VBT Board discusses, at length, supervisor’s appointment of Delaney

Although Van Buren Township Supervisor Linda Combs is off on an eight-week leave of absence, she sent word that she was appointing John Delaney to the Local Development Finance Authority for a term to expire Aug. 12, 2017.
All that was left was for the township board to approve Supervisor Combs’ appointment so the LDFA board could be fully seated. That seat has been vacant since 2011.
At the Nov. 30 work-study session, the board discussed the appointment for half an hour, when usually the supervisor’s appointments are quickly approved.
A vote on the appointment had been set for the Dec. 1 regular meeting, but the board delayed it for two weeks, to the Dec. 15 meeting.
Treasurer Sharry Budd and Clerk Leon Wright are taking turns chairing the meetings in Combs’ absence and on Monday it was Clerk Wright’s turn.
Clerk Wright announced the only item on the agenda to discuss was Supervisor Combs’ appointment of Delaney and that he felt Delaney would be an asset to the LDFA.
Trustee Reggie Miller asked in surprise, “John Delaney was approved by Linda Combs?” and Clerk Wright said, “Yes.”
Trustee Brenda McClanahan started a long criticism of Delaney, asking whether Delaney was willing to collaborate with others because he tends to dominate rather than collaborate.
“Is he willing to keep confidential information confidential?” she asked, saying once he is appointed, “He represents us!”
“If he accepts the appointment, he must go by the by-laws, which includes confidentiality,” Clerk Wright said, referring to information from closed-door sessions on law suits.
Trustee Miller asked how the LDFA board feels and Clerk Wright said they were in support of his appointment.
“We should be looking for somebody to work as a team member,” Trustee McClanahan continued. “I’ve seen the angry, pushy, bully side of John. Would he be a good board member? I don’t think so… John’s been arrested for upsetting a board meeting. I don’t see him working as a team. It could end up being a disaster or it could work.”
Then she asked if Delaney was a resident of Van Buren Township or does he live in Canton.
Clerk Wright said he checked records and Delaney is a resident of the township.
“I don’t think we have too many perfect board members. It’s a very important committee …” Clerk Wright said and Trustee Jeff Jahr corrected him, saying the LDFA is an authority.
Clerk Wright corrected himself and then said, “You have to be open. You can allow people to show they can change.”
Trustee McClanahan said all her negative comments were just, “my opinion.”
Trustee Phil Hart said there is a law suit in progress and it needs to remain confidential or it can damage the township’s case, referring to the suit against Visteon.
Delaney was allowed to reply and he said he knows about law suits and confidentiality and has been involved in the LDFA for the last 8-10 years.
He recalled when six VBT board members were arrested and held in jail for eight days in the 1980s.
“They had passion and went to jail for a reason,” Delaney recalled.
Delaney said LDFA chairman Michael Dotson, and LDFA members Doug Peters and Leonard Armstrong support his appointment to the seat that has been vacant since 2011.
“I’m not looking for a board seat,” Delaney said, referring to the township board. “I’m volunteering to look out for the residents of the township… Yes, there was an issue with Mr. White and that was taken care of.” He referred to his arrest and jury conviction of disrupting a meeting run by Supervisor Paul White.
He said he lives on Mida Drive in the township with 28,000 other residents. He said he owns four businesses and attends 85% of the township board meetings and more than 90% of the LDFA meetings.
Delaney noted that his appointment is being scrutinized by the board more than board members looked at Combs’ recent unprovoked replacement of Dr. Carl Johnson on the planning commission.
Former Supervisor White spoke on behalf of Delaney’s appointment, reading the state law that shows how someone can be removed from the authority for official misconduct or dereliction of duty – so, if he doesn’t work out, he can be removed.
White said Delaney’s mother told him that John will study an issue without stopping, 24 hours without sleep, taking notes all the while.
“I would vote for John in a heartbeat,” White said, adding that Delaney sometimes goes off on tangents, but if he stays on the issue he is good.
Resident CeJay Marshall challenged Delaney to name his four businesses and say how many employees he has. He said he thinks character is important and he said Delaney tends to “embellish,” which he says is a nice way to say he lies.
Clerk Wright said a resident doesn’t have to name his businesses and being a resident is the only requirement.
Delaney reeled off the names of his construction, electric, sign and graphics businesses.
Trustee Miller said, “I hate to bring this up…” and then brought up his prior felony conviction in Oklahoma. She also said Delaney was a little ADHD.
Delaney said the felony conviction is under consideration for a pardon in Oklahoma. He also said President Obama signed a bill, passed by Gov. Snyder and Mayor Duggan called “Remove the Box,” which says those applying for jobs do not have to say if they have a criminal history, which would prejudice their consideration.
He said he opened his mouth in court and the judge punished him. He said seven years later he was arrested in Belleville and taken back to Oklahoma. The case involved a questionable check.
“I’ve never seen this group look into appointments like this before,” he said.
“We’ve never had a convicted felon sitting on a board before,” Trustee McClanahan retorted.
“You can’t know that,” Delaney said to her comment.
Marshall said Delaney wouldn’t name his four businesses and Clerk Wright said he already did. Marshall said he named them too fast.
Combs’ executive assistant Lianne Clair said the appointment amounts to six regular meetings in 2016 and four in 2017 for a total of 10 meetings.
At the end of the meeting, Diane Madigan asked the board several questions, including who authorized giving seven days notice of layoff to the police patrol/dispatch union president (Clerk Wright said no one from the board of trustees authorized that and it was a misunderstanding); why is a private business, The Driver’s Advantage, running a business from Fire Station 1 (it is being checked into but Supervisor Combs signed off on it); why Fire Chief Dan Besson has another job teaching at Schoolcraft on Wednesdays when his contract calls for prior approval by the township supervisor for a second job; why Clerk Wright was taken to the FBI Academy Luncheon at a cost to the township of $25, with Wright saying Director Laurain signed him up and he couldn’t go and Laurain took Lt. Bazzy instead; and why Laurain spent $1,023 for three nights lodging at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago for the International Association of Chiefs of Police 2015 convention. Trustee Miller said that was “very reasonable” for Chicago.
After the work/study session the board went into a closed-door session to discuss ongoing negotiations with the Michigan Association of Fire Fighters.