dled. Tiderington was hesitant to com-
ment on the findingsMonday.
“I don't know any more than what's in
the audit. We're going to try to correct the
deficiencies. It's somewhat of a complicat-
ed situation. That's my goal in order to get
us back into compliance,” Tiderington
said.
“Our audit identified numerous inter-
nal control issues, including a lack of docu-
mented policies and procedures that
weakened the Plymouth Township PD's
(Police Department) management of its
equitable sharing activities, as well as
incomplete compliance with DOJ require-
ments pertaining to accounting for equi-
table sharing receipts and the allowable
use of equitable sharing funds,” the report
stated.
According to the report, Edwards never
provided records and receipts to
Tiderington.
“The Office of the Inspector General
(OIG) assessed whether the $1,907,242 in
DOJ equitable sharing funds received by
the PlymouthTownshipPDbetween Jan.1,
2010, and Sept. 30, 2014, was properly
accounted for and used for allowable pur-
poses “Specifically, we found that the
Plymouth Township commingled DOJ
equitable sharing funds with other funds
in its accounting system,” auditors said .
The auditors made 12 recommenda-
tions to the DOJ Criminal Division to
address the financial findings and improve
the management of the equitable sharing
programactivities in the township.
“The Criminal Division, through its
Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering
Section, agreed with all of 12 recommen-
dations,”Horowitz said.
In a response to the draft report,
Plymouth Township officials expressed
agreement with most of the recommenda-
tions, disagreeing only on one issue of
questionable costs. Township Supervisor
Shannon Price, Edwards and Tiderington
stated that they would work with the
Criminal Division to address all of the con-
cerns identified in the report in a written
response to the Department of Justice.
The three officials agreed in writing to
prepare a written set of policies and pro-
cedures to ensure compliance with the
federally-mandated requirements for the
drug forfeiture funds in the future. The
complete report can be found at
.pdf.
John Lavinsky, a spokesman with the
DOJ, said that the file on the investigation
will not be closed until the DOJ is satisfied
that all 12 of the recommendations have
been followedby township officials.
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
October 8, 2015
N
ORTHVILLE
- P
LYMOUTH
Heise makes campaign for supervisor official
Audit
FROM PAGE 1
Charter Township Of Plymouth Board Proceedings - September 22, 2015
A Regular Meeting of the Plymouth Township Board of Trustees was held on the above date at 9955 N. Haggerty Rd., Plymouth,
MI 48170. Supervisor Price called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. and led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
MEMBERS
PRESENT
: Shannon Price, Supervisor, Nancy Conzelman, Clerk, Ron Edwards, Treasurer, Charles Curmi, Trustee, Robert
Doroshewitz, Trustee, Michael Kelly, Trustee; ABSENT: Kay Arnold, Trustee, Excused. STAFF PRESENT: Patrick Fellrath,
Director of Public Utilities; Mark Lewis, Chief Building Official; Dan Phillips, Fire Chief; Jana Radtke, Community Dev.
Director/Planner; Thomas Tiderington, Police Chief; Kevin Bennett, Township Attorney; David Richmond, Spalding DeDecker
Assoc.; Alice Geletzke, Recording Secretary; 31 Members of the Public. Supervisor Price read a proclamation thanking Lt. Kevin
“Cal” Lauria for his 25 years of service to the community and Police Chief Tiderington presented Lt. Lauria with his retirement
badge.
Approval of Agenda
: Moved by Ms. Conzelman and supported by Mr. Edwards to approve the agenda for the Board of
Trustees regular meeting of September 22, 2015. AYES:Conzelman, Edwards, Curmi, Kelly, Price; NAYS:Doroshewitz; Motion
carried.
Approval of Consent Agenda
: Moved by Ms. Conzelman and supported by Mr. Edwards to approve the consent agen-
da for the Board of Trustees regular meeting of September 22, 2015. Ayes all.
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
: A
resident asked about whether approval has been given to water and sewer going to commercial expansion in Salem Township,
Ed Haggerty asked about the editing of comments made by the Treasurer in the minutes of the September 8 meeting regarding
the City of Detroit property, and Susan Bondie asked if a sting has been considered to deal with the increased thievery from cars
in the Lake Pointe area.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
: Request for Board Action - Text Amendment 012 to Zoning
Ordinance 99: Mrs. Radtke, Community Dev. Director/Planner, explained that the amendment clarifies that physical, occupa-
tional, speech, or similar outpatient therapy services may be permitted in the Industrial District, subject to Special Land Use
approval. The Planning Commission has recommended approval. Moved by Ms. Conzelman and seconded by Mr. Kelly to
approve Text Amendment 012 of Township Zoning Ordinance No. 99. Ayes all. A copy of the amendment is on file in the Clerk’s
office for public perusal. Request for Board Action - Extension of PUD Option for Pomeroy: Stefan Stration of Pomeroy Living
addressed the Board and answered questions regarding the reasons for needing the PUD extension. Moved by Mr. Curmi and
seconded by Mr. Edwards to approve an extension of the Planned Unit Development (PUD) Option Approval for Pomeroy Living
for a period of 9 months, which would expire June 22, 2016. The extension is contingent upon the PUD Contract and General
Development Plan being fully in compliance with the conditions of approval imposed by the Board of Trustees at the February
11, 2014 meeting, and also fully in compliance with Article XXIII of the Zoning Ordinance, specifically including, but not lim-
ited to, Section 23.5.2. Ayes all.
NEW BUSINESS
: Request for Board Action - 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report:
The Plante Moran auditing team of Martin Olejnik and Kari Shea reviewed the report and answered questions from Board mem-
bers. Moved by Ms. Conzelman and seconded by Mr. Curmi to receive and file the draft of the 2014 Comprehensive Annual
Financial Report. AYES: Conzelman, Curmi, Edwards, Kelly, Price NAYS: Doroshewitz. Motion carried. Request for Board
Action - 2015 Tax Rate Request: Moved by Ms. Conzelman and seconded by Mr. Edwards to approve the 2015 Tax Rate Request
form as submitted and authorize the Clerk and Supervisor to sign the Michigan Department of Treasury form L-4029 certifying
the millage levy at 4.000 mils. Ayes all.
SUPERVISORAND TRUSTEE COMMENTS
: Mr. Doroshewitz had questions about
Board requests going through Ms. Wallace in the Supervisor’s office. Mr. Curmi had questions regarding BS&A status and time
line and the sidewalk gap program;
PUBLIC COMMENTS
: Ed Haggerty reiterated his questions from the last meeting: infor-
mation on the recent movie night accounting on the fireworks and private party, legal representation costs and settlement costs
for current and past fiscal years, and the omission of provisions in the ethics ordinance for soliciting donations and accepting
gifts. Steven Birmingham thanked the Board for their work on the audit and thought it should be a higher priority item.
CLOSED
SESSION
: At 9:23 p.m., Ms. Conzelman moved that a closed session be called for the permissible purposes of discussing attor-
ney opinion under OMA Section 8(h). Seconded by Mr. Kelly. Ayes all on a roll call vote. At 10:10 p.m., the Board returned
to open session. In response to the appeal by Whyman, Mr. Kelly moved to reverse the disclosure denial in whole. Supported
by Mr. Edwards. AYES: Kelly, Edwards, Conzelman, Price; NAYS:Doroshewitz, Curmi; Motion carries.
ADJOURNMENT
:
Moved by Mr. Edwards and supported by Ms. Conzelman to adjourn the meeting at 10:11 p.m. Ayes all.
Nancy C. Conzelman,
Township Clerk
Copies of the complete text of the Board Minutes are available at the Clerk’s office of the Charter Township of Plymouth, 9955
N. Haggerty Rd., Plymouth, MI 48170, during regular business hours and can also be accessed online at
.
Publish:
October 8, 2015
EPT100815-0010 2.5 x 5.473
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF PLYMOUTH
PUBLIC NOTICE
To all residents and other interested parties: Agendas and Minutes for the Charter Township of Plymouth Board of Trustees
Meetings are available for review online at
under Agendas/Minutes and in the Clerk's Office at
Plymouth Township Hall, 9955 N. Haggerty Rd., Plymouth, MI.
Regular Meeting dates in 2015: October 20, November 17 and December 15.
Special meetings, if any, will occur on Tuesdays, unless otherwise posted. The public is invited and encouraged to attend the
Board of Trustees Meetings.
Nancy Conzelman
Township Clerk
Publish: October 8, 2015
EPT100815-0009 2.5 x .869
THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF PLYMOUTH
PUBLIC NOTICE
As of 9/14/2015, the Charter Township of Plymouth Department of Public Works (DPW) began its fire hydrant winterization
program. You may notice a temporary discoloration of your water. This should only be for a short period of time. Any pro-
longed problems should be reported to the DPW by calling 734-354-3270 x3.
EPT100815-0008 2.5 x .869
Charter Township of Canton Board Proceedings-September 29, 2015
A regular study meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Charter Township of Canton held Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 1150
Canton Center S., Canton, Michigan. Supervisor LaJoy called the meeting to order at 6:06 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.
Roll Call
Members Present: Anthony, Bennett, LaJoy, McLaughlin, Sneideman, Williams (arrived at 6:20 pm). Members
Absent: Yack. Staff Present: Director Faas, Public Works Manager, Bob Belair, Engineering Services Manager, Bill Serchak,
Director Wendy Trumbull. Others Present: Vicki Putala and Sherri Wright of OHM Advisors,
Adoption of Agenda:
Motion by
Bennett, seconded by McLaughlin to approve the agenda. Motion carried unanimously.
STUDY SESSION TOPIC ITEM 1.
Water Distribution Storage & Pump Station Project Update. This update presentation covered a progress update on the water dis-
tribution storage & pump station project design for the Township. In October 2011, the Board received a presentation on
“Managing Peak Water Usage” which identified building storage as an option for the Township to consider in the future. In
October 2013, the Board awarded a contract to OHMAdvisors to commence the study and preliminary design of a storage basin
with the intent of first trying to negotiate an agreement with the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department (DWSD) for joint use of
existing facilities within the community. In September of 2014, the Board received an update on this project. Tonight, September
29, 2015, a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation updated the progress of the most recent discussions with DWSD on joint
use. The recommendation is to purchase a parcel of property from DWSD and build our own water storage tank and pump sta-
tion. Two possible options were outlined the next steps. The Board of Trustees asked to see support financial comparison num-
bers for an in-ground vs. an above ground tower water storage tank.
ADJOURN:
Motion by Bennett, supported by Anthony to
adjourn at 7:30 p.m. Motion carried by all members present. Terry G. Bennett, Clerk –
Copies of the complete text of the Board Minutes are available at the Clerk’s office of the Charter Township of Canton, 1150 S.
Canton Center Rd, Canton, MI 48188, 734-394-5120, during regular business hours and can also be accessed through our web
site
after Board Approval.
Publish:
October 8, 2015
EC100815-1194 2.5 x 1.518
Charter Township of Canton
Notice of Public Accuracy Test
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE
that the Clerk's Office will conduct a Public Accuracy Test of the Optical Scan tabulating equip-
ment to be used for the Special Election to be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2015. The test will take place on
Friday, October
16, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. in the Clerk's Office
, in the Township Administration Building, 1150 S. Canton Center Road. This test
is open to all interested parties. For further information, contact the Clerk's Office at 734-394-5120.
Terry G. Bennett, Clerk
Publish: October 8, 2015
EC100815-1193 2.5 x 1.469
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CANTON
ACCESS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS
The Charter Township of Canton will provide necessary, reasonable auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities at
the meeting/hearing upon a two week notice to the Charter Township of Canton. These services include signers for the hearing
impaired and audio tapes of printed materials being considered at the meeting. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary
aids or services should contact the Charter Township of Canton by writing or calling the following:
Gwyn Belcher, ADA Coordinator
Charter Township of Canton, 1150 S. Canton Center Road
Canton, MI 48188
(734) 394-5260
Published: October 8, 2015
EC100815-1192 2.5 x 1.557
State Rep. Kurt Heise, speak-
ing before a meeting of the
Plymouth Concerned Citizens
last week at the Plymouth
District Library announced his
plans to seek the office of
Plymouth Township Supervisor
in 2016.
Heise, who said he felt there
are major leadership and finan-
cial problems facing the town-
ship, called for improved trans-
parency and accountability. In a
30-minute prepared talk, Heise
laid out what he described as a
90-day Trust and Transparency
Plan aimed to salvage a political
culture he characterized as one
of wrongdoing.
Highlighting his past experi-
ence and education Heise said,
“My job will be to work for you--
I'll bust my butt every day….we'll
make sure we have leaders in
office who can put politics
aside,” he told the large crowd at
the grassroots citizens watchdog
group.
Heise represents the 20th
House District, which includes
the City of Northville, Northville
Township, the City of Plymouth,
Plymouth Township, and eastern
Canton. He is serving his second
term and due to term limits will
not be able to seek re-election in
2016.
“Lansing has been a tremen-
dous experience forme, but local
politics is my passion…you're
being asked to hire the CEO for a
$14 million job, that's what
PlymouthTownship is.”
Heise hopes to replace cur-
rent Supervisor Shannon Price
who was appointed to the job in
April following the resignation of
former Supervisor Richard
Reaume. There was a failed
recall effort against Reaume and
three other trustees at the time of
his resignation. Price was serv-
ing his second termon theWayne
County Commission at the time
of his appointment to the super-
visor's job which Heise charac-
terized as a “set-up.”
The appointment of Price was
reportedly brokered by township
Treasurer Ron Edwards and
members of the local Republican
Party Committee. Immediately
following his appointment, Price
appointed his former aide at
Wayne County and local party
chairman Mike Mitchell as the
new township parks and grants
director. Price was paid $61,000
annually in the part-time Wayne
County job and now makes
$111,000 as supervisor.
“If they had selected (Chuck)
Curmi or (Bob) Doroshewitz,
(current trustees who sought the
office) I wouldn't be standing
here today,” Heise said. If you
want change, you're going to have
to vote in the August 2016
Republicanprimary.”
Heise said the first thing he
would do if elected is to change
the recently implemented town-
shipEthicsOrdinance.
“I will eliminate the parks
director position…grants can be
written by anyone, police, fire or
even the supervisor,” he said.
“The leaders in this town are
obsessed with recreation.
McClumpha Park is (like) the
Wayne County Jail with a
grandiose pavilion,” Heise told
the crowd.
Criticizing the elimination of
the sidewalk and street repair
programs, Heise focused on the
violation of environmental laws
at the construction site of the
new parking lot in the park, call-
ing it an “alien landing strip that
cost $5,500 per parking spot.”
Heise was director of the Wayne
County Waste Water and
Environmental Department for
more than six years.
Heise then said he would
demand a forensic audit of the
township-owned Hilltop Golf
Course that is operating at a
$460,000 deficit.
“The township let go $500,000
this year to sustain it…is this
somethingwewant?” he asked.
Heise referenced the numer-
ous lawsuits and litigation in
which the township is involved,
citing $20 million in unfunded
liability with $2.8 million owed to
the City of Plymouth for fire
department legacy costs.
“As for DeHoCo (Detroit
House of Corrections land
improperly sold to the township).
In my 25 years as an attorney, my
experience tells me we're going
to lose that suit. We lost on a sum-
mary disposition lawsuit, we're
going to lose our support. We
don't even know thehalf of it.”
Speaking of the Department
of Justice investigation and audit
of the police department drug
forfeiture funds (prior to the
release of the report), Heise said
he hoped the townshipwas exon-
erated.
“If not, somebody's going to
lose their job and it's not going to
beEdwards or Price.”
Heise detailed specific plans,
which brought spontaneous
applause fromthe audience.
Calling it a “shakedown,”
Heise said, “I'll end the fireworks
VIPparty.”
“I want to repeal the gag order
between Plymouth Township
and Plymouth City. They (town-
ship officials) don't like PARC,
because it's not Ron's (Edwards)
idea.”
“I'm going to sell the $50,000
snow making machine…It's not a
snow-making machine, it's a law-
suitmachine.”
“We need to have regularly
scheduled public study sessions
to improve transparency and
accountability. Let's have the
board meetings on public cable,
live,”Heise emphasized.
“I want to open the Lake
Pointe Fire Station…the only
reason it was closed was because
Ron (Edwards) was getting even,”
Heise said to rousing applause
fromthe audience.
Heise, 49, has lived with his
wife, Wayne County Circuit Court
Judge Catherine Heise, and two
daughters, Kate and Claire, in
the township for more than a
decade.
Heise practiced law for 25
years and currently teaches law
classes as an adjunct professor at
both Eastern and Wayne State
universities. He is also the prin-
cipal sponsor of 29 House bills
that have become law. His
resume lists $4 million in road
improvement funding he has
secured for the area. He spent
nine years in Dearborn Heights
government where he handled
all elements ofmunicipal govern-
ment, environmental law, ordi-
nance drafting, contract negotia-
tion, labor relations and intergov-
ernmental relations.
“What I bring to the table is
real experience in government,”
Heise said.
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Kurt Heise
Home tour tickets on sale
Believe it or not, it's almost that time of
year again.
Tickets are now on sale for the Holiday
Home Tour presented by the Northville
Community Foundation. This year, the
tour will take place from 10 a.m. until 4
p.m. Nov. 13 and 14.
Again this year, five gorgeous homes
have been selected to be decorated for the
holidays, explained Foundation Executive
Director Jessica Striegle. “The style of
each home is different and there is some-
thing for every taste. This year, the tour is
an exceptional blend of traditional,
woodsy, cozy andVictorian,” she said.
“Each home is beautiful on its own but
with our talented team of decorators the
homes come to life with ideas on top of
ideas for decorating your home for the hol-
idays,” Striegle added.
Tickets for the Holiday Home Tour are
$25 in advance and $30 the day of the
event. Tickets are on sale nowat Haven in
Northville, Gardenviews, or the Northville
Chamber of Commerce. Tickets may also
be purchased on Visa or MasterCard by
calling (248) 374-0200. Tickets are limited
and the tour does sell out each year,
Striegle cautioned.
Proceeds from the Holiday Home Tour
help fund the work of the Northville
CommunityFoundation.
