted Cox was “unavailable
for comment.”
Entries are now being accepted for the
5th Annual Reel Michigan Film Festival
planned for downtownNorthville in June.
The event is part of the Arts and Acts
Festival and will feature a diverse collec-
tion of Michigan-made short films begin-
ning at 5 p.m. followed by a question and
answer sessionwith filmmakers.
Reel Michigan will accept Michigan-
made orMichigan-themed short films, less
than 20 minutes in length until the dead-
line April 17. All film genres are eligible,
from student films to the experimental,
organizers said. The entry form is avail-
able at
cial-events/reel-michigan/.
One of the rites of spring is about to
begin at Maybury Farm in Northville
with the annualMaple SyrupTours.
The tours include a hayride to the
sugar bush to see how the maple trees
are tapped and the sap is collected.
Visitors will help take the sap back to the
evaporator at the Sugar Shack andwatch
as maple syrup is being made. The tour
not only includes step-by-step instruc-
tions in themaking of the sweet treat, but
participantswill share in the process.
After the tour, visitors can warm up
with a cup of hot cocoa in the Welcome
Center where Michigan-made maple
syrup is for sale and free maple syrup
recipeswill be distributed.
Tours leave promptly at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
each Saturday and Sunday through
March 29. Executive Director of the
Northville Foundation Jessica Striegle
said that the tours are a huge attraction
at the farm every year and hundreds of
families participate.
“Don'tmiss out,” she cautioned.
Admission is $6 per person and chil-
dren younger than 2 are admitted at no
fee. Striegle suggested visitors dress
warmly andwear boots.
Maybury Farm is located at 50165
Eight Mile Road in Northville. It is 1-1/4
milewest of BeckRoad onEight Mile, 1/2
mile west of Maybury State Park. Enter
at the Maybury Farm sign, do not enter
the StatePark. Parking is free.
Maybury Farm is operated by the
Northville Community Foundation, a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
MayburyFarmis a historic farmthat pro-
vides interactive educational opportuni-
ties for the public. For more information
visit
-
tion.org or
/
maybury.farm.
Times
FROM PAGE 1
Visitors enjoy seeing the sap flow from maple trees at Maybury Farm.
