The lawsuit filed against the Van
Buren Public Schools and members of
the board of education and administra-
tors in the district by four teachers has
been settled at undisclosed terms.
During a regular meeting last week,
Superintendent of Schools Pete Kudlak
was authorized by the members of the
school board tomake a contribution of an
undisclosed amount to the district insur-
ance carrier to resolve the two federal
lawsuits filedby the teachers lastMay.
A jury trial on themerits and claims of
the four teachers represented in the 32-
page complaint had been scheduled to
begin Dec. 11. In the federal lawsuit, the
four Savage Elementary School teachers,
Pamela Bradley, Michelle Komaromi,
Brent Held and Rebecca Tennis, claimed
violations of their civil rights and employ-
ment discrimination. In addition to the
school district, former Superintendent of
Schools Michael Van Tassel, Shonta
Langford-Green, Brent Mikulski, Martha
Toth, Kathy Kovach, Devin English,
Alison Bennett and Kelly Owen were
named as defendants in the lawsuit, both
as individuals and in their official capaci-
ties.
The lawsuit developed from the firing
of the teachers by Van Tassel following
claims of misconduct on theM-STEP test-
ing inMay of 2015. In the court filings, the
teachers claimed that Van Tassel had a
history of harassing behavior which
resulted in multiple teacher resignations
and which provoked several lawsuits
against the district.
Van Tassel accused the teachers of
misconduct in the M-STEP testing after
the school showed high scores. He
launched an investigation by attorneys
into the conduct of the teachers and sub-
sequently fired five Savage teachers. The
fifth teacher fired had the least seniority
and has since come to a settlement agree-
ment with the district and returned to the
classroom. The results of the study have
never beenmade public, according to the
lawsuit.
The five teachers were publicly escort-
ed from the school building in full viewof
the students and other staff members “as
if they were criminals” according to the
court documents. They were placed on
non-disciplinary paid administrative
leave due to alleged improprieties with
M-STEP testing prior to being fired. They
were ordered not to appear on school dis-
trict property, not to discuss the investiga-
tion with anyone other than their union
representatives on penalty of discharge
fromtheir jobs. VanTassel is also accused
in the suit of several other violations of
the teachers' civil rights through written
and oral communications to third parties
regarding thematter.
Following multiple protests by parents
at school board meetings, Van Tassel left
the district Feb. 22, although the lawsuit
continued and no agreement was
reached with the teachers. According to
the lawsuit, he was paid $350,000 in sev-
erance by the district.
Months of settlement negotiations
were finalized earlier thismonthwith the
members of the school board met in
closed session to discuss the latest agree-
ment terms. Following the closed meet-
ing, the board voted unanimously to
accept the latest terms and authorized
the payment to the insurance company.
No financial or other terms of the
agreement were announced.
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
November 2, 2017
B
ELLEVILLE
- R
OMULUS
The Romulus Animal Shelter
was honored by theMichigan Pet
Fund Alliance recently as the top
shelter in the medium size cate-
gory.
The Romulus facility will
receive a plaque and a cash
prize.
The ratings of shelters across
the state were based on the
annual report each licensed shel-
ter is required to submit to
Michigan Department of
Agriculture
and
Rural
Development. Using the data
submitted in the shelter reports,
Michigan Pet Fund Alliance
determined the save and live
release at each shelter rates
based on how many animals the
shelter takes in, releases alive,
and euthanizes. Live release
includes adoptions, lost pets
returned to owners, and animals
transferred to other shelters and
rescue organizations that have
room.
“We feel it is important to take
a comprehensive look at the
reports to compare how shelters
stack up against each other and
recognize those that are making
improvements and leading the
way,” said Deborah Schutt,
Michigan Pet Fund Alliance
founder and chairperson. “We
hope these awards inspire other
shelters to help us achieve the
goal of making Michigan a no-kill
state.”
Michigan Pet Fund Alliance
began calculating save rates in
2009 and startedmapping the sta-
tistics by county in 2011. Based
on the 2016 shelter reports, 60
out of 83 counties in Michigan
are considered to be “no kill”
with a 90 percent or better live
release rate. In 2011, only 10 out
of 83 counties in Michigan were
no kill. “No kill means that no
healthy or treatable animal is
killed in our shelters,” said
Schutt. “We still have a lot of
work to do to reach the goal, but
it's exciting to see the progress
the shelters have beenmaking by
adopting best practices and
working together.”
Michigan Pet Fund Alliance is
a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable
organization that works with
shelters, rescue organizations
and animal advocates to achieve
the goal that no healthy or treat-
able animal is euthanized due to
lack of shelter space or perma-
nent home. For more informa-
tion, visit
-
fund.org.
The five teachers were publicly escorted
from the school building in full view
of the students and other staff members...
”
Local animal shelter wins honors
District OK’s settlement of teachers’ suit
MINUTES OF REGULAR ROMULUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
October 9, 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.
Absent:
William Wadsworth.
Administrative Officials in Attendance:
LeRoy D. Burcroff, Mayor
Barb Fitzgerald, Deputy Clerk
1.
Moved by
Crout
seconded by
Makowski
to accept the agenda as presented.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
17-328 2A.
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Abdo
to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Romulus
City Council held on October 2, 2017.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
– Abdo, Barden, Choate, Crout, Roscoe.
Abstain
– Makowski.
Nays
– None.
Motion Carried
.
3A. Petitioner:
Sonda Stepchuk, Romulus resident, presented a proposal requesting that Council pass an ordinance to prohibit
relatives from serving on City Council concurrently. City Attorney, Steve Hitchcock, advised that it would take
a charter amendment, which requires a vote from the residents, to have the proposal come to fruition.
4. Chairperson’s Report:
4.
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Makowski
to accept the Chairperson’s Report.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
– Abdo,
Barden, Choate, Crout, Makowski, Roscoe.
Nays
– None.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
5. Mayor’s Report:
Economic Development Director, Tim Keyes, spoke about the Penske Project. Mayor Burcroff presented a video
of upcoming City events. Community Outreach Director, Jazmine Danci, spoke about the Fall Fest and present-
ed a slide show of the activities. Jill, Director from the Boys and Girls Club, brought five children who had
attended the Fall Fest to the Council meeting; and, each one of the children introduced themselves and spoke
about their favorite activities from the event.
17-329 5A.
Moved by
Makowski,
seconded by
Roscoe
to concur with the administration and award Bid ITB
17/18-04, for the Ecorse Road and Vining Road construction to the lowest most responsive and responsible bid-
der, Dan’s Excavating, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $9,231,543.17 and subject to a limitation of $1,271,288.28
of authorized work prior to the sale of the bonds for the project on or about November 6, 2017 with the mutual
understanding that in the event that the bonds are not sold, the remaining work on the contract shall be termi-
nated.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
17-330 5B.
Moved by
Abdo,
seconded by
Makowski
to concur with the administration and authorize the mayor
and clerk to approve a proposal for professional engineering services with OHM for Construction Phase
Engineering Services for Ecorse Road Reconstruction from Vining Road to Merriman Road, and for construc-
tion administration services for the Vining Road Extension in an amount not to exceed $566,300.00
Motion
Carried Unanimously
.
17-331 5C.
Moved by
Choate,
seconded by
Crout
to concur with the administration and authorize the mayor
and clerk to approve a proposal for professional engineering services with Wade Trim for Vining Road Utility
and Road Improvements Construction Phase services associated with the Vining Road Project in an amount not
to exceed $1,057,000.00.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
17-332 5D.
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Makowski
to authorize payment to the Conference of Western
Wayne in the amount of $5,190.00 for membership dues for the CWW 2017-2018 fiscal year membership.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
17-333 5E.
Moved by
Abdo,
seconded by
Crout
to concur with the administration to cover the cost to replace
six roof-top units at the 34 th District Court building. The FY 17/18 Budget includes funding to replace one unit
– this is for the additional cost of the other five units.
FUND/DEPT. CURRENT
AMENDED
ACCOUNT NO
.
ACCOUNT NAME
BUDGET AMENDMENT BUDGET
General Fund
Fund Balance
101-000-390.000 Unassigned Fund Balance 3,182,740.00 (63,000.00) 3,119,740.00
Expenditures
101-265-970.000 Building & Grounds – Capital Outlay 90,500.00 63,000.00 153,500.00
To cover the cost to replace six roof-top units at the 34 th District Court building. The FY 17/18 Budget
includes funding to replace one unit – this is the additional cost of the other five units.
Motion Carried
Unanimously
.
6A. Clerk’s Report:
Deputy Clerk, Barb Fitzgerald, announced that the close of registration for the November 7, 2017 Election is
Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.
17-334 6A1.
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Crout
to schedule a study session on Monday, October 23, 2017
at 6:45 p.m. with Economic Development Director, Tim Keyes, to discuss the Detroit Regional Aerotropolis
(DRA) proposal to revise the Interlocal Agreement between the member communities. The study session will be
held in the City Hall Council Chambers, 11111 Wayne Rd. Romulus, MI.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
6B. Treasurer’s Report: None.
7. Public Comment:
A resident commented about the choice to vote for a husband and wife for elected office. A resident inquired as
to how many Romulus residents are currently employed with the Amazon and Penske projects. A resident spoke
about how serious the upcoming Election is for the schools and city. A resident spoke about Sudden Death
Syndrome – could the mayor do an outreach program with the schools? A resident spoke about how she enjoyed
the Fall Fest. She also spoke highly of Dan’s Excavating Company. Mr. Martin, from Wade Trim, thanked
Council for approving their proposal that was on the agenda this evening.
8. Unfinished Business:
Mayor Burcroff offered to have Economic Development Director, Tim Keyes, meet with the resident who
inquired about the Amazon and Penske projects. Councilwoman Abdo addressed comments from a resident who
spoke about the importance of the upcoming Election.
9. New Business:
Councilwoman Abdo informed that a resident inquired about the agendas being posted on cable television.
10. Communication:
Councilman Crout commented that he and his wife support the Romulus Community Schools.
17-335 11.
Moved by
Choate,
seconded by
Roscoe
to pay Warrant 17-19 in the amount of 1,018,720.55.
Motion
Carried Unanimously
.
12.
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Crout
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 October 9, 2017.
RM0233 - 110217 2.5 x 11.26
CITY OF ROMULUS INVITATION TO BID
ITB 17/18-08 3 YR. CONTRACTUAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR
EMERGENCY "ON-CALL" & "AS NEEDED" ELECTRICAL SERVICES
ITB 17/18-14 6" DISCHARGE PUMP FOR DRAINS, SEWERS, PONDS,
AND PUMP STATIONS FOR CITY OF ROMULUS DPW
ITB 17/18-15 BACKHOE WITH OPTIONALATTACHMENTS
FOR CITY OF ROMULUS DPW
The City of Romulus, Michigan is seeking bids from qualified companies for the above item/items
and/or services.
(1) Qualified individuals and firms wishing to submit a bid must use the forms provided by the City.
Official bid forms and specifications may be obtained from the MITN Purchasing Group page of
BidNet Direct
/). Bids may be rejected unless made on the forms included
with the bidding documents. Copies of documents obtained from any other source are not con-
sidered official copies.
(2) Clarifications, modifications, or amendments may be made to this solicitation at the discretion of
the City. Any and all addenda issued by the City will be posted on the MITN Purchasing Group
page of BidNet Direct. All interested parties are instructed to view the MITN website regularly
for any issued addenda. It is the responsibility of the bidder to obtain all issued addenda and
acknowledge receipt of said addenda by including a printed copy of each addendum as part of
the required documents for this solicitation and to list the addendum and sign and date the
“Acknowledgment of Receipt Addenda Form: supplied in the bid documents.
(3) Questions must be emailed to
and received prior to 12:00 noon
local time, Tuesday, November 7, 2017 by 12:00 P.M.
(4) For ITB 17/18-08 Contractual Services Agreement for Emergency “On-Call” & “As Needed”
Electrical Services, a total of three copies (one marked “Original” and two marked “Copy”) of
the bid must be submitted together in a sealed envelope and returned to the
City Clerk's Office
no later than 2:30 P.M., Friday,
11/17/2017
. Bids should be addressed using the bid package label
provided in the ITB documents.
(5) For ITB 17/18-14 6” Discharge Pump for Drains, Sewers, Ponds, and Pump Stations and ITB
17/18-15 Backhoe with Optional Attachments, a total of two copies (one marked “Original” and
one marked “Copy”) of the bid must be submitted together in a sealed package/envelope and
returned to the
City Clerk's Office
no later than 2:30 P.M., Friday,
11/17/2017
. Bids should be
addressed using the bid package label provided in the ITB documents.
(6) At approximately 2:45 p.m., local time all timely received bids will be publicly opened and read.
(7) The successful Bidder will be required to submit proof of all bonds and insurance required by the
ITB documents and copies of all required endorsements.
(8) The City reserves the right to postpone the opening without notification and also reserves the
right to reject all bids and to waive any minor informality or irregularity in bids received and to
award the bid in whole or in part.
(9) For additional information contact Lynn A, Conway, City of Romulus, Purchasing Director, or
Gary Harris, Purchasing Department Buyer by calling (734) 955-4568 or by emailing purchas-
Publish: 11/2/2017
RM0232 - 110217 2.5 x 6.515
CITY OF ROMULUS INVITATION TO BID
ITB 17/18-19 26' Step Van for City of Romulus Water Department
The City of Romulus, Michigan is seeking bids from qualified companies for the acquisition of a 26'
walk-in step-van with chassis and all up-fitting as required by the bid documents. The vehicle will
replace the department's current utility van and shall be used for water main repairs by the
Department of Public Works
(1)
Qualified individuals and firms wishing to submit a bid must use the forms provided by the
City. Official bid forms and specifications may be obtained from the MITN Purchasing Group
page of BidNet Direct (
/). Bids may be rejected unless made on the forms
included with the bidding documents. Copies of documents obtained from any other source are
not considered official copies.
(2)
Clarifications, modifications, or amendments may be made to this solicitation at the dis-
cretion of the City. Any and all addenda issued by the City will be posted on the MITN
Purchasing Group page of BidNet. All interested parties are instructed to view the MITN web-
site regularly for any issued addenda. It is the responsibility of the bidder to obtain all issued
addenda and acknowledge receipt of said addenda by including a printed copy of each addendum
as part of the required documents for this solicitation and to list the addendum and sign and date
the “Acknowledgment of Receipt Addenda Form: supplied in the bid documents.
(3)
A total of three copies (one marked “Original” and two marked “Copy”) of the bid must be
submitted together in one sealed package and returned to the
City Clerk's Office
no later than
2:30 P.M., Friday,
11/17/2017
. Bids should be addressed using the bid package label provided in
the ITB documents.
(4)
At approximately 2:45 p.m., local time all timely received bids will be publicly opened and
read.
(5)
The successful Bidder will be required to submit proof of all bonds and insurance required
by the ITB documents and copies of all required endorsements.
(6)
The City reserves the right to postpone the opening without notification and also reserves
the right to reject all bids and to waive any minor informality or irregularity in bids received and
to award the bid in whole or in part.
(7)
For additional information contact Lynn A, Conway, City of Romulus, Purchasing Director
or Gary Harris, Purchasing Department Buyer by calling (734) 955-4568 or by emailing pur-
Publish: 11/02/17
RM0231 - 110217 2.5 x 5.059
