KIMBALL TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2160 WADHAMS ROAD, KIMBALL, MI 48074
REGULAR MEETING
AUGUST 20, 2024
6:30 P.M.
Usakowski opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS: Usakowski, Jackson, Wrubel, Hoffman, Deland, Ward and Nelson.
ABSENT: None.
ALSO PRESENT:
I. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Usakowski wants to move the PCE up to Public Comment.
Nelson questioned about the resolutions from the special meeting.
Usakowski: We need to open up a public hearing about them.
Deland motioned to approve the agenda for August 20, 2024 as amended supported by Nelson. Motion Carried.
II. PRESENTATION OF MINUTES of AUGUST 08, 2024
Nelson mentioned about a couple of typos in the minutes.
Jackson motioned to approve the minutes of August 8, 2024 as amended supported by Deland. Motion Carried.
III. CONSENT AGENDA AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Check Register from 07/18/2024 – 08/13/2024
- Revenue & Expenditure Report for Period Ending 08/31/2024
Usakowski: We have distributions totaling $1,030,510.93.
Jackson motioned to approve the distribution of $1,030,510.93 to pay the bills and file supported by Wrubel.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Jackson, Wrubel, Usakowski, Hoffman, Deland, Ward and Nelson. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
IV. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
A. Board of County Road Commissioners of the County of St. Clair Minutes for 07/02/2024 and 07/16/2024
Deland motioned to receive and file Boards and Commissions supported by Nelson. Motion Carried.
V. PUBLIC COMMENT (Brief Comments)
Marc Reno: 3204 Strawberry Lane: I’m here tonight to discuss an application that I submitted for the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Usakowski: We don’t make that decision. You will have to wait until the next Zoning Meeting.
Allen Road Lift Station – PCE
Usakowski: We have been talking about the Allen Road Lift Station to PCE about putting in a force main to alleviate some of the sewage that is going into the Allen Road Lift Station.
John Monte from Project Control Engineering is here to discuss the Allen Road Lift Station and what can be done to alleviate it. One option is to replace or bypass Pickford Station, direct sewer here and redirect along I-94 or a new pump station at Allen Road. For EGLE compliant, we need updates which are estimated at $4.8 million.
Usakowski: Two engineers have gone over this project. We are looking into revenue bonds. Fund balance may need to be used. We need $399,000.00 of revenue bonds for permits and construction?
Monte: Yes.
Usakowski: I do have a meeting with the bond attorney next week and plan on asking them about this. Do we want them to get started on this, and if so, we would probably have to use fund balance to pay for it.
Nelson: Are there any possible grants involved?
Usakowski: I did try to get Congressional Spending. The problem is that the project cost is too expensive.
Discussion.
Usakowski: We will bring this back to the next meeting.
VI. CHIEF GRATZ REPORT
A. Applications
1. William Rostine: Fire Inspection
2. Joel Alexander: Fire Inspection
They get paid for inspections at a cost of $20.00 per inspection.
Jackson: How many inspectors do you have now?
Gratz: I have two that are licensed inspectors.
Discussion.
3. Steven Szczesniak: Firefighter
4. Todd Nitzel: Firefighter
Gratz explained that these are trained and skilled firemen that would like to work part-time
Ward motioned to allow Chief Gratz to hire two Fire Inspectors and two Fire Fighters to the Fire Department supported by Deland.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Ward, Deland, Usakowski, Jackson, Wrubel, Hoffman and Nelson. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
5. Fire Administrator to 40 Hours
Gratz would like to move the Fire Administrator to 40 hours a week with benefits. He has been at the 30-hour positions for a few years now. He will be picking up more duties and I have room in the budget to approve this.
Jackson motioned to approve the 40-hour work week with benefits for the Fire Administrator supported by Ward.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Jackson, Ward, Usakowski, Wrubel, Hoffman, Deland and Nelson. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
VII. OLD BUSINESS
None.
VIII. NEW BUSINESS
A. UHY LLP Certified Public Accountants
Wrubel explained that this company comes in to help us get ready for the audit.
Deland motioned to renew the contract with UHY LLP Certified Public Accountants for a year supported by Jackson.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Jackson, Usakowski, Wrubel, Hoffman, Ward and Nelson. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
B. Section 504 Grievance Procedures
Jackson went over what this procedure is for and who can use it. This is what we have to put in place for the USDA.
Deland motioned to add Section 504 Grievance Procedures to our Personnel Policy supported by Jackson. Motion Carried.
C. Resolution 2024-28: Resolution to Apply for LRFAP for Ravenswood Road
Usakowski explained that this would be for Ravenswood Road from Allen Road to Wadhams Road. The total cost would be $180,000.00. We would be responsible for $90,000.00 and the grant will cover the other $90,000.00.
Jackson motioned to approve Resolution 2024-28 supported by Deland.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Jackson, Deland, Usakowski, Wrubel, Hoffman, Ward and Nelson. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
D. Document Imaging
Usakowski explained what this all about. Becky and I have met with three companies to go over what their services are. Laser Phish was $20,375.00 to set up and then $6,445.00 per year. Docuware was $6,195.00 to set up and $10,404.00 per year. Docuware was a better company.
Discussion.
Deland motioned to approve the purchase of Document Imaging from Docuware for $6,195.00 set up fees and $10,404.00 per year supported by Nelson.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Nelson, Usakowski, Jackson, Wrubel, Hoffman, Ward. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
E. EPA Grant Update
Usakowski explained the concerns of the township taking the lead for this grant.
We would have to come up with agreements with Western Michigan University and have a non-profit community organization involved which would be Friends of the St. Clair River and also an agreement with the county.
Usakowski stated his concern is the county hasn’t even decided on what the project is going to be. They just hired Tetra Tech to review the three proposed PFAS destruction technologies and will bring back with their recommendations.
We don’t want Kimball Township to be responsible for operating this. This would be in the agreement with the county.
The county is under pressure to have something in place before this grant ever gets awarded. By February, the city of Port Huron told them that they cannot send PFAS through the sewer system any longer. The grant will not be awarded before then. The deadline is November 26.
Discussion.
Nelson motioned to continue and be a lead applicant supported by Ward.
Motion Carried.
IX. DEPARTMENT REPORTS
None.
X. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Gary Loker questioned about the Waste Water Plant and if we should have our own in Kimball Township.
Discussion.
XI. OFFICERS REPORT
A. Supervisor Usakowski
Audit went well.
B. Clerk Wrubel
Well location has been determined in block 2 and will be dug within the next week. Cemetery Board is working on the revising the rules and regulations for the cemetery so they will have more clarity.
DPW: Lead and cooper report is due to EGLE by October 16 and we will be submitting it early because we have made our goal of 20 percent. As our DPW workers were working on this, they were also repairing the curb boxes as needed to make this cost efficient.
With ARPA funds we have a proposal for a mobile generator from a local company Ainsworth Electric which has all the specs with it. The other company from another state was not very convenient. I was having a hard time getting any company to reply.
Nelson: Is this the only company in the state of Michigan that sells the generator that we need?
Wrubel: This is the only company that responded.
Deland: You didn’t get one from B & T?
Wrubel: No, we didn’t.
Deland: Can we wait on B & T to give us a bid?
Wrubel: Yes, we can.
Elections: For the August Election, we had 848 actual walk-in voters, 1117 absentee voters and 123 early voters with a total of 2,088. I expect there to be at least 5,000 voters for the November election, with at least 2,400 being absentees.
We need to order new crowd control stanchions. The ones we have now are so old, the plastic is just crumbling. The cost is under $500.00.
Homeland Security will be coming in to both polling places to do an assessment for our security on September 9th.
We still have an opening on our Zoning Board of Appeals. Rob, could you put it on our Facebook page?
Usakowski will post that.
Wrubel suggest that since Neil is working for Clyde and Kimball Townships, we should only be paying for half of his training and Clyde pay for the other half.
The board agreed.
C. Treasurer Jackson
Jackson gave his financial review.
D. Trustee Hoffman
No report.
E. Trustee Deland
Is the flag new?
Wrubel: Yes.
Deland questioned about the grow house general law.
Usakowski asked our attorney about it but hasn’t received any answer.
- Trustee Nelson
No ZBA meeting last month.
Nelson questioned about the special meeting and the new fire engine.
Jackson explained that it is being built.
Nelson: Concerned about the sound system. Michele and Kristina are getting prices.
- Trustee Ward
We had my home-schooled picnic at Sutherland Park and we got a lot of compliments. The park was looking really good.
Deland motioned to close the Public Hearing at 8:06 supported by Nelson.
Motion Carried.
XII. ADJOURNMENT
Deland motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:06 p.m. supported by Nelson.
Motion Carried.
Meeting adjourned at 8:06 p.m.
Submitted by Becky Wrubel, Clerk
