Canton Township trustees declare Be SMART week, approve $4.3M park renovations, ADA path work, transit agreement and Fire Station 4 letter of intent

Supervisor Ann Marie Graham Hudak said the board at its Aug. 12 meeting adopted a resolution declaring August Be SMART Week and highlighted multiple approvals for parks, transit and fire-department projects.

The Be SMART campaign—an initiative aimed at promoting safe firearm storage to reduce child gun deaths—was the first item Hudak summarized. Hudak defined the Be SMART acronym on the record: “Secure,” to secure all firearms; “Model,” to model responsible behavior; “Ask,” to ask about unsecured firearms in other homes; “Recognize,” to recognize the role of firearms in suicide; and “Tell,” to tell peers to be smart. She said Canton Police have distributed hundreds of gun locks at community events and added, “I personally have lost two family members to gun violence, very young members. And that something like this affects not only the family, but the first responders and community.”

The board also moved forward on a package of renovations for The Summit on the Park. The project budget is $4,300,000, with $2,500,000 from a state grant secured by State Representative Ranji Pirie’s office, $150,000 from Wayne County and $1,680,000 from the township. The work scope described for architecture and engineering design includes expansion of a 55-plus club, fitness-center enlargement, a kitchen renovation and a new multipurpose room. After a vendor review, the board approved contracting TNP Architecture for architecture and engineering services at $322,500, an amount Hudak said represents 7.5% of the project cost.

Trustees approved awarding the Victory Park Arctic Edge Walk improvements to GM and Sons. The contract covers upgrades to ADA-accessible pathways intended to remove mobility barriers for elderly and disabled park users; the board summary did not include the contract amount for that bid.

On transit, the board authorized an interlocal agreement with the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART). Hudak said Canton’s annual specialized-services allocation from SMART is typically about $89,000; under the new interlocal agreement SMART will flow funds directly to the Nankin Transit Commission, which will credit the full amount toward Canton’s obligation to provide local public-transportation services.

The board also authorized a letter-of-intent agreement with Axiom Construction Services Group in connection with bids for construction of Fire Station No. 4. Hudak said Canton solicited bids in December 2024 and interviewed three contractors; Axiom was the lowest qualified bidder, coming in about $1,500,000 lower than competitors. Because of restrictions tied to a federal grant, the township cannot yet make a final award. Hudak said Axiom requested a letter of intent so it can order equipment and hold quoted prices; final award remains contingent on completion of environmental surveys and federal grant approvals.

Hudak closed the summary by noting viewers can watch the full board meeting on the Canton Community Television YouTube channel for more detail.