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MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Between the Thanksgiving holiday and a desire to attend the State of Macomb County address, members of the Macomb Township Board of Trustees held consecutive Tuesday meetings on Nov. 25 and Dec. 2.
On Dec. 2, trustees took in one major grant while returning the funds from another. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments awarded the township a $2.6 million Transportation Alternatives Program grant for pathways running along Broughton Road between 25 Mile and 24 Mile roads.
“The project (addresses gaps in the nonmotorized transportation network) does that with a visionary approach to more rural and suburban landscapes … You should be commended as the project’s stormwater solutions, on-street parking (and) planned roundabouts are all part of a comprehensive vision to increase safety and connectivity with a sustainable approach to development,” SEMCOG Executive Director Amy O’Leary said.
Later in the meeting, trustees authorized the township to return a $3 million grant to the Michigan Department of Education for the road improvement and public safety project at 21 Mile Road and Heydenreich Road. According to Treasurer Leon Drolet, the funds are being returned in order to be paid back to the township as the project progresses, which is necessary due to the way the department handles its grants.
“For some reason, the state had sent us the entire $3 million before we had even started the project and then started the countdown on completing the project. We didn’t have the capacity, obviously, to complete the project in the few months remaining,” Drolet said. “We’re working with the state education department, we’re working with our state lawmakers both on the House and Senate side and we’re going to redo the grant agreement. Effectively, (we will) send the $3 million back to the state and they’re going to disperse it in stages as the project is completed.”
Fire engine shuffle
In the span of two weeks, significant expenses related to pieces of Macomb Township Fire Department equipment were incurred.
At the Nov. 25 meeting, trustees approved the purchase of two new KME severe service fire engines for over $2.4 million. The two fire engines are intended to replace two engines already in service that are 20 years old. Both fire engines will carry four people and 750 gallons of water, pump 1,500 gallons of water per minute and be outfitted with the latest safety and lighting technology once completed around May 2028.
At the Dec. 2 meeting, trustees found themselves in the position of purchasing a different kind of engine for the fire department. A blown head gasket on Engine 1 that was serviced after the Nov. 12 meeting turned out to have damage to multiple cylinders. Cummins Inc. fire equipment technicians recommended purchasing a replacement diesel engine for Engine 1 for around $63,710, while research by Fire Chief Robert Phillips and Trustee Charles Oliver explored the possibility of rebuilding the engine for around $23,700 after Cummins performs a test on the oil to see how damaged the engine is.
Trustees approved spending up to $70,000 for Cummins to do the engine work, allowing for either rebuilding or replacing the engine following the oil test.
Fiscal year 2024-25 audit
Representatives from Plante Moran discussed their audit of the township’s 2024-25 fiscal year financial statements at the Dec. 2 meeting.
The Southfield-based professional services firm delivered an “unmodified” opinion, meaning the township’s statements followed generally accepted auditing standards and “present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position of the governmental activities, the business-type activities, each major fund and the aggregate remaining fund information of the Township as of June 30, 2025” according to the audit report.
