Three police officers promoted to sergeant in Sumpter Township

At its regular Jan. 24 meeting the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously to promote three police officers to sergeant rank, as recommended by Police Chief Eric Luke.
Detective/Corporal John Toth was promoted to detective/sergeant and officers Beth Egerer and Brian Steffani were promoted to sergeant.
34th District Court Chief Judge Tina Brooks Green was present to swear them into their new ranks and family members pinned new badges on the new sergeants. The meeting room was packed with other members of the police department supporting their officers along with the officers’ family members.
At the end of the meeting, pieces of chocolate cake were served to the audience to continue the celebration.
Det./Sgt. Toth started with the department in 2000, coming to Sumpter from the Belleville Police Department. He was appointed to detective in 2010. He had previously been promoted to the rank of corporal in 2014. “Toth’s detective work is top-notch and his contributions to the department’s mission and his drive in the pursuit of justice is without equal,” said Chief Luke. Toth was honored as the department’s “officer of the year” for 2012.
Sgt. Egerer has been with the department since 2004. During that time, she has worked in an area Computer Crimes Against Children task force and been a field training officer (training newly hired officers) since 2012. “Egerer is a very productive officer and is well-liked by the community due to her outgoing personality. She recently started training, and garnering experience as the department’s main media liaison,” Luke said.
Sgt. Steffani started with the department in 2011 and has been a field training officer since 2013. “He is a very productive officer, leading the department in arrests year after year,” Luke said. Steffani was honored as the department’s “officer of the year” for 2013.

Chief Luke said seven met the prerequisites to test. Six originally signed up but three dropped out prior to the testing date, for a variety of personal reasons, leaving the three that tested and were subsequently promoted.
“I hope nobody makes the mistake of thinking that due to attrition in the testing group leading up to the actual test that in some way the department ‘settled’ with the three remaining. That would be very far from the truth.
“I am very proud to have Toth, Egerer, and Steffani as our new sergeants. They’ve done a fantastic job in the former positions and I know they’ll be a huge benefit to the department and community in their new roles.
“They’re quality police officers, but more importantly they’re quality people.”
Luke said his department already had two sergeants, Chris McGlynn and James Cayce. These two are what remained of the five that were promoted to sergeant in 2008.
The three vacancies were created by the retirement of Det./Sgt. Michael Czinski in 2010, Luke’s promotion to lieutenant in 2010, and Patrick Gannon’s promotion to lieutenant in 2015.
Egerer and Steffani will be filling the two night shift sergeant positions and McGlynn and Cayce will be the two days shift sergeants.
“For me it means that I now have true first-line supervisors on all four shifts,” Luke said.
In other business at the Jan. 24 meeting, the board:
• Approved, on a 4-3 vote, extending the land contract with Moose Lodge #934 for five years, through 2023, and keeping the interest rate at 3%. Making the motion was Treasurer Peggy Morgan and those voting in favor were Treasurer Morgan, Supervisor John Morgan, Clerk Clarence Hoffman, and Trustee Don LaPorte. Voting no were Trustees Don Swinson, Esther Hurst, and Matthew Oddy, with Oddy saying he would like to go to prime rate on the loan. When the Independent asked if it was proper for Treasurer Morgan to make the motion on the deal, since she belongs to the Moose, attorney Rob Young said Treasurer Morgan has “no benefit derived and I don’t see a problem”;
• Approved placing fire fighter Jamie Goode on the Washtenaw County Technical Rescue Team;
• Approved setting a public hearing at 6:15 p.m., Feb. 14, at the township hall to receive comments and suggestions for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan;
• Heard attorney Young say he has been contacted by the district library and they want feedback on where Sumpter wants its satellite library. The board agreed the octagon (hexagon) DPW building across the street was their choice. Young said that property came to the township via grant money so he will get a title company to check out the deed. Young said they also should get an engineer to assess the building’s structure, but Supervisor Morgan said the library’s engineer came out two or three times to look at it;
• Heard Trustee LaPorte announce that the fire department will be accepting applications from those 18 years of age and older for paid-per-call fire fighter positions. He said they will be trained in medical skills, fighting structural fires, and hazardous materials. Applications are available at the clerk’s office;
• Heard Jay Bardell ask how many acres the township owns and was told no one on the board had that information at that time. He suggested using township property for a solar farm and put earnings back into the community. Supervisor Morgan said the township is still considering if it wants solar farms to happen and suggested, “Some people might rather see trees and grass” on township property;
• Heard Tim Rush speak on behalf of his neighbors in the Martinsville, Oakville Waltz, and Arkona roads area. The problem is a dangerous, condemned building at 29200 Martinsville Road that is owned by the township. Rush said when the wind blows there are smells of a burnt-out building and he has to shut his windows. “Something needs to be done with this building,” Rush said. He said neighbors have been cutting the grass there and Supervisor Morgan said they are trespassing and shouldn’t be on the property. Another neighbor wished to add some thoughts, but Supervisor Morgan slammed his gavel and declared him out of order because he didn’t sign up to speak. At the end of the meeting, Morgan let him speak and he said he had offered to demo the building, which is 50’ from his house. He asked the board to secure the building so people and animals (such as snakes and rats) can’t get in and Morgan said that could be done. The demolition process is lengthy and takes time and money, Morgan said;
• Learned Fire Chief Joseph Januszyk is working with Huron Township on a mutual aid agreement; and
• Heard Deb Callison say about a month ago her F-250 plow truck was stolen with the plow and salter. It turned out there were many thefts in a wide area around Sumpter. Her vehicle was recovered and, she said, Sumpter police helped her and Officer Jim Cayce stayed with her until she got it towed where she want it towed. She was in tears as she praised the work of the police department.

CDBG public hearing
At 6 p.m., before the regular meeting began, a public hearing was held on the 2016-17 Community Development Block Grant estimate of $73,000.