There was good news and bad news Monday night for Wayland City Clerk Lee Ann Clausen.
The good news was the City Council adopted a resolution to elevate her position from simply clerk to director of administrative services. The move results in additional duties, but also a boost in pay.
The bad news was that Clausen, president of the Allegan County Clerks Association, and her colleagues still are grappling with the fallout from Proposal 2 of 2022, which enables voters next year to cast ballots for nine consecutive days before the actual election date. It is likely to wreak havoc on local clerks inn terms of added times and responsibilities, besides added election costs.
The change will be felt most acutely in the presidential primary in February, the August primary and the general election in November 2024.
There was a chance that clerks collectively in each of Michigan’s 83 counties could share the duties and costs, but Allegan County Clerk Bob Genetski has decreed that Allegan will leave that to local clerks.
Clausen earlier this month said there were talks to have City of Wayland, Wayland Township, Leighton Township and Dorr Township work together in sharing costs and duties, but since then she has learned that Leighton and Dorr have decided to go it alone. That leaved the city and township, with clerks Clausen and Ann McInerney.
The City Clerk said local officials are unhappy with Genetski’s decision and clerks have decided to uninvite Genetski to their next meeting Aug. 29. Clausen earlier this summer expressed her displeasure with the County Clerk, suggesting he was leaving local clerks out to dry in coping with a demanding task.
In other business Monday night, the City Council:
- Adopted resolutions approving downtown four corners road closures for the Ladies on Main event Sept. 23 and the Snowfest Dec. 2. City Manager Josh Eggleston told council he plans to propose a procedures to make it easier to such requests to be handled.
- Was told there is a possibility that a local noise ordinance will be proposed because there is nothing in writing to set rules in regulations. He suggested that events be shut down for quiet at 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. weekends.
- Adopted a resolution to grant Utilities Director David Paul a pay increase if he passes the test next year for sewer credentials.
- Had the first reading of a cross connections ordinance that would update enforcement rights from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).
