Members of the Dorr Township Board Thursday night got an earful about the local Library Paradox.
Library Board Vice President Gordon Liefers acknowledged that Director Jeffery Babbitt resigned his post earlier this month because of political in-fighting among staff members, but at the same time the library is showing surprising strength in other areas.
He said the library has been breaking records in attendance and interest from the community.
“A lot of things are going on there; it’s very busy,” he said.
He specifically mentioned that the Dorr Township Library has had 1,590 visits in July.
Liefers said the Library Board will work with the Library Cooperative in finding Babbitt’s successor. He already had someone in mind, he said, but she is making a lot more in compensation as a teacher in the Wayland Union school system.
In other business Thursday evening, the board:
- Received word from Fire Chief Gary Fordham and an Allegan County Sheriff’s Deputy that the damage done Tuesday to the bridge on 146th Avenue over the U.S.-131 expressway was extensive enough to put it out of service for an indefinite period. Fordham called the traffic levels coming from 18th Street north of Dorr have been “ridiculous.”
- Took no action on complaints of some township employees working late night hours at the township hall. A small committee may craft an employee handbook entry to handle the issue. Supervisor Jeff Miling went on the record as supporting any employee working extra time to get work done.
- Agreed to let Clerk Debbie Sewers buy a new Brother printer for $719.99, better suited and compatible with her new computer.
- Avoided taking action on adopting legislation requiring cement curb and gutter for all new public development projects.
- Approved accepting a $10,000 grant to handle partial payment on upgrading a handicap entrance at the new township hall for elections next year.
- Took no action, but agreed to investigate a proposal bandied about at the Planning Commission meeting earlier this month to go to odd-even parking regulations on residential streets.
