No. 41
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
October 13 – 19, 2016
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
City officials were notified
last week that Wayne does
not meet any of the19 condi-
tions of financial stress
required by state law for
intervention in local munici-
palities.
See page 2.
Mark Gasche has been
named as the newdirector of
Parks and Recreation for
both the city and township of
Northville.
See page 4.
Vol. 131, No. 41
Vol. 69, No. 41
Vol. 69, No. 41
Vol. 16, No. 41
Romulus is among the 13
members of the Downriver
Utility Wastewater Authority
negotiating to purchase the
Downriver Wastewater
Treatment Facility.
See page 5.
Vol. 131, No. 41
Vol. 69, No. 41
Vol. 69, No. 41
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Michael Stradtner is the
first new City of Westland
Fire Chief in 16 years.
Stradtner was officially
sworn into office last week.
See page 2.
The Village Theater at
Cherry Hill is currently
exhibiting artwork from the
24th Annual Canton Fine
Arts Exhibition through Oct.
29.
See page 4.
Vol. 16, No. 41
The City of Inkster will
host the Annual Boo Bash
from6-8 p.m. Oct. 31 and pro-
vide a fun-filled, safe alterna-
tive to traditional door-to-
door trick or treating activi-
ties.
See page 5.
The long-vacant building
at M-14 and Sheldon Road in
Plymouth will be reopened
as a finishing plant for the
largest glass manufacturer in
the country.
See page 3.
Nominations for some of
the most prestigious awards
in the community are now
being accepted by the
Belleville Area Chamber of
Commerce.
See page 5.
According to independent
auditor Plante Moran, impro-
prieties in accounting practices
and handling of drug forfeiture
funds in Plymouth Township
are not the only financial prob-
lems facing themunicipality.
Representatives from Plante
Moran, the accounting and
auditing firm employed by the
township, say they cannot com-
ply with the Michigan
Department of Treasury
requirements and complete the
township audit, due June 31,
due to the lack of cooperation
from Township Treasurer Ron
Edwards and Supervisor
ShannonPrice.
As township supervisor,
Price is considered the chief
administrative officer of the
municipality.
Both Price and Edwards
were defeated in the primary
electionAug. 2.
Fieldwork for the audit usu-
ally begins in May and is com-
pleted by the following June,
according to the auditing firm
which specializes in municipal
finance. This year, however,
auditors say they can't proceed
with the state-required audit for
the fiscal year ended Dec. 31,
2015, due to the failure of
Edwards and Price to provide
the financial reports and
records necessary.
In a nine-page list compiled
by Plante Moran, auditors high-
lighted the critical items
mandatory for completion of
the report with the majority of
those listeddue fromEdwards.
Key categories listed as
requiring further accounting
informationwere segregated for
Cash, Customer Receivables,
Capital Assets, Accounts
Payable, Accrued Liabilities,
Revenue Sharing, Property
Taxes, Self Insurance and
Miscellaneous. Some of the sig-
nificant yellow-highlighted
missing records included:
Request for “copy(s) of bank
reconciliations for all bank
accounts through Dec. 31, 2105,
including lists of outstanding
checks…
See
Tax,
page 3
A‘maze’ing
Maybury Farm opens
annual fall attraction
The new Westland City Hall
has been presented with another
award for excellence, this one
from the American Public Works
Association.
The new City Hall building
was chosen as the National
Public Works Project of the Year,
having already won the local and
state awards from the associa-
tion. The award was based on the
transformation of the former
Circuit City big box store on
Warren Road into a modern,
energy efficient City Hall, accord-
ing to criteria for the national
honor.
The Public Works Project of
the Year Award was established
to promote excellence in the
management and administration
of public works projects by recog-
nizing the alliance between the
managing agency, the consult-
ant/architect/ engineer, and the
contractor who, working together,
complete public works projects, a
spokesman said. Public works is
defined as the physical structures
and facilities that are developed,
owned, andmaintained by public
agencies to house governmental
functions and provide water,
power, waste disposal, trans-
portation, and similar public
services in accordance with
establishedpublic policy.
The ecological consideration,
along with features incorporated
into the design by OHMAdvisors,
were the factors that most
impressed
the
judging
panel.Those included installing
window walls along the length of
the southern wall and sky lights
and self-extinguishing lights. The
new, larger CityHall replaced the
former undersized 13,500 square
Fines imposed by the 29th
District Court in Wayne will
increase from$5 to $40 following
approval of the new building fee
bymembers of the city council.
The new fine schedules will
include a “building fee” added
to both misdemeanor and civil
infractions. A misdemeanor
guilty plea will now see an addi-
tional $20-$40 on the fine and
civil infractions will see fines
increase by $5-$15. The new
fines will be used for renovation,
expansion, updating, equipping
and or furnishing the Wayne
court facilities or for the same
purposes at the 18th District
Court in Westland should a con-
sideredmerger of the two courts
be accomplished.
The Westland City Council
members approved a similar
building fee structure on court
fines earlier this year.
Discussion of merging the
two courts has been ongoing for
several years. A meeting to dis-
cuss the possibilities is reported-
ly planned before the end of the
year and is expected to include
Judges Sandra Cicirelli and
Mark McConnell from the
Westland court and Judge Laura
Mack from the Wayne court
along with administrators from
both courts, Westland Mayor
William Wild and Wayne Mayor
SusanRowe.
Any court merger or combi-
nation would have to be enacted
by the state. The Wayne and
Westland courts have concur-
rent jurisdiction allowing the
judges to hear cases in each
community. A report, prepared
by
the
State
Court
Administrator's office, deter-
mined that Wayne needed only
.67 of a judge while the
Westland court required three
full-time jurists.
Any combination of the two
facilities would require exten-
sive facility renovations. Should
the courts remain independent,
the Wayne building is in need of
upgrades and security measure
improvements, including a full-
time court officer.
Westland City Hall wins national award
The long-awaited corn maze at
Maybury Farm is now open featuring 6-
acres of very tall corn.
Jessica Striegle, executive director of
the Northville Community Foundation
which operates the farm, said the maze
offers a unique way to spend a fall after-
noon. Visitors can enjoy a hayride to the
entrance to the maze where they are then
left to their own devices to find their way
through. While in the maze, visitors who
find all nine wooden animals hidden in
the corn, will have their names entered in
a drawing for tickets to the Ringling
Brothers andBarnumandBaileyCircus.
When leaving the maze, visitors will be
taken back to the farm by another hayride
where cider, donuts and snacks are avail-
able.
Striegle said a bigger challenge is com-
pleting the cornmaze in the dark. She said
that the maze is open from 6 until 10 p.m.
Fridays and from noon until 10 p.m.
Saturdays and from noon until 7 p.m. on
Sundays. The last hayride wagon leaves
for themaze onehour prior to closing.
The maze will be open through Oct. 20.
Group tours and bonfires for 15 or more
are available, Striegle said.
To reserve a date or for more informa-
tion, call (248) 374-0200. Admission to the
maze is $7 per person and includes admis-
sion to the farm. Children younger than 2
are admitted at no cost.
All proceeds from the corn maze are
used to care for the farm animals through-
out thewintermonths, Striegle said.
Maybury Farm is located at 50165 Eight
Mile Road in Northville. It is 1-1/4 mile
west of Beck Road on Eight Mile, 1/2 mile
west of Maybury State Park. Enter at the
MayburyFARMsign, do not enter the state
park. Parking is free at Maybury Farm.
For more information,visit
-
lecommunityfoundation.org or
book.com/maybury.farm.
Visitors of all ages enjoy the corn maze at Maybury Farm every year, especially the
wagon hayride through the fields.
Both Price and Edwards
were defeated in the
primary election Aug. 2.
”
Missing records alarm auditors
See
Award,
page 2
‘Building fee’ OK’d at Wayne, Westland courts
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Mayor William R. Wild, left, and Dan Fredendall, the president of
OHM Advisors, right, accepted the national award for the new City
Hall project as public works project of the year.
