Sumpter board votes 3-2 to approve recycling pad bid for $56,400

The Sumpter Township Board of Trustees at its regular meeting on July 9, approved the $56,400 bid from Diversified Excavating for a concrete pad under the recycling container.
That amount is to come from the $980,000 federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds Sumpter had received.
Voting no were Trustees Peggy Morgan and Matthew Oddy. Clerk Esther Hurst and Trustee Don LaPorte were absent from the meeting.
The proposal had been removed from the agenda for the last two meetings because of Trustee Oddy’s concerns about whether the ARPA funds were being overspent, since just $32,000 had been allocated for the concrete pad to hold the recycling container.
He had asked that one of the “other buckets” that held appropriated ARPA funds be reduced, so the $56,400 being spent is not more than what is available.
Supervisor Tim Bowman said he disagreed with Oddy and they have been going back and forth on this for several meetings. Supervisor Bowman said they could pay the extra out of the general fund, if necessary.
Treasurer Bart Patterson said they still will be able to use ARPA funds at the end and he noted the ARPA funds are gathering interest which can be spent.
“We’re not overspent,” Patterson said. “Technically, were over-allocating. There is still money in ARPA.”
After the appropriation passed on a 3-2 vote, township manager Tony Burdick said he will ensure these funds are available and all ARPA spending is approved by the board.
“I don’t like being over-obligated on paper,” Oddy said.
Manager Burdick said it’s always been a what comes first, the chicken or the egg thing. He referred to allocating funds and then going out for bids and finding out how much it is going to cost and if they need more or less money for the project.
In other business at the 39-minute meeting, the board.
• Approved on a 4-1 vote, with Trustee Morgan voting no, approval of Waters Edge Option B floating dock system at a net cost of $22,586 using ARPA and Wayne County Millage funds;
• Approved unanimously the Graham Park playscape by Penchura LLC in the amount of $237,052, using ARPA funds. The motion was amended to include up to $20,000 more to provide extra Poured In Place (PIP) walkways that Oddy said is a rubberized concrete that feels like you’re walking on cork. Oddy noted it was used at the Lower Huron Metropark at the old pool. Oddy had pushed to approve the extra hard-surfaced walkways to help with strollers and wheelchairs so they don’t have to struggle through woodchips. Patterson said they had planned to add the PIP walkways later so they could be planned out in detail before approval;
• Approved Brian Messer’s fireworks permit for July 20;
• Approved, with regrets, the expiration of the AFSCME one-year right to return for Michael Petrowski, effective July 1;
• Approved the TNT Tree Service proposal for $8,000 to remove identified trees, stumps, and brush at Martinsville Cemetery, using ARPA-obligated funds;
• Approved the TNT invoice in the amount of $1,350 for tree and stump removal at Martinsville Cemetery, using ARPA funds;
• Approved switching equipment from decommissioned police vehicle 328 to the new 328 by Herkimer Services for $4,213.39;
• Approved outfitting the new police department vehicle 322 at a total cost of $14,361.77 by Herkimer Services utilizing forfeiture funds;
• Approved assessing what properties are ready to sell from a list of township-owned properties. No list was made available to the public;
• Heard Treasurer Patterson say he thinks there should be discussion on some subjects and since there is no longer a workshop session before the meetings, he would like to propose having meetings for the public on a Thursday or Friday night, after the board packets are out for the next week’s meeting, so things could be talked about. He said people could wear whatever they wanted and there would be no TV. They could discuss what will be considered at the next meeting and give the board time to think about the comments before the vote is taken. “Something to consider,” he said;
• Heard Trustee Morgan give “hats off” to the committee which worked on the upgrading of the Martinsville Cemetery. She said it is “absolutely beautiful” and it only took 20 years and it’s finally done. Patterson said it is not done yet;
• Heard resident Mary Ban say she didn’t sign in to speak, as required, but she wanted to know about progress on the senior center doors. Patterson said four bids had been received on the doors;
• Heard 34th District Court candidate Robert Coutts and State Representative candidate Dale Biniecki introduce themselves; and
• Heard Sumpter supervisor candidate Sheena Barnes politely say she had two questions for the board and one for the supervisor. She asked if the medical building on Sumpter Road was Sumpter property and she was told no. She asked when did the ordinance change on signs and Trustee Tim Rush said in 2021 the sign ordinance was rescinded, but you have to ask permission to put signs on private property. Then she asked Supervisor Bowman if he pulled up election signs on property at the corner of Sumpter and Willis and he said he did because they didn’t have permission to put them there. Trustee Morgan said she had permission and Supervisor Bowman interrupted her statement and said, “I’m not going to get in a pissing match.” Bowman said he personally got permission from Joe Nasser to put signs on the property and Bowman was in charge of who could be there. Barnes said she got a report from someone who said he saw the supervisor pulling up signs, not hers but Tim Craiger’s sign. She said Bowman is the first supervisor in history to admit to pulling up election signs. Trustee Morgan said she did get permission from Nasser on Saturday and Trustee Rush called out “point of order” and said Morgan can’t talk because she didn’t have the floor. Barnes said she will talk to Joe Nasser and will put up her sign on that corner where she always has in the past.