Sumpter OKs Luke as Public Safety Director on 5-1 vote

“I don’t know what the hurry was,” Sumpter Township Treasurer Peggy Morgan said after the 5-1 vote that promoted Police Chief Eric Luke to public safety director at the board’s March 13 regular meeting.
Treasurer Morgan voted no and Trustee Sheena Barnes was absent.
The three-year contract calls for Luke to continue with his police chief duties, but to oversee the fire department, as well, and supervise the fire chief.
She said the first she heard of promoting Chief Luke to public safety director was the previous Friday when her board packet contained the proposed contract and the agenda item.
Treasurer Morgan said if anyone would be qualified to be public safety director, it would be Luke, but there was no need for a public safety director. She said the police department, including office workers, has fewer than 20 employees.
At the meeting, she made a motion to delay the promotion until the new budget year, which is a few weeks away, instead of including it in the budget that is just ending and would need further amendment, but she got no second to her motion, so it failed.
She said she wanted to discuss the promotion with Supervisor John Morgan so she could understand why they are doing this.
Treasurer Morgan said later she asked the township Financial Director Scott Holtz if anyone asked him about the expenditure since he is in the middle of closing up the old budget and proposing the new one, which goes into effect April 1.
Treasurer Morgan said he told her he first learned about it on Wednesday morning, the day after action was taken by the board. He said he was told to put $6,000 of the expenditure in the present budget and $6,000 in next year’s budget.
Treasurer Morgan said Holtz told her he would have preferred to have it start with a new budget year.
Treasurer Morgan said Police Chief Luke already did three-quarters of what his duties are in the new contract.
“What was so urgent?” Treasurer Morgan asked. “It’s a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
At the March 13 meeting when the Independent asked the board who recommended the promotion, Trustee Don LaPorte said he did. Trustee LaPorte serves as liaison to the police and fire departments. He said it had been discussed on numerous occasions in the past.
He said the fire department had the second-largest budget in the township — half a million dollars — second only to the police department, and a part-time fire chief had to monitor it. He said the police department budget was overseen by a full-time chief.
When the Independent asked if Luke was getting a raise, township attorney Rob Young said he was getting a $12,000 raise. Since little information was offered to the residents on the promotion, the Independent also asked if Luke would still have the stipulation in his contract that if he didn’t want to be in charge of the department any longer he could revert to a captain’s position, and Young said that remained.
A public safety department had not been discussed publicly at any public township meetings in Sumpter, recently or over the past 24 years the Independent has been covering the township.
The contract said Luke also will get raises in pay the same as local members of the Command Officers Association of Michigan union. Also, he gets five weeks fully paid vacation a year and has use of a township vehicle.
Luke became police chief on March 24, 2016. He told the Independent with the $12,000 raise, his base pay now is $99,500.
In other business at the March 13 meeting, the board:
• Approved the hiring of Michael Lezotte, a Rockwood Police officer, as a full-time Sumpter police officer, pending physical and psychological exams and drug screening. He fills the vacancy created two weeks earlier when Officer Danielle Buccellato was fired. Lezotte grew up in Huron Township, graduated from Huron High School, went to Schoolcraft College and Wayne County Regional academy, and has been a police officer for Rockwood since last July;
• Heard attorney Young recommend that the board deny the Step 3 Grievance requested from the board by former police officer Buccellato and “let the process continue.” His request was done orally and was not on the agenda, but the board voted unanimously to follow his recommendation;
• Approved an updated purchasing and bid policy to replace the one approved 15 years ago, as recommended by Financial Director Scott Holtz;
• Approved low bidder Modern Updates Construction of Sumpter for repairs to the Parks and Recreation building at Graham Park with a bid of $9,800, paid with Wayne County grant funds. Trustee Don Swinson said they are redoing the outside of the building and $11,000 more in county millage money is coming. Supervisor Morgan told Swinson to be sure to thank County Commissioner Al Haidous because, “We don’t want to take him for granted”;
• Approved the reappointment of Maria Beaudrie and Sheila Pederson to the Zoning Board of Appeals with terms to expire March 11, 2021;
• Heard Deputy Supervisor Karen Armatis explain that the untimely loss of employee Sybil Buchanan necessitated a team effort to get the water bills out and “we failed.” She said the phone is ringing and names are being taken and she said five sheets of names have to be called back. She said people are lined up out the door every day with their complaints on their water bills. “We weren’t through with cross-training,” she said. Resident Mary Ban said Buchanan was an important employee and, “The proof is in the pudding”;
• Heard Clerk Esther Hurst say the township is switching from Comcast to Verizon phone service and people should leave messages when they can’t get through. Treasurer Morgan said the major problems with the phones began on Monday and by Friday they should all be solved;
• Heard Supervisor Morgan say he appreciates the fire department so much and so does his wife. The fire department and an ambulance was called to his home the previous Sunday because of a low blood sugar problem for Mrs. Morgan. She was not transported;
• Heard more information from resident Ban on the problems she is having with the 48111 change by Van Buren Township. Now, her Wall Street Journal deliveries by mail are being delayed and when she called about it she was told it’s because of her new address in Van Buren Township. She said, “The mail being interfered with is unwarranted, unneeded.” She said she has talked to many officials and has been unable to get any help with the problems caused by Google not knowing she lives in Sumpter Township. She insists that if Van Buren wants to be a premiere community it should get its own zip code and leave 48111 alone. She said election material will soon be sent out by candidates for fall elections and, “This has to be taken seriously”; and
• Went into closed door session to discuss attorney opinion letters on the Republic trash pickup contract and the district library lease of the hexagon building across the street from township hall.