Sybil Buchanan, who has been serving as a “floater” in the Sumpter Township offices, has been promoted to a permanent assignment as Water Department Clerk, effective Sept. 4.
The promotion was approved unanimously at the Aug. 28 regular meeting of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees.
The action followed acceptance of the resignation, with regrets, of Water Department Clerk Dawn Maynard, effective Sept. 4, after a two-month absence.
Buchanan, who has served in many positions throughout the township offices, has done the job of Water Clerk before and will be brought up to date on operating procedures.
Buchanan will take a 25-center-per-hour wage cut in accepting the position, but Deputy Treasurer Karen Armatis said Buchanan said she would be happy to be assigned just one position.
Clerk Clarence Hoffman questioned whether the position needed to be posted for other AFSCME employees to apply, but township attorney Rob Young said management has some powers to reassign employees.
Maria Beaudrie and Roxanne Bardell, (who presently in on leave and expected to return soon) are the only other two AFSCME workers in the offices. There is a temporary worker in the supervisor’s office and a contracted assessor.
When asked about calling back a laid-off clerk, Armatis said the call-back rights are long gone for layoffs.
Jim Posegay asked if someone laid off couldn’t come back as a floater.
Treasurer John Morgan said the township is just using the personnel available and just shifting people around without adding to the staff.
In other business at the Aug. 28 meeting, the board:
• Approved paying Hennessey Engineers $9,952.50 for flood plain consulting services;
• Approved the use of the PNA Hall on Feb. 9, 2013, for the Parks and Recreation Commission to have the Mardi Gras party;
• Approved the annual $1 lease agreement with neighbors Clinton and Amelia Brown for land used for demolition derby staging;
• Heard Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce president Keith Johnston invite two or three township representatives to take part in a Belleville home team to play against the Harlem Ambassadors during a chamber fund-raising event Oct. 24 in the new Belleville High School gym;
• Heard Trustee Peggy Morgan report that the recent sampling of water at Sherwood Lake showed it was just fine for swimming. She also reminded everyone of the 18th-annual Don Rochon Memorial Car Show and Swap Meet that is set for Sept. 16. Also that afternoon is the USA Demolition Derby Enduro. For the first time, they will be serving breakfast at the car show. Don Swinson, Parks & Rec chairman, made the arrangements;
• Heard Fire Chief Les Powell remind everyone of the Fire Fighters Chicken Broil at the fire hall on Sept. 9;
• Heard Mary Ban ask about the left-turn signal she has requested at the Bemis / Sumpter intersection to help with Keystone Academy traffic. She said the counters she recently has seen on the roadways would not give an accurate account, since school is not in session. She also asked about the deteriorating sewage pump station at Willis and Sumpter roads and was told an engineer’s report is coming up, but to replace the whole station would cost some $300,000 and to repair it only $40,000;
• Heard Ban comment on the new Belleville High School building saying she, as a retired RN, had a concern for safety when she saw all the exercise equipment. She didn’t see any resuscitation equipment and that is important to have on hand since “young men are going to test their testosterone” and inexperienced older people from the community are expected to use the equipment, which will bring liability. Ban also questioned the rollers on the desks and chairs and why BHS is facing St. Anthony’s church instead of the main roadway;
• Heard Trustee Peggy Morgan say she would like to move the playscape, paid for mostly by Sumpter residents, to one of the township parks from Elwell Elementary, which is scheduled for demolition. She said she and Deputy Supervisor Craig Moody called the school and “got shot down” by someone not the superintendent who said Sumpter couldn’t have it because they were going to move it to another school. She asked if the township board couldn’t sent a letter to the Board of Education, not an administrator, to ask for the equipment; and
• Heard a Judd Road resident, who is against the special assessment district proposed for paving, ask about the status of the SAD. Attorney Young said it was evident at the public hearing that most of those speaking didn’t want to pay the high cost of the county requirements for the road. He said Hennessey Engineers are making “one last run at the county” to see if the township could reduce requirements for the construction. “If it’s not substantially less in cost, you’ll probably never hear of this again,” Young said.
At the Aug. 28 meeting, Treasurer John Morgan presided in the absence of Supervisor Johnny Vawters, who was on vacation