No. 28
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
July 12 – 18, 2018
w w w . a s s o c i a t e d n e w s p a p e r s . n e t
Wayne Downtown Days
will include three days of
live music, art and merchant
sales today through Saturday
throughout the city.
See page 3.
State budget funding is
helping the Northville
District Library add a new
chapter to the services and
facilities at the 22-year-old
building downtown.
See page 4.
Vol. 133, No. 28
Vol. 71, No. 28
Vol. 71, No. 28
Vol. 18, No. 28
Romulus residents will
see a slight increase in water
rates, after an effort to reject
the new rates failed on a tie
vote of members of the city
council.
See page 2.
Vol. 133, No. 28
Vol. 71, No. 28
Vol. 71, No. 28
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Mayor William R. Wild
has joined bipartisan may-
ors from across the country
calling for the immediate
reunification of immigrant
childrenwith their families.
See page 3.
The
61st
Annual
Distinguished Young Women
of Michigan Scholarship
Program will take place at 6
p.m. July 21, at The Village
Theater at CherryHill.
See page 5.
Vol. 18, No. 16
The Inkster Police
Department will be among
law enforcement agencies
throughout the country who
will participate in the
National Night Out this year.
See page 5.
State funding will allow
the Plymouth library to
improve computer skill sets,
complete school assignments
and create and edit video
with upgraded computers
and software.
See page 4.
Twenty five Civil War sol-
diers from the City of
Belleville and the townships
of Sumpter and Van Buren
were honored in a ceremony
at the Veterans Memorial at
HorizonPark.
See page 2.
Plymouth City Commission-
ers took action last week to rat-
ify a settlement agreement
regarding past fire department
legacy costs. The move, long
delayed and the subject of
much apprehension by town-
ship officials, proved to affirm
their desire to build a cohesive
relationship with Plymouth
Township.
Township officials, suspi-
cious of the city procrastina-
tion after a $1.1 million settle-
ment agreement was negotiat-
ed, filed a lawsuit against the
city just days before the city
commissioners acted. The law-
suit was filed to protect the
township interest in the years-
long debacle. This was the sec-
ond lawsuit filed against the
city alleging the breach of a
1994 Intergovernmental Fire
services Agreement (IGA). The
IGA was the formal agreement
between the city and township
that regulated the now defunct
Plymouth Community Fire
Department that operated
between 1994 and 2010.
The two municipalities
were on track to resolve the
final issues regarding remain-
ing health care costs owed to
the township but could not
amicably reconcile differences
that reached a crescendo in
years past. Former Township
Treasurer Ron Edwards stead-
fastly insisted a $3.7 to $4 mil-
lion amount would be required
to settle the 17-year-old agree-
ment and convinced the town-
ship board members to vote to
cease making any agreements
with the city until after the
August 2016 election.
With the 2016 election aside,
the new township administra-
tion fostered a fresh relation-
ship with the city commission
and settlement appeared
imminent. The desire to mend
bridges with city officials was
evident during negotiations,
officials commented.
In June 2017, city officials
agreed to a submit partial pay-
ments to the township in the
amount of $330,558.22 to cover
four years of the retiree health
care obligations from 2012 to
2015, settling the medical por-
tion of the dispute. The city
The desire to mend bridges
with city officials was evident
during negotiations, officials commented.
”
City, township settle benefit dispute
Voters in the City of Romulus
will be asked to approve a ballot
proposal that would provide
funding to maintain the current
level of fire andpolice services in
the community - and to avoid cuts
in essential services.
Members of the City Council
voted unanimously June 11 to
place a proposed charter amend-
ment on the Nov. 6 ballot. The
proposal seeks 4 mills annually
for a period of five years to be uti-
lized strictly for fire and police
services.
City officials said fire and
police services make up more
than two-thirds of the city gener-
al fund budget. Romulus Mayor
LeRoy D. Burcroff said public
safety is a vital service that gov-
ernment provides. Failure to
approve the millage increase
would lead to cuts in funding for
fire, police and other essential
services.
“We're asking residents to
invest in public safety,” Burcroff
said. “By law, the millage funds
could only be used to help sup-
port fire andpolice services.”
History has led to the current
financial situation, officials said.
When Romulus incorporated as
a city in 1970, the City Charter
called for 10 mills to fund local
government in what was largely
then a farming community. When
the full-time police department
was formed in 1983, there was no
increase in the millage rate.
When the full-time fire depart-
ment was formed in 1999, again,
there was no increase in themill-
age rate, officials explained.
While the number of city
employees, firefighters and
police officers has decreased, the
demands on first responders
have significantly increased,
according to city incident reports.
Ten years ago, there were 30
firefighters (15 full-time and 15
paid on call). Today, there are
Supervisory employees in
the City of Westland now have a
newcontract.
Members of the city council
approved the newcollective bar-
gaining agreement at their July
2 regularmeeting.
Westland and United Auto
Workers (UAW) Local 174, repre-
senting 15 general and public
works employees, negotiated the
new 4.5-year union contract.
Key benefits include a 1 percent
wage increase, a change in opti-
cal insurance and a two-day
increase in the number of
allowedpersonal business days.
Remaining in place are
tiered wage provisions and
other benefits which will take
new hires and employees with
less seniority longer to achieve.
The top pay grade will also
require more seniority to
achieve.
With a goal of reducing city
“legacy costs,” effective July 1,
all employees in a MERS
Defined Benefit Plan will
increase their pre-tax wage con-
tribution from 5 to 6 percent.
The Defined Benefit Plan will
be closed to new hires hired on
or after July 1. This will help
with the overall financial city
liability, according to Mayor
WilliamR.Wild.
“The city continues to work
collaboratively with our unions
to help reduce the liability of
legacy costs while honoring the
hard work our employees do,
daily, in service of the residents
ofWestland,” commentedWild.
See
Settlement,
page 4
See
Millage,
page 2
Read on
Library attracts
readers of all ages
Atreyee Dhar of Canton
brought daughter, Rohini
Saha, 2 1/2, to the Canton
Public Library for some learn-
ing and fun. The children sat
on the floor and played with
toys, as their parents helped
with the aid of library staff and
volunteers at “ABC Activity
Time”.
Jack Visnaw of the library,
who manages youth librarians,
is glad the youth area is a pop-
ular destination for young
learners.
“This is your opportunity to
socialize with someone who's
not in the family,” Visnawsaid.
Library storytimes vary but
all encourage both reading to
learn and for fun. One is
designed for children from
newborn to age 5 with family
members welcome. Others are
more specific, such as a baby
storytime for up to age 18
months as well as one for chil-
dren 3 1/2 to 5 with stronger
language skills.
The library on Canton
Center Road south of the town-
ship Administration Building
has been remodeled several
times, with an early 2016 reno-
vation of the children's area.
“It was kind of time for a
refresher. Also evaluating what
were our patrons' needs,”
Visnawsaid.
A corner area boasts booths
to help with meeting, talking
and studying, which some
adults also use. Visnaw noted
youth computers were former-
ly in “pockets” and have been
centralized to helppatrons and
bettermonitor computer use.
“Can you help me? I'm try-
ing to print something,” is one
question staff members hear
often, and they are happy to
help.
“We're really visible so peo-
ple are encouraged to ask
questions,” he said.
One picture book on display
for checkout tells of brave
Alabama children who helped
the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. and others attainmore
rights for African Americans.
Other books tell of people
around the world, their reli-
gions, along with international
language and cultures.
Visnaw noted that patrons
of varied ages get help with
issues with “political unrest or
someone who comes from a
different economic back-
ground where they've had to
struggle.”
Mom Atreyee Dhar of Canton plays with daughter, Rohini Saha, 2 1/2, at the Canton Public Library
“ABC Activity Time.”
We're asking residents
to invest in public safety.
”
Public safety millage on Romulus ballot
See
Library,
page 5
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Julie Brown
Special Writer
Union and Westland agree on contract
