Sumpter Twp. board funds restroom, septic field emergency

During a report to the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees at its Aug. 9 workshop, Township Manager Anthony Burdick explained the restrooms at township hall have been an ongoing problem and at the moment both are shut down.
He said employees are using a portable restroom with a cleaning setup so they can wash their hands at a cost of $1,600 a week.
Supervisor Tim Bowman said this is an emergency and they had a recommendation from Wayne County. He said the entire floor is coming out at township hall and they are putting in everything new, starting all over. The entire septic field will be replaced.
In the regular meeting, the board voted unanimously to spend not to exceed $144,341.30 plus a 5% contingency for the work to be done immediately. Trustee Peggy Morgan was absent and excused from the meeting.
Later in the week it was announced township hall was closed on Friday, Aug. 12, and Monday, Aug. 15, to make way for the work. On Monday, it was announced the township hall would open on Tuesday and it would be a “cautionary area” as renovations continue.
Burdick also announced he was setting up a standing review committee to help him go over policies. He pointed out the township doesn’t have an employee manual approved by the township board.
He also said there will be an adjustment in the way paid time off is allotted. The policy is that an employee has to be on the job one year to get it and this will be adjusted to using the first day of hire to calculate the time. This will be instead of all PPO being added for all employees on Jan. 1. The employee’s first day of work will be recorded as the day of hire.
Also, at the workshop session, there was a presentation on a proposal for Reclamation of Banotai Park, starting with clearing of the 80 acres, enlarging the pond by five acres, dredging the entire pond, having a full-time parks director and two park attendants with guard shacks to control traffic and contraband, four parking areas, a pedestrian path, horse trails, hiking trails, berms on Sherwood and Wear roads for sound barriers, a maintenance building for park equipment, one or two new brick and mortar bathrooms with outdoor showers, three new pavilions, solar aerators for the pond, electrical power to the pavilions and bathrooms and LED lights, three new docks, a new beach for pet owners, and other amenities. It was pointed out this is just conceptual at this point.
Trustee Don LaPorte said the pedestrian bike path lost steam at the county level and they will see if the county can help fund the $2.1 million suggested by County Commissioner Al Haidous.
Trustee Matt Oddy said Van Buren Township got $4.5 million for its senior center and Sumpter should ask for $20 million for this. He referred to the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds being allocated by the county.
Burdick said they are working with Commissioner Haidous to get funds for this project.
Burdick also said the newsletter committee wants to publish at the end of September instead of the end of August, since everybody’s been so busy.
In other business at the Aug. 9 regular meeting, the board:
• Approved, with regrets, the resignation of police officer Jeffrey Benedict effective July 14. His resignation letter said he wanted to be at home more with his family and to help with his son’s special needs therapies. Public Safety Director/Police Chief Eric Luke said he expects to have Benedict’s replacement to bring to the board at its next meeting;
• Approved the first quarter budget amendments as recommended by Finance Director Scott Holtz. He said there is $156,000 more projected revenue minus $137,000 added for the fairgrounds project, so it would be $18,400 added to the budget;
• Heard Ronald Barrington Robinson state that he is not anti-law enforcement as stated by some. He reported on his degree in political science from Mott College and 23-year career in the correctional system. He also wanted those who are against “trailer parks” to know that doctors and nurses and teachers and other professionals live there;
• Heard Sharon Pokerwinski tell Treasurer Vincent Warren she is sorry he lost the primary election and, “I wish you the best”;
• Heard Mary Ban say she repeats what Pokerwinski said about Warren, noting he had saved $232,000 in water bills. She also said Commissioner Haidous needs to look at the overgrown weeds along the roads that are dangerous everywhere. She reported a transformer went down on Lohr Road the previous Saturday night and was out until Sunday. This also happened in June, she said. She said DTE needs to realize that large, large homes are being built and they require more electricity and are burning up the transformers. She asked board members to read the Newsmax article on marijuana she had the deputy clerk put in their packets and to again note there is no opening date for the museum;
• Heard Supervisor Bowman report the Forgotten Harvest food giveaway hit a record in Sumpter with 145 households recorded. Also, he said the most responsible, reasonable bid for the fairgrounds fencing was received from Davenport Brothers; and
• Heard Public Safety Director/Police Chief Luke thank the residents for their overwhelming support for the police millages. He also said siren 9 is down after they believe it was struck by lightning. Also, Ray Bailey, who was charged with four murders in Sumpter, was found dead in his cell.