By Evan Goodenow, The Herald-Palladium, St. Joseph, Mich.
Feb. 3--BENTON TOWNSHIP -- Longtime township Controller Elden Piontek's semi-retirement was fun while it lasted.
Good-bye gardening, golfing and spending more time with the grandchildren, hello budgeting, bonding applications and municipal meetings.
Piontek, 59, was easing into retirement, spending one day per week at the office advising new Controller Kelli Smith until Ronald Ferguson's abrupt resignation as supervisor Jan. 20.
Citing his experience -- Piontek has worked for the township since 1975 -- Clerk Carolyn Phillips and Treasurer Debbie Boothby asked Piontek to succeed Ferguson as interim supervisor until a new supervisor is elected in November.
"Mr. Piontek as the outgoing controller has firsthand knowledge and information about the township and our projects," Phillips said prior to the Board of Trustees unanimously approving Piontek's appointment Tuesday night. "His (appointment) will help complete the work that needs to be done during the next few months."
Piontek, praised last year by the Plante & Moran auditing firm for proactive financial management, will be relied on to help get the money for the township's $19.5 million proposed water plant.
"For the bonding procedure, he will be extremely valuable," Boothby said.
Piontek, who will take a pay cut from about $90,000 to $52,000, said he wants to keep the township moving forward. Piontek, who was scheduled to retire in April, said he hasn't considered running in the August primary for supervisor.
Ferguson defeated Piontek in the 2004 Democratic primary race for township supervisor.
Besides obtaining water plant bonding, continued financial stability in dire economic times will be a priority.
"We have to watch our money and see if there (are) any more budget cuts we can make. It's going to be a tough year," Piontek said. "I'm going to just try to serve the people the best I can for as long as I'm there like I always have."
In his resignation letter read at the trustees meeting, Ferguson wrote that the township had accomplished much in his five years as supervisor.
"I enjoyed being part of the progress made," he wrote. "It is with great regret that for both personal reasons and business reasons I must submit my resignation."
In other business:
uThe proposal to build a recycling shredder was withdrawn Tuesday afternoon by Randy Schlipp, president and CEO of Randy's Recycling, Phillips said. The proposal was rejected Jan. 25 by the Planning Commission citing environmental, noise and traffic concerns.
The proposal, which drew some 130 opponents to the commission meeting, highlights the need for more concise zoning ordinances separating industrial areas from residential neighborhoods, resident Bette Pierman told trustees.
"It needs to be rezoned or you're going to have more problems and more angry taxpayers like you did last week," she said.
uThe annual extension of the winter tax and deferred summer tax payment deadline to March 1 was approved.
uThe hiring of a secretary for the police department was approved. In a letter to trustees, Police Chief Vincent L. Fetke wrote the secretary was needed to field calls from the public with the closing of the dispatch center on March 1.
Fetke didn't return calls for comment on how much the secretary will be paid.
egoodenow@TheH-P.com
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