Staffing concerns dominated much of the discussion at the regular meeting of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees on Aug. 11.
The first four items on the agenda dealt with employee recruitment, seeking board approval of updates to the township hiring policies and postings for township manager, finance director and HR specialist/finance assistant positions. The township has been operating with those positions vacant for several months.
Concerns were raised regarding who would be involved in the interview and selection process given the current absence of a Human Resources department.
Prior to a unanimous vote for each item, the board agreed to establish hiring committees for each position; the board will handle the township manager position and a group composed of the clerk, treasurer, and Trustee Matt Oddy will interview candidates for the finance and HR positions.
The last item on the agenda, considering approval of a pay rate of $8,200 for Deputy Supervisor T.J. Bowman, was removed before a vote took place. Treasurer Bart Patterson told the board that his “position has not changed” and he “doesn’t know why it’s back on [the agenda] a third time.” One resident commented on Bowman’s lack of experience, stating they believed it was not commensurate with the salary.
In related news from Sumpter Township, the board accidentally failed to include an insurance payment in the night’s agenda. The Sumpter Township planning committee canceled its Thursday, Aug. 13 meeting due to lack of quorum, and instead that night, the trustees held a two-minute meeting to pay the insurance bill to avoid incurring a late fee, according to Trustee Tim Rush.
In other business at the 55-minute meeting on Aug. 11, the board:
- Authorized a proposal not to exceed $16,450 from consulting firm Maner Costerian to prepare a water and sewer rate study, noting that the last study was four years ago;
- Greenlit a change order addendum to the electrical contract, providing additional lighting installations to eliminate parking lot shadow areas and additional circuits to ensure voting machines operate correctly at the community center;
- Retained Maner Costerian to prepare and maintain the 2026-27 budget, with amendments to the firm’s service contract and hourly rate;
- Voted to have Maner Costerian facilitate a budget and financial planning workshop for the board;
- Addressed resident comments about ditches and deteriorating road conditions under Wayne County jurisdiction, with board members expressing shared frustration, ensuring that they would continue contacting county officials for assistance;
- Discussed technical issues with the township’s new web server, which no longer provides a link for residents to subscribe to township updates, and noted that they will be looking into solutions; and
- Reminded residents about the Everbridge Nixle Text number, which allows them to text their ZIP code to 888777 and sign up for free local emergency warnings, severe weather notices and public safety updates.
The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m. All board members were in attendance.