Sumpter treasurer accuses Armatis, Young of ‘indiscretions’

Sumpter Township Treasurer Peggy Morgan accused Deputy Supervisor Karen Armatis and township attorney Rob Young of “indiscretions” during a lengthy treasurer’s report at the Oct. 23 meeting of the board.
“Karen enjoys power and control,” Treasurer Morgan said. “She does not like to be told no. She intimidates many of our employees … who are afraid of being fired.”
Morgan said when she asked the installer of the new Comcast system about when it would be done, he told her she would have to go through Karen. Armatis shut channel 12 down last January.
Morgan said the new system was to cost $32,000 and now it’s $62,000, “because she wanted it in her office.”
Then she spoke of the “indiscretions” and attorney Young responded in anger. “You’re not going to defame me,” Young said, adding Morgan has an avenue to defame everyone in this township by writing to the Independent.
He accused Morgan of having a lack of good judgment in what she does and what she says.
Morgan read the dictionary meaning of “indiscretion,” which she found through Google: “Behavior or speech that is indiscreet or displays a lack of good judgment.”
“This all has to stop,” Morgan said. “Our township deserves better.” She said it’s up to Supervisor John Morgan to take care of his deputy supervisor and up to the township board to take care of the attorney.
“I got it off my chest and I feel better,” Morgan said. “I don’t know if John knows everything going on in this office.”
Supervisor Morgan said he has known Armatis for 30 years and she has been working for him for 20 years.
“Karen makes this township run smoothly,” Supervisor Morgan said. “She cares more about this township than anyone. …Karen is livid, but I recommend you calm down before you speak. I wouldn’t say anything if I were you.” Armatis did not respond and left the building immediately after the meeting without comment.
Young said the garbage started with Morgan attacking Trustee Matthew Oddy, who bid on some tax foreclosed property in the township under a company name. Young said Oddy “produced the tape” that proves he told the board he was bidding. Then, she said Trustee Don LaPorte was trying to fire Fire Chief Joe Januszyk, after LaPorte, a fire fighter, replaced her as liasion to the fire department. “Totally, totally false,” Young said.
Young said Treasurer Morgan only spends 20 minutes in the township when she saunters in to pick up a bag for the bank and then leaves the township. He said she is upset because the township didn’t approve marijuana. He said she “went down the line and disparaged people.” Young said other people can’t get their letters published, but she can.
He said she went after the police chief, who was promoted to public safety director on a 6-1 vote, with her voting no. “She goes out into the street and disparages our police chief,” Young continued, noting this is the last meeting before the election.
“I’ve been here 30 years,” Young said. “I don’t have to be here.” He said he stayed on to take care of Po and Bardell and the citizens of the township deserve better.
“People have a right to have a spirited debate, but you lie to make your miserable life look better. … If you stayed in your office and did your job” things would be better.
“This doesn’t please me to do this and I’m glad this is the last time,” Young said.
Earlier in her remarks, Treasurer Morgan said at the last township board meeting she was given options about her office and the next day she talked to Finance Director Scott Holtz.
“I will not have Karen Armatis in my office,” she said. “I am not going to hire anyone to help. If I remain, I will keep working with Vern [Morse, her deputy]. September balanced right to the penny. I will not have anyone come into my office to upset this.
“Me and Karen had a falling out,” Treasurer Morgan explained. “It started in May, when SOS came.” SOS came asking for office space in the township to offer free services to families with preschoolers to get them ready for school. Morgan said after the SOS representative met with Supervisor Morgan, it was certain the township would help. But, Armatis was against it and SOS was turned down, Morgan said.
“She stewed until June 8,” Treasurer Morgan said. “I was in Scott’s office and when I came out Karen was in the hall.” That’s when Armatis said what Morgan perceived as a threat.
Treasurer Morgan said on June 14 there was an incident in her office and she filed a police report the next day. She said she put a camera in her office and changed the locks and made other security changes. She said there was criticism that Anna Winters’ position wasn’t bonded. It’s bonded now, she said. She said there is confusion about whether the late Sybil Buchanan was bonded. When Roxanne Bardell volunteered to help in the treasurer’s office, she was technically bonded.
“No money was removed from my office,” Treasurer Morgan said. “Nobody stole anything. The office was well run. Karen doesn’t like it when someone tells her no. She accessed all my computers. I took her off and she went on through Scott. If he accesses her computer, she has access to my computers.” She said her former Deputy Janet Hoffmann discovered that first. She said they thought she wasn’t smart enough to figure it out.
Treasurer Morgan said Finance Director Holtz looked very hard at financial institutions in which to place township funds for a better deal and it looked like he would recommend Comerica soon.
“Yesterday he said he wouldn’t take it to the board until January and by April 1 it would be a done deal,” Treasurer Morgan said. Holtz was absent from that night’s meeting due to illness.
Treasurer Morgan, a longtime trustee until Supervisor Morgan appointed her treasurer after the death of Treasurer Alan Bates, lost in her attempt in the primary election to be the Democratic candidate in the Nov. 6 election. Kenneth Bednark is running as Democrat unopposed on the ballot for the seat. Treasurer Morgan has filed as a write-in candidate, along with Sheena Barnes, who is running as a write-in for clerk.
In other business in the Oct. 23 meeting, the board:
• Approved the supervisor’s reappointment of Jane Stalmack to the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals with a term to expire Nov. 14, 2021;
• Adopted a resolution commemorating the World War I centennial and encouraged residents to take part in the national Armistice Bell Ringing Ceremony at 11 a.m., Nov. 11, to mark the cessation of hostilities;
• Approved a monthly retainer of $4,000 for Carlisle Wortman Associates for an on-site township administrator service for 12 hours a week. This includes monthly attendance to the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings and conducting training workshops. A written report from Finance Director Holtz said this is not budgeted for 2019;
• Approved new volunteers Donna Stewart, Ken Bednark, and Tim Rush to the Parks and Recreation Commission. Application and background checks have been completed;
• Approved renewal of Parks and Recreation Commission members Jim Posegay, Joan Posegay, Cheryl Toms, Anna Bellany, Dawn Argo and Mark Argo, with terms to expire in October 2021;
• Recognized the appointment of Dawn Argo as Parks and Recreation Commission secretary;
• Approved the following 2019 Parks and Recreation Commission events: Easter Egg Hunt, April 13; Sumpter Country Fest, May 24-27; Family Fun Day, July 20; 25th-annual Don Rochon Memorial Car Show, Sept. 15; and Turkey Shoots, Oct. 6, 13, 20, and 27;
• Amended the Parks and Recreation Commission bylaw on membership, adding Section 5 regarding a one-year probationary period, as recommended by the commission;
• Heard Supervisor Morgan announce Trustee Matt Oddy was absent from the meeting because he was attending his daughter’s band concert. Supervisor Morgan said families are important;
• Learned Holtz’s computer hard drive failed on Oct. 19, resulting in the need to purchase a new desktop computer for him. With that, he did not have the second-quarter budget amendment recommendation for the board. This request will be made at one of the November board meetings, he noted;
• Heard Clerk Esther Hurst give a report on Senior Center activities, including that this year’s community event for the Sumpter Quilters and Seniors is a pajama drive to make sure all the 300 residents of Cedar Woods Assisted Living on the South I-94 Service Drive have new pajamas. The annual craft show to earn funds to put on the Christmas party is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 3 and the senior Christmas party is at noon on Dec. 11;
• Heard a report from Wayne County Commissioner Al Haidous on unspecified roadwork coming to Sumpter, work on the Waltz Road Bridge, and another $10,000 grant for Parks and Recreation. Resident Mary Ban said tall weeds at intersections are dangerous and need to be cut down and Haidous said to send him the exact locations and he will send it to the forestry department to be put on the list for cutting. Trustee LaPorte said there are large, dead trees hanging over roads and Haidous said to send him the locations. He said the schedule for cutting will be put on the Wayne County website. “You make my job easier by the way you work with me and talk to me,” Haidous said of Sumpter. “I’m 20 minutes away from you. I live on Hannan.” He said Sumpter is a unique township that doesn’t cause him lots of headaches like other township do. “There are some issues we can’t resolve”;
• Heard a report from Water and Sewer Director Ken Kunka who said the sewer break on Willis Road was due to hydrogen sulfate eating the concrete pipe. They had to divert sewage around it to fix it. That was from Holiday West to Rawsonville Road. They televised the line and recommended lining the rest by Liquiforce. He said Ryan Kern of Hennessey Engineers is evaluating that. He said they have issues with the lift stations, as well, and are in the process of hiring a firm specializing in prioritizing problems with service systems. He said there have been five water line breaks on Willow Road between Martinsville and Sumpter. Kern said the water main there needs to be replaced and after the election they may be looking for shovel-ready projects with grants for water improvements;
• Heard Trustee LaPorte report there is a new program at the fire department. E Dispatch puts calls on smartphones when the pager goes off and maps out the location. About 20 fire fighters signed up and four wouldn’t. Cost is now under $1,000, said Public Safety Director Luke, who said they have a 30-day free trial and the goal is to replace pagers or monitors, which sometimes are garbled. This App is crystal clear, he said. It went live the previous Friday;
• Heard Mary Ban say she has been attending township meeting for more than 43 years and “this is one of the worst meetings I have attended.” The subject of marijuana has been behind things all summer long, she said. It is a divider not a uniter and, “I resent that.” She said dirty laundry has been displayed for the residents this summer. “Mrs. Armatis does the best she can do,” Ban said;
• Heard Julie Slauterbeck ask about expanding the sewer in a private/public partnership with Republic. Young said Republic has to initiate the project. Slauterbeck said she was five properties down from the end of the sewer and Young said he would look into the situation; and
• Heard Jim Edwards ask about renewing his license as a medical marijuana caregiver. He said he was told they weren’t doing renewals. Luke said Det./Sgt. John Toth was gone a week and the paperwork came and now he’s ready. Young said that Edwards is in compliance and they have more information now on case law. “I wanted to be sure because my license expired Oct. 7. It is very confusing,” Edwards said.