By Megan Kelley
Clarkston News Editor
mkelley@mihomepaper.com
INDEPENDENCE TWP. — During its meeting on April 2, the Independence Township Board of Trustees approved a budget amendment to pull unspent 2023 funds into 2024 for various capital projects. The amendment covered 14 already approved projects in the general, fire, PRS, CIA safety path, sewer and water funds.
“This is a normal, annual entry that we do probably right around this time frame because we always have to make sure the money spent in the prior year has been finished being spent so we know exactly what kind of money we need to pull forward to finish some of these projects,” said Budget and Operations Analyst Rick Yaeger.
Yaeger presented the following items to the board for approval:

1. Motion one sought approval for funds for brand development services for a not to exceed amount of $20,000. There is currently $11,250 left unspent that is needed to complete the project this year.
2. Motion two involved $5,000 for the creation of the Residential Open Space Committee. Currently, there is $2,763 left unspent but the project is technically finished.
3. Motion three included leftover funds from the Non-Union and Elected Compensation Benefit Study which had originally totaled a not to exceed amount of $21,200 and a $2,000 contingency. Leftover funds added up to $11,600 which is needed to complete the project this year.
4. There is $1,896,978 left unspent from the originally approved $1,974,456 for Interior Renovations, Appliances, Technology Services and Interior Furnishings at Fire Station #1. The project is not yet complete and the money is needed in order to do so.
5. The 2023 Fire CIP schedule included $35,000 to replace a staff vehicle that was not purchased. Fire Chief Dave Piché has requested the money roll over for 2024 so that they can replace two staff vehicles this year instead of the one budgeted previously.
6. There was $54,010 budgeted in 2023 for several departments and funds including the treasury department, PRS and DPW for replacement computers. Computers were never actually purchased and were not re-budgeted for 2024, so it is requested that the money be brought forward to 2024 so the purchase can be completed.
7. The Waldon and Waldon Center Drive intersection improvement project was originally approved in the amount not to exceed $500,000. The project began in 2022 and was slated to finish in 2023, however, that timeline has been pushed back and is expected to finish this year. There is $458,773 left that will need to be pulled over to 2024 so the project can be completed.
8. At the end of 2023, there was $90,700 unspent that was originally budgeted for safety path repairs. Because repairs are still needed, the money needs to be carried over to 2024 to continue to address the safety paths.
9. Construction Engineering for the Majors, Meyer and Hidden Land Ejector Station Rehab was originally approved in the amount not to exceed $230,000. There is $186,300 left unspent that is still needed to complete the work this year.
10. At the end of 2023, there was $45,316 left unspent of the original $101,195 Engineering Services for the development of a Fuel Farm split 50/50 between sewer and water. The project has not yet been completed so the money needs to be moved over for 2024 in order to do so.
11. Motion 11 included $22,073 left over from the original $38,600 for the Sewer Rate Study. The leftover funds need to be moved to 2024 so the project can be finished.
12. There was $58,000 originally budgeted for the Hydraulic Sewer Model Project. There is $52,570 left unspent that is needed to be pulled over to 2024 so the project can be completed.
13. The Sewer Fund budgeted $75,000 for a new sewer camera for inspecting sewer lines but it was never purchased due to supply chain issues. The item was also never re-budgeted for 2024 so the entire amount needs to be brought forward to 2024 so the camera can be purchased.
14. There is $29,569 left unspent from approved funds to investigate the source of PFAS within the township. The project is not yet complete so the money needs to be transferred to 2024 so it can be finished.
    Regarding item number two, Trustee Sam Moraco indicated that he was in favor of keeping the remaining $2,763 in the open space budget.
    “We had the $5,000, I’d like to ask to leave the remaining balance in there so we don’t have to come back and ask for more if we need it. If we don’t then it’ll just be excess,” Moraco said.
    However, Trustee Jim Tedder disagreed, stating that he felt the money should be returned to the general fund and if it is needed, it can be requested from the board.
    “We are the elected officials that are ultimately accountable to the taxpayers of the township. That’s the way I see this (is) that money was allocated for a specific purpose and as such, that money was not spent for that specific purpose,” Tedder said.
    Yaeger also reminded the board that the Open Space Committee does have an annual budget of $1,000 which is not typically given to most committees in the township.
    The board approved 13 of the 14 items. Item number two was excluded as the board decided, ultimately, to return the leftover funds from the Open Space Committee back to the general fund. The motion was passed 6-0, Trustee Ronald Ritchie was absent from the meeting.
    The Independence Township Board of Trustees meets regularly every first and third Tuesday of the month at Independence Township Hall located at 6483 Waldon Center Drive.