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UlU'::: .--------------------\ '0 0 0 , . "'lOCI I • .... ~ to. :1 to.t::'R- '0 .... o:1Ul "'I 0. 0 ~fQ:1 • ""'\ lI' '< mIttNnrt~,tltllt£trnrb Z .... • r' \ WAYNE COUNTY'S OLDEST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ... ESTABLISHED 1869 ",tIS--.J ........ \ Vol. 116,No. 34.Three sections. 32Pages. Plus Supplements WI<~DNESDAY. FEBRUARY 27. 1985-NORTHVILLE. MICIIIGA:>i \ J • • • CIty reverses Charter town! r stand, offers , . water serVIce resolution passed ByKEVIN~N By KEVIN WILSON But under the 1978Headlee amend· • The city will oreer water service to ment to the Michigan Constitution. the Normae, Incorporated, reversing an The signs on Six and Seven Mile roads board cannot gain Ihat taxing authority earlier decision that water would not be at the east end of the township may unless there is a vote of the people. Cur· extended to the industry at 720Baseline have to be changed to read "Charter rent legal opinion suggests that voter Road unless its owners petitioned for Township of Northville" this spring. approval of the shift to charter status is annexation. The board of trustees took the first of sufficient to grant the taxing aulhority. Council voted S-oMonday night to res· two steps toward incorporating as a Thus, anyone contemplating a peti· cind its earlier action and authorize city charter township last week. passing a tion drive to put the charter Issue up for manager Steven Walters to reach an resolution of intent during a special a vote must consider the possibility that agreement extending water service to meeting February 21. approval by the electors would increase the property. which is just across the The charter township form will take taxes while allowing the board to take • boundary in the township. Normae effect with the approval of a second the action on its own would not. makes precision tools used in the resolution in April or May. unless S13 The township currently levies 3.7 manufacture of drill bits. It has an· registered township voters (10 percent mills - one mill for the general fund. nounced long'range expansion plans of the number who cast ballots for 2.2 mills for the police department and that could more than double employ' supervisor last November) sign a peti· O.Smills for the fire department. One ment at the Northville facility. tion demanding a referendum vote on mill of property tax equals $1 for every Monday's council action followed a the issue. The second resolution must $1.000of state equalized valuation ISEV report by Mayor Paul Vernon about a follow the first by more than GO days. - defined as one·half the market meeting he had with township super- meaning the earliest possible date value>. Gaining the authority to levy visor Susan Heintz February 21. would be Monday. April 22.. five mills would allo>\' taxes to rise Vernon and Heintz both reported that "It is especially important that this another 1.3mills. or $65 on a house sold • they had agr~ that the city would ex· be done by Uie board. rather than by for $100.000and with an SEV of $50.000. tend water service to Normae without vote. for the tax reasons," supervisor Township board members say they insisting on annexation. The township Susan Heintz told trustees at last do not want the added taxing authortty .ha.s agreed. in turn. to support Verner week's meeting. - only the other advantages of charter Bodker's petition before the state boun- Unlike the charters drafted for the township status, including greater pro- 'dary commission seeking to have operation of cities, a township choosing tectIon agamst annexatIOn. the authori· P.armenter's Cider Mill annexed to the charter status must use a specific ty to bUy and sell land for public pur' city. charter spelled out in Michigan statute. poses and a bond rating separate from : Vernon said he and Heintz agreed That charter authorizes the board of the state's. there had been a "misunderstanding" trustees to levy up to five mills in pro- 'of the city's intent in advising the an· perty taxes . Continued on 6 .nexation of the Normae property . : "I explained that we are not .ag· • 'gressively purSUing annexation." Ver, non said. "Normae and Parmenter's 'are two parcels of property that. Financing 'complete ,because of their locations. simply belong within the city. I told her that probably no other two parcels of pro- perty are in the same situation." for Haggerty sewer Heintz told the township board. at a special meeting February 21, about the By KEVIN WILSON discussion with the mayor. "Mayor .... ., - .. .. - - -- Vernon and I had lunch today and 'Of all th.. svstt'lJI:- - \\t • • al;r~ to meet on a monthly basis." Assessments against property in the look ..d al, lhis i~ prnhahlv Haggerty Road sewer district were con- she said. 7 ., - the most halalJ('t'd I'w (·,,('·r "He is now aware we have concerns firmed by the township board February about other things than Normae' and 21, cementing the last element of the seen. for any dislriel.' Parmenter's. He said he would advise financing scheme for the project. his council to extend water to Normae. estimated to cost $3.13million. - Richard AlI('n Special assessments to I?e paid by the It will be my recommendation at our Township trush' .. next regular meeting that we accept the owners of 83 parcels within the district city annexation of Parmenter's." served by the sew~' will cover $1.29 Vernon said Heintz had expressed million of the cost .:.. less than earlier reacting to external pressures. There some concern about potential annexa· projections. due to a $180.000contribu- are people who are going to develop and tion of other township areas. Firefighter Rick Bolly clears charred planks from window ledge after blaze at old county school tion from the state of Michigan. make fortunes in retail. mdustrial or "I told her that if we were seriously But several property owners lodged commercial development as a result of • interested in aggressively pursuing an· vehement objections to the board of this sewer. We believe the charge nexation, we would have responded dif· trustees' actions. Prominent among should have been at the time they tie-m ferently to questions from residents on those objecting to the assessments were to the sewer." West Main asking how they could get Abandoned county building burns the owners of Dun Rovin golf course Township consulting engineer Ed- their street paved and maintained by and members of the newly·formed ward IJack) McNeely explained that the city; we would have responded dif· Wolfbrook·Willis Property Owners the township has developed its entire Arson is suspected in a blaze that gut· water on it, it started to cook - the the job another two hours. the chief Association. Wolfbrook Estates and sewer system through the special ferently to questions from Edenderry plaster started coming off the wall in reported. residents about what they had to do to ted a portion of the main school building Willis are the names of two small sub· assessment method. The Haggerty at the abandoned Wayne County Child sheets. The glass had melted in the win· While all available township divisions !total area rOUghlyGO acres) Road district will be the 13th in the join the city." dows, it was laying around in little volunteer firefighters were on the Both leaders said they hoped monthly Development Center on Sheldon Road on Six Mile, just north of Dun Rovin. township. Tuesday. There were no injUries globules." scene. city firefighters were on call in Dun Rovin attorney Clarence R. "To my knowledge, the township has meetings between them would lead to Fighting the blaze waS"complic3ted case of a second alarm elsewhere in the improved communications and con· reported. Charest lodged a formal objection on not installed' any sewer on an at·large • Township firefighters responded to by the state of the property. particular· township. Toms said all available man· behalf of the country club. contending basis as you suggest," he said to I tinuation of the friendly relationship the scene shortly before 1:30 p.m. after Iy since mounds of earth had been piled power. approximately 12 men, was that the Haggerty Road sewer would Charest. "The township. in this in· between city and township. Vernon had up in the area to discourage trespassing committed to the fire and none critical words for unspecified persons, an unidentified caller reported flame not benefit the property. He noted that stance. is only proceeding with the and smoke streaming from the second and the water has been shut ore. available for backup. causing him to Dun Rovin has filed suit against the technique it has established for pro- who, he said, "seek out any hint of con· "The hydrants were all shut ore.so we ask city fire chief Jim Allen to be troversy" and would "fan a spark into a story windows. township and that the case is pending viding sewer ~verywhere else." . Fire chief Robert Toms said he had to bring in our tankers and get prepared to answer any other alarms. before the Michigan Tax Tribunal. Charest. however. contended that flame if given the chance," He sug· them over the piles of dirt." Toms said. The fire began in a comer of a gested regular meetings with the believes the fire had been burning for a A maior cause of Dun Rovin's objec· "what you are doing here is vou're long time. at least since some time He noted that the township fire depart· classroom formerly used for sewing in· tion is that assessments are based. in charging the individuals for the benefit township supervisor would negate such ment is eqUipped to carry its own water struction.