Clinton Township trustees vote on tech, equipment, food trucks

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The Clinton Township Board of Trustees met on June 20 for its second regular meeting of the month. The five board members voted on items covering a variety of topics, including the first reading of an ordinance to permit food trucks in the township.

The ordinance outlines how food truck operators can get a short-time permit to operate in the township for a period ranging from a week to six months, as well as how inspections should be carried out, how long they can operate, what kind of trash collection trucks must provide and other items outlining various health, safety and legal considerations.

The ordinance also seeks to protect restaurants in the township from possible competition with food trucks, requiring food truck operators to seek approval to operate from any “Food Establishment” within 300 feet of where the truck is expected to be located.

“We had resistance on different ends,” said Robert Cannon, township supervisor. “We had (requests) to push it through, no matter what and we had (to) resist, so I think in the middle, we have something we can live with. If it’s not perfect — which it won’t be — we can change it.”

The first reading passed unanimously, as did a motion to allow food trucks in the Rivergate subdivision under a temporary set of rules. The ordinance is expected to have a second reading in July.

 

Technology and equipment upgrades
Various pieces of equipment and technology around the township were approved for upgrades at the meeting. The board approved the information technology department’s request to go ahead with a $415,000 upgrade to BS&A’s cloud system. While there was concern with the price of the switch to the cloud, township IT Director David Pearce made it clear that the upgrade needed to happen, since cloud networks are where technology is heading.

“You can pay now or you can pay later, but either way, we’re unfortunately pushed into this,” Pearce said.

Public safety departments also received approval for upgrades, with the police department receiving approval to spend nearly $401,000 on new in-car and body cameras. The department will acquire the cameras from Watchguard Camera, which is the same company from which it purchased the current set of cameras five years ago.

As for the Fire Department, it will pay just over $49,000 to Apollo Heating and Cooling to replace and install new HVAC systems at stations Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5. According to a letter from Fire Chief Timothy Duncan to the board, the department has worked with Apollo for about 18 years and says the company “have always done a great service for us with repairs, maintenance and installation.”

The Fire Department also received approval to repair the ladder on Fire Truck No. 2, a 2003 Pierce currently used as a backup. An amount of $40,000 has been allocated for the repairs. This price is slightly less than the highest estimated cost of the truck at $50,000 but much cheaper than the lowest estimated cost to replace the truck, which is an expense that could run from $400,000 to $600,000.

“It is great to have this vehicle in service,” said Paul Gieleghem, the township’s treasurer. “It is an expense I think we need to make to keep the vehicle in service.”

A budget amendment had to be made in order to make the repair funds available to the Fire Department.

The Department of Public Works received approval to purchase a new six-yard dump truck at a cost of just over $182,000. The new truck, which will be purchased from Rochester Hills, will replace a 1988 Ford L8000 dump truck that has become unsafe to operate.

“The cab floorboards are rusted away in areas, and the controls are pieced together due to lack of availability of outdated parts,” Mary Bednar, director of public services, said to the board in a letter requesting approval to purchase the new truck. “In the past, the cab has been replaced, and there has been motor and transmission work performed to the vehicle. Our suggestion is to auction off this vehicle.”