Sumpter Township clerk says 10 voting tabulators need replacement

Sumpter Township Clerk Don LaPorte told the township board at its regular meeting on Feb. 11 that he has found ten voting tabulators need replacement by Dominion, who will give the township $1,000 back on each of its tabulators it replaces.
He said the total will be from $50,000 to $60,000 to upgrade the voting hardware.
He said there were issues at the last election and Sumpter had to borrow equipment from the city of Detroit to complete the election.
“I’m sure they didn’t give their best to us, but it worked,” he said.
When Trustee Tim Rush asked if the township could get bids from others besides Dominion to see if they could get the equipment for less and “more bang for the buck”, Clerk LaPorte said the township is currently under contract with Dominion. He said that contract was signed before he came into office.
LaPorte said he would look into the contract closely before proceeding.
“We need a fair and accurate election every time,” LaPorte stressed.
In other business at the 35-minute meeting on Feb. 11, the board:
• Bowed their heads as Jeremiah Williams offered a prayer to begin the meeting;
• Approved the police towing and impound yard agreement with J&T Crova;
• Approved a cost of $1,300 for deputy clerk Samantha Herman to attend the MiAMC (Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks) basic class from March 16;
• Approved the employment agreement with Debbie Nogle, Human Resources Specialist;
• Removed from the agenda the hiring of Sarah Finch as finance director at a base salary of $100,000;
• Approved an addition to the Pentura Playscape feature in Graham Park for 2-5 year olds and disable children at a cost of $66,961 to be paid from both Capital Projects and Parks & Rec. funds, at a split of $33,480.50 each;
• Approved the discounted bid from Vigilante Security for the replacement and monthly monitoring of the township facilities’ security and fire alarm systems at a total cost of $78,833.25 and monthly monitoring at $971.10 to be paid from Capital Projects funds. Treasurer Bart Patterson voted no without explanation and Trustee Rush recused himself from the vote, without further comment;
• Accepted the bid from Waters Edge for the dock extension for the existing EZ Dock System at Banotai Park at a cost of $22,392, to be paid using funds from Capital Projects;
• Accepted the bid from Dynamic Energy Solutions for the two split 10-ton systems for the Community Center and a 60k BTU furnace in the boiler room at a cost of $69,700 using the Capital Fund account;
• Approved adopting revisions to the YCUA (Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority) Sewer Use Ordinance and direct township attorney to draft the resolution for board approval;
• Approved a weather authority team made up of the supervisor, manager, and chief of police to decide on the closure of offices due to the weather;
• Approved having the board of trustees interview township manager candidates at a meeting that is posted as an open meeting;
• Approved a committee made up of the clerk, deputy clerk, and human resource specialist to interview candidates for the position of clerk office assistant;
• Heard Trustee Rush report that damage was found inside the wall at the recreation office building and it will take a little insulation and drywall to fix it up. He said volunteers already are searching their garages for what is needed. Treasurer Patterson said it is a small repair and they don’t need to go out for bids. They plan to paint the wall after repairs are done;
• Heard resident Mary Ban say that open floor discussion at the end of the meeting should be put back in place. She said if people can’t be here right at 6 o’clock they miss the chance to talk to the board with their concerns. “People who voted you in don’t get to be heard,” she said. She also complained about the giant hole at the corner of Bemis and Lohr. She said that corner needs a hard-surfaced apron like the other roads have at Bemis. She said she didn’t get a chance to meeting Allen Wilson, the new county commissioner who visited the township meeting in January, but she called his office and no one ever called her back. She said the county is not giving Sumpter roads proper attention and someone needs to give commissioner Wilson that information. She praised the work of retiring township manager Tony Burdick and former deputy clerk Karen Armatis;
• Heard township manager Burdick say there are six resumes for township manager which he will share with the board;
• Heard township attorney Rob Young say the small piece of property that had confusion over its title and has been held up for years, now is ready for the supervisor to sign over; and
• Heard Clerk LaPorte say that he had a phone call from county commissioner Wilson just before this meeting. LaPorte, who is also a member of the fire department, said he asked Wilson to get the county to pave Judd Road from Bohn to Rawsonville (2.16 miles) so the fire trucks can travel it safely. LaPorte said in the past that is the best route to calls in Rawsonville Woods, but it’s hard on the fire vehicles because it is a gravel road. He said Wilson is working at getting that on the commission agenda.