Sumpter names Deputy Supervisor Cole as township administrator on 5-1 vote

Michelle Cole, who has been serving as deputy supervisor for Sumpter Township as well as finance director, has been named township administrator as of Aug. 1 at no additional salary.
The appointment was made during the Aug. 10 Zoom meeting of the township board. She will continue to be paid $94,000.
She reportedly will continue financial director duties temporarily and then will leave that position when it is filled. Her pay will remain the same after the financial position is filled, according to reports.
Cole, a certified public accountant who lives in Ann Arbor, was first hired as finance director on Aug. 1, 2019
The township has been advertising for a finance director since Scott Holtz resigned with one week’s notice as of April 30, 2019. The posting for the position, at a salary of $60,000, began running on May 6 and the township received 14 applicants.
Cari Ford of Post, Smythe, Lutz & Ziel of Wayne, which oversaw the hiring process, said they chose only to interview seven of the 14. She said the applicants they chose not to interview were either asking too much money or had a business administration background with very little accounting.
Of the seven selected for interview, one withdrew his application the day after the interview because he said he was “shocked” at the $60,000 salary offering, two accepted other positions (one shared that he accepted Assistant Finance Director for Eastpointe at $82,500), three were impressive professionals, but did not have governmental or BSA software experience, she said.
The last interviewee, Michelle Cole, was originally interviewed at the end of May 2019, Ford went on to say in a memo to the township board.
“In our negotiation process it was determined that she would not be available on Thursdays, so she would only be at the township four days a week,” Ford wrote. “At that time, we decided to continue to look for a qualified candidate who was available five days a week.
“We have been unable to find a candidate anywhere near Michelle’s qualifications,” Ford wrote. “She has extensive governmental, budgeting, and BSA software experience. She reached out to me last week after seeing that our ad was still running, to let me know that she was still available in any capacity to help me out.
“The hiring committee is recommending the hiring of Michelle Cole at a starting salary of $65,000,” Ford wrote.
Cole’s resume shows 20 years of progressive municipal finance experience, starting with Plante Moran and moving on to division finance officer for the Genesee County Water Authority in Flint, 2009-2012; workforce management consultant for KRONOS; regional territory manager for New World Systems, Troy; chief financial officer for Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, 2016-17; and consultant from 2012 to 2019.
She began work at four days a week starting Aug. 12, 2019.
When Tim Bowman was elected supervisor last fall he hired outgoing treasurer Ken Bednark as deputy supervisor. Then Bednark resigned and Bowman named finance director Cole to also work as his deputy supervisor.
At the Aug. 10 meeting, Trustee Peggy Morgan asked if Cole will be working four or five days a week and Supervisor Bowman said he assumed it would be five days a week.
Trustee Morgan said the township had an administrator in the past that didn’t work out and she said people in the community aren’t going to like it.
She said it isn’t Cole that’s the problem, but the position. She said she likes Cole.
Bowman said that was 20 years in the past.
Trustee Matt Oddy said the deputy supervisor has been acting in the role of administrator. He said while elected officials come and go, this person would stay on and the board could remove her. He said it’s extremely costly to lose historical knowledge and this will stabilize the knowledge base.
Trustee Don LaPorte said township attorney Rob Young was present 20 years ago and he could give some insight.
“I remember Steve Kunselman and before that Glen Bowles,” Young said. “Steve served in contentious times … that was 20 years ago … not sure what 20 years ago has to do with today … We had a clerk, treasurer, supervisor, police chief, fire chief that didn’t work out … the entire board votes on this… She talks to me multiple times a day on legal matters … this would put one person at the helm and responsible.”
“She’s sticking her nose in things she shouldn’t be because she cares for the community,” Trustee LaPorte said. “She’s a go-getter.” Then he said to Cole, “You’re a quality person.”
The vote was 5-1 to name her township administrator, with Trustee Morgan voting no and Clerk Esther Hurst absent.
In other business at the one hour and 12-minute Zoom meeting the board:
• Unanimously approved the attendance of Treasurer Vincent Warren and new Deputy Treasurer Erica Campbell to attend the Michigan Municipal Treasurers Association fall conference in Kalamazoo Sept. 19-22 at a cost not to exceed $2,262, which includes the conference, hotel, parking, gas and food expenses;
• Unanimously approved starting the process to modify the ordinance to allow kayaks and canoes at Banotai/Sherwood Pond;
• Approved on a 5-1 vote to permanently establish the 30-day authority granted by the board on July 27 to reduce active members of the Parks and Recreation Commission to seven, which is four members for a quorum, and allowing liaison Tim Rush to vote if needed to establish a quorum. Trustee Morgan voted no;
• Unanimously approved a new building fee structure to ensure the township is not in a negative position on deposits for grade changes;
• Unanimously approved promoting Fire Battalion Chief John Krushlin to Deputy Chief and promoting Fire Captains Michael McHenry and Walt Thompson to Battalion Chiefs;
• Heard attorney Young note that he did not put on the agenda the second reading of an ordinance to allow credit card payments in the treasurer’s office, but when the board approves his general report it will include the second reading being approved. The board approved his report;
• Heard Supervisor Bowman announce that the ugly barn across the street from township hall is on the ground because the ordinance officers are working. Bowman had complained about seeing the deteriorated building across the street each time when he left township hall;
• Heard Trustee Morgan ask about the status of the Moose Lodge. Young said the forfeiture of the land contract to the township is coming up the following week. He said Moose National asked what the payout is. “They left the township for good,” Young said. “I don’t know if it was COVID. It just didn’t work out,” he said;
• Discussed problems residents have with Comcast service following Trustee Morgan’s question about follow up on a resident asking about Comcast going down Sherwood Road. Trustee Rush said talking to Comcast is like talking to a brick wall. He said Dish network can bundle internet. “They don’t care about the residents,” Rush said of Comcast. Trustee Oddy said the board wanted to get a map from Comcast to see where they service in the township. Then the board could send a letter to them to ask them to complete the infrastructure they started 35 years ago;
• Heard Trustee LaPorte ask about the preferred vendors’ list he asked to be compiled for department heads to use. He said Cole was working with Deputy Clerk Tony Burdick to compile the list. He said the list would help department heads do their jobs;
• Heard Trustee Morgan ask if anyone knows what’s going on with the township newsletter. Trustee Rush said it was COVID. With everything going on at the township hall it wasn’t done. Rush said they discussed establishing a committee to work on that. Trustee Oddy said he believes a committee was established and Deputy Burdick could bring the board the minutes on that meeting; and
• Heard Burdick announce the annual community yard sale would be held Aug. 27, 28, and 29 and people having sales will not have to have permits. Also, there will be a Huron Schools millage election Nov. 2 that will affect Sumpter precincts 4 and 3.