VBT Trustee Miller questions absences of DDA reappointees

Van Buren Township Trustee Reggie Miller questioned the attendance records of two of the three candidates being proposed by Supervisor Linda Combs for four-year reappointments to the Downtown Development Authority.
At the Feb. 18 meeting of the VBT Board of Trustees, Trustee Miller first asked that the reappointments be removed from the consent agenda, so they could be discussed.
The DDA reappointments, proposed to the supervisor by DDA Executive Director Susan Ireland, were for Jere Dolph, Ronald Blank, and Robert Bechtel and Ireland told the board that all three had been “wonderful, wonderful members…”
Miller had no problem with Dolph, who has been on the DDA since it was organized when he represented the Van Buren Public Schools. Dolph currently serves as DDA chairman and Ireland said, “He has the history.”
Blank is a VBT business owner and developer and knows how to question engineers. Bechtel owns a furniture manufacturing business on Van Born Road.
It was the attendance records of Blank and Bechtel that bothered her.
Bechtel was absent from 5 of the 12 meetings in 2013 and 8 of the 12 meetings in 2012.
Blank was absent from 8 of the 12 meetings in 2013 and 7 of the 12 in 2012.
She said members of the community had brought this to her attention and, “I have to ask about the attendance. Why the absenteeism?”
Ireland said Bechtel teaches a class in marketing at Macomb County Community College on the same night of the DDA meetings.
She said Blank had missed a couple “for his religious faith” and others because he had a family issue to deal with.
Miller said that the township counts attendance as important.
“I would not like to lose them because of the knowledge they bring to the DDA board,” Ireland said.
Miller insisted that attendance was important and should be treated seriously.
Supervisor Combs said when they can’t come they are in touch with Ireland by email and phone with their input.
“Is there any way for them to teleconference in?” Miller asked and Ireland said she didn’t think they could do that.
“We have to address the absenteeism … It’s critical to the success of the township…” Miller said.
Clerk Leon Wright made the motion to approve the appointments of all three and Trustee Brenda McClanahan seconded the motion.
“I’ll be voting no,” Miller said. “I think we need board members who can commit.” She said she thinks board members should have a shared value and common vision.
Miller said she means to take nothing from these gentlemen, but can’t in good conscience vote for them.
Clerk Wright said board members should value their commitments and the board should set forth a policy going forward.
“If we don’t have anyone else to handle it at this time,” the board should reappoint these members, Wright said, pointing out these were uncompensated positions.
Treasurer Sharry Budd said the meetings are once a month and missing eight in a year is a lot. She agreed the boards needed attendance policies that they stick to.
Treasurer Budd said she wouldn’t vote no because she didn’t want to interrupt the work of the DDA.
“Actually I will mention this to them,” said Ireland, noting DDA Chairman Dolph has mentioned it in the past.
Ireland said in their bylaws three unexcused absences constitute a resignation.
“All boards have that,” Combs said.
“They need to start enforcing that,” Wright said.
Ireland said Bechtel helped her to get the new website for the township.
“Excused or unexcused. They’re not here,” Miller said.
The vote was 4-1 to approve the three appointments with Miller voting no. Voting yes were Supervisor Combs, Clerk Wright, Treasurer Budd, and Trustee McClanahan. Trustees Jeff Jahr and Phil Hart were absent and excused.
In other business at the 46-minute, Feb. 18 meeting, the board:
• Approved a resolution supporting a Charitable Gaming License for the non-profit Van Buren Area Little League so they could hold fund-raising raffles;
• Approved the supervisor’s reappointments of Charles Coleman, Mark Duff, Kimberly Nofz, Sam Villa and Tammy Wall to the Recreation Committee and the appointment of Rondell Sherman, all with terms to expire Feb. 1, 2015. Sherman replaces Harold “Speed” Gant, who chose not to seek reappointment. Sherman is a 16-year resident of VBT, with a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from Eastern Michigan University, who is presently employed by the United Association #190 Plumbers / Pipefitters as a master plumber/pipefitter;
• Approved the six-month personal leave of absence for paid-on-call fire fighter Bruce VanGemert, as provided for in the Michigan Association of Fire Fighters’ Collective Bargaining Agreement;
• Learned three new police officers were sworn in on Feb. 14: Mike King, Jordan Short, and Andrew Venier. Also, Doug Doty was sworn in as lieutenant in the fire department; and
• Heard VBT resident Cornell Mathis introduce himself and announce he is running for State Representative in the 21st District. When he started to state more about his campaign, Trustee Miller interrupted him and said the board’s policy is not to announce political candidates. “I think we need to stick to the rules on this,” she said. After the meeting she invited Mathis up to talk to board members and learned that he is her neighbor, living two houses down the street from her.
Feb. 18 work/study session
During the 28-minute work/study session that began at 4 p.m. on Feb. 18, the board:
• Discussed the Salaried Employees Benefits Manual and proposed changes to the Pension / Deferred Compensation provisions to be in compliance with state mandates. The issue will be placed on the March 4 agenda for action;
• Learned from Arthur Mullen, director of planning and economic development, that a draft has just been finished on the Cobblestone issue. He said the township met with its attorney and owners and came up with an agreement. A final draft came from township attorney Patrick McCauley before he went on vacation. This is expected to be on the March 4 agenda;
• Learned from Mullen that the Victorian Park consent judgment has been filed with the court and a packet of information has been delivered to homeowners, with only one calling in for information;
• Learned Mullen is waiting for something from Country Walk homeowners association, which has not submitted an application;
• Heard Wade Trim engineer Dave Nummer say, concerning the Stormwater, Asset Management and Wastewater (SAW) grant application to the Michigan DEQ, that there were 467 applications received asking for $540 million in projects for the $450 million available. Nummer said VBT has an 80% chance of getting funded for its $700,000 (10% match) request in the five years of the grant. He said they have yet to hear anything about the grant; and
• Heard Clerk Wright say the board is slipping back into the old format where items discussed at the work/study session were acted upon at the next day’s regular meeting. It was supposed to be discussions were held for future board action; and
• Learned Marie Schoutz, a New Yorker, has been hired as the township’s part-time Human Resources Director.