6/3/14 - The Fowlerville Village Council met Monday night and reversed course when it comes to some administrative changes that have resulted in mixed feelings amongst community members. Former Village Manager Joe Merucci resigned in April of 2012 and Council President Wayne Copeland was named the part time manager. The DPW supervisor position was also left vacant and Copeland assumed those responsibilities as well. A couple of weeks ago, Council voted 6-1 to vacate the position of village manager/zoning administrator to separate the administrative and elected roles of each and clarify associated salaries before the November election when Copelandâs seat is up along with three trustees. That original motion was back on the table last night for reconsideration but this time, members voted 5-2 against the change so the current structure stands. Members Jerry Bell and Mike Stock were in favor of vacating the position but Mary Helfmann had a change of heart, saying there are very few votes sheâs looked back on and questioned but she felt a correction was needed in this case. President Pro-Tem David Kuehn said recognizing current budget concerns; his intent in voting for the original motion was to let the public know the position would not be funded at the level it was before. One member in the audience thanked Council for reconsidering the motion and giving it more thought, saying they were quite surprised when something of that nature passed with no discussion. Another resident pointed out the financial savings the Village is seeing from the consolidation during call to the public while recently retired Fowlerville Police Sergeant Everett DeGrush spoke about the need for a full time manager and urged council to address that in the near future. While he hasnât always agreed with him, DeGrush said he respects the job that Copeland has done but the Village isnât a sleepy little town anymore and day-to-day operations should fall to a manager thatâs there on a full time basis. In a separate motion, Village attorney David Stoker was directed to draft language changes for consideration and possible adoption at the next meeting to better reflect typical Council practice when it comes to appointing a manager. (JM)
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