Sumpter OKs offer for 9.32-acre parcel after year of discussion

The Sumpter Township Board of Trustees accepted an offer for $65,000 from Kurtis Myers for the 9.32-acre vacant Commercial parcel behind the former Sumpter Medical Center on Sumpter Road. This was at a special meeting on Monday, Dec. 19 and the Myers’ bid was the only bid on the table.
It hadn’t been easy getting to this point.
Supervisor Tim Bowman brought up selling the parcel at a meeting in September 2021 to someone who reportedly planned to use it for a self-storage business.
A homeowner adjoining the site, Corey Blue, objected to the way the possible sale was being handled and said he had tried to buy it in the past, but was told the township was not interested in selling it. Things went back and forth over a year until the recent move that listed it with Moving the Mitten real estate.
At its Nov. 22 meeting, the board had offers through Moving the Mitten for $60,000 from Trustee Don LaPorte and for $55,000 from Kurtis Myers who stated one acre was not useable, so he was deducting $5,000 from his bid. The board sought clarification and the “best and final purchase offer” from each bidder and anyone else interested.
At its Dec. 13 meeting, the board received what were supposed to be the “best and final purchase offers” for the property, but while one from Trustee LaPorte remained at $60,000, the other from Myers was for $5,000 more than the highest offer, or in an addendum, not more than $67,500.
Trustee Matthew Oddy said they said they would pay $67,500 if they had to. He said the board should just tell them to put a bid in an envelope, seal it and bring it to the real estate office who would bring it to the board table to be opened there.
He said it’s not enough, anyway, because the board received two appraisals on the property for $75,000 and $78,000.
Trustee Peggy Morgan agreed that the bids are confusing. She said it is one of the prime properties in the township and somewhere down the road someone would buy it and put in something good.
“We sold the medical center and it’s still there collecting dust,” Trustee Oddy said of the property that had once been attached to the 9 acres.
Treasurer Bart Patterson, who said he had a real estate background, said it was a valid offer. He said the appraisals were in June and things have changed. Patterson said the board could pull off and not sell. He said the board asked them for offers and one offer was 86% of the appraisal and one was 80%.
Trustee Tim Rush said, “With inflation and everything going on, we should take the money and run. Our goal was to sell. I say, go with the $65,000 and call it a day.”
The discussion was during the workshop and at the regular meeting that followed, Trustee Rush made a motion to accept the $65,000 offer. The vote was a 3-3 tie, with no votes by Trustees Morgan and Oddy and Clerk Esther Hurst.
Yes votes were by Trustee Rush, Treasurer Patterson, and Supervisor Bowman. Trustee LaPorte had recused himself from the discussion and the vote to prevent a conflict of interest and so did not vote.
Since it was a tie vote, the motion failed.
When the board started talking about what to do next, Township Manager Tony Burdick pointed out that the agreement with Moving the Mitten runs out Dec. 27 and the numbers needed to be secured before then.
The board decided to ask the bidders to give a final number for the purchase plus any contingencies, put it on paper and in a sealed envelope to deliver to the real estate office by 4:30 p.m., Jan. 6, to be carried to the township offices and put on the table for that night’s meeting and opened at the meeting.
“We’re just dragging this on,” Supervisor Bowman said. “We have the highest bid.”
Attorney Rob Young said they could have a special board meeting on the following Monday, Dec. 19, and open the bid envelopes there, which they voted to do. The bids would contain the highest amounts they are willing to pay and contingencies. Trustee Morgan voted no.
At the brief, special meeting Dec. 19, with only this item on the agenda, the bid for $65,000 from Myers was approved. LaPorte did not submit a bid.
In other business at the Dec. 13 meeting, the board:
• Approved paying all warrants through Dec. 31. The township offices are closed Dec. 23 through Jan. 2;
• Approved awarding the township hall HVAC system cleaning to DUCTZ for a total cost of $6,960 to be scheduled during January. Manager Burdick said they also have quotes for cleaning the carpets and walls, department by department, which will be done later. He said the “restroom mania projects” caused lots of dust and material flying all over. He said one gave the township a bid before it went out for bids and they used that as a guide when writing the call for bids. Only two responded;
• Approved renewing the TownWeb website and its full support, maintenance, and hosting for three years at a cost of $3,108 per year;
• Approved closing the township hall on Dec. 15 from noon to 130 p.m. for an employee holiday luncheon;
• Approved the final payout o all unused, remaining benefits bank time for Roxanne Bardell in the total amount of $6,070.50 for vacation and paid time off, regrettably, due to her separation of employment as of Dec. 1. Trustee Morgan asked for an explanation. Attorney Young said this is what the board expressed in closed session. He said it was finalized by the clerk’s office, Finance Director Scott Holtz and Manager Burdick. Morgan voted no;
• Approved Resolution 2022-13 for the annual exemption from Contribution Act 152 of 2011 as the township meets the provision for exemption as provided in the Act;
• Approved, with Morgan voting no, a three-year employment agreement amendment for Finance Director Holtz effective Feb. 1, 2023, with a 4% base salary increase for agreement years 2024 and 2025;
• Approved directing the township manager, attorney, and finance director to research, take appropriate administrative actions, submit formal applications, and pursue appropriate grant funding for any and all board-approved strategic initiatives and projects. Each grant is to receive board approval prior to township commitments to grant and terms. This concerns grants the administrators will seek for the festival grounds/community center and the Banotai Park/Sherwood Pond upgrades;
• Heard Mary Ban say the small bathroom in the kitchen area of the community center was made for Kindergarten/preschool and it is too small. It is used by the Bible Study class and is not ADA. It needs a new toilet and bars. She said Wayne County finally came through and trimmed the brush along her road. She learned the officials of the three communities involved will have a meeting about the museum soon. Ban also praised township attorney Rob Young, who she said was the thread that kept the township together for 34 years. She said she hoped he wasn’t retiring;
• Heard Trustee Rush report on the Council of Western Wayne meeting where he addressed the problems Sumpter has with the county services. He said the CWW plans to talk about it again in January and February. Treasurer Patterson took a video of Rush talking and Trustee LaPorte said he would like to see it posted. The board voted to have it posted;
• Heard LaPorte thanked McShane’s for opening its restaurant on a Monday, its regular day closed, to host the fire fighters’ Christmas dinner; and
• Heard Oddy congratulate the Belleville High School championship football team and complain, again, about the Independent. He said the headline in the Dec. 8 edition said the board voted 6-1 on an issue in the Nov. 22 meeting and it actually voted 5-2.