The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Board adopts new mission
Trustees reorganize planning commission, OK PDR applications
By Edward Freundl, Heritage Newspapers
PUBLISHED: January 4, 2007
In a marathon session lasting more than five hours, the Bridgewater Township Board pledged to make simplicity and efficiency its abiding principles.
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"Many organizations use (mission statements), and it will help drive what the township is doing," Supervisor Jolea Mull told the board at its Dec. 20 meeting. "We want to adopt something this evening, even though it may be subject to further revision."
Convening at 7 p.m. and adjourning at 12:08 a.m., the board adopted a draft mission statement that called for providing " ... a people-focused approach to public service built upon the simplicity and efficiency of rural government … ."
Township Clerk Cindy Carver saw the mission statement as a way to modernize the way the township handles its affairs.
"It needs to be known that this is really a change in how we do things," Carver said: "We need to make an effort to simplify things."
The second part of the statement, " ... where all public bodies work closely together to be more responsive to the public's needs," hinted at the strained and frosty relationship that had developed over the years between members of the board and the Township Planning Commission.
Toward that end, the board unanimously approved a controversial reduction in the number of seats on the Planning Commission.
Mull said she contacted townships around the county and the state about their planning commissions, their duties and administrative staff, finding that all but one had a seven-member commission.
"It's a financial consideration for us because ours is costing $18,000 to $19,000 per year," Mull said.
Planning Commission members receive $50 per meeting, the secretary $75, and the administrative assistant is paid $130; whereas others earn about $8,000 to $9,000 per year total, Mull said.
"I wanted to take it down to seven a year ago, but you need seven people who will do something," said Trustee David Faust, the board's representative on the commission.
"If we're talking about simplicity and efficiency, now is the time to make changes," said Carver. "The reactions we got from existing members were negative."
Faust also announced that the commission regretfully accepted the resignation of commission secretary Glen Finkbeiner, as well as his resignation from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
In appointing new faces to the commission, Mull chose not to return Dave Woods, whose term expired Dec. 31. Woods had responded to Mull's inquiry about his desire to remain on the commission with only "a terse written statement," she said, and did not respond to follow-up inquiries.
"If I can't be treated as a human being, let alone township supervisor, I would opt not to reappoint him," Mull said.
Township resident Debbie Corwin had approached Mull about joining the commission and expressed a desire to accept the secretary's duties, Mull said.
The final re-appointment to the commission was Mark Iwanicki.
"Let's see if the Planning Commission rises to the challenge of serving the public," Mull said. "If you are going to be in public service, you need to truly embrace the service."
Appointees to other township committees and panels included:
•Mineral License Board, three-year term – Randy Klager, Russ Lutton, Pam Herzog and Earl Carver (Cindy Carver abstained from the vote). Doug Parr would serve until another candidate is found.
•Board of Review, two-year term – John Porter, Ellen Wahl, Louise St. Clair and Jolea Mull.
•Zoning Board of Appeals – Ted Sipple.
•Sewer Committee – Dave Horney and Vic Mann.
•Township Board representative to Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority – Amy Riley.
•Township Board representative to Southwest Washtenaw Council of Governments –Mull.
Edward Freundl is a freelance writer. He can be reached at 428-8173 or efreundl@heritage.com.
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