The township board accepted the resignation of Brad Lare from the planning commission last week. But it was discussion on a potential replacement that drew interest.
Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk recommended the appointment of JoAnn Van Tassel. A motion was made to that effect by Neal Porter, though it was rescinded after board members indicated they’d prefer to wait until after the Aug. 5 primary.
Van Tassel, the former township supervisor and Lake Orion village manager, is running for township trustee.
She served 14 years on the planning commission from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, and Dywasuk said he’d like to have someone on board who could ‘hit the ground running.?
‘I appreciate Jerry Dywasuk having confidence in me and I appreciated the motion from Neal Porter,? Van Tassel said, adding that she does understand where some of the board is coming from.
‘It doesn’t matter who wins the primary on Aug. 5, no one takes office until Nov. 20,? she noted. ‘If I can serve in the interim between the primary and Nov. 20 and help the community, I’d be happy to do it.?
Van Tassel applied for the planning commission when Bob Pote resigned in March. That seat went to Shannon Filarecki, but Dywasuk said Van Tassel was an extremely strong candidate.
He expressed an interest in having her take Lare’s seat, rather than going through the advertisement process.
‘I’ve got 121 days left in the township and I want to get things completed and off my desk,? Dywasuk said. ‘I don’t even know if she’s still interested. But it’s a matter of speeding up the process. It’s an opportunity to get someone on board with plenty of experience.?
During his comments, Dywasuk asked members of the public on multiple occasions to quiet down. He told one resident, using profanity, that he was ‘out of order,? to which the resident responded, ‘So are you.?
Van Tassel said she is still interested in serving on the planning commission.
‘There’s no real learning curve,? she said. ‘I would be able to be effective from the first meeting.?
The board is expected to discuss the item again on Aug. 18.
Lare has sold his home in Orion and accepted a job out of town. The board directed a letter of appreciation be sent for his service to the township.