Orion Township assessor John Attwell said he has never had a case of theft in his 28 years of working for local government like that involving the missing documents from the Gingellville Community Center file kept in his office.
Township trustees addressed the matter at their Jan. 18 meeting, when they received the completed Oakland County Sheriff’s Department report.
They voted to have supervisor Jerry Dywasuk, clerk Jill Bastian and treasurer Alice Young meet and come up with ideas to improve security, which are to be brought back to the full board in 60 days.
In the police report, Attwell said he discovered that someone had tampered with the file on two occasions, taking expense statements and GCC’s 2001 tax return in the first incident, and taking nothing the second time.
At the Jan. 18 meeting, GCC director Pam Hutchison told the board that Attwell had never received the 2001 form that he said was missing.
‘It states in the police report, and Mr. Attwell knows, there are two documents missing…I want it confirmed right now, was it the 2001 tax return?? Hutchison asked.
Township attorney Kristin Kolb said it was.
‘I never gave him a 2001 return…how can he be missing something he didn’t have,? Hutchison said.
The first incident of tampering occurred in April 2004, but a police report was not filed until after the second incident in September.
Attwell said locks were changed on the file room in the assessing department, which contains sensitive information such as ‘homesite requests and documents with social security numbers.? However, the file that was tampered with was located in his office, in a file drawer.
‘It does state (in the police report) confidential information is kept in a separate room, under lock and key,? Hutchison said. ‘What qualifies as confidential? I feel tax returns are confidential.?
According to Dywasuk, he had only recently found out about three master keys to the township hall that are kept in the treasurer’s office.
‘The keys are in sealed envelopes, and one was unsealed,? he added. ‘What’s the deal??
Dywasuk had talked with the Waterford Township supervisor about how security was handled there.
‘He said they have a card, and certain people are allowed in certain departments,? he said.
Gingell said he thought the three full-time officials should discuss security, rather than the personnel committee as Dywasuk had originally suggested, because they are most familiar with the building.
‘I really do think it’s important we get something in place,? he said.
‘My proposal would be to talk to all the department heads, maybe bring a consultant in, and maybe come up with some proposals,? Dywasuk said.
Lillian Hutchison, of the GCC board of directors, told the board that there was something missing from the GCC file, but it wasn’t the 2001 tax return.
‘We still haven’t gotten the minutes from the board of review meeting (where it was decided to take away the center’s property tax exemption),? she said.
Pam Hutchison said Attwell had come to the center and taken notes regarding the 2001 tax return, but had not taken a copy with him.
She said he does have it now, having received it through the discovery process as GCC prepares to challenge the decision to take away their tax exemption.
‘We’ve asked for the board of review minutes, and he’s never denied that one (meeting) took place,? she said.
?(GCC attorney Mark Crane) requested the board of review minutes on Aug. 6, when (the township attorney) made an announcement that the file was missing.?