KIMBALL TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2160 WADHAMS ROAD, KIMBALL, MI 48074
REGULAR MEETING
FEBRUARY 04, 2025
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, Deland, Lokers, Bowen and Reilly.
ABSENT: None.
- APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Usakowski: Add under New Business, F. Sick Pay.
Deland motioned to approve the agenda as amended supported by Bowen.
Motion Carried.
- PRESENTATION OF MINUTES OF JANUARY 21, 2025
Jackson motioned to approve the minutes as presented of January 21, 2025 supported by Deland. Motion Carried.
III. CONSENT AGENDA AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Check Register from 01/13/2025 – 01/27/2025
- Revenue & Expenditure Report for Period Ending 01/31/2025
Usakowski mentioned that we have disbursements totaling $937,602.83.
Deland questioned about page 7 for the UHY Audit Fees $2,024.38 and then again page 8 for UHY Professional Fees of $4,395.00. Is that for getting ready for the audit.
Usakowski: That is correct.
Deland: Just above that one on page 7, we paid Kelly Timm $250.00 for Professional Fees, was that a training fee for the Board of Review?
Usakowski: It is not. The State of Michigan requires that we have an auditor of record for the entire county. Kelly has served in that role since they started it.
Reilly motioned to approve the disbursements of $937,602.83 to pay the bills and file supported by Jackson.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Reilly, Jackson, Usakowski, Wrubel, Deland, Lokers and Bowen. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
- Board of County Road Commissioners of the County of St. Clair Minutes
Regular Meeting 01/07/2025
- Board of County Road Commissioners of the County of St. Clair Regular Meeting Agenda January 21, 2025
- Kimball Township Planning Commission Minutes for November 26, 2024
Bowen motioned to receive and file St. Clair County Road Commissioners Boards and Commissions meeting minutes supported by Deland.
Motion Carried.
- PUBLIC COMMENT (Brief Comments)
Tyler Meganck, Port Huron Township: Is a reporter for the Voice and wanted to introduce himself to the township.
- OLD BUSINESS
- New Phone System
Yearly cost for each phone system:
- Comcast: $5,907.00
- Nextiva: $2,703.00
- OOMA: $4,608.00
- Blue Water Audio: $2,337.00
- Dial Pad: $5,109.00
Wrubel explained the comparison between all the phone systems and why we are looking for a new system.
Usakowski explained that employees cell phones can be linked to the new system if we have to leave the building.
Wrubel suggested that we go with Blue Water Audio.
Discussion.
Reilly motioned to have Blue Water Audio supply the township with a new phone system supported by Lokers.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Reilly, Lokers, Usakowski, Jackson, Wrubel, Bowen and Deland. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- NEW BUSINESS
- Resolution #25-05: Public Employer Contributions to Medical Benefit Plans Annual Cost Limitations – Calendar Year 2025
Usakowski explained that this resolution is done every year. We have three options to choose from. We can have an 80/20 Plan, a Hard Cap Plan or by 2/3 majority of the board you can opt out of either of them. In the past we have always chosen the Hard Cap option because the cost of our insurance does not exceed the Hard Cap amounts published by the state treasury.
Deland motioned to adopt Resolution #25-05 supported by Jackson.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Jackson, Usakowski, Wrubel, Bowen, Lokers and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Resolution #25-06: Parks Maintenance Policy
Usakowski explained about the grant this resolution pertains to.
Bowen motioned to adopt Resolution #25-06 supported by Deland.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Bowen, Deland, Usakowski, Jackson, Wrubel, Lokers and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Resolution #25-07: DNR Trust Fund Grant
Usakowski has been talking to Kim Harmer at the city who has done multiples of these grants. She is reviewing that and will give us some recommendations on what she thinks will help us with this grant. This resolution allows us to move forward with that grant application. This is in regards to the property on North Road along the Black River that we have an agreement with Community Foundation to purchase.
Deland questioned how much of the area that we would own.
Usakowski explained.
Deland motioned to adopt Resolution #25-07 supported by Bowen.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Deland, Bowen, Usakowski, Jackson, Wrubel, Lokers and Reilly. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Master Plan – Approval for Distribution
Usakowski explained the steps it takes to approve a Master Plan. It has to get approved by the Planning Commission and then sent back to the Board of Trustees who then have to approve its distribution. It then gets distributed to SEMCOG, the Metropolitan Planning Commission and to all of our local communities around us. Then we would have a Public Hearing on it. But before we move forward, we need approval from this board.
Bowen motioned to approve the distribution to all of the local communities supported by Jackson. Motion Carried.
- Resolution #25-08: Resolution to Vacate Streets and Allys
Usakowski explained how to get the parcels vacated at the Village of Thorton. We need a resolution to say that we are willing to vacate those streets and allies.
Reilly motioned to adopt Resolution #25-08 supported by Deland.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Reilly, Deland, Usakowski, Jackson, Wrubel, Bowen and Lokers. NO: None. ABSENT: None. (7-0-0) Motion Carried.
- Sick Pay
Usakowski went over the new sick pay policy. According to Michigan Law the workers get an accrued pay. Every 30 hours you work you get an hour sick pay. I think that we should continue to front load that. In addition, I did add in part-time.
Discussion.
Deland motioned to adopt the new Sick Leave Policy changes supported by Reilly. Motion Carried.
Deland questioned about the Resolution 2024-33.
Usakowski mentioned that the Administrative Assistant miss numbered this resolution. It was 2025-04 but should be 2024-33.
- DEPARTMENT REPORTS
None.
- AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Barb Sherlock, 1935 Ditty Road: Mentioned that the road commission is getting really tired of hearing from us. The approach to Griswold and Ditty Road, people are calling them weekly about it. Right now, you could lose a car in there. Is there anything that we can do to extend the approach?
Usakowski: We are meeting with the road commission tomorrow and can ask them.
- OFFICERS REPORT
- Supervisor Usakowski
Usakowski mentioned that we have come to a tentative agreement with the Clerical Union. We are waiting on the language of that agreement so I can bring it back to the board. Thank you, Trustees Deland and Reilly.
I was supposed to meet next week with Commissioner Felix but he postponed it. He asked if there is any issue that we want to discuss with him to make the board aware of. Please let me know if you have anything to discuss with him so I can get it on the agenda.
Clerk Wrubel and I are meeting with SEMCOG tomorrow.
Grant for the Landfill: We have applied for a grant for the landfill related to Leach and PFAS issues. The county has purchased equipment and installed it on site.
This really defeats the purpose of the grant. They didn’t let us know about it.
Bills that you need to be aware of and pay attention to are House Bill 4027. This is in relationship to the Michigan Zoning and Abling Act. We used to be able to revoke special land uses if someone wasn’t carrying on with that particular land use. That right was stripped by the last legislature and this would amend it back so we would have control over it.
Bill 4028 repeals part of the Clean and Renewable Energy Waste Reduction Act which has to do with the zoning of large scale solar and wind. This is an act to reverse a portion of that and give the zoning back to local communities.
Act 233 Class Action Law Suit that we joined was declined but they are still moving forward.
Tomorrow from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. we will be meeting with the County Road Commission. We will be having three different meetings. We will meet with the Road Commission Board, the Road Commission Engineers and the Road Commission Leadership and Accounting team. They will discuss all the projects coming up and the cost of them.
- Clerk Wrubel
I am going to be meeting with Allison who is the director from the library. There has been some change of hands there.
The Cemetery Board is still working on the rules and regulations.
The DPW is continuing to work on the school. They are prepping for the door that will go in real soon.
For the election, we currently have seven tabulators that need to be replace by 2027. We are waiting on the state to see who gets the contract. We currently have Dominion. Our five laptops that we have will have to be replaced by October 2025 and we are working on a possible grant for them. The next election will be May 6 and will be for the Port Huron Area School District and the Marysville School District.
In honor of John Sturdevant, we have the Masonic Temple Breakfast this Sunday and the Fish Fry will be this Friday.
- Treasurer Jackson
Jackson gave the financial review.
- Trustee Lokers
Questioned about the electrical devices for cars.
Do we participate in any program with the St. Clair County Jail for community service?
Wrubel: We do have community service workers come in to help out with painting and other work for the township at least five times a year.
- Trustee Deland
No report.
- Trustee Bowen
No report.
- Trustee Reilly
No report.
- ADJOURNMENT
Deland motioned to adjourn the meeting at 7:20 p.m. supported by Bowen.
Motion Carried.
Meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
Submitted by Becky Wrubel, Clerk
