to qualify for the Wayne County Land
Bank TURBO rebate program. The final
rebate check was not sent to the county by
the Edwards' office, according to
VersaTrans attorneys, who threatened
legal action to redeem the rebate, estimat-
ed at $7,500.
Township Supervisor Shannon Price
announced at the end of that month that
the conflict between VersaTrans and
Edwards was caused by the erroneous
removal of VersaTrans from the TURBO
program, “by someone in the offices at
Wayne County.” VersaTrans finally
received the long-overdue tax rebate
money from Wayne County at the end of
October. Representatives from the Wayne
County Treasurer's Office told VersaTrans
they never received the funds from
Plymouth Township that were earmarked
for the rebate but later recanted, accord-
ing to informed sources.
Dalton said his clients were taken
abackwhen they received awarning letter
at the end of September from township
officials claiming VersaTrans is violating
the township Sewer Use Ordinance. The
cease and desist letter ordered the compa-
ny to immediately stop and submit a cor-
rective action plan and appear at a hear-
ing. The letter, dated Sept. 28, was signed
by Plymouth Township Attorney Kevin
Bennett. The letter informed VersaTrans
officials that the company would be liable
for any expense, loss or damage and could
face criminal prosecution if compliance
was notmadewithin 10 days.
Dalton said he immediately sent a
response to Bennett seeking more infor-
mation and subsequently left phone mes-
sages for the township attorney, all of
whichwent unanswered.
Prior to the meeting last week, mem-
bers of the board of trustees were provid-
ed 31 pages of detail regarding VersaTrans
alleged violations with color photos of
open sewers showing a blue substance at
the bottom.
“It's not contaminating the environ-
ment. It's not dangerous,” Dalton said of
the substance. Doroshewitz questioned
Felrath following his presentation regard-
ing the alleged violations byVersaTrans.
“I'm not sure why this is on the agen-
da,” Doroshewitz said. “It seems to be like
building a case against somebody for some
reason...?”
Price responded immediately, stating,
“You have someone who's been very bois-
terous in the local media (and) we're being
ripped about it...”
“I get it - that you're trying to defend
yourself in the media...I'm just not sure...”
Doroshewitz began, but was immediately
interruptedbyPrice.
“I'm not defending myself Trustee
Doroshewitz! I'm bringing out the issue
that a company is illegally dumping in a
sewer. I'm not defending myself in the
press...it's primarily to educate our board
members.”
The operations employed at
VersaTrans have similarities to screen
printing where there is a rinse process.
VersaTrans said that he material used is
citrus based and is biodegradable. “It's
basically orange peel,” saidDalton.
Dalton said VersaTrans first learned of
their dischargewater clumping inOctober
of 2014 and hired a company to remove
and haul away the material and then pur-
chased equipment that cleaned the dis-
charge fromtheirmachinery.
“The only thing we (VersaTrans) were
to do was apply for a waste water dis-
charge permit by Dec. 14, and we're doing
that,”Dalton said.
It was unclear if the township board
would request a show cause hearing, by
either Western Township Utility Authority
(WTUA) or YTUA, the two local environ-
mental authorities. VersaTrans could be
required to add machinery to mitigate the
potential for blocking the sewer lines, a
spokesman said.
“Wewant to complywith any issue con-
cerning discharge. We don't know what
issue the township has with respect to dis-
charge. All we want to do is comply with
Plymouth Township, WTUA and WCUA
concerning discharge into the sanitary
sewer,”Dalton said.
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
November 25, 2015
N
ORTHVILLE
- P
LYMOUTH
A subsidiary of mega-giant
Chinese manufacturing firm
Cixing Group Corp. LTD, is mov-
ing the U.S. corporate headquar-
ters from Tustin, CA to a
Northville Township industrial
park. The company is planning to
construct a 50,000-square-foot
building located on 5 acres-just
off of FiveMileRoadnearBeck.
Last week while participating
in a ground-breaking ceremony
with company officials, Gov. Rick
Snyder and Northville Township
Supervisor Robert Nix touted the
potential benefits that will be cre-
ated by the planned move of CW
BearingUSA Inc.
Officials from the Chinese
company, a sub-supplier of vari-
ous automotive type bearings,
said they chose Northville
because of Detroit area manufac-
turing resources and the proximi-
ty of automotive decision makers.
They chose the township site over
competing sites in Toledo and
Columbia, S.C. According to com-
pany officials, CW Bearing's $25.9
million investment will include a
new headquarters, design center
and manufacturing facility that
could bring 125 new jobs to the
areawithin the next 5 years.
Snyder, who reportedly trav-
eled to China five times in the last
year on trade missions to encour-
age Michigan development,
thanked the Chinese delegation
for having the confidence to come
toMichigan.
“We're known for making the
best products in America.
Michiganders are the hardest
workers. We can show that pros-
perity and peace can happen
together. You're nowmy customer,
I'm happy to have you here.”
Snyder announced.
CW Bearing, which currently
employs 15 workers in Michigan,
already has sales offices in St.
Louis, MS, Midland, N.C. and a
sales and service office in Novi.
The company was awarded a
$550,000 Michigan Business
Development Program perform-
ance-based grant from the state
and a 6-year tax abatement from
Northville Township as an
inducement to themove.
The initial construction at
15200 Technology Drive will
house the CW Bearing sales and
executive staff. The company has
a second 5-acre parcel in same
location where a manufacturing
facility will be constructed.
Officials said production parts
would be ready by 2018. The tar-
get for construction completion is
late 2016, for bothparcels.
State Sen. Patrick Colbeckwho
participated in the ceremonial
ground breaking said the CW
Bearing move was a coordinated
effort with General Motors and
Tier 1 suppliers. “We're providing
their manufacturing base,”
Colbeck said.
After the meeting, State Rep.
Kurt Heise who has been active
in the Five Mile Corridor devel-
opment, said themovewas a posi-
tive sign.
“Today's groundbreaking is
another sign of Michigan's recov-
ery and the fact that more inter-
national businesses are looking to
settle in Northville and Plymouth
Township,”Heise said.
Northville Township Manager
Chip Snider said he was pleased
with the new development, which
is outside the official Five Mile
Corridor that starts west of Beck
Road and runs through Salem
Township.
Commission fills vacant term
Members of the Plymouth City
Commission unanimously voted to appoint
32-year city resident Joseph Valenti to a
vacant seat on the commission.
Valenti will complete the term of Diane
Bogenrieder who resigned Nov. 2 as she
was relocating out of the city. Valenti will
serve until the term expires in November
of 2017.
Valenti, who has served on the
Downtown Development Authority, was
not a candidate in theNov. 3 election, a cir-
cumstance criticized by some audience
members who felt the appointment should
have gone to the fifth-place finisher in the
election, Jack Wilson who garnered 366
votes.
Valenti was nominated by Mayor Dan
Dwyer as prescribed by the city charter.
Dwyer said that he “respectfully dis-
agreed” with those who advocated the
appointment ofWilson.
“JoeValenti has served verywell on the
DDA board for years,” said Dwyer. Valenti
has a good record, disagrees with others
on the board in a respectful way and has
an extensive background in financial mat-
ters, themayor said.
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Governor welcomes chinese manufacturer to area
Sewer
FROM PAGE 1
Local, county and state officials, including Gov. Rick Snyder, were on hand last week to celebrate the
grand opening of a new $25.9 million manufacturing headquarters in Northville.
Photo by Don Howard.
