It had been quite a spell since the last time Dorr Township Board members got into a public scrap, but Monday night they made up for the quiet time.
Accompanied by shouting, wailing and gnashing of teeth, the customarily routine business of approving an employee handbook turned into a donnybrook, the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the days of Patty Senneker and Bernie Schumaker doing battle with Larry Dolegowski and Tammy VanHaitsma.
Current Township Supervisor Jeff Miling made no secret of his displeasure with a proposed handbook that included changes that were not highlighted. He zeroed in on reduced vacation days permitted after a certain number of years worked and particularly on the quiet elimination of four hours off on Good Friday and eight hours on Christmas Eve.
Miling in 2017 tasked a committee of five, including Treasurer Jim Martin and Trustees Terri Rios and John Tuinstra, with proposing changes to the handbook to streamline rules and policies for employees. The committee presented a new handbook Monday night, but did not highlight the aforementioned changes.
The supervisor said, “I didn’t want to have to read through every word (of the new handbook),” but because he did he was disturbed that changes in policies were made with no warning.
Miling looked straight at Tuinstra and asked, “Who changed this? With just the stroke of a pen these changes (on holidays and vacations) were made.”
Tuinstra did not answer his question, but instead proposed the board take up the issue again in December when three new members will be seated.
Rios must step down from the board because she ran unsuccessfully against Miling in the August primary. Tuinstra suffered the same fate when he ran against Miling in 2014. Trustee Josh Otto is stepping down as well, as is Martin.
The three newcomers in December will be Treasurer Myrna Marr and Trustees Pat Champion and Chandler Stanton.
Rios told Miling, “We didn’t make these changes just to piss off Jeff.”
Tuinstra took umbrage with Miling’s characterization of the changes as “deception” and suggested, “Let’s start the discussion fresh in December.”
Trustee Dan Weber said, “I’m irritated that we’ve got three board members on this committee and not one will own up to the changes.”
Martin, who is retiring next month, said he was able to attend only three employee handbook committee meetings.
Marr, Martin’s successor, said during public comment, “I worked in employee relations and this (handbook) has no statements about training and working together as a team… Dorr Township needs to be more positive about employee relations.”
Stanton said he’s looking forward to serving on a new employee handbook committee if appointed.
Fear not Dorr, Chandler Stanton will work this out, a fine gentleman with a good head on his shoulders.