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EWSPAPERS OF
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August 3, 2017
New voting machines ensure accuracy, speed
R
OMULUS
Romulus officials got their first look
last week at new voting equipment that
will expedite the voting process andmake
itmore secure.
Romulus City Clerk Ellen Craig Bragg
demonstrated the new Dominion Voting
Systemunits for the council at a study ses-
sion last week. The system, provided
through one of three state-approved ven-
dors, will be used for the first time at the
Aug. 8 special election, when Romulus
voters will decided two school funding
issues.
“For voters, not much will change,”
saidCraigBragg.
The new machines tabulate the votes
andwill transmit them to the clerk's office
andWayne Countywirelessly at the end of
election night. The system will only be
accessible to the precinct chairman, who
will have a special key and password to
use it.
“It will save us some time,” she said.
“As early as 8:15, we should have results
right fromthose precincts.”
In addition to the traditional ballot tab-
ulator, the new system has a touch-screen
tabulator that voters can use if they
desire; it is also easier for handicapped
people to use. That system uses special
ballot cards that can be used once per
election and then reprogrammed for the
next, much like a hotel roomcard key.
Because of the built in safeguards,
Craig-Bragg said the new machines are
much more reliable than older voter sys-
tems and less likely to malfunction or be
susceptible to tampering.
She will conduct a public accuracy test
that anyone can attend at 3 p.m. today,
Aug. 3, in council chambers to test the
accuracy of the equipment and process
some sample ballots. There will also be a
public open house at 5 p.m. when resi-
dents can try out the equipment and ask
questions.
Following the discovery of lead in the
water service lines of a vacant home in the
city, Romulus officials have adopted a pro-
gram to examine the piping material of
residential service lines during water
main construction. The program will
remove any lead in the city lines and pro-
vide homeowners the opportunity to use
the city contractor to remove the lead serv-
ice line at the residence. The program has
been very successful and a majority of the
residents take advantage of the reduced
pricing and proceed with removal of their
private service line, city officials said.
When homeowners choose not to
remove the lead service lines, testing is
conducted to ensure the lead residual in
the water is below the established EPA
Action Level of 15 parts per billion (ppb).
In June of 2017, the city tested one vacant
home in the northeast corner of the city
where the owner decided not to remove
the private lead water service line. At this
address, laboratory test results showed the
home had lead residuals of 120 parts per
billion (ppb) which is considerably higher
than theEPA threshold.
City personnel also conducted seven
other routine lead and copper monitoring
samples elsewhere in Romulus, all of
which were analyzed at the Great Lakes
Water Authority laboratory. Results at each
of the other seven locations were all below
the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) ActionLevel for contaminants.
Water in Romulus comes from the
Great Lakes Water Authority, and treat-
ment of the water has been very successful
at mitigating lead leaching from plumbing,
officials said. The Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality assesses the
effectiveness of the corrosion control
measures based on the 90th percentile of
all lead and copper results collected
between June andSeptember.
The lead 90th percentile for Romulus is
41.6 ppb, which exceeds the Action Level
of 15 ppb. The Action Level is not a health
based standard, but a level that triggers
additional investigative sampling of water
quality and requires educational outreach
to customers, according to a city
spokesman.
Even though only one location of the
eight tested was more than 15 ppb, lead
can cause serious health problems if too
much enters the human system through
drinking water or other sources. There are
some simple ways to reduce exposure to
lead including always using the cold water
tap for drinking, cooking or preparing baby
formula and allowing the water to run for
30 seconds to 2 minutes before using, as
recommended by the EPA. Do not boil the
water to avoid lead, as boiling will not
reduce the amount of lead in thewater.
Romulus officials will conduct addition-
al monitoring of the water quality during
the next year, using 120 samples collected
throughout the system. Officials believe
the results will show that the high lead lev-
els were isolated to the one vacant home
on the northeast corner of the city as a
result of their individual water service line
being disturbedduring construction.
Additional information regarding lead
in water can be found at
gov.com, on the Department of Public
Works
page
ublic_services/public_works/, and at the
MDEQ
website
To view the most recent city water quality
report, visit
More information regarding water qual-
ity is available from the director of Public
Works office, (734) 942-7579.
MINUTES OF REGULAR ROMULUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
July 10, 2017
Romulus City Hall Council Chambers, 11111 Wayne Rd. Romulus, MI 48174
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Mayor Pro-Tem John Barden.
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call:
Kathleen Abdo, John Barden, Linda Choate, Harry Crout, Sylvia Makowski, Celeste Roscoe,
William Wadsworth.
Administrative Officials in Attendance:
LeRoy D. Burcroff, Mayor
Ellen L. Craig-Bragg, Clerk
Stacy Paige, Treasurer
1.
Moved by
Crout,
seconded by
Roscoe
to accept the agenda as amended.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
17-224 2A.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Roscoe
to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the
Romulus City Council held on July 3, 2017.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
– Barden, Choate, Crout, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
– None.
Abstain
– Abdo, Makowski.
Motion
Carried.
3. Petitioner: None.
4. Chairperson’s Report:
Mayor Pro-Tem Barden introduced the newly appointed VFW Post Commander, Mike Santamour.
17-225 4A.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Crout
to adopt a resolution to recognize Mike and Midge
Prybyla on their 50 th wedding anniversary.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
4.
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Choate
to accept the Chairperson’s Report.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
5. Mayor’s Report:
Mayor Burcroff provided a video of upcoming City events.
17-226 5A.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Choate
to concur with the administration and award Bid ITB
16/17-35 for a two-year contractual services agreement for the repair of asphalt on an as-needed basis to the only
bidding company, Rey-Mart Asphalt, Inc., with a term to expire on June 30, 2017.
Motion Carried
Unanimously
.
17-227 5B.
Moved by
Makowski,
seconded by
Roscoe
to concur with the administration and authorize the
mayor and clerk to enter into the Inter-Governmental Road Development Agreement with Seefried Development
Services, Inc., the Detroit Regional Aerotropolis Development Corporation, he Romulus Tax Increment
Financing Authority and Amazon.comDEDC, LLC subject to minor modifications to the language that may be
necessary including substitution of a different Amazon entity as determined by the administration. Discussion:
Councilwoman Abdo asked City Attorney, Steve Hitchcock, to explain the changes to the final draft of the agree-
ment.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
– Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
– None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
17-228 5C.
Moved by
Makowski,
seconded by
Roscoe
to authorize the mayor and clerk to enter into the Inter-
Governmental Agreement with Wayne County for the improvements of Ecorse Road from Vining Road to
Merriman Road.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
17-229 5D.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Makowski
to concur with legal counsel and grant authoriza-
tion for the mayor and clerk to enter into a Construction Management Services Agreement with Seefried
Development Services Inc. for the Vining Road and Ecorse Road improvements for the Amazon Construction
Project at no cost to the City of Romulus. Discussion: Councilwoman Makowski asked City Attorney, Steve
Hitchcock, to explain the changes to the final draft.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
17-230 5E.
Moved by
Choate,
seconded by
Makowski
to concur with the administration and authorize the
mayor and clerk to enter into an Easement Agreement with DTE Electrical Company to provide easement right-
of-way for a portion of Vining Road extension to Ecorse Road subject to final changes by the administration.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
17-231 5F.
Moved by
Abdo,
seconded by
Crout
to concur with the administration to introduce Budget
Amendment 17/18-2 to move donated funds from the Library Audio Visual “Escrow” account into the Library
Fund for its dedicated use.
FUND/DEPT.
CURRENT
AMENDED
ACCOUNT NO
.
ACCOUNT NAME
BUDGET
AMENDMENT BUDGET
LIBRARY FUND
Revenue
271-790-675.000 Library Donations 1,500 1,324 2,824
Expenditures
271-790-760.005 Books-print/non-print 60,000 1,324 61,324
To move donated funds from the Library Audio Visual “Escrow” account into the Library Fund for its dedicated
use. Roll Call Vote: Ayes – Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
6A. Clerk’s Report:
17-232 6A1.
Moved by
Makowski,
seconded by
Roscoe
to adopt the recommendation of the Property
Disposition Committee and reject the purchase of the properties included on the Wayne County Treasurer’s Right
of Refusal to Purchase Tax Foreclosed Property List dated July 5, 2017 subject to receiving an extension for the
administration to study the properties.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
17-233 6A2.
Moved by
Makowski,
seconded by
Roscoe
to schedule a study session for Monday, July 24, 2017
at 7:00 p.m. for a demonstration of new voting equipment with City Clerk, Ellen Craig-Bragg.
6B. Treasurer’s Report:
Tax bills have been mailed out; if anyone has a question about their bill, they may call the Treasurer’s Office for
assistance.
7. Public Comment:
A resident commented on the contract between the court and city for Funding Unit Fees. A resident commented
that it is a good deal that the taxpayers do not have to pay for improvements to the roads included in Project
Mercury (Amazon).
8. Unfinished Business:
Mayor Burcroff explained that the City of Romulus is the “host community” to the 34 th District Court; the court
brings a check to the City once a month (funding unit fees) and this check is deposited into the General Fund –
the money is accounted for and included in the yearly audit. Councilman Wadsworth inquired about the River
Oak property (it is still being investigated) and also the Taft property (it is scheduled for demolition soon).
9. New Business: None.
10. Communication: None.
17-234 11.
Moved by
Choate,
seconded by
Makowski
to pay Warrant 17-13 in the amount of $894,979.30.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
12.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Makowski
to adjourn the regular meeting of the Romulus City Council.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
I, Ellen L. Craig-Bragg, Clerk for the City of Romulus, Michigan do hereby certify the foregoing to be a true
copy of the minutes of the regular meeting of the Romulus City Council held on July 10, 2017.
RM0204 - 080317 2.5 x 11.17
CITY OF ROMULUS ALONGWITH THE CITY OF ROCHESTER HILLS
AND PARTICIPATING MITN MEMBERS
SFQ-RH-17-044 - ICE MELT AND WATER SOFTENER COMPOUNDS
SOLICITATION FOR QUOTATION
Quotes for one (1) year pricing for ice melt and water softener compounds, with an option to renew
for two (2) additional one year terms, for the City of Rochester Hills and Participating MITN
(Michigan Inter-Governmental Trade Network) purchasing cooperative members (City Of Romulus,
City Of Madison Heights, City Of Warren, Macomb Cunt Department of Roads, Southfield Public
Schools, County of Livingston, County of Oakland) shall to be received by the City of Rochester
Hills until Thursday, August 24, 2017 @ 4:00 p.m. local time.
Companies interested in providing a quotation, must provide the information requested in the SFQ
documents and email, fax, mail, or upload to the MITN website no later than the due date of
Thursday, August 24, 2017 @ 4:00 p.m., local time. All quotations should be directed to the atten-
tion of: Keri J. Bright, CPPB, Purchasing Analyst, Phone: 248-841-2538; Fax 248-608-8178, Email:
, City of Rochester Hills, Purchasing Division, 1000 Rochester Hills
Drive, Rochester Hills, MI 48309. Questions are to be directed to Keri J. Bright, CPPB, Purchasing
Analyst, Phone: 248-841-2538. Questions regarding the quotation must be made in writing prior to
Tuesday, August 15, 2017, at 11:30 a.m., local time, at which time a response will be prepared and
forwarded to all vendors as an amendment, or an addendum to the SFQ, if such information would
be of significance to uninformed vendors. The City of Rochester Hills officially distributes quota-
tion documents from the Purchasing Division or through the Michigan Intergovernmental Trade
Network (MITN). Copies of quotation documents obtained from any other source are not considered
official copies. Only those vendors who obtain quotation documents from either the Purchasing
Division or the MITN System are guaranteed access to receive addendum information, if such infor-
mation is issued.
To submit a quote requires registration on the MITN website. Final quotation results will be posted
on the MITN website after award.
Municipalities are exempt from Michigan State Sales and Federal Excise taxes.
All items, which are to be delivered, shall be F.O.B. delivered, freight paid to specified locations.
Publish: 8/3/2017
RM0203 - 080317 2.5 x 5.208
Romulus City Clerk Ellen Craig Bragg demonstrates the new voting units to be used
Aug. 8.
City program identifies lead in water pipes
known as 31a grant funding, for at risk
students,”McLachlan explained. He said
that opponents of this proposal are mis-
representing the facts in this case and
that last year, again, the levy was 1.3137
mills.
He said there is no indication that the
amount of the levy will change and that
state law requires that a maximum levy
be in the ballot language.
“The Romulus Board of Education
chose the lower maximum to protect our
taxpayers from any large shift in taxation
should the state change the formula,” he
added.
The Sinking Fund proposal is critical
for the district, McLachlan said, as the
district has identified more than $20 mil-
lion dollars in necessary repairs, replace-
ments, and upgrades to facilities, includ-
ing the athletic stadium, building roofs,
parking lots, plumbing systems, fire sup-
pression systems and technology infra-
structure improvements
McLachlan said the claim that the
Romulus Community Schools received
$1.5 million from the recent Wayne
County “EnhancementMillage” is amyth.
“We have, to date, received $929,628
from the levy. All of this year's levy, and
most of next year's, have been allocated to
the purchase of 17 replacement buses
and upgrading our video security system
fromanalog to digital equipment, improv-
ing the safety and welfare of our students
and facilities,” he said.
The millage advocate said that the
school district has always maintained
transparency with financial reporting,
which is posted on the district website
), and audited annually
by independent auditors.
“We remain committed to providing
open, honest, and direct dialogue with
our entire community,” he said.
“I encourage all of our community to
support both measures, as they are cru-
cial to themaintaining and expanding the
educational opportunities for all of our
children” he concluded.
Ballot
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