• Milan City Council saves money on interest rates with new bond.
• During the month of November, the Milan City Council voted to save money on the wastewater bonds. The City is issuing 2014 Capital Improvement Sewer Refunding Bonds. The new bonds will save the City about $60,000 a year due to lower interest rates.
• In other action, the Council approved an arrangement with Rave, to join Smart911 for improved emergency services in Milan. The council heard an in-depth presentation first from Todd Piett of Rave, who came to Milan from New Jersey to meet with the Council. Police Chief Gerard Scherlinck stated he approved of Smart911. The five-year contract will cost the city $3,375 per year, to be paid from 911 fees received by the City.
• The council also instituted a fee schedule to corporations in Milan needing inspections for compliance with environmental standards. The fee schedule was proposed by Jason Karmol of Wade Trim, the engineering consultant running the city’s water and wastewater plants. The new fee is called a “discharge fee.”
• Mayor Michael Armitage issued a proclamation encouraging childhood cancer awareness, and honoring the memory of Mason Farmer, a child who died of cancer almost a year ago.
• The mayor also thanked Sherry Steinwedel for 16 years of service to the City as Clerk Treasurer, as she is moving on to another job for Washtenaw County. The city expects to use the services of Plant Moran for handling financial records while deciding what to do in terms of hiring another Clerk Treasurer. The cost for using Plant Moran is expected to be no greater than Ms. Steinwedel’s salary.
• Council members reviewed a dress code now in effect for Milan City employees. Basically it calls for business dress for both men and women, except those who work outdoors and must dress for the weather. Open sandals are not allowed. Overly revealing clothing is not allowed.
Milan Police
• The Council received a report from Police Chief Scherlinck listing police actions in October. There was an assault on a school bus resulting in charges through the Washtenaw County Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office.
• Another item: several teenagers were caught speeding through town in a parent’s vehicle without the parent’s permission. The teens possessed tobacco, and the matter was submitted to the Washtenaw Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office.
• The police also apprehended someone stealing electricity from a neighbor with an extension cord. Officers noticed the suspect was using morphine and had an unregistered gun. The matter was referred to the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office.
• Officer Stacey Heams teaches classes at the schools on texting while driving; sexting; and other topics. She also does traffic monitoring around the schools during drop-off and dismissal times.