VBT Board hires new Director of Planning and Economic Development

Ronald A. Akers of Wyandotte will take over as head of the Van Buren Township Department of Planning and Economic Development on Aug. 17.
At the Aug. 4 meeting of the township board, Akers was praised for his experience and recommendations and the board voted unanimously to approve his personal services agreement at a salary of $70,000.
The memo to the board said Akers has worked in planning and economic development since 2008. His roles include capital improvement plans, zoning administration and compliance, industrial development, and site plan reviews.
He graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor of science degree in Public Administration and Regional Planning. This fall he is finishing up his graduate degrees in Public Administration and Economic Development at Wayne State University.
He has worked for Blair Township in Northwestern Michigan, Whitewater Township outside Traverse City and currently works at Genoa Township in Livingston County as zoning official.
“Van Buren Township has a lot of opportunities for growth and I’m excited to be a part of it,” Akers said.
“No doubt we found the right person,” said Clerk Leon Wright.
Supervisor Linda Combs said the interviewing committee consisted of herself, Clerk Wright, Treasurer Sharry Budd, and McKenna Associates consultant Patrick Sloan, who has been filling in. Supervisor Combs said, “We all agreed he was the best choice.”
Akers replaces Jack Knowles, who resigned as of May 22, saying his resignation was because of “inaccurate statements and grandstanding” by Trustee Jeff Jahr who accused Knowles publicly of not providing information, when it had been provided. He also cited Jahr’s “flippant attitude and snippy remarks” which he said he found inexcusable for an elected official.
Knowles was paid $75,000 salary. Knowles took over Dec. 10 after the position was vacant for seven months.
McKenna Associates planning consultants filled in during vacancies.
Darrell Fecho, who had been an employee of McKenna Associates and helped out at VBT, was hired as Knowles deputy director on April 7 with a salary of $62,400, but has been out on medical since Knowles resigned.
The township is advertising for an interim deputy director at a salary of $60,000.
The parade of men in the director’s position started when longtime director Bryce Kelley resigned in late 2008, following the election of Supervisor Paul White, and briefly went to work for the township’s planning consultant McKenna Associates.
Dan Swallow was promoted from deputy director to director with a salary of $62,601. Swallow moved on to work for the City of Monroe in January 2011 and Terry Carroll of McKenna Associates filled in and then took over as director. His salary in 2012 was $77,964.
After Carroll was fired Feb. 8, 2013, Arthur Mullen took over as interim director at $77,500 salary and then moved up to $92,300 for the director position in June 2013. Mullen left in July 2014.
Knowles replaced Mullen. Then McKenna Associates filled in again and now Akers is replacing Knowles.
In other business at the Aug. 4 meeting, the board:
• Approved a resolution to send to the State of Michigan supporting “No Reason Absentee Voting,” as recommended by Clerk Leon Wright, who said his office would confirm that requests for absentee ballots are thoroughly vetted via signature checks of the application and the returned voted ballot;
• Approved the 2016 Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) municipal credit contract, which totals $28,348 for VBT with a local match of $32,597. This money is used for transportation for the elderly and children; and
• In the public comment period, heard Allen Babosh discuss the public safety millage request and the frequent loss of electrical power. He was followed by CeJay Marshall, who spoke on the millage and power outage problems. Paul White spoke on the public safety millage. Marshall returned to speak in support of the millage.