KIMBALL TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2160 WADHAMS ROAD, KIMBALL, MI 48074
REGULAR MEETING
MAY 06, 2025
6:30 P.M.
Usakowski opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS: Usakowski, Wrubel, Jackson, Deland, Bowen, Lokers and Reilly.
ABSENT: None.
- APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Usakowski mentioned that letter A will be postponed until the next meeting, and he would like to add letter P up to letter F because they are related. Bowen brought up the date.
Deland motioned to approve the agenda as amended supported by Lokers.
Motion Carried.
- PRESENTATION OF MINUTES OF APRIL 15, 2025
Deland questioned page five, letter H, where it says Culvers and it should be Culverts.
Deland motioned to approve the minutes of April 15th as amended supported by Reilly. Motion carried.
III. CONSENT AGENDA AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Check Register from 04/10/2025 – 04/30/2025.
- Revenue & Expenditure Report for Period Ending 04/30/2025.
Usakowski mentioned that we have $319,433.33 in disbursements.
Jackson motioned to approve the consent agenda in the amount of $319,433.33 to pay the bills and file supported by Bowen.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Jackson, Bowen, Usakowski, Wrubel, Deland, Lokers and Rielly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
- Board of County Road Commissioners of the County of St. Clair Regular Meeting Minutes for 04/01/2025
- Kimball Township Planning Commission Minutes for 03/25/2025
- Kimball Township Planning Commission Minutes for 04/22/2025
Wrubel motioned to receive and file boards and commissions supported by Jackson. Motion Carried.
- PUBLIC COMMENT (Brief Comments)
None.
- CHIEF GRATZ REPORT
- Applications for Employment
- Andrew Allen
- Elizabeth Harris
Gratz mentioned that Allen is for a firefighter position and Harris is for dispatch. Allen will work between both fire stations.
Deland motioned to hire Allen for the firefighter position and Harris for the dispatch position supported by Rielly.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Rielly, Usakowski, Wrubel, Jackson, Bowen, and Lokers. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Request for Expenditure Over $500
- Three, SCBA Cylinders Replacement
MES quote: $6,813.09
Gratz explained that these are carbon fiber and must be inspected every five years, and they expire in fifteen years. We replace 3 to 4 bottles a year. There is only one quote because they are the same price no matter where we go.
Deland motioned to allow Chief Gratz to purchase three SCBA Cylinders for $6,813.09 from MES supported by Rielly.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Rielly, Usakowski, Wrubel, Jackson, Bowen, and Lokers. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
Gratz mentioned that the fire department pancake breakfast is on Sunday May 18th from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- OLD BUSINESS
None.
- NEW BUSINESS
- Brownfield Request Teltow
Changed to next meeting.
- Township Board Wages
Usakowski went over different townships board wages to compare to ours.
Discussion.
- Cross Connection Software
Jackson explained that this software is to keep a closer look at the back flow preventer and Cross Connection to let us know if there are any issues with it.
The cost for the software is $1,499.00 a year or we can pay $149.00 per month.
Usakowski asked if EGLE had any comments about our Cross Connection program?
Wrubel: They know that we are working on it.
Jackson motioned to approve the Cross Connection Software at a cost of $1,499.00 a year or $149.00 a month supported by Bowen.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Jackson, Bowen, Usakowski, Wrubel, Deland, Lokers and Rielly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Letter Regarding Special Exception Fees
Usakowski explained that the River Church was in the old Kimball School
building using it at a church and then moved out. The Epistolic Church, which was on Barth Road, has since moved into that location on Griswold Road. There should be a Special Exception Use for that. There should have been one with the previous use but there was not. The Planning Commission is requesting that we waive the $400 Special Exception fee.
Deland motioned that we waive the Special Exception fee of $400 for the Epistolic Church supported by Lokers.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Lokers, Usakowski, Wrubel, Jackson, Bowen, and Rielly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Smiths Creek Landfill Consent Order
EGLE has drafted a letter of Consent Order with the landfill. It takes all the violations and includes them in one document with dates on them. I recommend that you read all the violations notices and all the responses especially number 8.
Discussion.
Usakowski went through the consent order page by page, it covers everything that was in the violation notices. So, I wrote a resolution supporting it, saying that we support the consent order provided that EGLE provides proper oversight on the consent order. We realize that there are monetary penalties but would like to see an SEP if it can be done as opposed to those penalties.
Resolution NO. 2025-25: Supporting a Draft Consent Order Between EGLE and Smiths Creek Landfill/St. Clair County
Deland motioned to adopt Resolution 2025-25 supported by Lokers.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Lokers, Usakowski, Wrubel, Jackson, Bowen, and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
Usakowski mentioned that there will be a couple of meetings with EGLE, one on May 22 here at this office at 6 p.m. EGLE will be conducting that one. Then we have a meeting on May 29 for the official hearing on the Consent Order. We will broadcast that one live here in the meeting room and you will be able to make comments.
- Gravel Road Maintenance
We received the work orders for the gravel roads which is $258,148.00. We do have match money that we will use to reduce that amount by $50,000.00 so it will be about $200,000.00 for that gravel haul. The roads that will be graveled this year are the north and south roads.
Jackson motioned to approve the work order for the gravel haul in the amount of $258,148.00 supported by Reilly.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Jackson, Reilly, Usakowski, Wrubel, Deland, Bowen, and Lokers. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Gravel Haul for Pine River Road
The total cost of this project between Dove and Smiths Creek is $32,985.68 and
our cost would be $9,895.70.
Deland motioned to approve the gravel haul for Pine Rive Road supported by Bowen.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Bowen, Usakowski, Wrubel, Jackson, Lokers and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Contract Chloride, First Chloride and Second Chloride
Usakowski mentioned that we do the first chloride after we do the gravel hauls and the second chloride will be down right around the start of school if we need it. The cost of each chloride treatment is $25,931.50 with a total cost of $51,863.00.
Deland motioned to approve the chloride treatments at a cost of $25,931.50 each supported by Jackson.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Jackson, Usakowski, Wrubel, Bowen, Lokers, and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Request for Expenditure Over $500: Crossover Culvert at Mayer, North of Yager
Usakowski explained that this culvert will cost $9,000.00 and we do have $9,000.00 in ditching and culvert funds available to us and we will use that on this culvert.
Jackson motioned to approve the $9,000.00 to remove and replace the culvert on Mayer Road supported by Deland.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Jackson, Deland, Usakowski, Wrubel, Bowen, Lokers, and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Request for Expenditure Over $500: Crossover Culvert at Mayer, North of Yager
Usakowski said this one is for $8,500.00.
Bowen motioned to approve the $8,500.00 for the culvert replacement on Mayer Road North of Yager supported by Jackson.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Bowen, Jackson, Usakowski, Wrubel, Deland, Lokers, and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Request for Expenditure Over $500: Crossover Culvert at Burns and Smiths Creek
Deland motioned to approve the $8,500.00 to replace the culvert at Burns and Smiths Creek Road supported by Reilly.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Reilly, Usakowski, Wrubel, Jackson, Bowen, and Lokers. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Request for Expenditure Over $500: Crossover Culvert at Burns, south of Card
Jackson motioned to replace the culvert at Burns Road south of Card Road for $8,500.00 supported by Bowen.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Jackson, Bowen, Usakowski, Wrubel, Deland, Lokers, and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Request for Expenditure Over $500: Crossover Culvert at Mayer, south of Sparling, quote is $10,000.00.
Deland motioned to replace the culvert at Mayer Road south of Sparling at a cost of $10,000.00 supported by Bowen.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Bowen, Usakowski, Wrubel, Jackson, Lokers, and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Request for Expenditure Over $500 Cemetery: Excavating and Clearing
Morgan Excavating Quote: $6,680.00 and Hammar’s Contracting Quote: $4,000.00
Usakowski explained that the Cemetery Board would like to add gravel to the second driveway and to clean up the parking area out behind the west area of the cemetery. They received two bids from Morgan Excavating at $6,680.00 and Hammar’s Contracting was $4,000.00.
Deland motioned to hire Hammar’s Contracting to do the work at the cemetery for $4,000.00 supported by Lokers.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Lokers, Usakowski, Wrubel, Jackson, Bowen, and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Request of Expenditure Over $500 Sewer: Upgrade Generator, Jeremy’s Automatic Quote, $5,357.35 repair 480 generator or $2,500 upgrade 230
Generator
Usakowski explained that the generator with the 480 power is having issues and repairing it would be $5,357.35 and if we upgrade the 230-generator that would cost $2,500.00. We are considering an upgrade for the 230- generator.
Discussion.
Deland motioned to approve the $2,500.00 for upgrading the 230-generator supported by Jackson.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Jackson, Usakowski, Wrubel, Bowen, Lokers, and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Request for Expenditure Over $500 Water & Sewer: Sewer Inspection Camera, Insight Vision Quote $39,577.75
Usakowski explained that we use these cameras several times, but we must rent them. It is part of our maintenance, and it needs to be done. Do we want to rent or buy one?
Discussion.
Wrubel motioned to approve the cost of $39,577.75 for the Sewer Inspection Camera supported by Lokers.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Wrubel, Lokers, Usakowski, Jackson, Deland, and Reilly. NO: Bowen. ABSENT: None. (6-0-1) Motion Carried.
- Resolution NO. 2025-26: Resolution Declaring Amendment to Fringe Benefit
Jackson explained that this resolution is about stipends.
Usakowski has some issues with the resolution.
Discussion.
Lokers motioned to bring the ordinance back with changes to the language supported by Reilly. Motion Carried.
- AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
None.
X. OFFICERS REPORT
A. Supervisor Usakowski
Usakowski mentioned that we have the township clean up coming Saturday, May 17th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We could use more volunteers to help.
I would encourage you to be here on the 22nd of May for the EGLE Consent Open Meeting Hearing.
B. Clerk Wrubel
The newsletters went out.
The DPW will be pouring foundations at Caswell Cemetery in the next week or two.
DPW had a third large water main break out at the outlet mall in two years.
- Treasurer Jackson
Jackson has been working on the fire contracts to bring money into the township.
St. Clair will have a contract of $23,810.21, Clyde will be $12,874.12, Wales will be $38,137.86 but could go up to $59,000.00 depending on how much territory they want us to manage. For Kimball, it would be $596,431.82. Mutual aid would be $20,972.36 but we do not get anything from them. $692,157.16 would be the total.
Jackson gave the Financial Report.
- Trustee Lokers
Lokers talked to Jeff Frazer today and he said that on the 20th someone from Teltow will be here to explain the Brownfield to us.
We have been talking to Jay Folski on the Planning Commission about his project. I am wondering if we should put an Ordinance in place to hold people accountable.
- Trustee Deland
Deland asked if we had applied for a tire grant?
Usakowski did not.
Wrubel said that she is still working on it.
Deland: Where are we at on the new firetruck?
Gratz: They told me that they are working on the final inspection for October.
- Trustee Bowen
No report.
- Trustee Reilly
Reilly talked about getting contact from four different people about blight in the township. I drove around and looked at several of the properties. We need someone to work strictly on just blight.
Discussion.
Lokers mentioned that someone told him that there is a serious drug problem going on in the back of the trailer park at Sommerset Meadows.
Discussion.
- ADJOURNMENT
Wrubel motioned to adjourn the meeting at 7:53 p.m. supported by Deland.
Motion Carried.
Meeting adjourned at 7:53.
Submitted by Becky Wrubel, Clerk
