December 14th, 2023 Board Meeting

 Apologies for the wait, my computer was busted over the holidays and I've just been really busy the last few weeks but I haven't forgotten any of you. AccessVisions website is also changing things around making it a bit more difficult for me to review the videos but hopefully soon I'll have something figured out.

Agenda: https://emmett.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=211

AccessVision: https://www.accessvision.tv/telvue/842680

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Public comments:
(6:31) Joe Harris - More questions about the code compliance officer job

(6:33) Heather Rocho - What is an elections clerk? "that's my money, I'm paying for that" discusses her no vote for a previous board decision.

(6:36) Blaine Fry - bidding to do lawn care for the township

(6:37) Kathy Jarr - why do we need an elections clerk?

(6:39) Lonnie Root - question about the donut shop

Verbal Reports:

(6:41) supervisor report

 

(6:46) Clerk report

 

(6:51) Treasurer report 

 

 After the Treasurer's report, Supervisor Belles has some questions regarding the placement of the early voting "I had some questions, I just was wondering what the pros and cons were for choosing... the location of the 9day election process... "I'm 5 minutes from the city, and a... majority is closer to the city since we bump right up to the city, but with Marshall there's another township between Emmett and Marshall. So I was just wondering since we never had a discussion on that, the board never talked about how the criteria was..."

Clerk Myers says they went with the county bc the grant from the state wouldn't support other municipalities, so everything will be funded and paid for, it isn't coming out of our money.

Juhnke jokes that it's another chance to mess up the election

6:53 Public safety report

6:59 Resolutions and proclamations  -

7:00 New Business -

    Website upgrade proposal - STG is the one present, and after a bunch of misguided InfoSec questions from Trustee Mead, is the one voted in by the board

[44:05] 11.2 Quote to demolish 1399 E. Michigan Ave and 153 McCormick St, both get passed with all yes votes.
    -1399 should be done by end of Jan
    -discussion about Mike Bye having sold the property to somebody while it was condemned, money laundering.
    -Jones and Sons offered to do both back to back, so they've been chosen for the job.
    -"there are so many buildings that need to be demo'd but we've only got it in the budget to do like 3 per year"

(7:18) [47:20] 11.4 drama about a lawn care bid that, among a bunch of other problems, was late and should have been excluded/disqualified but was still accepted for whatever reason? Comes off very shady and suggests a selection has already been made before the bidding process begun? So a new bidding period is starting. Everybody votes yes except Clerk Myers and Trustee Brown, who are both irritated about starting a new bid though none of this would be an issue if they had followed procedure originally.

(7:27) 11.5 Election Clerk Wage Discussion - Will be making more money for an 8 week period around voting time next year, $21.50/hr but will be at $14.78/hr normally.

(7:39) 11.7 camera installation, all yes.

(7:41) Public comments:

Joe Harris - Claims the previous Coding Officer was hired without board approval, then slanders Supervisor Belles by accusing her of having a personal relationship with the him. 

(7:44) Heather Rocho -  Says thank you to everybodys.

(7:47) Mike Bye - "who owns Magoos?" I bought the property 4 months ago, I've never received anything about it? How do you have the legal authority? There's no code violations on that building?

Jim Juhnke keeps telling him to "get a lawyer" 

"You are horrible, all we can do is pray for you"

(7:51) Pat Dougherty - "I hope we can have some more openness here in the township... we need more openness." 

Lonnie Root - why are we paying to tear down something that is not our responsibility?

Eric Anderson - Inquiry about the township buying property, why does the township have to buy property? "quit buying property, sell it to individuals"

(7:54) Chris Kerry - "why are we just now talking about Magoos? They've been shut down for 20 years... If [Mike Bye] bought it for 100k then he's a sucker... Emmett Township is a dump, all we have is marijuana, marijuana, etc."Also comments about the lawn care situation "bickering back and forth about nothing."

Supervisor Belles and Clerk Myers discuss the properties, she says everything has been done correctly. All the files are there.

Board Comments:

(7:57) Trustee Mead -  discussing a 'preparedness manual' put out by FEMA? Was going to bring like 50 of them to the meeting but forgot. "I do a lot of driving at night and see a lot of people wearing dark clothing..." wants to get more reflective clothing or lights on people just walking outside at night. 

Treasurer Sobeski - apologizes for his mistake with the taxes, but the issue has been corrected and he meant no harm. 

(7:59) Trustee Brown - claims Supervisor Belles is taking advantage of him by putting him on some hiring boards but not others. Commentary about the people she has hired. Comments about Tonys IT position being removed? Starts sharing rumors about people not getting paid? 

Clerk Myers - Agrees with Brown on hiring a director of public safety, wants the salary to be better and doesn't think it's high enough to attract a good candidate. merry xmas, happy new year

[1:33.27] Trustee Juhnke - "For many many years this township didn't pay any attention to all these things that we're dealing with today, not anybody's fault it just was never brought to their attention. We're dealing w a lot of very strange things and strange laws, most of which are very new. We have a board which is invested in doing whats best for the ppl of this township, NOT whats best for the township, ok? This is a little, tiny township of 20k individuals and we CAN NOT afford a private police dept.. Think about it, everybody says pay more, pay more, pay more. We can hardly pay what is necessary to run it now. You all know what the option is, so don't complain when it happens. Other than that, have a heck of a merry xmas and a happy new year." 

[1.34.51] Supervisor Belles - The township doesn't buy properties, and since this board has been here, we hasn't purchased any properties so idk where that came from but we don't buy properties, that's not what we're here for... As for the marijuana shops, there was 38 or so when I cam eon board and they're down to 18...I remember a past board member calling me and wanting me to handle that back when I was not on the board, he said he would get back to me and then he hired somebody and paid him 10k to come to one meeting and didn't show." Pat in the audience starts saying he never called her. "We have been going thru the court process w that building for quite a while now... courts have been slow. We have discussed that the wage is low, but there are things that they want to get done so that it's not such a mess when a new chief comes in... (looks over to PSO) Am I correct in saying that? ("that is correct") Maybe we will have to look at the wage again bc it is kinda low... but this is the reason why we've held that up a little. Merry xmas, God bless everyone."

Trustee Titus - Thanks everybody for coming out tonight, all the information is appreciated. I like hearing both sides of things. Merrry xmas, happy new year.