Monday, July 9, 2012 Board of Trustees meeting at Township Hall @ 7 PM. Or, you may watch the meeting on Comcast Cable channel 15 at that same day and time or stream it live on your computer at the township web link. As ALWAYS....please read the PDF BOARD PACKET for details the township wishes to share on each agenda item.
Agenda #2: nothing in the board packet....is this ANOTHER Assistant Fire Chief, or did the previous assistant fire chief retire? I see it as just more TOP HEAVY at the Fire Department management and one way to give raises while claiming wages are frozen. The annual report for 2011 should be posted HERE on the township website once it is accepted and approved by the trustees.
PUBLIC HEARINGS: Agenda #4 and #5
...another word that means the township is at the final stage of these issues and they are going to pass the project no matter what the public says...if tradition holds.
This ordinance was recently REVIEWED by the township attorney because it was a discussed ordinance issue when considering the ML Restaurant at Maple and Lahser. At this earlier discussion, this ordinance was a problem to considering this location.
The township attorney NOW ruled that if the "shopping center" was in existence prior to 2006....you can put as many liquor licensed businesses as close as you want in that shopping center. However, earlier in the year, it was interpreted that you can NOT put a NEW RESTAURANT with a liquor license closer than 250 feet to another restaurant with a liquor license. I would guess that would be to protect a rather large investment in the township by a business from excessive competition within 250 feet with the same kind of liquor license business.
FYI: there is another restaurant with a liquor license in this shopping center already: the Honey Tree Grille....and it is closer than the 250 feet. This proposed ML Restaurant should not be permitted based on this ordinance. However, the township had a recent "reinterpretation" of this ordinance....especially so this ML Restaurant would "comply". Have you noticed that the township has lately been in the liquor license distribution business? ....giving out many licenses to restaurants that are closer than 250 feet to each other? The SW corner of Maple and Telegraph has quite a few new liquor licenses granted.
Agenda item #4....see a previous blog by me on this item archived on this blog page to the right: http://bloomfieldtwphappenings.blogspot.com/2012/06/tuesday-june-12-7-pm-zoning-board-of.html
Agenda item #5...see a previous blog by me on this item archived on this blog page to the right:
http://bloomfieldtwphappenings.blogspot.com/2012/06/618-7-pm-more-liquor-at-se-lahsermaple.html
Please read my comments about similar requests Agenda # 6 and Agenda # 8 below on DONATIONS by the township to these organizations.
AGENDA # 6..... BBCC......I do NOT believe there should be a donation of public tax money by the township to this organization. The agenda does not mention how much they are requesting. Here is their website and see the list of their board of directors below.
Pages 64-67 of the board packet for this meeting give information that indicate only 3 municipalities make donations to this group: Beverly Hills for $1200; Birmingham for $3000; and Bloomfield Township for $10,000 (formerly given $17,500) and notice that the City of Bloomfield Hills gives zero. Why is the Township so generous with taxpayer money? Is it because the Supervisor is always also on the Board of Directors? and another trustee is always also on the BBCC Board? I would say this is a CONFLICT OF INTEREST and taxpayer monies should NOT be given to this organization.
Another reason I say NO to giving this organization money is the amount of money spent for Executive Director: $44,000; Youth Coordinator: $29,900; Office Administrator: $8594; another Executive Director? : $11,000; and payroll taxes: $8000. Plus more administrative costs: almost half of their budget.
The schools give money... While this organization may be beneficial to the community...the taxpayers are ALREADY making indirect contributions through the school taxes and tuition money from the schools that participate and donate in the organization and the events. Why double dip the taxpayers?
Here is the BBCC list of directors. Leo Savoie and Corrine Khederian are Township Board members and Kirt Bowden is an employee of the township.
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
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Board of Directors
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AGENDA #8 is a similar community organization called BBFA.
From the Board Packet pages 70-78 can be found this list of their board of directors and their budget. Notice that there are NO members of the Township leadership found on this board. The request for donation is $2000 however, it is difficult to determine the level of commitment dollar wise from our neighboring communities. I do not feel that taxpayer dollars should be donated to non-profits...especially ones that operate out of the Bloomfield Hills schools...while the township REPRESENTS families from 3 other school district communities and collects taxes from them.
Marcia, your perspective on the liquor license is all wrong. The Township needs to encourage new businesses in the township. A restaurant at the corner of Maple and Lahser will be a great addition. To be a viable and successful business, they will need a liquor license.
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