Jewel Leonard announces retirement from Sumpter Township

Jewel Leonard, Administrative Assistant to the Sumpter Police Department, is retiring after 30 years serving the township.
At its April 26 meeting, the township board accepted her resignation effective May 31. A plaque is being prepared and she will be honored at a future meeting.
Praise was heaped upon her work and her warmth and friendliness to member of the community. She was not present.
“She’s done an outstanding job and we’re going to miss her,” Supervisor John Morgan said.
Leonard is a 1961 graduate of Belleville High School.
Leonard said before her husband had a massive stroke, she worked for the Commission on Professional and Hospital Activities (CPHA) in Ann Arbor for 12 years. After his stroke, she came home to take care of him and their two children, Benny Leonard II and Serita Leonard.
She said she took part-time jobs until she was able to get a job with the township.
Leonard said then-Supervisor Clarence Hoffmann offered her the chance and gave her counseling from the beginning on how important the position was. He said it took dedication, honesty, and getting along with and respecting other people.
“I hope I followed his direction,” she said last Friday.
Leonard started as staff clerk in the supervisor’s office and after Supervisor Hoffmann, she worked under Supervisor Marvin Banotai. Then, she became deputy treasurer under Treasurer John Morgan. Her work with housing rehab continued as she changed positions.
Then, she did housing rehab in the building department and also worked as assistant senior coordinator at the same time Then, she moved to the police department where she has been for the past 17 years.
Leonard’s recent bout with cancer is in remission, but she said she and her husband Benny are both breaking down in health. She said he now spends three days a week at the senior center enjoying activities.
It’s time for her to retire, she said.
The board approved posting Leonard’s position in-house for a replacement.
In other business at the April 26 meeting, the board:
• Approved Mary Sherwood to a position on the planning commission with a term to expire Sept. 23, 2017. She replaces Sharon Claxton who resigned;
• Heard a presentation by Bethany Burge, Planning and Programs Manager at The Senior Alliance. She said The Senior Alliance was founded in Wayne County by Edward McNamara in 1980 for 31 communities in the county. For 35 years Wayne County has been the vendor of the nutritional program, but that has been discontinued, so the Alliance is seeking another vendor for the next three-year cycle. The Senior Alliance added $670,000 in emergency funding to the Meals on Wheels program, and there possibly will be wait-lists in the future, she said;
• Heard Trustee Matthew Oddy say there have been questions about the moratorium on medical marijuana facilities and he wanted to make sure it hasn’t expired. “I took the position you don’t need a moratorium to say you can’t break the law,” said township attorney Rob Young. He said he will bring a resolution to extend the moratorium to the next meeting;
• Approved paying warrants totaling $172,544.11;
• Learned the lake exhibit set up at the Belleville Area Museum is on display in the township hall hallway, on loan. It was put together by the Belleville High School New Tech students and the museum; and
• Heard Deb Callison ask about cutting grass for seniors. She was told there is no grass cutting for seniors this year because the CDBG money usually set aside for that is being used for a generator for the community center. Supervisor Morgan said in case there is a catastrophic event like a tornado, and people have no home to go home to, they would have a place to go. The school (senior center) is a designated place to go if there is, “God forbid, a nuclear attack,” Morgan said. Callison said she and her husband got to know seniors over the five years they have cut grass and, “We as a company cut 22 for free last year.”