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August 14, 2014
MINUTES OF REGULAR ROMULUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
July 28, 2014
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
Present:
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 Makowski, seconded by Crout to accept the agenda as presented.
Roll Call Vote:
Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion
Carried Unanimously
.
14-294 2A.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Abdo to approve the minutes of the regular
meeting of the Romulus City Council held on July 14, 2014.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo,
Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried
Unanimously
.
14-295 2B.
Moved by Makowski, seconded by Choate to approve the minutes of the special
meeting of the Romulus City Council held on July 14, 2014:
5:00 p.m. closed session - Attorney opinion/purchase of real estate
5:30 p.m. study session - Charter amendment ballot proposal language
6:00 p.m. study session - AccuMed Billing Service Agreement
6:30 p.m. study session - Ordinance amendment, Chapter 36, Offenses Pertaining to Minors
7:00 p.m. study session - City quarterly investments
7:15 p.m. study session - Ordinance amendment, RE: Land Split Fees
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
3. Petitioner:
None.
14-296 4A.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Roscoe to send a proclamation to the owners of
the Romulus Little Paper.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski,
Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
4. Chairperson's Report:
Mayor Pro-Tem Barden announced that the Romulus Little Paper
will no longer be in business. He read a letter of appreciation sent from the APA thanking elect-
ed officials for attending the 2014 Romulus Community Festival. Mayor Burcroff asked for a
moment of silence be held in respect of the tragic accident that happened in the community this
past week and Captain Derran Shelby also spoke about it.
4.
Moved by Makowski, seconded by Roscoe to accept the chairperson's report.
Roll Call Vote:
Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion
Carried Unanimously
.
5. Mayor's Report
Mayor Burcroff asked Ben Mach, new Eagle Scout, to speak about his Eagle
project. Ben shared how he built wheelchair accessible gardening boxes to be placed at the
Senior Center. Mayor Burcroff also informed the citizens that Pennsylvania Road will be under
construction.
14-297 5A1.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Crout to adopt a memorial resolution for the
family of Emogene Anderson.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski,
Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
4-298 5A2.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Crout to adopt a resolution recognizing Ben
Mach on becoming an Eagle Scout.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout,
Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-299 5A.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Crout to concur with the administration and
approve the sub-recipient agreement between the City of Romulus and the APA Thomas J.
Coleman Center for expenditure of their allocation of $36,000 for the proposed community park
and building repairs.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski,
Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-300 6A1 (a).
Moved by Abdo, seconded by Roscoe to adopt a memorial resolution for the
family of Louise Briody.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski,
Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-301 6A1 (b).
Moved by Choate, seconded by Makowski to adopt a memorial resolution for
the family of Xaher Elezi.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski,
Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-302 6A1.
Moved by Choate, seconded by Makowski to approve second reading, final adop-
tion of City Ordinance Chapter 36, Offenses, Article IX, Offenses Pertaining to Minors.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-303 6A2.
Moved by Makowski, seconded by Wadsworth to approve second reading, final
adoption of City Ordinance Chapter 54, Section 185 to provide that Council, may by resolution
from time-to-time, establish fees for applications for land splits.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo,
Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried
Unanimously
.
14-304 6A3.
Moved by Roscoe, seconded by Makowski to approve a traffic control order for the
placement of "no parking fire lane" signs on the fire hydrant side of the roads contained in the
Fairways at
Gateway - in accordance with Chapter 22, Section 50 of the City of Romulus
Code of Ordinances.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe,
Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
14-305 6A4.
Moved by Choate, seconded by Makowski to approve the re-worded ballot lan-
guage to amend City Charter Chapter 13, Sections 1 and 2 to place on the November 4, 2014
ballot.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
CITY OF ROMULUS
Resolution 14-305
Present: Councilpersons: Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Absent: None. At the regular meeting of the Romulus City Council of Romulus, Michigan,
County of Wayne, State of Michigan, held at the Romulus City Hall, 11111 Wayne Road,
Romulus, Michigan on July 28, 2014, the following resolution was offered by Councilwoman
Choate, and seconded by Councilwoman Makowski to authorize the following proposed lan-
guage to be placed on the November 4, 2014 ballot to amend Chapter XIII, Section 13.1 -
Limitation and Section 13.2 - Material purchases in the Romulus City Charter as set forth below.
WHEREAS
, Chapter XIII of the Romulus City Charter, Section 13.1 entitled "Limitations" and
Section 13.2 entitled "Material purchases" requires advertisement for sealed bids in a paper of
circulation within the City of Romulus; and
WHEREAS
, the City Council has determined that
the elimination of the requirement would be in the best interest of the City and by so doing allow
for the City to participate in alternatives such as electronic proposals and extendable or cooper-
ative bids from other government agencies; and
WHEREAS
, in order to accomplish this pur-
pose, it is necessary for the electorate to amend the City Charter at an an election to be held on
the 4th day of November, 2014.
NOW THEREFORE
, be it resolved that the amendment of Chapter XIII of the Romulus City
Charter be placed on the ballot on the November 4, 2014 General Election ballot for considera-
tion by the electorate.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
that Chapter XIII of the Romulus City Charter, Sections 13.1
and 13.2 will be amended to read as follows, by the removal of the requirement to advertise for
sealed proposals in a paper of circulation within the City:
CHAPTER XIII. CONTRACTS -
Section 13.1, Limitation
The City may contract for the performance of any public work or the making of any public
improvement or may perform or make the same itself through its departments, officers and
employees; provided, however, that it shall not itself make any new public improvements or per-
form public works exceeding the applicable amount set forth by the Council in the Romulus
Purchasing Ordinance until it has first advertised for sealed proposals therefore. The City shall
have the right to reject any or all such proposals. The Purchasing Ordinance and any amend-
ments thereto, contemplated under this section, shall have been approved by not less than a 2 /
3 majority of the Council Elect.
Section 13.2, Material purchases
No contract shall be entered into by the City for the purchase of any material, tools, apparatus
or any other thing or things, the consideration or cost of which shall exceed the applicable
amount set forth by the Council in the Romulus Purchasing Ordinance until after an opportuni-
ty for competitive bidding; and until it has first advertised for sealed proposals. The City shall
have the right to reject any or all such proposals. The Purchasing Ordinance, and any amend-
ments thereto, contemplated under this section, shall have been approved by not less than a 2 /3
majority of the Council elect.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
that the below proposed ballot language to amend Chapter
XIII of the City of Romulus Charter be submitted to the Attorney General and the Governor of
the State of Michigan for their approval and for placement on the November 4, 2014 General
Election ballot pursuant to MCL 117.22.
Proposed Amendment of City of Romulus Charter to amend Chapter XIII Contracts:
Proposed amendment to Romulus Chtr Sec. 13.1
Section 13.1 of the city charter currently requires newspaper publication of an advertisement
requesting sealed bids for contracts or projects of public works and public improvements when
the value of the contracts or projects exceeds the amount set forth in the City's Purchasing
Ordinance. The proposed amendment deletes the requirement for newspaper publication of
requests for sealed bids while retaining the requirement for competitive bidding by sealed bid.
Shall the amendment be adopted? Yes { } No { }
Proposed amendment to Romulus Chtr Sec. 13.2
Section 13.2 of the city charter currently requires newspaper publication of an advertisement
requesting sealed proposals when the City purchases any material, tools, apparatus, or other
things, when their cost exceeds the amount set forth in the City's Purchasing Ordinance. The
proposed amendment deletes the requirement for newspaper publication of requests for sealed
proposals while retaining the requirement for competitive bidding by sealed proposal.
Shall the amendment be adopted? Yes { } No { }
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
-
None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
6B. Treasurer's Report
7. Public Comment:
Three residents spoke on the problem with fireworks and teenagers loiter-
ing in their neighborhood. Several residents spoke about the tragic accident that occurred on
Beverly Road. Jan Lemmon, Cemetery Board Chairperson, commented on the beauty of the
cemetery. Gina Steward, from the Telegram Newspaper, commented that the Telegram is in cir-
culation in the City of Romulus.
8. Unfinished Business
9. New Business
14-306 9A.
Moved by Abdo, seconded by Wadsworth to adopt a memorial resolution for the
family of Armani Gipson.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Roscoe, Makowski,
Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
10. Communication
14-307 11.
Moved by Choate, seconded by Crout to approve Warrant 14-14 in the amount of
$1,572.026.32.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Roscoe, Makowski, Roscoe,
Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
12.
Moved by Wadsworth, seconded by Makowski to adjourn the regular meeting of the
Romulus City Council.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
- Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski,
Roscoe, Wadsworth.
Nays
- None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
I, Ellen L. Craig-Bragg, Clerk for the City of Romulus, Michigan do hereby certify the forego-
ing to be a true copy of the minutes of the regular meeting of the Romulus City Council held on
July 28, 2014.
Publish:
August 14, 2014
R
OMULUS
- W
ESTLAND
Romulus prepares for Annual Pumpkin Festival
Planning is already under
way for the 17th Annual
PumpkinFestival inRomulus.
Members of the city council
unanimously granted permits
for the event which will begin
with the Rotary sponsored
Parade of Lights Sept. 19 and
continue inHistorical Park Sept.
20 and 21.
The event is one of the largest
in the community and includes
contests to determine skill in
pumpkin rolling, pumpkin pie
eating or pumpkin seed-spitting.
The event includes a Classic Car
Show, a Classic Tractor Show
and live entertainment, vendors,
crafts and games.
The Parade of Lights draws
thousands of onlookers to
GoddardRoad towatch thewell-
lit and decorated vehicles pass
by including school buses, trac-
tors and even cement trucks.
The annual event is a commu-
nity tradition which began with
the establishment of the
Pumpkin Festival Committee in
1996. The first festival took place
Sept. 19 and 20 in 1997.
The Pumpkin Festival
Committeemeets at 6:30 p.m. the
first Tuesday of the month at in
the council chambers at city hall
located at 11111 Wayne Road,
Romulus. New members and
volunteers are alwayswelcome.
Romulus Historical Park is
located 11147 Hunt St. More
information about the festival
and volunteer and sponsorship
opportunities is available by
calling the Pumpkin Festival
hotline at (734) 955-4577.
State Senator Glenn S.
Anderson (D-Westland) officially
introduced legislation this week
to restore Michigan's pre-2011
fireworks regulations. Senate
Bill 1023 and Senate Bill 1024
reestablish the ban on aerial and
explosive fireworks, which
account for the vast majority of
noise complaints and serious
injuries. In 2011, Anderson was
the only state senator to vote
against fireworks deregulation
and recently announced his
plans to sponsor bills repealing
the 2011 changes.
“Something must be done to
get this under control,” Anderson
said. “Since the law was
changed, in addition to the dis-
turbance of the peace, Michigan
residents have endured property
damage and injuries, even
deaths, related to these higher
powered explosives now avail-
able. On top of that, the revenue
that was promised by sponsors
just hasn't materialized. The bur-
den of inspecting all of the new
firework sale locations is virtual-
ly impossible and is costing the
state more than licensing fees
bring in.”
In the wake of Anderson's ini-
tial announcement that legisla-
tion would be introduced, hun-
dreds of citizens from across the
state contacted his office with
stories of sleepless nights during
the work week, traumatized pets
that have to be sedated for the
holidays, and fire damage from
launches in dense urban com-
munities. Anderson has also
heard from numerous veterans
suffering with Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) who
found the endless bombardment
of fireworks to severely intensify
their anxiety.
“For some of these veterans
who served our country, the non-
stop fireworks explosions in
their neighborhoods cause symp-
toms so debilitating that they
can't leave their own homes. It's
completely unacceptable,” said
Anderson.
Current state law allows for
the use of aerial and explosive
fireworks the day before, day of,
and day after a national holiday.
Communities are granted the
authority to regulate the time-
frame that fireworks are allowed
on those days, but users are total-
ly disregarding the currently per-
mitted days and hours. Most
communities have had little suc-
cess in dealing with the prob-
lems this new law has created.
With fireworks available on vir-
tually every corner, fireworks
use has skyrocketed, leaving
numerous local police depart-
ments without the resources to
address the problem.
“TheNational Fire Protection
Association collects data every
year that shows fireworks hurt a
lot of people and start a lot of
fires,” said Northville Township
Deputy Fire Chief Richard
Marinucci, former President of
the Southeast Michigan
Association of Fire Chiefs and a
vocal opponent of the 2011
changes. “We're in the business
of safety and fire prevention, so
these products cause a serious
problemfor us.”
Both Plymouth Township
Police Chief Tom Tiderington
and Plymouth City Director of
Public Safety Al Cox have sup-
ported Anderson's proposed leg-
islation.
Many local communities have
protested the firework deregula-
tion since 2011 and have become
more vocal with each passing
holiday season and some have
taken steps to pass resolutions
calling on the Legislature to
repeal the changesmade in 2011.
Proponents of the 2011 law
have argued that surrounding
states, such as Indiana, were
stealing revenue from Michigan
as citizens crossed the border to
purchase prohibited fireworks.
Some have suggested that chang-
ing the law to allow local cities
and townships to decide for
themselveswhether or not to ban
the higher-powered fireworks
would be preferred over an
across the state ban.
Critics of this approach, how-
ever, argue that any option that
leaves these fireworks readily
available to the public will not
solve the problem.
“I amall for empowering local
communities with more tools to
help protect their citizens and
keep the peace, but a half meas-
ure like this won't make the dif-
ference needed to regulate these
fireworks,” Anderson said. “If we
give a city the power to ban the
fireworks and they take that step,
then citizens are just going to
drive to a neighboring communi-
ty where the fireworks aren't ille-
gal, stock their arsenal, and bring
them home. The key to address-
ing this problem is limiting
accessibility by a statewide ban.
Giving locals the ability to ban
the fireworks won't do anything
to provide police and fire the
resources they need to deal with
the problem and ends up creat-
ing a confusing patchwork across
the state.”
The key to addressing this problem
is limiting accessibility by a statewide ban.
”
Legislator’s new bill would ban aerial fireworks in state