Supervisor McNamara tries to shut Trustee Frazier up at meeting

After Van Buren Township Trustee Sherry Frazier referred to a director going out of state for a conference and how the board’s travel policy is yet to be addressed, township Supervisor Kevin McNamara became unspooled and verbally attacked Frazier.
This was during Monday’s work/study session with only one item on the agenda: A proposal for the township to enter into opioid litigation that already has 200 municipalities participating.
Before the discussion on the litigation, Supervisor McNamara answered Trustee Reggie Miller’s question about the Iron Belle Trail, which was supposed to be voted on at Tuesday’s meeting.
“There are a lot more moving parts than we had planned for,” McNamara said. “We can offer options for what we can do now.”
He said they still have the same five options and the same ones removed because they’ve been told the trail can’t cross railroad tracks. So, they are down to two options, he said.
He said there are some issues with Sandy’s Marina that they didn’t anticipate before.
McNamara said Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Wright could write two or three grant applications and then the right one can be submitted by the April 1 deadline for the DNR grant they are seeking for the trail.
“Does Sandy’s allow people to park on the state right of way?” asked Trustee Paul White.
McNamara said no, that Sandy’s has access.
“We don’t want to be responsible for someone going out of business,” McNamara said, referring to the original plans that would block off with curbing an area now used by Sandy’s for parking.
“We’re not voting on it tomorrow,” McNamara said of Tuesday’s meeting. “Too many people think we can cross the railroad tracks because they’ve done it up north.”
He said the railroad has already told the township it can’t cross the tracks with the trail, but engineers are double-checking.
“The biggest issue is Sandy’s parking,” Trustee White said, and McNamara said there are 100 spots.
Clerk Leon Wright said the board is not following the agenda, which was a discussion on the litigation, not the trail.
Trustee Frazier said she was concerned because only one item was on the work/study agenda and they’ve been waiting for the travel policy to be discussed.
That’s when Frazier mentioned a director, obviously Clerk Wright, going out of state for another conference. He went to Canada last year and plans to go to Virginia with his deputy clerk this year.
McNamara said the three full-time electeds “made the call” for the out-of-state travel. The three are Supervisor McNamara, Treasurer Sharry Budd, and Clerk Wright.
“There’s really no reason for us to have trustees,” Frazier said. “As Mr. Marshall said, there’s really no reason for trustees …”
CeJay Marshall called out that Frazier was a liar and he never said that.
“I’m getting tired of hearing you,” an angry McNamara said to Frazier. “I’m calling for a five-minute recess … I’m losing control…” Then he walked out of the meeting room.
“It’s a waste of time to have only one item on the agenda,” Frazier continued.
“I tried to get ahold of him [McNamara] on Friday [to discuss the trail], and I couldn’t. And tried to get ahold of you [Frazier] and I couldn’t,” Miller said.
McNamara returned to the meeting room and the meeting resumed.
“I am an equal board member here,” Frazier said to McNamara. “You will not control what questions I ask and how I ask them.”
McNamara said Frazier’s questions are always off the mark and they are rude.
“You interrupt every single member of the board … I’m tired of it,” McNamara said.
“You are a bully!” she said to McNamara.
“You are the biggest bully on the board,” he replied.
Trustee White said work/study sessions are for open discussion and Trustee Frazier is correct.
McNamara grumbled that White would support Frazier.
“You have four votes and you can do any damn thing you want, but we should be able to ask questions,” White said.
He said the trustees are responsible for using every penny of the residents’ tax dollars appropriately.
“Every time we spend a penny, every member has a right to question it,” White said.
“I had no clue about Sandy’s being a problem and I’ll drive by and look at it,” White said, but he didn’t know exactly what to look for.
McNamara said he met with Sandy’s at 1:30 that afternoon.
“When have I ever, ever not given this board information when you ask for it?” McNamara asked.
White said he didn’t think 100 cars could be parked along the water at Sandy’s and McNamara said that’s what they say.
“We have to choose what the fix is as a board,” McNamara said.
Miller asked why the Iron Belle wasn’t on the agenda because the township will be spending a significant amount of money.
“Residents want to be a part of it [the discussion],” McNamara said, adding it should be discussed on Tuesday when they are present.
McNamara then said he had learned about a 1995 land swap between the township and Sandy’s. He said the township traded land along Sandy’s for land Sandy’s owned by French Landing Dam
After a lengthy discussion on opioid litigation, Frazier said the litigation is “still about money” but it is a political issue. She said the pharmaceutical companies control politics in the U.S. She said the federal government says they are going to work on it, but they won’t.
“I can’t believe I side with Trustee Frazier,” McNamara said.
“That’s rude,” Miller stated, adding he could have just said he agreed.
McNamara said the board members will discuss the proposed litigation among themselves. The issue was going to be on the Tuesday agenda, but was removed.
White said the board’s attorney Patrick McCauley should look at an updated version of the proposal.
But Frazier said, the board’s decision can’t be based on McCauley’s recommendation since he’s an attorney. A successful case would make a lot of money for the lawyers.
At the end of the work/study session, Frazier said she would like an apology from McNamara and he said he was sorry.
“I said I agreed with you,” he said. “Very few people make me so upset.”
Miller made a motion to adjourn and Frazier said to McNamara, “You’ll be sorry, Supervisor McNamara. You’ll be sorry.”
“I’m sorry I lost my cool,” McNamara said.
After the meeting, Frazier said she had received a letter from McNamara the day before saying Clerk Wright complained that Frazier hit him.
Frazier said Wright was walking in front of her and stopped abruptly and turned and was right in her face. She pushed his shoulder to get him back. In stepping back, she stepped into Miller, who agreed that was what happened.
“I knew it was more than what it appeared,” Miller said of the meeting.