No. 29
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
July 20 – 26, 2017
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 City Manager Lisa
Nocerini has clarified budg-
et deficit figures in a story
published last week regard-
ing a court decision on
retiree health care premi-
ums.
See page 4.
The Northville Parks and
Recreation Department is
one step closer to being
under the administrative
domain of Northville
Township rather than the
City ofNorthville.
See page 5.
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Vol. 70, No. 29
Vol. 70, No. 29
Vol. 17, No. 29
The Romulus Arts
Council is currently seeking
art for the annual Romulus
PumpkinFestival guide book
from students from pre-
school through 12th grade.
See page 3.
Vol. 132, No. 29
Vol. 70, No. 29
Vol. 70, No. 29
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Members of the Westland
City Council approved a
$220,000 project to fund the
replacement of seven base-
ball field fencing systems at
Jaycee and Voss parks.
See page 4.
Canton Township is about
three years ahead of predic-
tions for pre-recession tax-
able home values, according
to auditors from Plante
Moran.
See page 5.
Vol. 17, No. 29
The Inkster Legends
Basketball Camp is seeking
information about former
students and players for
inclusion on the website of
the organization.
See page 6.
Plymouth
Township
Supervisor Kurt Heise was
elected to the Transportation
Coordinating Council for the
Southeast Michigan Council
of Governments.
See page 5.
Santa will be vacationing
in downtownBelleville today
and tomorrow, July 20 and 21
and local businesses are
offering bargains, seasonal
treats and children's activi-
ties.
See page 3.
Members of the Romulus
City Council took action last
week to keep up with the
aggressive timeline needed to
bring an Amazon distribution
facility to the city.
The city approved an
Intergovernmental Road
Development Agreement
between
Seefried
Development Services, the
Detroit Regional Aerotropolis
Development Corp., the
Romulus Tax Increment
Financing Authority (TIFA) and
Amazon.comDEDC, LLC, a sub-
sidiary of Amazon.com to fund
the road improvements neces-
sary for the development.
The development includes
an 865,000 square-foot building
that will be constructed on 85
acres of land Ecorse, east of
Vining Road that will be used
as an Amazon distribution cen-
ter. The project will require the
reconstruction and expansion
of Ecorse Road as well as sig-
nificant improvements to
Vining Road that will cost
about $14million.
The agreement stipulates
that Wayne County will con-
tribute $1.6 million. The city
will sell bonds to fund the road
improvements, but the bond
payments will be paid through
the taxes generated by the
development.
City
Attorney
Steve
Hitchcock said the agreement
also stipulates that both
Amazon.comDEDC, LLC and
the Amazon parent company
have agreed to make any por-
tion of the bond payments, if
the tax revenues prove insuffi-
cient.
“We'll have both those enti-
ties on the hook to make short-
fall payments if they were to
occur,” he said. “There is some
potential risk because we're
doing a 15-year bond and we're
See
Amazon,
page 3
We'll have both those entities
on the hook to make
shortfall payments if they were to occur.
”
Romulus OK’s Amazon road upgrade bonds
Plymouth Township Fire
Station No. 2, which serves the
largest subdivision in the town-
ship, may reopen as early as
August.
According to an official state-
ment from the office of
Supervisor Kurt Heise, a long-
discussed and negotiated inter-
governmental agreement with
Northville Township was finally
approved by members of the
township board of trustees last
week, which will allow staffing
at the fire station.
Fire Station No. 2 was been
closed since 2012 at the direc-
tion of previous township offi-
cials who also reduced fire
department staffing by more
than half. One of Heise's cam-
paign promises when seeking
election last year was an effort
to reopen the station and
improve the fire and emergency
response in the township.
The members of the board
also recently approved the hir-
ing of three new firefighters in
the township, a necessary mini-
mum step to manning the sta-
tion adequately, according to
Fire Chief DanPhillips, who has
been involved in the plans for
reopening the station.
Trustees and critics of the
agreement have expressed con-
cerns and argued that it is nebu-
lous and vague and does not
define a set procedure for the
joint dispatch between the two
communities. The agreement
does not have a defined plan for
mutual aid that addresses the
role of Huron Valley Ambulance
(HVA) with the new reciprocal
agreement. HVA is not licensed
to operate in Northville
Township and each community
operates an independent dis-
patch center. HVA currently
handles the majority of hospital
transport for Plymouth
Township, without a contract or
forma agreement.
The agreement, which is to
be considered by Northville
Township officials tonight, will
allow the sharing of the fire sta-
tionby the two communities.
Under the innovative region-
al cooperation agreement, both
townships will each have two
emergency vehicles and two
firefighters housed at Station 2
to respond to emergencies in
both communities using stan-
dardmutual aidprotocols.
“Re-opening Station 2 will
improve emergency response
times throughout both commu-
nities, saving lives and protect-
ing property,” said Heise.
“Public safety is the core func-
tion of local government, and
what our hardworking taxpay-
ers expect,” he added.
Northville Township will also
provide the most up-to-date
emergency training resources to
Plymouth Township firefighters,
using the Northville in-house
training officer at no cost to
PlymouthTownship.
Public safety is the core
function of local government,
and what our hardworking taxpayers expect.
”
When the anticipated crowd of nearly
15,000 arrives at The Inn at St. John's in
Plymouth next weekend to viewmillions
of dollars of classic automobiles from
around the world, they may not realize
this might be one of the final Concours
d'Elegance in this venue.
This is the 39th Concours d'Elegance
of America which moved to the
Plymouth location 7 years ago to take
advantage of the location and beauty of
the rambling golf course on which to dis-
play the rare and vintage automobiles.
Concours d'Elegance Director Diane
Fils-Schnieder confirmed that the event
has been approached by other venues
hoping to lure one of the most presti-
gious shows in the country to another
site. The contract between Concours
d'Elegance and the Inn at St. John's
expires next year, at the end of 2018,
whichwould be the eighth year the show
has been inPlymouthTownship.
The prestigious display features 3
days of festivities including 15 events
and is considered by many to be the
third most prestigious gathering of car
enthusiasts in the country. Ranking just
under Pebble Beach and Amelia Island,
according to Fils- Schneider, the show
features some of the rarest, most beauti-
ful and most expensive autos in the
world. This year, more than 300 classic
vehicles, including antique and vintage
cars and motorcycles will be on display.
Exhibition at the Concours is by invita-
tion only and the vehicles are carefully
juried by experts before the coveted invi-
tations are issued to owners around the
world.
Fils-Schneider said the only problem
at The Inn at St. John's is the parking for
the huge crowds who flock to see one of
See
Concours,
page 2
On the move
Concours d’Elegance
opens next weekend,
venue move considered
Township pact may open fire station
Don Howard
Staff Writer
The official 2017 Concours d’Elegance poster by artist Steve Macy.
