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Officials in the City of Romulus
and the Romulus Community
Schools have agreed to expand
shared services as
a way of attacking
budget challenges
facing both govern-
mental entities.
Recently, mem-
bers
of
the
R o m u l u s
C o m m u n i t y
Schools Board of
Education and the
City Council sepa-
rately approved an
inter-governmen-
tal agreement that
will allow the city and school dis-
trict to provide more affordable
services to one another instead of
paying higher costs to private con-
tractors, while maintaining servic-
es and stretching the tax dollars of
Romulus residents and business
owners.
Both the city and the school dis-
trict are facing significant financial
challenges. Major reductions have
taken place in both agencies.
Officials said further cuts would
affect programs, services and
employees.
An inter-gov-
ernmental agree-
ment also helps
meet Gov. Rick
Snyder's demands
for more collabo-
ration between
government agen-
cies in exchange
for state revenue
sharing formunic-
ipalities and cash
incentives for
school systems.
“This is a his-
toric and significant step in helping
both the city and schools,” said
Mayor Alan R. Lambert. “We're
already doing this with other cities.
There's no reason we can't do it
with the schools. I think we help
eachother out quite a bit.”
“We need this now more than
ever,” said Romulus Schools
Superintendent Carl Weiss. “Our
intent is to examine each opportu-
nity and implement the agreement
gradually and on a case by case
basis. Working together, we expect
to experience some important sav-
ings.”
Representatives of both govern-
mental entities have been meeting
since April to determine if such a
plan was worthwhile and feasible
and to outline some of the services
that could be exchanged to meet
needs and save funds.
Appointed by Lambert to repre-
sent the city were Mayor Pro-Tem
LeRoy Burcroff, Councilman
William Crova, Finance Director
Debbie Hoffman and Department
of Public Works Director Tom
Wilson.
Representing the school system
have been Board of Education
President Danielle Funderburg
and Trustee Cheryle Buckley,
Weiss and Director of Business and
Operations Sherri Papazoglou.
The city and school district have
been sharing some services
already. For the last three winters,
city officials have provided salt to
the school district at cost, which
has been a substantial savings for
the school system.
City police officers participate
in the police liaison program in
Romulus schools. The schools dis-
tribute information to students
about activities at the Romulus
Activity Center (RAC). And in the
past, school officials have provided
needed gym space for city recre-
ationprograms.
City and school leaders stressed
that the intent of the inter-govern-
mental agreement was not to
reduce personnel, but rather to
save money as a way to maintain
jobs, services and programs.
Committeemembersmet to discuss
the need for an inter-governmental
agreement with union leadership
of both Teamsters Local 214 (city)
and AFSCME council 25 Local 64
(schools.)
The committee discussed the
proposed inter-governmental
agreement during two special joint
meetings on June 20 andNov. 7.
“This joint venture between the
city and school district is a win-win
situation - especially for the taxpay-
ers,” saidFunderburg.
“This is a great example of the
city and the schoolsworking togeth-
er to make sure the taxpayers are
getting the best value for their dol-
lar,” said Burcroff. “If there's equip-
ment we can share or purchasing
power, we need to be doing that.
This makes all the sense in the
world.”
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
December 22, 2011
Robert A. Ficano
County Executive
In the Matter of: McKinstry Drain
NOTICE OF MEETING OF BOARD OF DETERMINATION
Notice Is Hereby Given to you as a person liable for an assessment or a public cor-
poration subject to assessment that the Board of Determination will meet on Thursday,
January 19, 2012, at 5:30 P.M. at the Charter Township of Van Buren Municipal Center
(Otisville/Sheldon Room), 46425 Tyler Road, Belleville, Michigan 48111, to hear all
interested persons and evidence and to determine whether the McKinstry Drain (Drainage
District No. M-009), as prayed for in the Petition to clean out, relocate, widen, deepen,
straighten, tile, extend or relocate, dated April 22, 2011 is necessary and conducive to the
public health, convenience or welfare, and whether said drain is necessary for the protec-
tion of the public health of the Van Buren Township and Canton Township in accordance
with Sections 72 and 191 of Act No. 40, P.A. 1956, as amended.
Proceedings conducted at this public hearing will be subject to the provision of the
Michigan Open Meetings Act and you are further notified that information regarding this
meeting may be obtained from the County Drain Commissioner. Persons with disabilities
needing accommodations for effective participation in the meeting should contact the
Wayne County Drain Commissioner at the number noted below (voice) or through the
Michigan Relay Center at 1-800-649-3777 (TDD) at least 24 hours in advance of the
meeting to request mobility, visual, hearing or other assistance. Minutes of the meeting
will be on file at the Wayne County Drain Commissioner's Field Office, 3501 Henry Ruff
Road Westland, Michigan 48186.
You Are Further Notified, that persons aggrieved by the decisions of the Board of
Determination may seek judicial review in the Circuit Court for the County of Wayne
within ten (10) days of the determination.
Dated: December 19, 2011
Lavonda R. Jackson, ESQ.
Wayne County Drain Commissioner
Deputy Director of Department of Public Services
400 Monroe, Suite 400
Detroit, MI 48226
Telephone (734) 326-4500
Published: December 22, 2011
CITY OF WAYNE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The Zoning Board of Appeals of the City of Wayne, Michigan, will hold Public Hearings
on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers of Wayne City Hall,
3355 South Wayne Road, to consider the following requests:
1.
Bratcher Electric has applied for the property owner at 35620 Richard Street, for
permission to construct a wind turbine. The property is located in the R-1C,
Single-Family Residential Zoning District. Section 1288.02 (g)(1) of the Planning
and Zoning Code requires accessory structures to be constructed not more than 15
feet in height.
The plans submitted to the Building Department indicate the height of the wind
turbine to be 39.6 feet, thereby requiring an 24.6 ft. variance.
Tabled from the meeting of October 13, 2011
2.
Bratcher Electric has applied for the property owner at 35609 John Street, for per
mission to construct a wind turbine. The property is located in the R-1C, Single-
Family Residential Zoning District. Section 1244.05 of the Planning and Zoning
Code requires buildings of not more than 30 feet in height.
The plans submitted to the Building Department indicate the height of the wind
turbine to be 38.1 feet, thereby requiring an 8.1 ft. variance.
Tabled from the meeting of October 13, 2011
3.
Services to Enhance Potential, 35000 Van Born Road, has applied to consider a
request for continued use of a storage trailer. The property is located in a B-3,
Business Extensive District Zone. The applicant is requesting a variance as neither
Section 1258.02, Permitted Principal Uses, nor 1258.03, Permitted Accessory Uses,
of the Planning and Zoning Ordinance, allows trailer storage in this area.
Adjourned from the meeting of December 8, 2011 - (lack of quorum)
The text and any maps may be examined or written comments may be submitted at the
City Clerk's Office during business hours (10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday - Thursday)
Members of the public may appear at the public hearing in person or by counsel. At the
conclusion of the Public Hearing, the Zoning Board will consider, and may act upon, this
matter.
Matthew K. Miller
Publish: December 22, 2011
City Clerk
R
OMULUS
Partners
City, school district
sign joint agreement
We're already doing this
with other cities.
There's no reason
we can't do it
with the schools.
I think we help each
other out quite a bit.
”
Romulus city and school officials attended a special joint meeting last month to discuss the proposed intergov-
ernmental agreement. Shaking hands are Mayor Alan Lambert (left) and Schools Superintendent Carl Weiss.
Animal rescue group on-line
Taber's Helping Paw of Romulus has
joined other animal welfare organizations in
the area that list homeless pets on
Petfinder.com, the oldest and largest database
of adoptable animals on the Internet. The
site currently has 359,000 homeless pets list-
ed, and it is updated continuously.
More than 13,500 animal welfare organiza-
tions in the U.S., Canada, and other countries
post their pets on the site. Taber's Helping
Paw pets may be viewed at
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MI840.html.
A potential adopter enters search criteria
for the kind of pet he or she wants, and a list
is returned that ranks the pets in proximity to
the Zip code entered. Adoptions are handled
by the animal placement group where the pet
is housed, and each group has its own poli-
cies.
Petfinder.comwas created in early 1996 as
a grassroots project by Jared and Betsy Saul
to end the euthanasia of adoptable pets. Since
its inception, the site has facilitated approxi-
mately 20 million adoptions, making it the
most life-saving initiative in animal welfare.
Sponsors include The Animal Rescue Site,
BISSELL Homecare, Inc., a manufacturer of
home cleaning and floor care products,
PETCO, a national pet supply retailer that
sponsors in-store adoptions and provides
coupon books for new adopters, PetFirst
Healthcare, the exclusive pet insurance
provider for Petfinder.com, Merial, maker of
the number one veterinary-recommended
flea and tick preventative, FRONTLINE(r),
and heartworm preventative, HEART-
GARD(r), And HomeAgain, a microchip and
pet recovery service.
In the spirit
The Red Dragons, a Karate school in Romulus, presents Ambassador and Spirit
awards each year to community residents who have made a difference for others.
Honorees this year include, Danielle Funderburg, from left, Edward McIntosh, Jr,
Master Richard
Bel l, Jr., Wi l l ie
Hester,
Lloyd
Coleman, Pastor
Hiram McBurrows,
Jr., Sean Williams,
the Rev. Rita Talley
and, not pictured,
Pastor
Teresa
Moton. The presen-
tation took place
Nov. 19 at the
Greater
Works
D e l i v e r a n c e
Ministries.