By: Dean Vaglia | C&G Newspapers | Published September 7, 2022
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The Clinton Township Board of Trustees approved a “Market Days’’ event at Prince Drewry Park during its Monday, Aug. 25, meeting.
Five of the six trustees voted for the event to go forward after nearly an hour of discussion sparked by Township Supervisor Robert Cannon’s expression of concerns about several resources requested by the park’s Advisory Committee. Cannon provided the lone “no” vote.
The Market Days events will take place on the Wednesday afternoons of Sept. 28, Oct. 12 and Oct. 26 and allow for local craftspeople and businesses to sell their goods in the parks on those days.
“We really want to build on the successes we’ve had over the past two years with our regular meetings, and with the help of the township we’ve been able to have our first-ever movie night at the park as well as some upcoming and past fitness events that were at the park,” Mike Keys, trustee and member of the Prince Drewry Park Advisory Committee, said. “We as a committee want to really capitalize on that and see this as the best way of being able to do that.”
The committee made five requests to the board of trustees, two of which became part of Cannon’s extended objections to the event. One of the objected requests was for $3,000 to set up and tear down a tent owned by the township. The other objected request involves unscrewing picnic table benches from the ground so the tables could be more suitable for selling and displaying goods, as well as interacting with vendors.
“We are working as a board and a township to find fiscal responsibility and sustainability,” Cannon said. “The senior center chose not to put the tent up this year, as they did last year, to share it with the parks and rec department because they could save that money in their budget. And for the entire summer, you’re asking us for one day to put that tent up when they chose not to put it up for the entire summer.”
Cannon’s objection to removing the benches was that new holes would have to be drilled to fit the benches back in. Department of Public Services director Mary Bednar said the work could be done without extra cost as part of a regular workday.
Cannon also asked about how the day was supposed to work, who could sell at the event and how the township would be able to generate revenue from the event. The supervisor justified the number of questions by saying the committee did not provide enough documentation.
Trustee Tammy Patton and Clerk Kim Meltzer also asked questions about the event on the grounds of parking, legal liability, the nature of vendors and event sponsorship, but Cannon’s questions took up the bulk of the time.
The board approved the committee’s requests.
Other business
The board unanimously approved the Clinton Township Police Department to hire Anita Toma as a police officer. Toma has prior policing experience and will fill a vacancy from an upcoming retirement.
The board unanimously awarded the contract to replace the water main on Gratiot Road between Quinn and 15 Mile roads to Pamar Enterprises at an estimated cost of $1.37 million.
The board unanimously approved the purchase of parcel 16-11-16-227-013 addressed at Edgewater Boulevard. Made at the recommendation of Building Department Director Barry Miller, the lot purchase is a departure from a previous decision to not pursue tax reversal property purchases. Miller believes that the land could be used to support Mill Park, and township attorneys believe that the township holding onto the land will protect the purchase from any future legal rulings.