Sumpter board tables decision on Sherwood Pond swimming ban

After a lively discussion at its regular meeting on July 25, the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees tabled a decision on whether or not to ban swimming at Sherwood Pond.
Trustee Matthew Oddy reported that the planning commission was scheduled to hold a public hearing on Aug. 10 on a ordinance on personal ponds dug on private property.
The board agreed to discuss Sherwood Pond at its Aug. 22 meeting, after the planning commission pond discussion.
Trustee Oddy said the private ponds had nothing to do with Sherwood Pond, but Trustee Don LaPorte said if enough people find out about the public hearing on ponds they might get interested and come to the Aug. 22 meeting so more than the seven people on the township board will make a decision on Sherwood Pond.
The discussion on the Sherwood Pond at Banotai Park agenda item began when Treasurer Bart Patterson said he was at Family Fun Day and saw people having fun in the water. He said he was in favor of individual liberties and freedoms. He said if they banned swimming, they would have to enforce the rule with police citations.
Treasurer Patterson said there are signs that the water is not tested and signs there are no lifeguards. He said the swimming buoys and sand beach encourage swimming and should be removed if there is a ban.
Trustee Oddy said he suggested the ban because of the drownings in Monroe County, Camp Dearborn and other places. He said Sherwood Pond is not engineered.
Oddy said they could not enforce the ban, but not condone swimming. He said working through the DNR is a long process and he doesn’t know what the slopes are on the pond.
“It would be a tragedy not to allow swimming in Sherwood Pond,” said Trustee Peggy Morgan. “We should be able to pay to have it tested. What had happened in those others places … I don’t think it’s fair. They want access to it. We get enough money to get it tested,” she said.
Trustee LaPorte said it looks safe but during his 17 years on the fire department he and other fire fighters have dealt with little kids and young adults near drowning. He said he drove an ambulance to the hospital with a child in the back.
He said there have been serious, serious accidents which weren’t on the news.
“I’d like to use ARPA funds to build a splash park at Graham Park,” said LaPorte, noting kids could have fun in the water without being in danger of drowning.
“I can guarantee you, we have had problems,” LaPorte said. “I’m torn.”
“We should stop the people who might take a chance,” LaPorte said, and if they go ahead anyway, it wouldn’t be on his conscience, he said.
Trustee Rush said his concern with testing is to get it from a reliable source and on a regular frequency. He said it is $150 per test, but if something happens with the water after the test? There could be stomach ailments possible. He said they should have at least more signs, bigger signs.
LaPorte said it’s always worse when it’s a child.
Trustee Rush said he worries about the liability to the township.
Morgan said the township could test the water and if it’s dangerous close the pond. Then reopen it when it’s safe.
“Why go to the extreme?” she asked. People who bring their children are the ones responsible for them, she said.
“It’s $150 per test and we could do it weekly, monthly. We’ve put signs up,” she said.
Oddy said in the area there just were three people who drowned in the KOA campground, Heath Beach, and Camp Dearborn. He said the township allows alcohol in the park and until it is better supervised it shouldn’t allow swimming.
LaPorte said it cost $1.4 million to build Van Buren Township’s splash park and it’s always loaded with people. He said he called VBT Supervisor Kevin McNamara to get the cost. LaPorte said the cost of the Huron Clinton Metropark new water park was $2.7 million.
“We need to start committing ARPA funds,” he said, noting he is trying to get volunteers to serve on a committee and got just one on Wear Road.
Patterson said he teaches first aide and is a rescue diver. He said there should be more warning signs.
He said we all take risks and he is for individual liberties and freedom.
In other business at the two-hour-and-24-minute workshop and regular meetings on July 25 the board:
• Approved naming Township Manager Anthony Burdick, Finance Director Scott Holtz, Deputy Clerk Karen Armatis, and Jared Bellingham to the Martinsville Cemetery Committee;
• Approved budget amendments for the first quarter of the 2023-24 budget; and
• Approved discussing in open session the AFSCME grievance on behalf of Acheenia Hall, a clerk in the treasurer’s office who was given 30 days off without pay by Township Manager Burdick. After a lengthy discussion, the board voted 6-1 against Morgan’s motion to give Hall the pay she lost and make her whole. Then a motion to deny the grievance was made and a vote of 6-1 approved that motion, with Morgan voting no.