Sumpter Twp. board argues over whether to post job in clerk’s office

At the regular July 22 meeting of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees, there was a long argument among board members about whether the board needed to go out for interviews for a new full time election clerk.
Clerk Don LaPorte wanted to promote part-time clerk Gabriella Massel to a full-time position and treasurer Bart Patterson and others on the board wanted to go through what he thought was the proper procedure that was posting the position and having interviews.
Trustee Matthew Oddy was absent and excused from the meeting.
After some arguing back and forth, with tempers flaring at times, LaPorte was convinced to reappoint Massel as parttime clerk for up to 90 days more while the board members gathered the information they wanted. The board then unanimously passed the extension of the parttime position.
LaPorte had been absent from the previous meeting, but he had put an extension of a part-time position for Massel on the agenda. He said he was unhappy when he saw they ignored his agenda item and took no action at all.
Then, he said, he got to thinking about all the work the election will take with the new rules from the state and decided to ask for a full-time position for Massel.
When board members asked for another extension, LaPorte called out to Massel in the audience and asked her if that was OK with her. She said it was and LaPorte said he was glad she didn’t just walk out of the meeting instead.
Township attorney Rob Young gave his opinion on the issue after the decision was made on Massel. He said majority rules and boards can do whatever they want to deal with employees, apart from any union contracts they agree to.
He said if the majority of the board wants a hiring policy, so be it, he said. He said the board had done away with posting requirements but he doesn’t see it as a mandate. “My opinion is there is no requirement except those self-imposed and that can be modified.”
In other business at the one hour, 25-minute meeting on July 22, the board:
• Heard former township manager Anthony Burdick thank the board members for signing his contract to be a consultant to the new township manager. He said he wanted to thank board members after their last meeting, but they went into closed door session and he couldn’t;
• Heard Nicole VanAssche report that 300 people came to Family Fun Day and they had a good time. She said the Lions Club did free vision screening for the children. Quenten won the watermelon seed spitting contest for 48 feet. She said the next upcoming event is a yard sale behind the police department as well as an indoor craft sale in the community center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 22, 23, and 24. Cost for space is $5 for outside and $10 for inside;
• Heard Kay Harris say Canada is still burning and she is still asking for a drone that could pick up water from Belleville Lake. She pointed out Sumpter is in a forest. She also said she can’t find where the special permit was approved for the junkyard next to her and the yard is shipping and receiving. She said she remembers the gas station that was built that was supposed to be a market. She again asked for the township to require the junkyard to put in a firewall because of all the lithium batteries;
• Heard a lengthy report by Finance Director Julie Campbell, who said the royalty payments from the landfill are two months behind. She said the landfill said it was a technical error on their end. She also said this was the first read of a revision to the purchasing policy. The revision started five years ago and a couple of sections are still under revision. She said the second reading won’t be done until all the revisions are complete and she asked board members to send her their comments. She explained updates to the budget and how she would like to separate the Water & Sewer fund into separate funds to determine profit and loss on each and whether to increase rates;
• Heard Department of Public Works director Ron Tabor say his department is doing a lot of mowing because of all the rain and weed whipping the fire hydrants. He said copper testing of residential water will start later this month and those in older homes can get free testing by just contacting the township;
• Heard township manager Ken Marten say the board has his report in their packet and he’s not going to read it line for line. He said there are some additions. He said cardio-pulmonary resuscitation training for employees is Aug. 6 and 7 and UKG will be up and running Aug. 4 or the following week;
• Heard treasurer Patterson report that there is what is called a “pension fund” that was invested in a CD 15-20 years ago. He will bring the question of that fund to the board since the township is ”very well-funded on pensions”;
• Approved purchasing 11 new radios and encrypting 16 current radios from the police department from Digicom Global for $54,033.60;
• Approved accepting the bid of Supreme Creations for $21,656.25 for the application of protective epoxy floor coating in the fire department house bays and gear room;
• Approved having Hennessey Engineers complete the water asset management plan at a cost not to exceed $101,620;
• Approved switching from BS&A.net to BS&A Cloud at a total price of $83,690. BS&A will honor the price on the agreement signed in 2024. Additional cost includes adding the work order program to the original quote;
• Approved paying outstanding invoices to Diversified Excavating and Site Utilities totaling $40,100. This was after a long complaint by clerk LaPorte about the quality of the invoice that gave no details or dates, just one line with a figure. He said he would just reject them all until they’re done right, he said of the invoices involved; and
• Heard attorney Young ask for the second reading and approval of an ordinance amendment on special land use that had its first reading in November and, then, “It got away from me.” This item was added to the agenda at the beginning of that night’s meeting. He told the board it had approved the ordinance amendment in November.
According to a report in the Dec. 12, 2024 Independent, at the Nov. 26 meeting the board approved a recommendation from the planning commission for text amendments to Section 3.3, Special Land Uses, which gives the township board final approval on Special Land Uses.