Orion Township Board members concurred with clerk Jill Bastian in November, when they agreed to adopt a policy containing a procedure for dealing with requests for township services and township expenditure authorization.
Bastian said that in light of the recent proposal from Dutton Partners, which she said had been unofficially discussed at the township and in the community for the past two years, often involving township consultants in the discussions, she felt the township should follow policies and procedures equally, be the applicant a citizen or developer.
‘There are a number of items the past few years that have kept the township from running as efficiently as it could,? she said. ‘I thought the board might like to provide a policy saying we are going to (treat everyone equally).?
Bastian said the issue was also a matter of the township board’s jurisdiction for authorizing the expenditure of funds to pay for township consultant services, such as the planner, engineer, auditor and attorney.
According to Bastian, there have been times when someone has come to the township, and rather than submitting an application for processing, at which time they would have been obligated to pay application/review fees and set up a legal escrow account (a township policy for the past decade), they approached township officials on their own.
Bastian said because of this, expenses had been incurred, sometimes extending over more than a year, for work done by township consultants, for which the township then has to pay.
‘Dutton Partners was a perfect example,? Bastian said. ?(Developer James Faycurry) had $2,500 in legal fees, and he refused to pay it.
‘It really bothers me as a taxpayer that we have to pay that,? she said.
Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk said he wasn’t sure the township had a problem.
‘It’s not an issue of a department not following procedures, that’s not the problem,? Bastian said.
Dywasuk felt the board should receive and file Bastian’s recommendation, and let the new township board review it in December.
‘I don’t think you’re providing enough specifics,? he said. ‘It’s always been our policy here that if someone wants to come in and talk to the township supervisor, or another (department head), they can come in and talk.?
Dywasuk said if someone needed to use the services of the township engineer or attorney, they had to pay for it.
‘We have a procedures in place today that are being followed, and this is just saying ‘let’s put it in writing,?? said trustee Michael Gingell. ‘I don’t see what the issue is. To me, it makes sense.?
Dywasuk said he had a problem with instituting a new policy ‘at the 11th hour,? before a new board comes in.
‘Every time I have to talk to somebody, the clerk’s office has to be informed?? he asked.
Bastian said that was not what the policy said.
‘We’re running out of property in Orion Township, and as it gets more scarce, we’re more prone to legal action,? Dywasuk said.
Bastian said she didn’t like the idea of Dywasuk speaking for her, as an elected official, to a developer.
‘Things were presented to this board that we had never heard about before, and we had to make a decision on it,? she added.
The policy adopted by the board states that all township policies, procedures and ordinances are to be followed in every case, with regard to the expenditure of staff time or funding as related to requests from developers for project approval and requests from other persons or groups for permit approval, unless a waiver is granted by the township board.
The policy further states that once initial contact has been made with the township by a person, with regard to providing service involving the expenditure of staff time and/or expenditure of funds over and above the usual service provided to all citizens, the item must come before the township board for authorization of funds, or for direction on how the township is to proceed.