Sumpter Township Police Officer of the Year honored by board

Sumpter Police Corporal Colleen Gottschalk was honored as Officer of the Year at the May 12 regular meeting of the Sumpter Board of Trustees.
In the absence of Public Safety Director/Police Chief Eric Luke, Fire Chief Goode presented a long list of awards to the police officers, leading up to the top Officer of the Year award. Then all the officers lined up for a picture with the board. The awards are given out each year at a township board meeting.
In other business at the May 12 meeting, the board:
• Heard Rich Collins, pastor of River Bible Church, pray over the board to bring it wisdom in serving the community;
• Approved a staff barbeque outing for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 16. The township offices will remain open;
• Decided not to schedule a public open meeting to complain about roads since the county has responded to complaints with a public online meeting the previous week;
• Approved documents to initiate MERS Health Care Savings Plan per approved CBA with Sumpter Township Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, to become effective July 1;
• Set public workshop meetings for 6 p.m. May 21 at the community center and 6 p.m. May 28 at township hall to discuss bids received for the exterior work on the police department, senior center, community center, DPW building and library, as well as the future plans for township-owned facilities;
• Approved separating Randy Lynch from township employment with healthcare benefits to remain until May 30. The final payout of $9,700.64 requested in the motion was removed, with the final amount to come back to the board with documents of proof before payout;
• Approved a fisherman and crane logo for Parks & Rec to use on their sponsorship letters;
• Heard clerk Don LaPorte say he was alerted the previous day that Sumpter Road between Willow and Oakville Waltz will be resurfaced by mill and fill. He also thanked everyone for their support and understanding his absence during his wife’s hospital stay. He said she hopefully will be home that Friday;
• Heard township manager Ken Marten say the county presented a grading schedule for Sumpter for this season and it is in their packets;
• Heard treasurer Bart Patterson say that two weeks ago he was not present at the board meeting because he was attending a conference. He said he was upset to learn that with two board members not present, the rest of the board put a last-minute item on the agenda to spend $1 million to pave Judd Road. He said the board owes it to the public to post such items ahead of time so people could come in to support or oppose the spending. He asked the board not to do that again; and
• Went into closed door session to discuss strategy with AFSCME negotiations and then came back into regular session to make a motion to direct the township attorney to follow through as discussed in the closed session.