VBT board approves shakeup in employees, raises for board

There have been a lot of retirements at Van Buren Township, so the board of trustees at its May 18 zoom meeting approved restructuring of employees – and 5% raises for elected township officials.
Dan Selman, executive assistant to Supervisor Kevin McNamara, said that the assistant director of parks and recreation retired, along with the water and sewer director and water and sewer superintendent. He said also a lot of salaries are not in line with other communities and they have reevaluated compensation township-wide.
Supervisor McNamara said they have planned a bedrock for the township to grow to a premier community.
Human Resources Director Nicole Sumpter explained the restructuring:
• Dan Selman’s title changes from Executive Assistant to Deputy Supervisor;
• Elizabeth Renaud becomes Community Services Director with the new job description approved. She will head the combined services of Parks, Recreation, Senior Center, and the Belleville Area Museum under one umbrella;
• Split the Parks and Recreation Director to a Parks Director and a Recreation Director. This provides the Community Services Department with a Recreation Director to focus on programming and a future Parks Director whose primary role will be to improve the parks;
• Approved Tammy Dohring as Executive Assistant to the Public Services Director, since Renaud had moved up; and
• Approved a Salaried Employee Salary Scale to keep up with the job market.
The cost of the changes amounts to $184,164, which will be taken from the fund balance. The changes are effective immediately and will be on the pay period ending May 22.
Trustee Reggie Miller said all the board members met with Sumpter on this and there are no further questions.
Clerk Leon Wright thanked McNamara for directing Director Sumpter to work on this. “It is very well-deserved and needed,” Clerk Wright said.
“We have a good team of highly intelligent people,” McNamara said. “I’m glad they’re in my life.”
The board also approved 5% raises effective immediately for elected officials with the salaries for fiscal 2021:
• Supervisor: $98,222;
• Clerk: $94,347;
• Treasurer: $94,347; and
• Trustees: $18,059.
Sumpter said this is an effort to bring the township salaries in line with the market which has to start at the board level.
Trustees are not afforded healthcare, effective Nov. 20, 2020, but they received $300 monthly in lieu of coverage. The new figure is $500.
Part of the resolution is a salary scale that lists the salaries from the new minimum this year through six steps to the maximum for elected officials, deputies, directors, superintendents, administrative, and coordinators/specialists.
In other business at the one-hour-and-40 minute zoom meeting on May 18 the board:
• Approved amendments to the PA 198 Tax Abatement Policy to give weight to companies including local talent recruitment and training, exceptional participation, and design benefits as part of their projects;
• Approved the agreement between the township and Wayne County Appraisal (WCA) for assessing services for three years, starting June 1, with the first year $75,000, the second $78,000 and the third $81,120, with no fringe benefits. Township assessor Linda Stevenson is retiring June 1 after 32 years of service and so the township is contracting out for the service. The township requires a Level IV Assessor to authorize the assessing roll for Wayne County and the State of Michigan. A job posting for a Level IV Assessor was posted from March 20 to April 18 at $80,000 to $83,232, with no response. There are fewer than 120 Level IV Assessors in the state of Michigan. WCA also does assessing services for 35 Michigan communities, including Sumpter Township and the city of Belleville. Jennifer Stamper, who lives in Huron Township, will be in the VBT office;
• Approved the second – final – reading of an ordinance to clarify required minimum useable floor area per dwelling in independent senior housing developments and to allow additional signage in senior housing developments;
• Approved the reappointment of Denise Partridge to the Water and Sewer Commission with a term to expire June 1, 2023;
• Heard McNamara say he will bring a resolution to the next meeting’s agenda to join the city of Belleville and Sumpter Township to request putting the tri-community in one legislative district. He also will have a plan at that meeting to open the senior center; and
• Heard Recreation Director Jennifer Zaenglin say the Belleville Lake Fest will take place on June 25-27 and all the details are on the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce website.