Editorial: Board table still a bone of contention in Sumpter Township

The $3,024.54 payment to Jeffrey Lominac, Jr. for the new board table was removed from the warrant list at the Sumpter Township regular board meeting on Tuesday.
Treasurer Ken Bednark objected to paying for the table until it was installed, so they could see it first. Other board members agreed and the payment was removed from the list of bills for payment.
The reason given for paying Lominac before seeing his work was because it would “create a hardship” for him if he had to wait another two weeks.
Bednark said if $3,000 creates a hardship for a contractor, how much capital funding does this contractor have if there is a problem with his work?
He said for the board to pay him now would have other contractors whining for payment as soon as they put down their hammers. “We have not seen the table,” he said. Trustee Tim Rush said the township’s payment terms are “net 30.”
Finance Director Scott Holtz said the past practice is to approve and then wait to release the check. “I would rather have the board make that decision,” Bednark said and the rest of the board agreed.
At the end of the meeting, Eric Partridge asked about the additional $2,800 added for granite to put on the board table and who approved that? The $6,500 board table is up to $9,400 now, he said. He got no answers. The table was to be installed March 27. Hope it’s beautiful.