Canton Township board declares ‘Smart Week,’ approves Summit renovation, police equipment leases and multiple contracts

The Canton Township Board of Trustees on Aug. 12 adopted a resolution declaring August 2025 “Smart Week” in Canton and approved a series of contracts and budget actions, including a $322,500 architecture and engineering agreement for the Summit On The Park renovation project and a five‑year TASER 10 leasing program with Axon Enterprises.

The board framed the Smart Week resolution as a public‑safety awareness effort focused on secure firearm storage. Trustee Borninski said the resolution was timely following a recent local child fatality: “I just wanted to, thank the supervisor's office for, bringing this to us. And, in case anyone is not aware, we did have a tragedy a few weeks ago in Canton, and, a child was killed by a gun. So, I think this is very timely but also very necessary.” Supervisor Graham Hudak added that gun deaths and suicides have affected his own family and noted the township’s police station provides trigger locks. The police chief (unnamed in the record) told the board that Michigan’s 2024 law requires safe storage—either a safe or a gun lock—and that the department provides locks and community distribution events.

The board also approved a professional services agreement with TMP Architecture for design work at Summit On The Park. Director Norwood described the project as a renovation to realign the facility’s functions and listed design elements including a new 55+ club, fitness center expansion, kitchen renovation and a multipurpose room. The board noted the project is funded principally by a $2.5 million state legislative earmark, with $150,000 from Wayne County and $1,680,000 from the township, for a total project budget of approximately $4.3 million; the $322,500 agreement represents roughly 7.5% of that projected cost.

Public safety and police‑department items moved through the meeting as well. The board approved a five‑year TASER 10 leasing program with Axon Enterprises covering 115 TASERs and accessories at a total contract value of $598,242 to be paid in annual installments. Director Baugh told trustees the TASER 10 extends effective range, allowing operation to about 45 feet compared with roughly 25 feet for prior models, and said Axon is effectively the sole provider for the device and associated licensing and accessories.

Other approved items included: - A professional services and purchase order to TMP Architecture for Summit On The Park ($322,500). - A contract pending legal review and purchase order to GM and Sons Inc. for Victory Park Arctic Edge Walk accessibility improvements (total project cost $150,000; construction bid recommended at $123,540 plus $21,460 contingency), funded by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars. - A waiver of bid and approval of Shield Assessment to administer an internal police sergeant promotional process for up to 10 officers (not to exceed $11,900) to establish a two‑year eligibility list as required by the union contract. - Waiver of bidding and approval to upfit a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe for police use through Priority 1 Emergency ($17,859.58) because of long vendor backlogs. - A five‑year systems upgrade and technical support agreement with Word Systems Inc. (NICE logger continuation) for radio/phone recording servers; staff said the work will replace end‑of‑life equipment and ensure compatibility with existing systems. - Authorization for the township to enter SMART’s municipal credit interlocal agreement to receive specialized services funding and route the funds to the Nankin Transit Commission for Canton's mobility program (estimated eligibility historically around $89,000 annually). - Approval to join several national opioid manufacturer settlement agreements and authorize the supervisor to sign settlement participation documents. - Authorization of a letter of intent with Axiom Construction Services Group LLC as the recommended contractor for the construction bid for Fire Station No. 4; staff said final award cannot be made until federal grant environmental reviews (Eagle/related steps) are complete. - Approval of an offer to purchase two Wayne County tax‑foreclosed parcels at the minimum bid (combined $40,197.72) for potential park expansion/connection to the Lower Rouge Trail; planning and engineering staff described both parcels as largely undevelopable due to creek/wetlands and county setback rules and said they could be useful for parkland or trail extension. - Reclassification of a Clerk 3 to Clerk 4 in the TPOAM bargaining unit for the water billing division to reflect new advanced metering infrastructure duties (estimated 2025 cost approximately $3,100, absorbed within the current water billing budget).

The board approved consent calendar items that included annual licensing renewals (PowerDMS, Gramakey), furniture purchases for municipal offices and Fire Station No. 1, and a purchase order to USG Water Solutions for maintenance at a water storage facility.

Votes were voice votes unless noted; motions as presented in the meeting record passed. No motions failed or were recorded as tabled during the session.

The meeting closed after administrative reports highlighting upcoming community events (heritage‑park concert and mural dedication), reminders about school‑start traffic enforcement, and an announcement about a public meeting concerning the MDOT Ford Road Boulevard project.

Ending: Board members encouraged residents to stay cool during hot weather and noted community participation in regional actions on radioactive waste routing and opioid settlement funding distribution.