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The Board of Trustees (BoT) met Oct. 16 for its regular monthly meeting. Here are some highlights of the 50-minute gathering:
Moment of Silence. Northville Township Supervisor Mark J. Abbo asked for a moment of silence to honor Judge John MacDonald, who is a former Township Supervisor and Trustee, in addition to serving on the 35th District Court for 24 years. He died Sept. 28.
Supporting Our Soldiers Awards. Northville Township won two awards for providing “an exceptional level of support” to our National Guard and Reserve employees. Firefighter Robert Casamatta, who spent 10 years in the Marines before joining Northville Township and is now in the National Guard flying a Blackhawk medevac helicopter, nominated the Township. He thanked the BoT, Supervisor Abbo and Township Manager Glenn Caldwell and then presented two awards that allow him to balance serving the country while having a family and working as a Township firefighter and paramedic. He presented the Above and Beyond Award, a prestigious state award, to the BoT, and the Patriotic Employer Award to Manager Caldwell, who previously was the Human Resources Director.
2025 Millage Rate Set. The 2025 millage rate that will be levied Dec. 1 and will fund fiscal year 2026 was approved at an 8.2473 rate. This represents a reduction in the millage rate from the prior year. That is due to a Headlee reduction across all of Township operating millages, as well as a reduction of our debt service millage.
2026 Budget Gets Thumbs Up. After an in-depth 2.5-hour budget study session earlier in the week, the BoT approved the 2026 budget unanimously at the Thursday meeting. To view the budget online, visit FY 2026 Online Budget Book. It is updated daily.
Brownfield Plans Approved. After two separate public hearings, both the Northville Plaza and Tanger Schools brownfield plans were adopted. The Northville Plaza’s nearly 11 acres off Seven Mile will become a $70 million mixed-use development with 70 townhouses, a four-story apartment building with 55 units and two retail buildings. The former Tanger School property off Five Mile Road will become a new neighborhood with 22 single-family, detached site condominiums, a project which has a post development taxable value of more than $7 million. Its site plan also was approved.
Township Agrees to Settle GFL Arbor Hills Lawsuit. At the urging of Wayne County Circuit Judge Edward Ewell Jr., Northville Township agreed to settle its 2021 lawsuit against Arbor Hills Landfill in neighboring Salem Township to stop noxious odors and the discharge of excess pollutants. Under the proposed settlement, the Township receives five years of landfill oversight rights by an engineer chosen by the Township and paid by the landfill to monitor and ensure best practices are followed. The Township also receives $200,000 in legal reimbursement.
Snow is Coming and So Are Removal Tools. The Department of Public Works removes snow at Township properties. That job got larger when the Essential Services Complex opened this year. To keep visitors and staff safe, the BoT approved the purchase of two BOSS SR MAG tractors with plow, broom and salt spreader attachments. The cost totals $54,669.60 for two.
New Sidewalks to Debut on Six Mile. Missing sidewalks on the north side of Six Mile Road, west of Beck Road, will be constructed by Luigi Ferdinandi & Son Cement Co. later this year. The contractor is holding its bid prices from 2023, when it first provided a quote. The price tag is $54,472.15. The new sidewalks will connect the neighborhoods on Six Mile from Ridge to Sheldon roads and eventually Hines Park.
Builder Donates Pathway and Boardwalk. Toll Northeast V Corp. extended the 10-foot-wide Ridge Road pathway from its Coldwater Springs development and is donating it and a 140-foot boardwalk to Northville Township. It connects north to the crosswalk over Ridge Road, then heads east towards the Coldwater Nature Preserve and north to the Linear Park pathway that extends all the way to Six Mile Road. Its price tag is $164,000. The Township accepts any future maintenance of the pathway.
Vehicle Bye and Buy. The Police Department has two 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe fleet vehicles that have been removed from service due to high mileage and mechanical failure. They are bound for Midwest Auto Auction in Redford Township.
The investigative bureau uses civilian vehicles with no police markings yet are outfitted with low profile emergency lights, sirens and radios. Recently, the transmission went out on one of the bureau’s vehicles. The cost to repair exceeded the value of the vehicle, so the Police Department received approval to buy a 2026 Chevrolet Traverse at a cost of $42,996. It will use federal forfeiture funds to pay for it.
New Location for November Meeting: The Nov. 20 BoT meeting will be at the Essential Services Complex on Seven Mile. The BoT will recognize all the volunteers with the Township’s boards and commissions and give them a tour of the new facility that houses Police, Fire and the Department of Public Works, along with the Legacy Park trailhead building.
Beck Road to Close Oct. 25. An oversized transformer will be moved from Wixom to Canton, closing Beck Road completely between Six Mile and Seven Mile roads from 8:30 am-2 pm (or thereabouts). The full closure is required because a jumper bridge has to be placed over Johnson Creek, north of Six Mile to accommodate the overweight transport. The Wayne County Weighmaster will escort the transformer movers.
Save the Date to Thank Veterans. Senior Services hosts the Thankful for Our Veterans Luncheon Nov. 7 from 11:30 am-1:30 pm at the Northville Community Center. The patriotic gathering pays tribute to the brave men and women who served our country. Register by Oct. 31 by visiting the special events tab at Catalog - Northville Parks and Recreation.
Northville Township Board of Trustee meetings are held the third Thursday of every month in Township Hall’s Assembly Room at 7 pm, unless noted otherwise. Please join us.
To review the meeting materials, visit the website. To attend a livestream of it, visit here.
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