General Summary #

The October 18, 2021, meeting of the Davison Township Board of Trustees covered a wide range of municipal business, including financial reporting, department updates, and zoning recommendations. The board reviewed the Treasurer's report, noting significant revenues from taxes and water/sewer services, as well as an upcoming increase in medical and dental premiums for active employees.

A major portion of the meeting was dedicated to public hearings for several special assessments, including police, fire, garbage, street lights, and Griffin Lake. Additionally, the board addressed personnel matters, approving the hiring of a new park maintenance worker and appointing two new members to the Downtown Development Authority (DDA).

The meeting was marked by significant debate and subsequent retraction of a proposal to change health insurance for retirees. After a closed session to consult with legal counsel regarding the legality of the change under existing ordinances, the board voted to retract the motion. The meeting concluded with public comments focused primarily on the potential negative impact of changing insurance providers.

Who #

  • Jim Slezak: Township Supervisor
  • Tim Green: Township Treasurer
  • Lori Tallman: Trustee
  • Matt Karr: Trustee
  • Jay Rendon: Chief of Police
  • Casey Reed: Parks & Rec. Director
  • David Lattie: Township Attorney
  • Jerry Harris: Deputy Chief
  • Jami Vert: Recording Secretary
  • Matt Place: Building Official (Absent)
  • Kurtis McMahan: Newly appointed DDA member
  • Mo Abone_aaj: Newly appointed DDA member
  • Riley Ferguson: Newly hired Park Maintenance worker

What #

  • Agenda Adoption: The agenda was adopted with the addition of a Senior Center Board Resolution (Motion by Green, Second by Karr; 3-1 vote).
  • Approval of Minutes: Previous regular and closed session minutes from August and September 2021 were approved unanimously.
  • Special Assessment Resolutions: The board approved the following via unanimous roll call votes:
    • Resolution 2021-6: Police Special Assessment (Motion by Karr, Second by Tallman).
    • Resolution 2021-7: Fire Special Assessment (Motion by Karr, Second by Tallman).
    • Resolution 2021-5: Garbage Special Assessment (Motion by Karr, Second by Tallman).
    • Resolution 2021-9: Street Light Special Assessment (Motion by Slezak, Second by Tallman).
    • Resolution 2021-8: Griffin Lake Special Assessment (Motion by Karr, Second by Green).
  • DDA Appointments:
    • Kurtis McMahan appointed to DDA term ending 12/3/2023 (Motion by Karr, Second by Slezak).
    • Mo Aboneaaj appointed to DDA term ending 12/31/2024 (Motion by Karr, Second by Tallman).
  • Retiree Health Insurance: Following a debate and a closed session to discuss attorney opinion, the board voted to retract the proposed health insurance changes for retirees (Motion by Green, Second by Slezak).
  • Zoning Approvals:
    • Case #16-RZ-98: Approved rezoning of parcel #25-05-15-100-027 from GC to M-1 (Motion by Karr, Second by Tallman).
    • Case #16-RZ-97: Approved rezoning of parcel #25-05-29-100-002 from GC to RU-1 (Motion by Karr, Second by Slezak).
  • Senior Center Resolution: Approved the Davison Richfield Senior Center Authority Board Resolution to close the center when Davison Community Schools close for snow days (Motion by Tallman, Second by Slezak).
  • Hiring: Approved the hire of Riley Ferguson for Park Maintenance at $16.50/hour (Motion by Szekak, Second by Karr).

When #

  • Meeting Date: October 18, 2021.
  • Upcoming Election: Noted by the Supervisor as occurring in two weeks.
  • Effective Date: Parks & Rec. Vice Chair position change effective January 1, 2022.
  • Halloween Hours: October 31, 2021, from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Where #

  • Location: Davison Township Municipal Center, 1280 N. Irish Road, Davison, MI 48423.

Financial Details #

  • Treasurer's Report (Sept 2021):
    • Total Revenues: $2,929,307.65.
    • Tax Income: $2,092,350.32.
    • Water and Sewer Income: $777,187.82.
    • General Income: $59,769.51.
    • General Expenditures YTD: $1,923,249.61 (22.60% expended).
    • Water and Sewer Expenditures YTD: $1,644,529.44 (23.11% expended).
  • Employee Benefits: Notice of an annual increase of $72,762.12 (8.65%) for medical and dental premiums starting in the new year.
  • Board Expenditures (Aug 5 – Sept 9, 2021): Total expenses of $5,680,216.70.
  • Building Permits: 32 permits issued in September with a construction value of $685,505.00 and total permit costs of $8,791.00.
  • Street Light Assessment: Noted that $10,000 was previously unbilled by auditors and is being corrected in this cycle.

Public Comment #

Four individuals addressed the board: * Stephanie Thomas: Expressed concern regarding the Humana network, noting that the provider is not in-network for many and has low Medicare scores. * Karen Shields: Urged the board to reconsider the health plan change, citing concerns about being denied care at Ascension due to network limitations. * Rick Freeman: Argued against prioritizing township cost savings over the quality of care for employees. * Mo Aboneaaj: Thanked the board for the DDA appointment and addressed his future political aspirations.