Standards of Conduct for the volunteer/ paid-per-call Fire Department were tabled for the second time by the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees at its regular meeting March 27.
Township Attorney Rob Young said officials are still working on it and when it is done, he’ll bring it back to the table. He asked that it be tabled again and the board unanimously agreed.
The Standards of Conduct were first tabled at the March 13 board meeting, but at the same meeting the board did approve a related document, the Standard of Procedures.
Both documents were presented by a committee made up of Treasurer John Morgan, Trustee Peggy Morgan, and Clerk Clarence Hoffman whose goal was to review Fire Department rules.
At the March 13 meeting, Fire Chief Les Powell objected to some of the new rules. Treasurer Morgan, who was presiding in the absence of the ailing Supervisor Johnny Vawters and the absence of Clerk Hoffman, said discussions with the fire chief or his representative could continue to tweak the rules. Treasurer Morgan emphasized that the board and fire fighters were all on the same team.
Chief Powell said he was told there would be no discussions, so he was happy to hear Treasurer Morgan’s assurances.
But, the following Sunday, in an unusual move, Trustee Peggy Morgan attended a fire department meeting at the fire hall, saying she wanted to be present in case there were questions about the new procedures. Chief Powell objected to her presence and a confrontation erupted.
A few days later, Chief Powell voluntarily accepted 30 days suspension and six months of probation for insubordination to a board member.
While Chief Powell usually attends board meetings, he was absent from the March 27 meeting and there was no public mention of his status.
Some observers say there is more to the situation than meets the eye, with an ongoing attempt by particular former fire fighters to undermine the longtime fire chief and take over the chief’s position.
(A similar situation happened in the City of Belleville recently when the fire chief was forced to resign after an anonymous writer, claiming to represent a group of fire fighters, sent a letter to city officials.)
In other business at the March 27 meeting, the board:
• Approved naming Hennessey Engineers as the township’s new engineering consultants, with Richard Kern assigned as primary liaison to Sumpter, backed up by John Hennessey. There were 12-15 applications for engineering firm and a committee whittled that down to three, who were interviewed at a special meeting on March 20;
• Approved paying two invoices for $4,858.50 and $518 from the former engineering firm, METCO, for storm water work, upon receipt of the work completed;
• Approved paying Giffels-Webster Engineers the balance owed of $12,939.25 for work completed in association with METCO;
• Approved purchasing a larger ice machine for the PNA Hall for $2,245, with the smaller machine being moved for Parks & Recreation use;
• Approved a storm water management agreement with Joe Nasser for his business at the corner of Sumpter and Willis, as required by the county;
• Heard Supervisor Vawters announce new appointments of board members as liaisons: Clerk Hoffman to Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals (and no longer with Fire Dept.); Hamm as alternate to Planning Commission and ZBA, as well as continuing with the Building Dept.; Peggy Morgan to new assignment to Fire Dept. and continues with Parks & Rec.; Bates continues with Water Dept.; Treasurer Morgan continues with Economic Development Committee and alternate to Water Dept.; and Supervisor Police and Senior Dept.;
• Approved a resolution to amend the 457 Deferred Compensation Plan;
• Approved removing the yearly $20 charge for pond inspections, since there have been no such inspections after the original permit. Clerk Hoffman said those yearly inspection costs were illegal. If residents wish to alter their approved pond, they would have to come back to the township for approval;
• Agreed to have Clerk Hoffman appoint cemetery caretaker Wayne Bordine as sexton to inspect the graves he digs, instead of paying a building inspector to do so. There are one or two burials a year in the township cemetery. Deputy Supervisor Craig Moody said funeral home personnel inspect the depth of the graves and will not put a vault in if the depth isn’t correct;
• Approved appointment of Mary Ann Watson as an alternate to the Board of Review;
• Approved having the clerk’s office advertise in the APWA (American Public Works Association) for a full-time water & sewer department superintendent with a S1 or S2 classification. Actually, Supt. Marvin Drews decided not to resign after all, but to work part time, so those that apply will be kept on file;
• Approved paying Burnham & Flower $120,635 for insurance for 2012-13;
• Approved the amended 2011-12 budget and the 2012-13 budget as detailed by Jim Glahn in a hearing before the meeting;
• Approved paying warrants totaling $3,384,571.68;
• Approved the Parks & Recreation Commission minutes of Feb. 15 that reports the commission is seeking 501c3 non-profit status. Ron Traskos, CPA, will begin the process;
• Announced that there has been a petition submitted to pave Judd from Sumpter to Rawsonville and at the next meeting it will be decided where the township will go from there;
• Announced the 6 p.m., April 5, meeting for residents at the township hall to discuss floodplain insurance now required by FEMA; and
• Learned there has been an offer to purchase the vacant ATEK building on Rawsonville Road.