A reduction in funding to the Polly Ann Trail Management Council was discussed by Oxford Township officials last week because some are not happy with the way things are done and people are treated by the intergovernmental entity.
‘There’s things on there that have to be settled before we give any money,? said Trustee Sue Bellairs, who sits on the trail council. ‘There’s things going on that I’m not comfortable with.?
Treasurer Joe Ferrari, who also serves on the trail council, made a motion to notify the PATMC that as of Jan. 1 the township would be reducing its annual contribution to a ‘token amount? of $1,000, but still remain involved as a member.
His motion specified the township would be using the remainder of the money it had budgeted for the trail council to pay the Oxford Township Parks and Recreation Department for maintenance and upkeep of the township’s four miles of trail.
Under a proposed funding formula whereby each community pays the PATMC based on a 50/50 split between its population and the number of trail miles within its boundaries, the township could be expected to contribute either $11,551 or $15,290 (depending on whether Addison’s in or out) for the 2006-07 fiscal year. The trail council’s total proposed budget is $42,650.
Ferrari argued that parks and rec. could ‘do the same work at half, maybe a quarter of the price.?
‘I assure you there’s not a ton of maintenance that needs to be done on our portion,? said Parks and Rec. Director Ron Davis.
Plus, the money stays in the community and the township has ‘better input? as to what’s happening with its portion of the trail, Ferrari noted.
The board ultimately failed Ferrari’s motion in a 5-2 vote, but the proposal sparked a long discussion about recent events on the trail council as the officials who represent the township on it relayed their concerns.
Chief among those concerns was the $100,000 private loan from Larry Obrecht’s home equity line. The trail council accepted the loan Nov. 21 and agreed to repay it at an interest rate of 5.99 percent.
The loan was accepted to help the PATMC pay some contractors and in turn get reimbursed with $220,000 in grant money from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
‘How can you go out and have work done and not have the money to pay for it?? said Supervisor Bill Dunn.
Although both Bellairs and Dunn, who was sitting in for Ferrari at the Nov. 21 PATMC meeting, voted against taking Obrecht’s money, the rest of the council ‘completely overruled? them and favored doing it with ‘no contract, no signatures.?
The trail council did so even though there are ‘strict guidelines? about government borrowing money according to the Michigan Townships Association, Bellairs said.
‘I’m afraid that this entity can put the township in jeopardy,? Bellairs said. ‘That’s my concern.?
Trustee Pat Fitchena asserted that there ‘has to be some kind of paperwork on this loan.?
‘There is no paperwork,? Dunn replied.
Ferrari said the loan was accepted with ‘a wink and a smile.?
‘I just feel uncomfortable paying for a private resident’s home equity loan ? the interest on his home equity loan ? out of taxpayer money,? the treasurer explained. ‘I have a tough time with that.?
Bellairs said no paperwork or details were ever supplied to PATMC members. All Obrecht ever says is ‘I got it covered. It’s all covered.?
‘The whole meeting is nothing but a bunch of hearsay,? she said.
Some officials were also unhappy because the value of the Village of Leonard’s ‘in-kind? contribution was increased from $4,250 to $8,600.
Bellairs said she saw the ‘value of those services double from one meeting to the next meeting with no paperwork to back it up.?
‘The agreement is others contribute in-kind services, us and Orion contribute cash,? Ferrari said. ‘I don’t think that’s fair to our taxpayers.?
Trail Manager Amy Murray explained to this reporter that she updated the value of Leonard’s in-kind contribution only to show new council members how substantial it was, that it ‘far exceeds? the $4,250 figure previously used.
Murray said the revised $8,600 included office space for the manager in Rowland Hall, the trailhead itself (which is owned by the village) and maintenance to the trailhead by Leonard’s DPW.
She stressed that the figure was only to illustrate a point and does not affect the amount of Leonard’s contribution under the 50/50 proposed funding for 2006-07, which works out to be $2,017.
Dunn was upset because the trail council decided to use $3,838 in donations leftover from an equestrian fund-raiser to help Addison pay the $8,305 in back dues it owed after leaving the council for a year.
Now, the only ‘actual funding? Addison has to pay is ‘just about half of the amount? they were supposed to, according to Bellairs.
Dunn was also very upset about the way PATMC Chairman Geno Mallia, Jr. conducts the meetings, particularly the way he treats others.
‘When you ask questions that go against what they want to do,? Dunn said, ‘we get cut off, rudely cut off? by Mallia.
‘I’ve confronted the chairman on being rude, cutting Sue (Bellairs) off, cutting (Orion Treasurer) Alice Young off,? the supervisor said.
Fitchena wanted more information before making any decisions regarding the township’s future participation on the trail council.
‘I think it’s unfair that we don’t have all the numbers and we don’t understand what’s going on there,? she said.
Fitchena made a motion to table any action until the board has all the facts, which included grant information, what the township is actually paying for maintenance, copies of the trail council’s intergovernmental agreement and budget, and any paperwork regarding the $100,000 Obrecht loan.
‘Somewhere they have to some kind of documentation of what they’re doing and if they don’t (have it), then let’s shut’em down,? she said.