Sumpter Township Manager Anthony Burdick will now have the ability to place items on the agenda of the board of trustees meeting.
A motion to make the change was approved by the trustees during the Sept. 13 meeting with Trustee Peggy Morgan casting the lone no vote.
Burdick suggested the change, he said, in an effort to make some necessary board considerations and actions more efficient. Previously, only the board members could have an item placed on the agenda for either study sessions or regular meetings. Burdick explained that in some cases this delayed consideration of an issue until the next meeting, which in some cases could be as long as two weeks.
“I'd like to have the opportunity to present things that have to do with policy, personnel manual and other things that are coming up that the board will be seeing beginning with the next board meeting,” Burdick explained. He said having the ability to place items on the agenda for consideration or discussion by the board could provide more complete information and background.
His suggestion was criticized by Morgan who suggested going back to the “way it was where you get the agenda on Thursday and have Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and some of Tuesday to look at it and make a decision. If you have questions, call somebody and ask them about the agenda item. I think this is really confusing.”
Burdick reiterated that the proposed change was simply an effort to ensure that the board members had the correct background and information regarding agenda items, “so that questions board members may have or departments or directions who also receive the agenda have the information they need to consider well before the board meeting.”
Trustee Don LaPorte said that he appreciates receiving information regarding agenda items beforehand. “I don't like stuff added at the meeting. It makes it incredibly tough to make a good decision or have all the facts because even though you think you have all the facts, when you go home you think, 'Oh, man, I should have asked about this or that.'”
LaPorte said he had no objection to allowing Burdick to add agenda items “as long as I can see it far enough in advance.”
Trustee Matt Oddy asked attorney Rob Young if the board would be acting in opposition to board action or resolutions of a previous adminstrations. Young assured him the current board members were not obligated to follow resolutions of previous boards. He added that Burdick's suggestion did not violate any state statutes.
The motion was approved by trustees 4-1 vote with Township Clerk Esther Hurst and Deputy Supervisor/Trustee Tim Rush absent from the meeting.
