The year 2000 brought to closure a number of significant projects which were initiated in previous fiscal years. Most significantly, the administrative team saw to fruition the completion and dedication of the new Township Hall. Numerous hours were spent by the construction management team to ensure quality of construction, a resolve to architectural/builder conflicts, and an economy to required change orders and/or contingency items.
Following a lengthy negotiation period, the labor negotiating team was successful in closing both the AFSCME and POAM labor contracts. Both contracts were successfully negotiated for a five-year period, providing the Township with a higher level of budgetary predictability and efficiencies through lowering the costs for the assignment of administrative personnel and special legal services.
Noteworthy of the AFSCME contract was the ability of bargaining representatives to reach both a tentative agreement and ratification of the final contract to a unique pay equity program. Rather than a percentage increase across the board for bargaining unit members, the AFSCME contract adjusts salaries to achieve pay equity, reducing some 22 categories to 7, providing salary additives to base wages. This resulted in the allocation of raises ranging from 1% to 8% annually per individual, while achieving an aggregated cost equivalent to our POAM contract.
This year witnessed the successful culmination of our solicitation of proposals to operate equestrian services at Centennial Farm. A public/private partnership agreement was executed with Findlay University of Ohio to provide both boarding and lessons at an affordable rate for island residents. The partnership with Findlay, over time, will afford entrepreneurial opportunities for the Recreation Department to offer additional recreational and community services to our residents, while creating opportunities for revenue enhancement to the recreation budget.
Numerous meetings were held between the administrative staff, planning commission, and senior housing committee with developers of the Macomb/Grays senior housing project. The administrative team succeeded in implementing the majority of objectives defined in the Township’s Predevelopment Agreement with The Oakwood Companies. As the Township Board has provided special land use approval, only final site plan approval by the Planning Commission remains prior to construction.
The Administration fostered the application of a number of grant opportunities which are pending: Application for Clean Michigan Initiative funds to construct the Gibraltar Bay Outlook and Outdoor Classroom; funds from the DNR Forestry Div. for street tree plantings along Macomb Street; Transportation Enhancement funds for bike path construction: 1) along East River Road from Groh Road to the Nature Preserve; 2) extension of bikeway down South Pointe; and 3) Parke Lane from Macomb Street to the Centennial Farm.
The Township was awarded funding for a number of grants which were applied for in previous fiscal years. $750,000 was received from the Clean Michigan Initiative Fund to finance water and sewer infrastructure located in our municipal airport; $1,750,000 was received from the FAA for reconstruction of Runway 17/315 rehabilitation; a site reclamation grant was received in the amount $220,000 for demolition of the old airport maintenance building, providing opportunity for new hangar space; $28,500 was received from the DEQ for a matching grant to complete the soccer fields at our airport athletic park; $47,000 was received from the DEQ Coastal Zone Management Div. for construction of the Thoroughfare Preserve Scenic Overlook; and the COPSMORE 2000 grant in the amount of $25,009 which secured the hiring of a civilian dispatch employee for the Police Department. Township residents should be proud of the administrative team’s coordinated effort at securing this funding which provides island services without taxing residential properties.
The Township, in concert with the Cable Commission, successfully closed negotiations with Comcast Cablevision securing an excellent 15 year franchise extension, and succeeded in the acquisition of the Comcast tower. These agreements have netted a lump sum revenue stream of approximately $50,000; an additional $1200 annually to supplement cable operations; and a potential annual revenue stream of $130,000 or more.
The Township Manager’s office successfully contracted for and completed a comprehensive DPW and organizational audit. This audit, completed throughout the month of September, has been forwarded to the Public Works Commission for review and action. Recruitment and subsequent hiring of a Public Works Manager has also been completed.
A significant amount of work has been completed to ensure compliance with the Draft Administrative Consent Order issued by MDEQ for infiltration and inflow into the Township’s sanitary sewer system. The Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Study, contracted by the Township with Spalding DeDecker, has been completed and will be forwarded to MDEQ prior to the Consent Judgement’s deadline. Phase II, providing for hydraulic modeling and the basis for design, is set to begin February 1, 2001. Major rehabilitation work has been completed on approximately 20% of our 1500 manholes throughout our sanitary system. Since the departure of the Public Works Manager in June of this year, the Township Manager has played a major role in the administration of all DPW projects.
Financing has been secured to construct a new restaurant facility at Water’s Edge. A preliminary Letter of Intent has been entered into with a new entrepreneur for management of the facility.
In closing out this program period, my office is most proud of the partnership extended with the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy and the action plan developed for the restoration of Hennepin Marsh. This year saw the successful completion of the Army Corps of Engineers Phase I Feasibility Study for (??) to restore habitat and aquatic vegetation degraded through erosion and subsidance. This study was financed through a 100% federally funded grant award following application by the Township. To provide a plan for offsetting the local match that may be necessary to construct the recommended solutions, the department has recently submitted an application to the State of Michigan for $750,000 to cover all local costs which may be required upon completion of the Phase II study currently under way by the Corps of Engineers.
- David A. Mekarski, AICP
Township Manager
2000-2001 Annual Report
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