Official resignation from VBT Planning Director

April 24, 2015
Ms. Linda Combs, Supervisor
Charter Township of Van Buren
Tyler Road
Van Buren Township, MI 48111

RE: Resignation

Dear Supervisor Combs and Board of Trustees,
This letter will serve as my official resignation as the Director of Planning and Economic Development. I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the people of the Township for the short time I have been here, and I appreciate the support and friendship from all of the staff members in Township Hall.
When I accepted the offer for this position, I hoped and envisioned this would be the final stop on my career path. I had come off a successful 30-year period on the developer side of the planning process, and looked forward to bringing my private sector experience, planning expertise and knowledge to the municipal setting. I felt the Township could benefit from my planning perspective and establish a new, customer friendly Developmental Services Department, that would work with developers and builders in a more cooperative manner, as too often it is an adversarial relationship. While I believe improvements have been made, I regret I will not be around to finish what I started.
It is important for the Board to understand what led to my decision. At the April 21, 2015 Board of Trustees meeting, I was publically admonished by Trustee Jahr during discussion on a motion regarding the special assessment district for roadway improvements. Trustee Jahr asserted that he had not been furnished the proper materials, and there had not been previous discussion on the matter. Apparently he forgot about the April 6 work session where both Darrell Fecho and I presented the program to the Board. The information presented included the general program information, what the Township’s financial responsibilities would be, and the sequence of the SAD process. The information provided also included a breakdown of the project costs. Admittedly the interest rate was not outlined, however basic math shows that a 1 to 3% interest rate is only a 2-7 dollar increase, or 1% of the monthly payment.
All of this information was included in the packets, for both the work session and regular meeting. Trustee Jahr seems to have forgotten that discussion or did not bother to re-visit the packet information prior to the meeting. For him to assert at the regular meeting, in front of a packed house and television coverage that “the Board doesn’t know any more than the residents,” “haven’t been given any information,” and the “Board is being put in a difficult position” was absolutely inaccurate and nothing short of grand standing for the audience. I take full responsibility for all the decisions I make on a day to day basis, and perhaps there were other questions that should have been asked at the work session, but were not.
If Trustee Jahr was unaware or needed clarification on some aspect of the materials, he had the perfect opportunity to do so when he sat in my office the afternoon before the meeting. In addition to his inaccurate statements, his occasional flippant attitude and snippy remarks to both the Supervisor and myself are inexcusable for an elected official. Personally, I do not have time for such unprofessional, childish behavior.
The following is an email I received the Wednesday morning after the meeting from a long time resident who attended the meeting.

Hi Jack,
Last night’s VBT board meeting was an interesting experience. I must say I admire your patience and courtesy in the face of incredible and inexcusable abrasiveness, rudeness, and disruption. I guess some folks are just naturally obnoxious bullies – makes it tough to transact public business.

It is unfortunate, but this statement speaks volumes, I would hope that the Board takes it to heart and re-examines the way business is conducted in this Township.
As all of you know, I too am an elected official in the community where I live. I sit in the same position as all of you and deal with many of the same problems. Board members treat each other with respect and personal, unprofessional attacks just are not permitted. I have directors and other staff members that report to our Board, and I treat them as I wish to be treated, professionally and with respect, as I know they are doing their job to the best of their ability in the best interest of the Township.
VBT has an extremely competent and proficient staff, and you are very fortunate in that regard. I do however know that all staff members are somewhat repressed and tread lightly when it comes to any dealings with the elected officials. The behind the scenes saying is … VBT – CYA.
This letter will serve as the required four week notice, with my last day as a VBT employee being May 22, 2015. I leave you in capable hands with Darrell Fecho, and I hope that you would consider moving him to the Director position, should he want it. As Darrell is well acquainted with many of the internal workings of the Developmental Services Department, I believe I can bring him up to speed on all matters in much less time, which would save the Township from having to compensate me for the entire four weeks.
Sincerely,
M. Jack Knowles
Director of Planning & Economic Development