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EWSPAPERS OF
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ICHIGAN
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AGE
2
April 24, 2014
I
NKSTER
- W
AYNE
- W
ESTLAND
Bill would prevent retroactive municipal water charges
Wayne eliminates 3 fire department positions
Westland launches updated website with crime map
State Rep. David Knezek (D-
Dearborn Heights) has taken the
plight of several Inkster residents
to the floor of the House of
Representatives inLansing.
Knezek recently introduced
House Bill 5448, legislation that
would prevent municipally-owned
water systems from retroactively
charging Michigan residents for
water usage that was not previously
detecteddue to a defectivemeter.
“This issue was first brought to
my attention by Inkster residents,”
saidKnezek.
“When newer meters were
installed in the city, residents saw a
small increase in their water bill
due to the fact that the old meters
had become faulty and the new
meters were more accurate.
Residents I have spoken to offer no
complaints about the small
increase because they are happy to
pay for what they are using and
understand that because the old
meters were slow, their new water
bills are accurate.
“Widespread dissatisfaction
arose, however, when residents
came to find out that because their
old meters were deficient, they
were going to be assessed retroac-
tive charges.”
One Inkster resident who was
shocked to receive her retroactive
bill in the mail was Gloria Ward,
who stated, “When I opened my
water bill in January 2013, I was
shocked. How in the world could I
have run up my water bill in just
six weeks? I moved into my home
in October 2012, and by January
2013, my bill was $2,300. After
standing in a long line of angry
folks likemyself at city hall, I had to
wait until April to even get a meet-
ing with someone, and a year after
getting the bill my issue was still
not resolved. It is wrong that I
should have to pay a water bill for
people who lived in the house
before me, but I paid it anyway,”
she said.
“There are hundreds of docu-
mented cases in Inksterwhere resi-
dents are receiving water bills in
the thousands of dollars,” said
Knezek. “Some retroactive charges
date back as far as 22 years, even
before residents occupied their
homes. In such cases, people are
being asked to pay for someone
else'swater usage.
“I think we can all agree that's
not right. When residents like Ms.
Ward received their water bills,
they paid them. It's as simple as
that. Luckily, after Ms. Ward con-
tactedmy office to discuss the prob-
lem with her water bill, we were
able to work with the city to get her
account credited for the amount
she had been overcharged,” said
Knezek.
Members of the Wayne City
Council have eliminated three
positions with the combinedWayne
WestlandFireDepartment.
Deputy Chief/Fire Marshal
Shawn Bell, Capt. Kenny Joe Hines
and Capt. Ken Chapmanwill not be
replaced following their early
retirements, also approved by
council members. Bell with 20
years in the department, andHines
and Chapman, each with 24 years,
were required to purchase the
extra service time needed to
receive their full retirement bene-
fits. In this situation, the council
approved payment of the fees for
the three by the city, a total expense
of about $44,000. The expense is
expected to save the city $22,000 in
this fiscal year, officials projected
and as much at $456,484 in the
2014-15 fiscal year which begins
July 1.
According to Wayne-Westland
Fire Chief Michael Reddy, the
move will eliminate the need for
layoffs in the department. The fire
department budget, with these
retirements, and subsequent cost
savings, is now balanced, he told
the councilmembers.
“Because of the Wayne budget
constraints, we would have had to
lay off firefighters. That could
affect the merger and a future fire
authority,”Reddy said.
This is the first time, officials
said, that the city has paid the buy-
out costs for early retirements.
Westland launched a new city
websiteApril 7.
Visitors to the site will experi-
ence dramatically increased usabili-
ty and ease of navigation which is a
complete makeover of the previous
version, according to the office of
Mayor William Wild. The website
upgrade will be compatible with
mobile devices without requiring
users to download amobile-app.
The updated website includes a
new interactive crimemap included
among the upgraded features.
The newwebsite comes with sev-
eral benefits and enhanced services
for Westland residents. For public
safety, the interactive and near-real
time crime map will keep residents
updated on incidents and allow
police to collect tips and analyze
crime trends faster.
Another new feature will be the
ability for residents to make online
service requests, and the ability to
track the status of their questions
and requests for service. The new
website also offers streamlined pay-
ments for residents' water and tax
bills, which will make the process
easier for those looking to pay their
bills online.
“The most important part of the
new and improved website is that
residentswill experience better cus-
tomer service and user-friendliness
and be able to conduct city business
24 hours a day from their home or
mobile devices” said Wild, “We are
very excited for residents to start
taking advantage of its upgrades.”
Visitors will also enjoy a more
user-friendly community calendar,
an interactive parkmapwith ameni-
ties search function, and the ability
to schedule building inspections
online.
The web-address for the new site
will remain the same as the previ-
ous site, www.CityofWestland.com.
The crime map can be accessed
from the homepage of www.city-
ofwestland.com, the same web
address of the previous site.
“The best part about this pro-
gram is that it allows for community
involvement,” said Police Chief Jeff
Jedrusik. “Knowledge is power, and
arming our residents with the
power to help protect themselves is
a win-win situation for everyone
involved.”
Residents will now be able to
search the same databases used by
the Westland Police Department to
learn what is going on in their
neighborhoods. Users of the site can
search by crime types, date ranges,
and create custom geographic bor-
ders for their queries.
In addition to the research tools
offered by the site, residents will be
able to receive email “crime alerts”
based on the location and types of
crimes they specify, and trend
reports regarding criminal activity.
“Public safety has always been a
top priority for our community, and
the new interactive crime map is
another way to continue that com-
mitment to our residents,” said
Wild. “This new feature will help
our police officers better serve resi-
dents and keep our neighborhoods
safe.”
Truck sale falls through
Wayne still owns a 100-foot aerial ladder
truck officials had hoped to sell to Inkster
and will continue to make semi-annual pay-
ments of $53,000 on the vehicle.
The city still owes $825,000 of the $1 mil-
lion borrowed to purchase the 2007 E-One
134-foot Bronto on a 2014 Cyclone chassis
truck City officials had hoped Inkster could
use a Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) grant of $800,000 to purchase
the truck, but FEMA denied the plan,
according to Wayne-Westland Fire Chief
Michael Reddy, who also serves as the
Inkster chief.
Reddy said theFEMA grant specifications
allowed for the purchase of a used vehicle,
so the basis for the denial of the plan by the
federal agencywas unclear.
Inkster officials have proceeded with
ordering a new truck built to specifications
using the FEMA grant funding. The Wayne
truck has a bucket while the new vehicle
orderedby Inkster does not, Reddy said.
The new Inkster truck, which does have a
100-foot ladder, will not be delivered for
about eightmonths, according toReddy.