Sumpter Township sets John Danci salary at $72,000 to head DPW

John Danci, 33, of Romulus who recently was selected as new Director of the Department of Public Works at Sumpter Township will receive a salary of $72,000 when he begins work Oct. 4. After a year, he will get $75,000, plus the same percentage raise the unions get.
At its Sept. 14 zoom meeting, the board of trustees unanimously approved the contract, which includes a MERS [Michigan Employees Retirement Service] match of 8% and no medical optout.
Danci replaces DPW Director Kenneth Kunka who resigned June 4 after more than eight years of service. Kunka’s salary for 2020 was $70,847.47, with a total of $92,854.43 including health care and other perks.
Danci has worked for the City of Romulus since September 2015, currently as a water/sewer crew leader (as needed) and water/sewer crew operator since October 2019. He was a sign technician from July to October 2016 and water crew laborer September 2015 to October 2019.
Before that he worked for Arbor Valley Tree Services in Ann Arbor, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Ann Arbor Pioneer High School as head freshman/junior varsity baseball coach.
He earned a bachelor of science in Biomechanics, Exercise Physiology & Motor Control from the University of Michigan in December 2009. He also was a licensed realtor and now carries S1 and F5 Water Operator licenses from Michigan EGLE (Environment, Great Lakes & Energy).
The board also accepted, with regrets, the resignation of Building Department Clerk Brad Wheelock as of Sept. 24.
The board approved moving the newly hired part-time clerk at the treasurer’s department Acheenia Hall to the building department to fill Wheelock’s full-time position. Hall was hired for the treasurer’s department in an emergency Sunday meeting on Aug. 13.
Ashley Harris will be hired as the part-time clerk at the treasurer’s department for 21-29 hours a week under AFSCME contract pay to fill Hall’s former position.
In other business at the Sept. 14 meeting, the board:
• Approved hiring Roderick Thompson as the part-time Senior and Community Center driver at the AFSCME wage of $20.74 per hour for an average of 20 hours per week or less, effective Sept. 20;
• Removed from the agenda an emergency, month-to-month independent contract with Cari Ford for finance and accounting duties originally handled by Post, Smythe, Lutz & Ziel of Wayne, effective Sept. 1 at the rate of $95 per hour. Clerk Esther Hurst said she needs certifications and insurance on file for this contract to begin since Ford, who had worked for Sumpter Township for 30 years under Post, Smythe, Lutz & Ziel now is an independent contractor;
• After a lengthy discussion, removed from the agenda the proposal to go out for bids for the functions of finance and accounting duties until after a new finance director is hired. The position reportedly has been posted;
• Tabled for two weeks a proposal to begin sale of 16 township-owned properties, selling two at a time, until all sellable are processed. “This is due to the highest market values Sumpter Township has experienced in decades,” said the agenda item. Supervisor Tim Bowman suggested a live auction. Township attorney Rob Young said excess money over what the township paid for tax-reverted property has to go back to the state. Supervisor Bowman said he has an offer on the almost 10 acres of property behind the former medical clinic for a 10,000-square-foot storage facility. Young said that property is not tax-reverted, the county sold it to the township “for a buck” and the township hands “aren’t cuffed on that one.” Someone also wants to buy the two properties at Martinsville and Arkona for a horse farm and Bowman said the township has been offered a nice amount. The board will get more information for the next meeting;
• Amended the minutes of the Aug. 19 zoom meeting of the Human Resources Committee with a motion by Trustee Matthew Oddy to reflect that there were four members of the board present and Clerk Hurst was there in the audience and is not a member of the committee. He said that although there was a quorum of four board members present, Clerk Hurst was present as an “attendee” not a member and “we were not violating rules.” Trustee Peggy Morgan asked to be alerted to all future meetings of the Human Resource Committee, which is making recommendations regarding hiring. Among those appointed to the committee by the supervisor were Trustees Tim Rush, Don LaPorte, and Oddy;
• Heard Sharon Pokerwinski, volunteer parks director, comment by phone that she has learned from Wayne County that the new park signs with names on them have not been approved by the county because listed are present board members and not the board members in office when the grant for the parks was given. She said she agrees and this will be discussed at the Sept. 15 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting;
• Heard Pokerwinski also say that they decided to put sand on the beach at Banotai Park in February and there have been talks since May. She said she wanted the sand to be on there when the county came out to check and, “We couldn’t get there.” She said the $10,888 check is in the mail from the county and she suggests they hold off until spring to put the sand down since it is so late in the season. “Is that OK with you, Mr. Bowman?” Pokerwinski said to the supervisor, who she said was supposed to get it done. “You need to relax, OK?” replied Supervisor Bowman. “I’m done with you today.” Trustee Rush said this needs to be discussed at the Parks and Recreation meeting and right now the board is trying to get its business done;
• Heard Supervisor Bowman report 70 families picked up food at the Forgotten Harvest food giveaway that week. He asked the public to let their friends know about the free food on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the community center. The next Forgotten Harvest food giveaway is Sept. 27;
• Heard Supervisor Bowman also report that Treasurer Vincent Warren, Administrator Michelle Cole, and Senior Director Maryann Watson are setting up a COVID vaccination clinic at no cost to the public and will try to coordinate it with the Forgotten Harvest event;
• When township attorney Rob Young said he had no report, Trustee Morgan asked him why the Moose is able to sell its building when it defaulted on its land contract payments to the township. Young said the township sold it on land contract and the procedure was for forfeiture or foreclosure when they came into default and Young said he filed at 34th District Court and obtained a judgment. When the property is sold by the Moose, the township will get what it has coming, he said;
• Heard Fire Chief Rick Brown announce the fire department would like to have an open house for the public on Saturday, Oct. 16, from noon to 4 p.m. Trustee Morgan made the motion, seconded by Clerk Hurst and the board approved the event;
• Heard Clerk Hurst announce the township has a special election Nov. 2 for Huron Township schools and it affects only precincts 3 and 4. She also announced Keller Farm Bakery closed Aug. 29 and it will be missed; and
• Heard Trustee Don LaPorte report that Chief Brown has made changes to the fire hall with two sizeable monitors, one with a map of the community showing how many are responding to each scene. He said it helps the fire fighters see what’s happening. He said Chief Brown is doing a fabulous job in putting that up. Trustee Morgan asked when the board will see the contract for Chief Brown’s fulltime position and Administrator Morgan said they are in the process of bringing it back to the board and it will probably be before them at the next meeting.