Sumpter board approves putting financial director on agenda

There were two items regarding the financial director on the agenda of the June 12 meeting of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees.
At the last meeting of the board, Treasurer Peggy Morgan asked that the financial director be on the agenda to report on whether expenditures up for action are in the budget. Some items passed by the board are not in the budget.
Her request failed on a 5-2 vote, with Trustee Sheena Barnes joining her in the request.
After her first request on the subject, Clerk Esther Hurst put a line on agenda requests where Finance Director Scott Holtz could sign off on whether a item was budgeted for or not.
But, Treasurer Morgan said this was read by board members, but the public didn’t know what Holtz said.
At the June 12 meeting, the first agenda item had been put on by Trustee Matthew Oddy, who had opposed Treasurer Morgan’s previous request.
His agenda item was: “Consider request that expenditures have been reviewed by the Township Financial Director and is ‘within the approved budget’ or is ‘not within the approved budget’ as documented on the official Sumpter Township agenda item request form.'”
He made a motion to approve this and received no support, so the motion failed.
Holtz had been noting whether an item was “budgeted” or “not budgeted,” but only board members saw his notations.
Item B on the agenda was Treasurer Morgan’s request: “Consider adding Financial Director to agenda to give report,” which was slightly altered in Clerk Hurst’s motion to “Add financial director to every board meeting agenda and give him one week worth of vacation to compensate him.”
Hurst’s motion passed on a 5-2 vote, with Trustee Oddy and Supervisor John Morgan voting no.
At the work/study session earlier in the meeting, Treasurer Morgan said after the 5-2 vote against her request at the previous meeting, Trustee Oddy sent a five-paragraph email out to board members saying Treasurer Morgan didn’t follow the proper procedure for putting the item on the agenda.
“I’ve been on the board for 14 years coming Nov. 20 and he’s telling me what the proper procedure is?” Treasurer Morgan asked.
She said at the previous meeting, Trustee Don LaPorte had said he felt Holtz should be in attendance, “and he was right.”
“I asked him to attend the next board meeting and he said he would … and the next thing I know … another person came in and asked him NOT to attend,” Treasurer Morgan said. “I don’t want to put him in the middle of this. I told him don’t worry, don’t attend. After I thought about it, I put agenda Item B on.”
Trustee Oddy said items have to be put on the agenda by 4 o’clock the Thursday before the meeting to let everybody know what’s coming.
“Miss Morgan FAILED to discuss this in the work/study,” he said, with his voice rising in volume. “This was put out there so we can have proper discussion. I put this on the agenda in the right way. It [Morgan’s agenda item] was put on the agenda outside of proper protocol.”
“In his contract there is no request for him to come to every board meeting,” Supervisor John Morgan said. “We’ll have to pay him.”
“It’s either in or not in the budget,” Trustee Oddy continued. “He’s already doing the work. Just put it on the agenda.”
Trustee Don Swinson suggested he could come every quarter to report on the budget.
When Treasurer Morgan tried to make a comment, Supervisor Morgan cut her off.
“We have to make sure meetings are orderly … not like children,” Supervisor Morgan said to Treasurer Morgan. “I say that respectfully. Come through the chair.”
Treasurer Morgan asked him for permission to speak and Supervisor Morgan approved.
“Things are happening that he [Stoltz] is not aware of … Trustee LaPorte had a very good idea … We should be able to question him in person. I am the treasurer of this township and I should be able to ask questions.”
In other business at the June 12 meeting, the board:
• Heard Trustee Barnes said she could not give the Building/Ordinance report, as marked on the agenda because it was not put into her packet;
• Approved, on a 5-2 vote, the supervisor’s appointment of Tim Rush to the planning commission as of June 23, with a term to expire June 22, 2021. Rush replaces Jay Bardell, whose term was expiring. Later in the meeting, Bardell accused the supervisor of taking him off the planning commission, where he was doing a good job, because he ran against Supervisor Morgan in the last election;
• Approved requiring Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission members to attend, at a minimum, one training/refresher course per calendar year. The course will be scheduled and paid for by the township. This was put on the agenda by Trustee Oddy;
• Approved purchase of the Provident 24-hour accidental death and dismemberment three-year prepaid policy for the fire department from Burnham & Flower at a cost of $743, with Treasurer Morgan voting no. Holtz had marked it “not budgeted.” Clerk Hurst said this was a renewal, but the financial director and Burnham & Flower were not aware of it;
• Approved the Provident accident and health policy for three years prepaid for the fire department from Burnham & Flower at a total cost of $14,772, with Treasurer Morgan voting no. Holtz had marked it “not budgeted.” Clerk Hurst said this also was a renewal;
• Approved consolidating Nationwide and Voya retirement plans to a MERS 457 and a MERS 401a (defined contributions) plan. Holtz marked this “no impact to budget”;
• Approved auctioning off a decommissioned fire department vehicle (Engine 31) at Insurance Auto Auction;
• Approved the retirement of Captain James Stumpf from the fire department after 32 years of service, with regrets. Chief Januszyk said a plaque has been ordered for him with his shield on it;
• Approved the hiring of Kenneth Myers and Daniel Mosholder as firefighters, pending results of their physicals;
• Approved the appointment of Anna Winter as water department clerk, maintaining her current salary. Treasurer Morgan asked why the job change was not on the agenda, as had been done in the past, and attorney Rob Young said it didn’t need to be on the agenda because it was a collective bargaining position. Young said he took it off the agenda, but others said Armatis took it off. The board put it back on the agenda and voted unanimously to approve the job shift for Winter;
• Noted Kelly Faber of the Senior Alliance did not give a presentation during the workshop because of illness;
• Heard Paul Henning, executive director of the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce, present a check for $1,123.83 for Sumpter’s share in last fall’s golf outing that included Belleville, Van Buren Township, Sumpter Township and the chamber;
• Learned Jamie Krushlin has been named Health and Safety Officer of the fire department, taking over the position left by Trustee/Fire Fighter LaPorte when he resigned the position. She already has all the certifications necessary, Chief Januszyk said;
• Heard Trustee Barnes ask Supervisor Morgan about the township purchase policy and how it relates to Trustee Oddy bidding on tax foreclosed parcels sold by the township, since the policy bans “conflict of interest” by township officials. Deputy Supervisor Karen Armatis shouted out from the back of the room and Trustee Barnes said she was asking the supervisor, not her, but she realizes that, “You [Armatis] are the head woman in every department.” Attorney Young explained that the purchasing policy is different and applies to the purchase of items for the township. He said Oddy’s purchase of property was not a conflict of interest and Oddy recused himself from those votes on the parcel sales. Treasurer Morgan said Oddy abstained from votes on three properties, “because he said he had taken people around to look at these properties and he felt he had an interest in these properties.” She asked him, since he said the attorney said he could bid on them, why didn’t he just say he bid on these three pieces of property through First Step Properties LLC if he felt so comfortable? “Why didn’t he just say I bid on the properties?” she asked. Treasurer Morgan said right after his winning bid of about $2,000 on one of the properties, he put it up for sale for $34,000 and then $35,000. She said she had no idea he was bidding until after he started bragging about his property. Oddy said he bid using his investment company and notified the board that he bid and he would abstain from the votes. “It was perfectly legal,” Oddy said;
• Heard Trustee Barnes ask about the meetings no longer being cablecast. She said every meeting is recorded and is very sharp on the recording, but Channel 12 is not on. “Maybe Karen Armatis has an answer to this,” referring to the deputy supervisor who was going to be the only one trained in the new cablecast equipment and was having it based in her office. Trustee Barnes said the public needs to see what the township is doing because now, “It’s like giving us a purse and say spend it” to the township board. She said one person who is not elected and not from this township is making these decisions on not cablecasting the meetings. The meetings have not been cablecast for many months;
• Heard Karen Mickens ask for the names of anyone who has lost a life while serving this country so they can be put on a quilt being made by the seniors, so the quilt can be given to Leroy Paige to auction off for one of the Honor and Remember fund raisers. Call (734) 461-2296 to leave a name; please spell it out;
• Heard Mark Oddy complain about Comcast services. “If it rains or snows, the Comcast goes out,” he said. Supervisor Morgan said they could get Comcast to come out to answer questions for residents;
• Heard Ken Bednark say he is ridiculed without merit by two board members for his Community Impact Report when he was serving on the MMFLA committee;
• Heard Ronald Barrington Robinson announce that the absentee ballots for the August primary election are scheduled to be sent out on June 23. He warned people not to pick up completed absentee ballots to deliver to the township hall because that is not legal. He said he has asked for monitors at the polls to make sure the election is done legally;
• Heard Holly Swinson thank the Oddy and LaPorte families for helping at Sumpter Fest She also thanked the police and fire departments and the board members;
• Heard Mary Ban support the request of SOS that doesn’t need much space, except for a desk and filing cabinet, since the services to the families are done in their homes. She also spoke again on the problems caused by the 48111 zip code changes. She also presented an article by Ben Stein: “Marijuana legalization is criminal”; and
• Heard Karitha Murry Hanible announce that the Sumpter Progressive Civic League’s annual back-to-school family fun day will be Aug. 18. Last year they gave out 140 backpacks to students, filled with supplies. She also noted, in referring to the long, boisterous meeting that was ending: “There is no reason to have personal attacks. All should agree to disagree.”