Shelby Township Board of Trustees recognizes top 10 priorities progress

Prior to the May 7 Shelby Township Board of Trustees meeting’s official business, members of the board and department heads outlined how many of the Township’s top 10 priorities for 2013 are already nearing completion.

“Hats off to all of our department heads and employees as they have taken the direction given to them from our residents and the Board in the form of these priorities and run with it,” Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis said. “The progress we’ve seen on these issues, which are most important to the community, is nothing short of remarkable.”

An example of one of the five priorities nearing completion is No. 3, a streamlined hiring process implemented by the General Employee Civil Service Commission and the township’s Human Resource Department.

“From start to finish, the current process is 225 days,” Human Resource Director Lisa Suida said in a statement regarding the township’s hiring process prior to reforms instituted by her department and the commission.  

“The hiring of new employees during the past year has been reduced to an average of 160 days thanks to minor changes made by the commission, and the new process will further those reductions to a maximum of 100 days.”

The Township is also near completion of projects to implement economic development initiatives, further expand shared services with other communities, finalize a capital improvement plan and develop Chief Gene Shepherd Park, which rank as Nos. 4, 5, 7 and 8 on the top-10 list.

Township Attorney Rob Huth outlined how other priorities, like the No. 2 item, to resolve the 41-A District Court building issue, are actively being worked on with necessary second and third parties.

“To finalize the move of the court, we need at least two interlocal agreements between Shelby and Macomb townships,” Huth said. “The first, which the board passed earlier, put the ball in Macomb’s court to decide if taking the court makes financial sense for them, and the second will be ironing out the nuts-and-bolts details of the move.”

Also hinging on the talks with Macomb Township are priorities No. 6 and No. 9 as Shelby Township cannot fully act on addressing building needs for the library and community center until the court issue is resolved.

Priority No. 10, the redevelopment of the land at 50500 Mound Road that is tied to environmental remediation that is the responsibility of Ford Motor Co., and No. 1, the reform of police and fire pensions, are also being worked on.

Trustee Paul Viar explained why pension reform is the most important issue facing the township and requires the attention of residents and help of the police and fire employees.

“As you may or may not know, the one-half mill that was added to the Fire and Police Pension Fund in the mid ‘90s expires in 2022 -- adding another $1.5 million to the burden of the taxpayers,” Viar said. “And in my view, that is why this is our No. 1 priority.”