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Members of theMichiganSenate unan-
imously approved Senate Bill 295, legisla-
tion sponsored by Senate Minority Floor
Leader Tupac A. Hunter (D-Detroit) that
is designed to improve neighborhoods
and reduce blight by banning certain
landowners with delinquent blight fines
from bidding in county tax foreclosure
auctions.
Hunter who will leave the senate this
year due to term limits, has long repre-
sented the 5th District which includes the
City of Inkster as well as portions of
Detroit andDearbornHeights.
“Our tax foreclosure auctions are cur-
rently being abused by tax-dodgers, slum-
lords and schemers that are letting their
properties fall into foreclosure rather
than paying their property taxes, and this
bill will go a long way toward cleaning up
our neighborhoods and creating safe com-
munities,” said Hunter. “I sincerely
appreciate the support of the Legislature
to address this important issue facing
Detroit and other communities, but I also
want to recognize Wayne County
Treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz and
Deputy TreasurerDavidSzymanski for all
of their hard work in concert with Mayor
Mike Duggan to address land speculation
andblight inDetroit.”
Senate Bill 295 would require prospec-
tive bidders in tax foreclosure auctions to
register with the foreclosing governmen-
tal unit at least 14 days before a sale. It
would prohibit any person or entity that
has had a property go into tax foreclosure
in the last three years or has unpaid local
blight or nuisance ordinance violations
from bidding on properties in tax foreclo-
sure auctions.
In the Wayne County 2014 tax foreclo-
sure auction, 10,704 properties were sold
for about $61 million countywide. About
14,800 properties went unsold. Loveland
Technology, a company that surveyed
Detroit for this year's auction, found an 85
percent correlation between tax-fore-
closed andblightedproperties.
The company also speculated that
35,669 occupied residential homes in the
city are set to enter tax foreclosure next
year.
Hunter has been a leader in the fight to
combat blight through other avenues as
well. He sponsored a bill that was passed
and signed into law as part of a legislative
package to address blight. His bill, Senate
Bill 39, allowed for a lien against property
involved in a blight violation to be
enforced and discharged by a city in the
same manner as liens for delinquent
taxes.
Hunter serves as the minority Floor
Leader and is a member of the Senate
Government Operations Committee,
Legislative Council, and the Joint
Committee onAdministrativeRules.
A
SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
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ICHIGAN
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December 26, 2014
PLANNING COMMISSION
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CANTON
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CANTON, WAYNE
COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Michigan Public Act 12 of 2008, of the State of Michigan, as amended, and pursuant
to the Zoning Ordinance of the Charter Township of Canton that the Planning Commission of the Charter Township of Canton
will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, January 12, 2015 in the First Floor Meeting Room of the Canton Township
Administration Building, 1150 S. Canton Center Road at 7:00 p.m. on the following proposed amendment to the Zoning
Ordinance:
ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT AMENDMENT (2015-1) - SMOKING LOUNGES
Consider Canton Township-initiated amendment to the following articles:
Article 1.00 - Rules of Construction and Definitions
Section 1.03, Establish a definition for Smoking Lounge.
Article 16.00 - C-2 Community Commercial District
Section 16.02, Principal Uses and Structures.
Add, "Smoking Lounge per the requirements of Chapter 18, Business Regulations'.
Article 17.00 - C-3 Regional Commercial District
Section 17.02, Principal Uses and Structures
Add, "Smoking Lounge per the requirements of Chapter 18, Business Regulations".
Article 18.00 - C-4 Interchange Service District
Section 18.02, Principal Uses and Structures
Add, "Smoking Lounge per the requirements of Chapter 18, Business Regulations".
Written comments addressed to the Planning Commission should be received at the above address prior to Thursday January 8,
2015 in order to be included in the materials submitted for review.
Greg Greene, Chairman
Publish:
December 26, 2014
EC122614-1042 2.5 x 4.365
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: December 26, 2014
EC122614-1041 2.5 x 1.557
C
ANTON
- I
NKSTER
Civitans donate to Therapeutic Recreation Program
Senator’s land speculator bill OK’d in Legislature
Canton Leisure Services has
received a $500 donation for its
Therapeutic Recreation pro-
gramming from the Plymouth-
CantonCivitans that will assist in
funding Camp A.B.L.E., a sum-
mer camp for children aged 8-14
with a broad range of disabili-
ties.
"We feel so incredibly hon-
ored that the Plymouth-Canton
Civitans chose to make this very
generous donation to the
Therapeutic Recreation pro-
gram," said Jennifer Provenzano,
recreation coordinator. "We can't
begin to express our gratitude to
these deeply caring individuals
who truly embody charity and
good citizenship. We hope that
others are as inspired by their
acts of kindness aswe are."
The Civitans elected to make
the donation after ambassadors
from Canton Leisure Services
spoke about the Therapeutic
Recreation program during a
Civitan meeting, and the group
has also donated a rocking chair
and gift cards for campuse.
Plymouth-Canton Civitan
Treasurer/Secretary Kathy
Turnquist called it a great oppor-
tunity to support an "awesome"
community service. "This com-
munity is phenomenal when it
comes to supporting those with
special needs," Turnquist said.
Camp A.B.L.E., which stands
for Achieve, Believe, Learn and
Experience, is one of several
activities and services offered by
the
Canton
Township
Therapeutic Recreation pro-
gram. Therapeutic Recreation
offers year-round program
opportunities, socialization and
support for individuals with dis-
abilities of all ages residing in
WesternWayneCounty.
Camp A.B.L.E. is funded in
part by a Western Wayne County
Therapeutic Recreation Grant.
However, the need for special-
ized supplies, transportation and
other important programming
assistance remains. Donations to
the Camp A.B.L.E. fund can be
made online at www.cantonfoun-
dation.org or by writing a check
to the Canton Community
Foundation and earmarking
those dollars in the memo line
with "CampA.B.L.E. Fund."
The Therapeutic Recreation
program is also seeking gifts of
supplies. Those interested in
making a donation of supplies
can visit the "Giving Tree" in the
lobby of Summit on the Park
community recreation center,
located at 46000 Summit
Parkway. The Giving Tree is dec-
orated in ornaments with
desired gift items for the pro-
gram, such as educational toys
and gift cards for recreation
opportunities. The tree will be
located at the Summit from now
through the end of the holiday
season.
To learn more about the
Canton Leisure Services
Therapeutic
Recreation
Program,
visit
www.cantonfun.org.
The mission of Civitan
International is to build good cit-
izenship by providing a volun-
teer organization of clubs dedi-
cated to serving individual and
community needs with an
emphasis on helping people
with developmental disabilities.
The Plymouth-Canton Civitan
Club has been dedicated to the
needs of the local community for
40 years. For more information,
visit www.plymouthcantoncivi-
tans.com.
Cheryl Van Vliet, left, and Carol Swan of Plymouth-Canton Civitans, Jennifer Girard of Canton Leisure
Services and Kathy Turnquist of Plymouth-Canton Civitans celebrate the recent donation to the
Therapeutic Recreation program.
used to reunite lost petswith owners.
Deputy Police Chief Debra Newsome
said that Humane Society of Huron
Valley indicated it handled 541 animals
in 2013 and 481 through early December
of this year. She said Canton records
indicate that only 142 animals were sent
to the Ann Arbor facility in 2013, after
being captured by Varmint Police of
Westland, an outside contractor with the
township. There are animals taken
directly to the shelter by residents, which
could account for the variance in num-
bers.
Newsome advised residents who
might observe an animal that appears to
be lost, stray, injured or otherwise in
need of assistance, to call the Canton
Public Safety Department at (734) 394-
5400 for help. She advised owners who
have lost a pet, to contact the department
at the same number. The department
maintains a list of all animals picked up,
in order to assist with quickly uniting pet
ownerswith their lost animals, she said.
The Michigan Humane Society in
Westland is open for pet retrieval from 11
a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through
Saturday with extended hours from 11
a.m. until 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. The
Michigan Humane Society is located at
900 N. Newburgh Road in Westland and
can be contacted at (734) 721-7300 or
www.michiganhumane.org.
Shelter
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