Waterford Township trustees approve zoning changes, moratorium, contracts and multiple service expenditures; trail design and water-plant upgrades discussed

The Waterford Township Board of Trustees on Jan. 14 approved a series of zoning map amendments, a temporary moratorium on vape and smoking stores, and multiple contracts and budget allocations while discussing grant-dependent design work for the Waterford Trail Connector and replacement of filter media at Waterford Water Treatment Plant No. 14.

The board approved four zoning map amendments that reclassify specific parcels along Dixie Highway, North Telegraph Road and nearby properties; adopted a temporary vape-and-smoking-store moratorium; authorized senior-chores contracts funded through allocated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds; accepted participation in the North Oakland Household Hazardous Waste Consortium (NOHAS); and approved equipment and budget adjustments for emergency medical services and the water department.

Votes at a glance

- Amended meeting agenda — approved (roll call unanimous except one abstention during clarification). - Consent agenda (minutes, reports, appointments) — approved (roll call). - Zoning ordinance 2025-Z-001 (parcel 13-13-256-021, 23100 Dixie Highway, O-1 to C-4) — approved (roll call). - Zoning ordinance 2025-Z-002 (parcel 13-13-401-032, 1711 N. Telegraph, HT-2 to M-1) — approved (roll call). - Zoning ordinance 2025-Z-003 (partial parcel 13-14-227-027, O-1 to C-2) — approved (roll call). - Zoning ordinance 2025-Z-004 (vape and smoking store moratorium) — approved (roll call). - Approve Lakeview Lawn Service & Landscape for senior chores program — authorized, amount not to exceed $110,000 (roll call). - Approve Waterford Community Coalition for senior chores oversight and client reporting — authorized, amount not to exceed $10,800 (roll call). - CDBG public service contract for Oakland Hope — no motion made; item died. - North Oakland Household Hazardous Waste Consortium (NOHAS) interlocal agreement — approved; resident participation fee set at $15 for 2025; Stacy Saint James appointed as township representative (roll call). - Release previously approved 2025 budget funds for eight ambulance power-load systems — authorized, total $354,291.60 (roll call). - Budget adjustment: EMS transport billing services expense account — authorized $150,000 allocation (roll call). - Approve DLZ as vendor for Waterford Trail Connector project planning (use of awarded grant funds up to $35,000) — approved (roll call). - Variance for last split (parcel 13-02-477-046 / 3701 Clintonville Road) — variance granted to allow a two-parcel split (roll call). - Purchase of unmarked police vehicles using federal drug-forfeiture funds — authorized, $195,559 (roll call). - 2025 poverty-exemption policy adjustments (added 75% level; income thresholds tied to federal poverty guidelines up to 175%) — approved (roll call). - Resolution authorizing resident taxpayers to protest assessed values by letter per MCL 211.30(4) — adopted (roll call). - Water treatment Plant No. 14 filter-media replacement (Saginaw Trail) including engineering and 7% contingency — authorized, project estimate $518,016.94 (roll call).

What trustees discussed in more detail

Trail connector planning and grant timeline: Trustees heard a multi-minute presentation explaining that the township was awarded a SEMCOG planning grant of $35,000 for the Waterford Trail Connector but that full design of the corridor is estimated at about $74,300. Jeffrey Bukowski (Director of Development Services) and staff explained the consultant DLZ agreed to cap initial work at $35,000 so the township can use the awarded grant money before it expires. Trustees were told a completed design is required to be competitive for SEMCOG TAP (Transportation Alternatives Program) construction grants, and that the remaining approximately $39,300 would need to come from other sources (possible ARPA reallocation, CDBG infrastructure shifts, or under-budget savings from other sidewalk projects) if the township wants to finish the design and pursue construction grants.

Filter-media replacement at Water Treatment Plant No. 14: Water-department staff described the plant on Saginaw Trail as a higher-capacity facility with two large iron-filtration tanks. Trustees authorized the replacement project (budgeted in the water and sewer enterprise fund) and were told work is expected to begin in February so the plant can be taken offline outside the summer high-demand season. The project replaces media that removes iron from water and occurs roughly every 10 years, according to staff.

Senior chores program and ARPA funds: The board adopted a resolution authorizing the township supervisor to contract with Lakeview Lawn Service & Landscape for up to $110,000 to provide senior chores services to eligible Waterford residents. The resolution references allocation of ARPA funds by Oakland County and an existing contract with the Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency. Separately, trustees authorized a $10,800 contract with the Waterford Community Coalition to monitor client communications, confirm completed work, and review eligibility and enrollment reporting for the program.

Household hazardous waste consortium: Trustees authorized participation in the North Oakland Household Hazardous Waste Consortium (NOHAS), approved a $15 resident fee for 2025 collection events, and appointed Stacy Saint James as the township representative to the NOHAS advisory board. Staff said event dates will be posted on the NOHAS website.

Items that did not move forward

The board did not act on a proposed CDBG public service contract for Oakland Hope; no motion was made and the item died for lack of a motion.

Attributions and speakers

Statements and motions recorded in these actions were made during the Waterford Township Board of Trustees meeting. Speakers recorded in the transcript who contributed to motions, presentations or public comment include: Trustee Tom Bartolotta; Trustee Gilbert; Trustee Harris; Trustee Marie Howsworth; Trustee Marquis; Trustee Thomas; Trustee Wall/Wahl; Resident Mark Monahan (public comment); Jeffrey Bukowski (Director of Development Services, township staff); Jeff Pokalski (Development services staff referenced in the record); Stacy Saint James (township representative/ staff); Paula Moore (Chief Assessor); Justin (water-department staff); and a staff member identified in the record as Kim (read resolutions and procedural text). Direct quotations in this article are limited to phrasing that appears in the official meeting record and are attributed only to speakers named in the meeting transcript.

Why this matters

The approvals change local zoning classifications for several parcels, place a temporary moratorium on vape and smoking specialty stores, and commit township funds and contract authority to services and capital equipment that affect public safety, senior services and infrastructure planning. The vote to proceed with a partial planning step for the Waterford Trail Connector preserves the township’s ability to use an awarded SEMCOG grant now, but trustees were explicit that additional funding will be required to complete design work necessary for major construction grants.

Next steps

- Staff will finalize contracts and purchase orders for the approved vendors and equipment and will post NOHAS event dates on the consortium website. - The township will exercise the DLZ planning work capped at $35,000 while seeking additional funding sources to complete the full trail design. - The Water Department will schedule the filter-media replacement work to begin in February and will return if additional unbudgeted scope items arise.

Votes, contract amounts, program names and dollar figures in this report reflect motions and roll-call results recorded in the meeting transcript.