Sumpter board approves administrator McClary on split vote

After a long discussion at its regular meeting on March 22, the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees approved Darwin McClary as its new township administrator on a 4-2-0 vote, with Trustee Peggy Morgan refusing to vote at all.
Trustee Morgan stated that she thinks Sumpter Township is too small to need an administrator.
Voting yes were Trustees Tim Rush and Don LaPorte, Treasurer Vincent Warren, and Supervisor Tim Bowman. Voting no were Trustee Matthew Oddy and Clerk Esther Hurst.
McClary will make a $90,000 salary and have the same benefits as other at-will employees at the township. He had said during his interview that he needed no health care.
The recommendation of the hiring committee was added as an agenda item during the meeting. The committee had met on Feb. 28 to consider nine resumes for township administrator: Antoine Jordan, Neil Hammerbacher, Rodney Schellenberger, Ken D. Marten, confidential candidate (who requested full confidentiality in review and discussion), Jacob Goscicki, Don Hall, John Hamilton, and Karen Armatis. One additional person who had applied withdrew from consideration before that meeting.
The committee then met on March 7 to interview the three final candidates – Ken D. Marten, Darwin McClary (who was the confidential candidate at the beginning), and Karen Armatis — and then voted to meet again to reinterview McClary and Armatis, but the second interviews were not held.
The second meeting, on March 14, was spent discussing the recommendations and considering news articles on McClary gathered by Public Safety Director Eric Luke and brought to the table by Clerk Hurst.
When the board got to the hiring committee’s report on the March 22 agenda, Clerk Hurst asked who made the decision to not bring the two finalists in for a second interview and why that was decided.
She said the minutes of that first meeting said that they voted to bring the two finalists back for a second interview and the committee approved those minutes.
“I understood they were coming,” said Trustee Morgan who was present at the March 7 and 14 meetings. “I was shocked they didn’t come.”
“The background checks didn’t come back until after the first interviews,” said Hurst, who was appointed to the hiring committee but missed the March 7 meeting. Trustee Rush filled in for her at that meeting. Then she was back for the March 14 meeting.
“Everyone reviewed everything,” said Rush. “What more do we have to do?”
Hurst said she saw red flags in the reports she saw on McClary and she didn’t like how often he changed jobs.
Morgan said it was political as Treasurer Warren had pointed out that when a new board comes in, it often changes appointed employees. She said the same thing happens in Sumpter Township and other communities.
Trustee LaPorte, who wasn’t at those meetings, said he was also under the impression there were going to be second interviews. He said a committee has to “Do what you say and say what you do.”
“They were told not to come,” said Hurst, repeating she wants to know who decided that.
“It’s nothing to do with him,” Morgan said of McClary who was sitting in the audience.
“No. It’s all on us,” LaPorte agreed.
“I’m against hiring an administrator here,” said Morgan. “We’re not big enough and I don’t think it’s needed.”
“McClary was voted in and we should leave it at that,” Supervisor Bowman said.
“Who made the decision not to interview again?” repeated Hurst, who said she had wanted to be able to ask him some questions. “It’s in the minutes.”
Trustee Matt Oddy said the minutes were approved without amendments and he was at the first meeting and expected them to be reinterviewed at the second meeting. It’s a matter of protocol, he said.
Trustee Oddy also said they put two employees in positions they never should have been put in, having to vote on hiring someone they would be subordinate to. He referred to Finance Director Scott Holtz and Public Safety Director Eric Luke, who were on the hiring committee and voted on the candidates.
“This board made that decision and it was a poor decision,” Oddy said, referring to naming the committee. “Voting to hire your boss? I think it was wrong.”
“We can learn from our mistakes,” Bowman said. “Mr. Darwin … McClary shouldn’t have to sit and listen to this … It’s a bunch of crap … There’s someone in our presence who hasn’t always followed procedure on numerous occasions.”
“Mr. McClary still scored higher,” said Treasurer Warren who was chairman of the hiring committee. “We established our own protocol … not saying mistakes weren’t to be made.”
LaPorte said McClary probably is the best candidate. He said the second interview would have discussed wages and benefits, but Young stepped up to say the details of the contract would be the same as the other at-will employees.
After the meeting, McClary shook hands with board members and Oddy told McClary his vote not to hire him was not personal.
McClary of Waterford Township has 30-plus years of experience as a city and village manager. He has a master’s degree in public administration, which was helpful to provide a well-rounded education, he said in the March 7 interview.
He has experience in Human Resources and collective bargaining, as well as grants, administration, and procurement.
He said he is a shy person and his work helped him to come out of his shell. He is experienced with working with staff and boards and particularly residents, he said.
McClary said that he has a sense of humor, likes to laugh, and enjoy people he works with, but he is a strong manager.
He told the hiring committee that he has never administered a township. He has managed cities and villages, but he is familiar with townships and general law township. Elected officials who are department heads is a new experience and exciting for him, he said.
When asked how he deals with conflict, McClary replied to the hiring committee that you have to do everything you can to de-escalate the situation. A citizen is upset with the situation; they’re frustrated. You have to identify solutions to identify their concerns, being respectful and professional, with genuine empathy.
In other business at the two-hour-and-18-minute meeting that included the work/study and regular meetings, the board:
• Removed from the agenda approval to entertain any and all offers for the township-owned property, Parcel #82 81 016 99 0014 715, located on Sumpter Road. The board was, instead, considering using an auctioneer to sell the township property, which was discussed at the workshop before the regular meeting;
• Approved the 2022-23 Sumpter Township Operating Budget;
• Approved Fourth-Quarter Budget Adjustments;
• Approved the language for the Police Protection Millage for the August ballot, that identifies two questions: a renewal/increase of 1 mill and renewal/increase of 2 mills, effective 2022, levied for 4 years. The 1 mill had been reduced by Headlee to .98044 mill and it will be increased to the original 1 mill and will bring an estimated $382,500 in the first year the millage is levied. The 2 mills were reduced to 1.96088 by Headlee and it will be increased to the original 2 mills and is estimated to bring $765,000 in the first year the millage is levied;
• Approved the proposal from Burnham & Flower Insurance Group for township liability and insurance coverage effective April1 at a cost of $118,041, including last minute additions by Hurst. During the workshop there was discussion with township attorney Rob Young on liability concerning cutting vegetation at intersections;
• Approved a contract with Kennedy Industries of Wixom to repair a lift station pump for a total cost of $7,190. DPW Director John Danci said this lift station is at Holiday Woods and it had an oil seal leak. There are two pumps there and the other is working so there still is service. He said it would cost $24,000 to replace the pump;
• Approved purchasing DPW inventory from Core & Main of Canton totaling $15,364.67, as recommended by Danci;
• After Hurst put a complicated item on the agenda concerning entering of accounts payable, with a $9,500 update, this was voted down with LaPorte, Warren, Oddy, and Bowman voting no;
• After discussing it briefly at the work/study session, decided to wait until another meeting to consider a resolution from the Conference of Western Wayne demanding that impacted Great Lakes Water Authority member communities not be responsible for the City of Highland Park’s GLWA debt. The resolution was brought forward for discussion by Trustee Rush;
• Heard Rush announce that Parks and Recreation is planning some activities, including Family Fun Day, Free Fishing Day, and an Easter Egg Hunt at noon on April 9 at Graham Park, with Rush wearing the bunny suit;
• Heard Clerk Hurst announce that her office is eliminating two voting precincts and will be left with just a total of four precincts in two places – the fire hall and the community center;
• Heard Danci report that at about 11:30 a.m. earlier that day there was low water pressure reported all over the township. He called the Great Lakes Water Authority and they were doing work and the water pressure was brought back up by 1 p.m.;
• During the work/study session before the regular meeting, discussed at length the proposal to use Braun & Helmer Auction Service, Inc. to sell township property instead of going out for bids;
• At the beginning of the regular meeting, heard Bowman advise resident Mary Ban that they were going to do things a little differently and now there was a three-minute limit for public comment. The only place for public comment now is at the beginning of the meeting. Ban spoke of the bad roads, the closed museum, and placement of voting precincts. She was the only speaker; and
• At the end of the meeting, heard LaPorte ask for a site plan update for Zino’s, the vacant restaurant at the corner of Sumpter and Bemis roads. He said the township granted them a liquor license contingent on a site plan for outdoor dining, and that was two to three years ago. “He took the license and ran,” said Trustee Morgan. “My intention is to take the liquor license back,” said Supervisor Bowman. Oddy said they need to have the facts out to the public.
There was a brief closed-door session between the work/study session and the regular meeting so attorney Young could update the board on the police contract negotiation. After the board came back into regular session it voted to direct the attorney to move on what was discussed in the closed-door session.