Commission affirms committee reports; hears update on hazardous-waste litigation, court staffing and 9-1-1 district correction

The Wayne County Commission approved multiple committee reports and heard substantive updates on hazardous-waste litigation, Third Judicial Circuit Court staffing and security, and an adjustment to the county’s 9-1-1 district plan.

The actions were part of a slate of committee reports presented for final disposition after committee vetting. Commissioner Clemente moved the government operations report, supported by Commissioner Daub; the chair called for a voice vote and announced, "Motion carries." Similar motions carried for the economic development, public services, ways and means, health and human services, audit, and public safety reports.

Nut graf: Commissioners approved routine committee business but also spent time on matters with potential public-safety and legal consequences: the county is participating in pending litigation over hazardous-waste transport, the county’s busiest court described workforce recovery and a near-term private-security contract renewal, and county counsel clarified language in the 9-1-1 district resolution to address community concerns.

Hazardous-waste litigation Deputy Corporation Counsel Sue Humo told commissioners the county retained the Zosmer law firm to assist on hazardous-waste matters and has intervened in litigation in the Third Judicial Circuit Court against a company identified as WDI concerning transport of hazardous waste from a New York site. "The Zosmer law firm was retained to assist the county, with respect to hazardous waste material, and we intervened in a lit in a lawsuit currently pending in the third circuit court against WDI in the transport of hazardous waste from the New York site," Humo said. She added that a filing was due and that, "there is currently an injunctive order that prohibits the waste from being transported."

Court staffing and security Chief Judge Buzard of the Third Judicial Circuit Court told commissioners the court was severely affected by COVID-era staffing losses and has been recovering. "At one point we were 4,000 trials behind in criminal," Buzard said. She said workforce shortages peaked at about 40% and are now down to about 17%, and that the court handles roughly 50,000 cases across divisions each year. Buzard thanked the county for funding parity that will treat court employees equally with other county departments.

On security, Buzard said threats to judges and understaffing in the Sheriff’s Department have required supplementing courthouse security with allied private security. She said the private-security contract is up in March and that the county expects to request a one-year renewal; she expressed hope that the Sheriff’s Department staffing will increase enough to resume statutory courthouse security within a year.

9-1-1 district plan correction Commissioner Anderson asked whether consolidation and plan updates for 9-1-1 districts would trigger fee increases or voter approval. County counsel (unnamed in the transcript) said the resolution is intended to bring the county into compliance with a state 9-1-1 committee audit and to reaffirm the county’s existing structure of four 9-1-1 districts. "This resolution essentially reaffirms the fact that we have 4 districts throughout the county and their structure," counsel said, adding that some future actions by the 9-1-1 districts could be brought back to the commission. Counsel also confirmed a correction to language that restores a reference to community participation after a deletion had omitted the word "community," which had prompted concern from the Downriver Community Conference and Downriver Mutual Aid.

Ending: Commissioners approved the committee reports and recorded the staff and judicial briefings in the meeting minutes; several items — including the hazardous-waste litigation and the private-security contract renewal — will require follow-up and possible future action by the commission.