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EWSPAPERS OF
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March 13, 2014
B
ELLEVILLE
- R
OMULUS
Downtown Romulus will have new look
Downtown Romulus will have a
significantly different look by the
end of the year.
Members of the city council
approved funding last week for sev-
eral projects that will improve city
streets and sidewalks, make the
downtown area more pedestrian-
friendly, and bring streetscape
enhancements to the core of the
community.
“We're being very proactive in
moving Romulus forward,” said
Council President JohnBarden.
The largest project is the recon-
struction of Goddard Road from
Romaine Street to Wayne Road. It
will be constructed in two phases,
with the first being complete before
the annual Pumpkin Festival. In
addition to a complete reconstruc-
tion of the road, there will be work
on the water main and other infra-
structure. The sidewalks in the
downtown will be widened and dec-
orative pavers will be added, along
with additional streetscape features
like decorative lighting and crossing
signals, crosswalks and improve-
ments at street corners. Wayne
Road will also be widened and get a
dedicated turn lane as part of the
project, said Project Manager Scott
Evans.
Grant Street will also be recon-
structed from the Five-Points inter-
section toHuronRiverDrive.
On Wayne Road, a pedestrian
pathway will be created from
Huron Street underneath I-94 and
the railroad tracks to about 500 feet
north of Goddard Road, where it
will connect with the existing side-
walk. That project, a cooperative
effort between Wayne County, the
Department of Transportation and
the city, will include decorative
retaining walls along the embank-
ments along with rapid-flash bea-
cons with push button activators at
the entrance ramp crossings.
Other road and sidewalk work
will take place throughout the com-
munity, too.
The majority of the work will be
funded through federal, state and
county sources. The city will pay for
about $6million, whichwill be fund-
ed by bonds and repaid through the
water and sewer fund, the major
and local street fund, and the
Downtown Development Authority
fund. No money will be spent from
the general fund, and city officials
said they don't expect any increase
in taxes to cover the cost. All togeth-
er, the city will pay about $450,000
annually for 20 years, although that
figurewill be reducedwhen some of
those projects are paid off after 10
years. The council approved the
sale of bonds for the work, which
has been planned since June of last
year as the regular meeting March
3.
“These are exciting projects,”
said Councilwoman Sylvia
Makowski. “It'smoneywell spent.”
Traffic will be open to downtown
throughout the scope of the proj-
ects, said Robert McRaight, public
services director for Romulus, and
the business owners will be
informed at all phases of thework.
“Projects like these are great for
the long term, but in the short term
they're very difficult for the business
community,” he said. “We want to
make sure their customers can get
to them.”
“It should not be as bad as the
previous time we redid the road,”
added Councilman William
Wadsworth.
The Goddard and Grant road
projects should be complete this
year and the pathway should be
complete next year.
Barden said the projects will
greatly enhance the look of the
downtown.
“It's pretty exciting,” he said. “It
may even bring interest and addi-
tional businesses back into down-
townRomulus.”
the Landing Strip Bar in Romulus
and Subi's Place in Southgate. The
results of the investigation were
never turned over to the Wayne
County Prosecutor's Office and the
supervisor of the Romulus Special
Investigations Unit was never
apprised of the activities of the
accused, according to Prosecutor
KymWorthy.
Prosecutors alleged in their
court case that in connection with
this fraudulent investigation,
Channells and Droge, along with
other detectives, engaged in solici-
tation of prostitutes for personal
gratification, embezzled City of
Romulus funds, filed false police
reports, neglected their duty and
committed misconduct in office.
Prosecutors also told the jurymem-
bers that Channells authored and
submitted a false police report
detailing certain facts and circum-
stances surrounding the undercov-
er operation at Subi's Place.
Former chief St. Andre and
three other detectives, Richard
Allan Balzer, Richard Bruce
Landry and Donald Ralph
Hopkins, were also charged in the
corruption investigation and jury
trials are scheduled to begin July 7.
St. Andre's wife, Sandra St.
Andre, was also charged in the case
and was convicted by a jury Jan. 27
of conspiring in a criminal enter-
prise, receiving and concealing
stolen property and filing false
income tax returns. She was sen-
tenced Feb. 20 to 7-20 years in
prison with restitution still to be
determined. comes of the couple.
Prosecutors proved that she
used the drug forfeiture funds to
purchase and operate a tanning
salon inWestland.
Cops
FROM PAGE 1
The City of Belleville budget is
on sound financial ground accord-
ing to Plante Moran, the independ-
ent financial accounting firm for
the city.
In a report presented to mem-
bers of the Belleville City Council
last month, representatives from
Plante Moran noted that outside
auditing firm, Alan C. Young &
Associates, had no suggestions for
improvements in the city budget
and found no deficiencies in the
documents which showed a $2.2
million general fund and a general
fundbalance of $682,769.
The report was presented by
Brian Camiller, CPA and Senior
Manager of PlanteMoran, who said
that the indicators in the budget
were good, something that has
improved significantly from five
years ago.
He did say that the city pensions
are funded at only 60 percent and
told the members of the city coun-
cil that those liabilities should be
addressed.
He also suggested that long term
planning is needed in the water
and sewer budget and adjustments
for those plans be included in
adjusted rates.
Camiller noted that city officials
should consider preparing a one-
year budget, a budget for a second
year and a five-year financial fore-
cast.
City financial officer Kelly
Howey, a former PlanteMoran con-
sultant, said the city budget process
will begin thismonth.
The Plante Moran team also
cautioned the city council that
funding should be put aside for
future needs such as capital costs
and improvements and post-
employment costs.
Mayor Kerreen Conley said it
was good news to receive a favor-
able audit report.
Camiller noted that city officials should
consider preparing a one-year budget,
a budget for a second year and
a five-year financial forecast.
”
Belleville city budget is sound