Sumpter Manager Anthony Burdick delays retirement to March 31

At its regular meeting on Jan. 28, the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees again accepted the resignation of Township Manager Anthony Burdick, this time with a final employment date of March 31.
At the Jan. 14 meeting, the board accepted a Jan. 31 final date of retirement, with one board member protesting that it needed more time to fill the position.
On Jan. 28, the board also accepted a motion to set the township manager’s job description and qualifications and post the empty position.
Burdick said the position will be posted in the online Eagle and the Ann Arbor News.
Burdick lives on Arkona Road and retired from Republic Services landfill in January 2018 after 14 years of service. He then became Sumpter Township Deputy Clerk, where he served for three and a half years, before being named township manager on June 28, 2022 with a salary of $90,000 plus benefits.
At the Jan. 28 meeting, Burdick introduced two officials from Priority Waste, current owners of the landfill in Sumpter, to explain the problem that caused a lack of trash pickup on the weekend of Jan. 17.
At the last township board meeting, Clerk Don LaPorte said Priority Waste had informed the township that on Jan. 14 a list of seven roads had been impacted with problems for trash collection because of snow/icy road conditions. There would be no pickups until the roads are treated with sand.
The township contacted Wayne County informing it that sand was needed on several township roads before Priority Waste would pick up rubbish for residents.
Trustee Tim Rush said the county had responded quickly to putting sand on several township roads.
At the Jan. 28 meeting, Priority Waste CEO Braxton Mashburn and Jason Hamilton, head of the Romulus yard, were present to talk to the township board. They apologized for the service.
Mashburn explained that on the Jan. 17 weekend, a driver who had experienced a rollover on a country road didn’t feel able to go on collecting trash because of the road conditions and the deep ditches.
Trustee John Honey said Sumpter roads regularly get an inch of ice and that’s never been a reason before for not picking up trash.
“The driver was shy about getting out on the road,” Mashburn said.
Trustee Rush said the rollover must have been pictured because of all the cameras on the trucks.
Mashburn said the rollover was in October 2023 and the driver got too far to the right as someone came toward him so he tipped into the ditch.
“Now, he’s gun-shy,” Mashburn said.
Hamilton said the driver had a couple slides that day. He said they switched the driver and now another driver is on those routes.
Treasurer Bart Patterson said the township got multiple different stories about the problem and lots of excuses.
A resident in the audience complained that his trash hasn’t been picked up in three weeks.
Phone numbers to call were handed out on cards and Treasurer Patterson said the information would be in the upcoming water billing. There also will be a number to call if your trash bin has been damaged and needs to be exchanged.
In other business at the 43-minute meeting, the board:
• Heard the new 11th District County Commissioner Allen Wilson explain he wants to help the township. He said the commission passed a $2.3 billion budget and, “We can get you resources.” He stayed until the end of the meeting to talk with officials and residents and invited them to call and email him with concerns;
• Approved the fire department’s grant writing fee of $7,274 to JW2 Fire Consultants for the 2024/25 FEMA AFG cycle;
• Tabled the proposed police towing and impound yard agreement with J&T Crova;
• Approved the UKG Web-Based Time & Attendance System from Andrews Technology. It is a five-year term with an annual cost of $5,295 and a one-time setup fee of $3,000;
• Approved the final benefits bank time payout for Dawn Hadyniak in the amount of $5,527.69;
• Approved preparing the Human Resources job description and desired education and skills;
• Approved paying Bush & Sons $8,316 for 3 tons of gravel to put on the pathway for Forgotten Harvest traffic on the former fairgrounds property to keep the vehicles from blocking Sumpter Road; and
• Heard Treasurer Patterson report that the new roof on township hall is done. He said half of the roof had wet insulation – about 3,072 square feet times $4 – making them having to add almost $12,000 to the cost.