Board - Regular Meeting

So I have a yes for the the uh to accept the res. We've accept we've accepted the resignation. So that's five to one. 5 to one.

5 to one, excuse me. Yep. Um so now it's the the important one is selecting the new clerk. Last week we had a lot of discussion, some of it heated, and two people dropped out. Um, another one dropped out on Monday. Uh, her name was first name was Jessica. Um, so we had a consensus on Kim Gada. Um, and I'm supporting appointing her tonight and we will swear her in tonight. Um, if this passes, four people need to vote for it, and I'm hoping we do so that things move on smoothly beginning tomorrow. Uh, I realize all kinds of, uh, threatening things I've received from texts and things like that, but uh, I want to do the thing that is pragmatic. I think we have a candidate that will work and we will have successful elections and we will have people paid this week and we won't have a shutdown of Plymouth Township uh to scramble to find two people to try to do things temporarily and pay them and not have the kind of control over them that you will with someone who is accountable to us, not just someone from the county or a paid administr. ministrator.

Mr. Supervisor, I move that the board of trustees appoint Kim G. Go ahead. Could we make Do we have a brief discussion? Well, sure. Let me put a motion on the floor and then you can discuss. Okay, let's do this. Let's push the motion on the floor, then we can discuss it. All right. That's usually the way once one way people do it. Sure. All right. I move that the board of trustees appoint Kim Gadaut to the position of township clerk with the appointment to take effect. May

well that one we may we may discuss. Do we want to do it tonight? But uh council hold on should we do this to effective immediately so that we could swear well we know we can swear her in but so that way then we can swear in the deputy tonight also. Is the deputy here? Yes. If the intention is to swear them inver pardon the room forever. Okay. If the intention is to swear them in tonight, it should be effective May 12th, 2026. But we would change that if that's alternatively effective immediately.

I move that the board of trustees appoint Kim Gada to be to the position of township clerk with the appointment to take effect May 12th, 2026 immediately. The new clerk will receive the identical salary and benefit package of the outgoing clerk. Second. Seconded by Buck. I'm I'm sorry. I heard what? Okay. Okay.

All right. Moved by Doravitz. All right. John. Okay. Um it was my great privilege and many of you know that I thoroughly enjoyed my six years as state rep. Uh in 2001 uh I served with a gentleman who became a circuit judge, Charles T. Lasada. His assistant was Kim Keti. I have not spoken with Kim in more than 20 years. I have not spoken with her the last few weeks. Um, my observation of her was that she was a very competent legislative assistant. And I had a very positive collegial working relationship with Mr. Lada, another lawyer. There aren't many practicing lawyers and I'm not going to make any more comments about my fellow legislators. Um, but um, uh, I just wanted to put that on the record. So uh I wanted to make a disclaimer on that that um and and then I guess my third point is Mr. Supervisor would you please I'm asking you to talk a lot the next 10 minutes I have been informed I think by your very capable assistant Sheila Aker that you have spent considerable time uh not only on this issue and I agree with

your word inordinate amount of time because I've thought that many times in the last few weeks. We've spent an inord inordinate amount of time on this this clerk thing. I mean if John Sean been I'm sorry but if John Se been the supervisor we would have been had an acceptance of a resignation not later on or before March 13th. I mean, come on, folks. Onward and forward. Um, what? You're the one who has to work with the clerk and ought to work with the clerk. I I'm going to throw a positive thing out there and and you'll make you surprise me sometimes.

That's good. Supervisor Kermit, you surprise me because you say these good substantive things very quietly and then you dismiss them because there has to be some restructuring, clerk duties, supervisor duties. We had a very unique setup for 8 years, nine years with Borva Borva, Vorvahi Borva. All we heard was that the clerk was spending a lot of time up in the supervisor's office. So, if that's the precedent, I would like to hear you talk about your work relationship. I have not heard from people like Ashley, Donna, Denisa, um Paula. I mean, I'm a laborer. I'm a grunt person. I even belonged to a union at one time. And then I've been self-employed for 40 years. I I haven't heard from those people. And I So I'll I'll cast a vote tonight, but I'd like you to enlighten us. And please don't be brief about the extent of your uh communications with uh the proposed clerk. You have the floor, Mr. Supervisor,

for 10 minutes. I'm not going to take 10 minutes to tell you that I've spoken to her and others and I am assured that she will do the job in a great fashion and that we will be able to work together and we will impart some process improvements and get control of uh sometimes out of control processes and it'll be done. So, I as a healing move, I urge this to be a unanimous vote. Everybody has their own choice. Okay. Now, wait a minute. You're you're going to make me do the work. All right. Has she spoken to you in your office? Yes.

Has it been for more than an hour? It's been about an hour. Have you discussed the duties and respon as an old human relations person with the Michigan Municipal League uh where I was employed for two years? Have you discussed the duties and responsibilities? No, she knows what they are. Obviously, it's going to take some training, but it it is not rocket science. So, okay. Well, yeah, I I I I I disagree with that that phrase. I because, you know, we have the the the rocket science. Well, I No, please don't don't don't dismiss things. Doesn't require a four. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

Okay. Do you think this person has the capacity? Absolutely. Yes. You want to make significant changes in duties and responsibilities. I can't change more that the law is the law. There's

the law. Well, but no, wait a minute. We all know that that the the wonderful duet of Horv Borva and Heisy which has just been settled legally. Um you're you're going to have a different relationship with with uh the next clerk and you're going to be working a good working relationship that is efficient and doesn't make people do any more work than and spend more time than they have to to do a good job. So the heart of the question is which Brad Cadri would always say what is the issue? The issue is are you going to focus on your ministerial responsibilities and her ministerial responsibilities and depoliticized the process?

Yeah, I don't it hasn't been politicized on my side. I know it has and I commend you.

I don't intend to do that. You you have a disdain for rabbit politization. And I'm sorry, but I can I can say that word. You have a disdain for politization. I I I I met the proposed clerk in the House Republican caucus. She knows that I kept my word. When I was in the caucus, I said I was going to vote a certain way. I didn't change. And the highest compliment is when former state reps stop by my office in Plymouth and say, "Steuart, you haven't changed at all. You're still outspoken and you are consistent on your stand on the issues." Now, I have not spoken to her. So, I have to rely on your opinion, your recommendation.

And I recommend you rely on it. I think we're going down the right road. Okay. Not I think I know we're going down the right road. So now you you made this rather abrupt statement that she's going to start tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. No, she's not going to come in the office at what? Well, she was I don't know what her schedule is tomorrow, but tomorrow we have to have the deputy clerk in the office at 9:00 a.m. Oh, but you're now the deputy clerk meaning Paula, right? Okay. And you're assuring us that it appears she's going to stay on through at least December 31 of this year. I think she may. Yeah, she's indicated that she would like to stay.

Lord knows we need asurances. We need stability. We need consistency. I think we got it. So, John, uh I I hear you and we're going to we're going to do it. So, I urge you to vote for Kim Gekka tonight and we will make it work. Uh, it won't be everything there. I'm sure there'll be some rough spot somewhere something will happen, but that's part of running an operation. You always have some roadblock or surprise that will come up and that's part of problem solving to get past it. Well, business 101,

I would hope she would commit to your values of depolitizing. She's a Western Michigan grad. She's a bright lady. She's worked for Lara in the state of Michigan. And we have because the gross politization of Plymouth Township is something I have had to listen to statewide and it's disgusting. All right, John. I um I have had the wonderful advice of some other John.

All right, I'll I'll save it for my closing. I mean, what do my closing is? What is is I'm ready to go onward and forward. All right, we have a motion on the floor. Second and a second. Who's seconded? Buckley. Buckley. Yeah. Motion by uh Doravitz, second by Buckley. Um so a roll call. No, I think it's simple. Council, is it simple up or down? Let's do a roll call vote, please. Okay, roll call. All right. Um Clinton, yes. Buckley, yes.

Darvitz, yes. Kermy, yes. Growth, no. Stewart, yes. Okay, so motion passes. We have a new clerk. So now the part that I don't know a lot about, which is swearing in. Uh, I'm going to do that. And let me find the piece of paper. I can swear at, but I can't swear in.

Okay. Uh, Kim, come forward. I think that Let me look at these pieces of paper here. Uh, okay. These are signatures. Okay, good. I see that. And then we have Kim Gica. Okay. You look worried. Sheila, what? Sheila, where'd you go? Take a picture. Oh, whatever. All right. She went to get Paula. Take a picture.

Okay. Hold on a few seconds. Take a picture of me, too.

Raise your right hand. All appears. I Kim Gada I Kim Gada do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States the Constitution of the State of Michigan the Constitution of the State of Michigan and the laws ordinances and policies of the Charter Township of and the laws policies ordinances of the charter of women I will faithfully perform the duties of clerk I will faithfully perform the duties of clerk for the Charter Township of Plymouth, Michigan. for the Charter Township of Plymouth, Michigan. Being ever mindful that my service

being ever mindful that my service is a reflection on the township of Plymouth is a reflection of the township of Plymouth. And I will discharge these duties according to the best of my abilities. And I will discharge these duties to the best of my abilities. So help me God. So help me God.

CONGRATULATIONS. SO now Paula Jefferson who's the deputy clerk or will be the deputy clerk. Paula, you were unemployed for a few minutes. You owe us three cents. I justice

that I will support the Constitution of the United States

that will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Michigan, the Constitution of the State of Michigan, the laws, ordinances, and polic policies of the charter township of clinic and laws or policy charter township. I will faithfully perform I will faithfully perform the duties of the deputy the duties of the charter township of the charter township of charter township of ever mindful that my service is a reflection of the township of Plymouth being mindful that my service and I will discharge these duties. I will instruct you according to the best of my abilities. according to the best of my abilities. So help me God. So help me God.

Blue or black? Doesn't matter. Sounds good. Sounds good. You got a good voice. Oh, well the the bubbles remind me of Lawrence Welk. Who's that? Who's that? Seriously,

you you made me laugh. You made me I'm Dutch. I'm Scotch. And I'm Presbyterian. And I'm a 47year lawyer. And you made me laugh. Tony, I I was assured by John Clark that I would like Tony because he's had extreme. All right. And then we'll take some pictures afterward. Or they stand up and yell, put each other. It didn't quite get to that level today. So Tony, um, tell me. You owe me. So you owe me. You owe me. You owe me. You owe me.

Next item is public comments on anything. Your name's true public. You're welcome. Hi, Mary Tavverzi. Um, I would just like to go back to the discussion that was uh that quickly kind of glossed over about the potential for some sort of bonus for the deputy clerk. Uh, and people said they'd wanted to not pay attention to the past president. Maybe $25,000 isn't the right number because it wasn't 6 months. It's basically 3 months of doing the job. But um I think it's very dismissive uh treasurer Dor Chevitz to say that oh it's a slow period. There really isn't anything going on. In the time since uh the former uh clerk set sail for Greece uh there there have been 19,000 voter registration cards sent out to the public. And the clerk's office has also had to deal with the returns and all the paperwork that goes with returning that and a very tight schedule as well as a lot of increased calls from concerned voters about those cards. So to say that there wasn't a lot of work being done is um I think dismissive and incorrect. And the other thing I want to say is uh when people made comments earlier about nasty things that were said by board members and others, I think that they conveniently got forgot that they said nasty things about the deputy clerk and anybody else in that position might have just up and quit with what some of the citizens said during those public comments. So not to reward this person for staying here, keeping their head down and getting the work done in very

trying circumstances is a little bit disingenuous and beyond the pale. Thank you. Thank you.

Dwayne Zantop again. Um I was thinking about something. Something just does not seem right. Last meeting, Jennifer Buckley exposed some confidential information that was in a separation agreement. I'm wondering where that came from. The next thing I would like to say is I really appreciate the efforts of our police this department this week. Last week, we had a bad situation in my community that people were afraid to even walk around the the block in our community and they took care of it. I want to thank them again. Anyone else?

Susan Bondi. Thank you.

Resident of Plymouth and Plymouth Township for 57 years. Um, Miss Buckley's five-minute presentation last week was definitely out of order and did not meet intended objectives and definitely was not necessary. Possibly, Miss Buckley did not understand the intended topic. It was not Sandy Growth. It was Jennifer Buckley. Actually, supervisor, as far as I'm concerned, that should have been stopped. I do think a call to order should have been done if not by and definitely by one of you. You had to know she was out of order. Okay. Um all that was missing last week was the charmed feathering. Dan Sandy as far as I'm concerned deserves a public apology and I want to thank Sandy for handling yourself so gracefully during that that presentation. Now, to those of you who think something unethical has to take place, and I believe that's even some of you take has to take place for someone to resign as Miss Growth was forced to do. Obviously, you have never been accused of a lie and prosecuted unjustly. I have. I've been there. It's interesting that members of the public of the board seem to be able to publicly discuss this nondisclose agreement, but Miss Growth is not able to publicly defend herself or offer a full explanation. Such an agreement does not prove anything unreical was done. Nothing. What is your name?

Oh, sure. Mindski. Thank you. Sorry. What is your name? Mindia Darski.

Okay. During the last meeting, it was also brought up that the separation agreement was um discoverable through somebody's foyer. So, that's how the document information got out. Um you had to release it according to law. Other than that, um it was also mentioned during the last meeting that it had something to do with inappropriate FOYA documentation that seemed to just go out the wind. And I know from working with Omelian Myers, if I had somebody release sensitive documentation um in a foyer, they would have been fired. absolutely fired right then and there. Thank you. Anyone else?

Oh, yeah. Maybe last week if uh maybe I should have gabbled down. I didn't. I apologize for that. But now we we moved on and I I can't undo that. Um, everybody has their three minutes or five minutes and I tend to believe in free speech. So, it does make it difficult to balance that. Uh, all right. Nothing else. I have a few things. Well, Mark Clinton, any comments? Uh, board comments.

Kim is going to be a great treasure. I'm sorry. Going to be a great clerk. Uh, we're looking forward for the next two years and beyond. Thank you, Dan Buckley. Uh, no, I have nothing. Shabitz,

I uh share Mark's sentiments. Um, we chose her because uh, you know, we thought that and Jen was gracious enough to step aside when she saw that she wasn't going to get the votes and uh, support camp. Otherwise, we would have been in a log jam and our township would have been in a big mess. And I appreciate that. I thank Jen for stepping aside when she knew that she was not going to prevail.

John, uh, yes, I have a I'd like to name some people and thank them. And I'd like to make a comment. As a lawyer of over 47 years, free speech has limits. Do not go to the pen theater tonight and yell fire. The most dangerous people that I've experienced in life are those that have no little red light. I ask you to think about that boundaries, self-discipline. I'd like because of the incredibly positive family I was raised in, I want to thank my mother. I want to thank both of my sisters, retired public high school teachers. I want to thank um my wife of 47 years. We celebrated our anniversary yesterday. And I want to thank my daughters who are 44 and 41 years old. I also want to thank Pam Stopper, Bian Bellich, Susan Bondi, Mary Pine, Estellansky, Marcy Becker, who inspired me to stay the same and continue to talk positively about Plymouth Township wherever I am. Uh, I've admitted several men, but I've had multiple conversations with a brilliant intellect, work experience, bachelor's degree in engineering, master's degree in business administration, both from the University of Michigan. I'm not an alum. I'm an

alum of Michigan State, Wayne State, and Eastern Michigan University. And the guy can call balls and strikes. Then I find out he is a licensed certified statewide umpire for baseball games all across Michigan. And that's Bill Ikes. So, I want to thank you for your support, for your advice, for your analysis of other women, other men, and what has been going on here because it's it's a total aberration. And I'm kind of glad that uh well, so anyway, we need to go onward and forward. And uh this was a very low point in the history of Plymouth Township. And uh there will come a day because be sure your sins will find you out. Anything else, John? All right. A few announcements. We are going to cancel the May 26th meeting because this room will be having its AV system and the acoustical tiles placed in the upper dome here. It'll take about 6 days and that is a good week to do it. Also, we're closed on Memorial Day. Um, the westbound lane of Anna Road at the railroad will be closed for potentially I don't think it'll be 12 weeks, but that's we're telling everybody to build the sidewalk through the underpass. It's been a project that's been under constru under planning since 2019 and the money is available now and the sun is shining and that's unfortunately

when you have to do construction. So, I know we just raised the construction barrels off the north south side of the road. So, it's not pleasant, but we're going to do it to ensure that the long-term walkability and bicycle uh ability which was part of the Plymouth Walk moving many moving parts developing that Elks project. This is part of it. The sprayscape opens on May 23rd. That's this coming weekend. And the sh the most important thing that I guess affects a lot of people is there's a shredding event on in the city of Plymouth on June 6th. So your confidential documents, small electronics can be recycled then take it to the cultural center. Um what else is going on? Anything excit The gym is installed. Can I ask a question?

Yeah, come up here and ask us. I can talk louder, but they won't hear you at home. Unless you don't want to be heard at home, right? I think everybody be interested in this question. Um, what is going on on Hagerty Road with all the little flags and whatever? Oh. Um, there are four fiber optic companies that are placing fiber optic lines in order to gain customers. Okay.

Um, for extremely high-speed uploading for gamers and people who are using CAD or things like that, okay, at home. Uh, so that's what's driving most of that. Uh these companies are hyper competitive and they're giving us a lot of work in staking. Uh and I I hope they're going to be competitive enough to lower the price. Okay. But with cable companies, remember we had three and nobody lowered the price. Right. True. Yep. Okay. Well, I just, you know, you see all these flags and you you think, are they widening the road or what are they doing?

No, they're not widening the road. They're going to be tunneling uh pulling fiber optic cable under the ground and establishing junction boxes throughout the township. We already had one that was located on somebody's sideyard which is in the easement but it is such that when you make a left turn you weren't able to see the oncoming traffic. So they are moving it at our request. that was on Anna Trail west of Sheldon. So we're having these are entrepreneurial companies that are uh very fastm moving and they don't like following oldtime bureaucratic rules. So it's like uh having a tiger by the tail to manage them.

One one final comment about Lake Point. This is the third township attorney we've had in two weeks and in two months. I beg your pardon. I misspoke. You know, you can't do that and apologize. Lakepoint residents, my constituents have asked the township for an attorney to look into legislation and regulations regarding Airbnbs. This just occurred at a community in Oakland County. So, when we get a consistent township attorney, perhaps we can look into that. We we're already tracking and calc uh collecting data good

to see if there is a need because of incidents. Uh so we're working that uh the police department and the assessor's office and the um building department through the ordinance department uh group are handling that. Would you like a motion to adjourn? Yeah, we're ready. So moved. Second. Second. All in favor of adjourning say I. I. Adjourned at 8:35 p.m. You put your emotional