By Matt Mackinder
Clarkston News Editor

INDEPENDENCE TWP. — While the Independence Township Board of Trustees failed to fill two positions on the planning commission recommended by Supervisor Jose Aliaga during its meeting in December, one of the positions was filled during the board’s meeting on Jan. 9.
And residents showed up in numbers to let their elected officials know that they wanted the board to stop its infighting and work together to get things done.
After failing to replace chairperson Brent Savidant and secretary Judy Tully at the Dec. 19 trustees meeting after both were decided to not be reappointed by Supervisor Jose Aliaga, the Jan. 9 meeting was more discussion on who should take their spots.
Joseph Sucher was recommended by Aliaga and the motion to have him appointed passed 6-1 by the trustees. Aliaga’s recommendation to appoint Bill Scarborough failed 4-3. Motions from Aliaga to appoint Scarborough and Sucher to terms that expire Dec. 31, 2026 both failed at the Dec. 19 meeting.
“At the last meeting (Dec. 19), I recommended two individuals to the planning commission (Scarborough and Sucher) because I believe in my heart, I promised to the people, that I would make some changes in our township,” said Aliaga. “A lot of you when I knocked on your door and I talked to you, had many concerns about the development and what’s going on. Many of you told me you guys don’t want to be like Troy or Rochester. And you see today, I listen. Sometimes, I can change my mind and I disagree. I believe (Township Trustee) Sam (Moraco) has concerns about this. I can change because at the end of the day, it’s about you and it’s about improving our township. Today, I bring the same recommendations to the board and these recommendations are not just because I was looking around and try to find new members here. These recommendations are because people told me they wanted change.
“I believe that we can do better. Tonight, I don’t represent my opinion. I represent our community opinion and that’s why I am recommending these two appointments tonight. I hope some of the members support me like you show. I show you today publicly I can change and benefit to our public and I hope that some of our members see that’s what you want.”
Savidant’s and Tully’s terms ended Dec. 31, 2023, and both applied to stay on the commission. After not initially getting contacted by Aliaga to be told they would not be reappointed, Aliaga said at the Jan. 9 meeting that he had met with both in recent days and thanked them for their service.
Other applications to be on the planning commission were received from Scarborough, Sucher, Belinda Billings, Curt Carson, Patricia Dreslinski, Ross Gallentine, David Hayward, Patrick Kittle, Jr., Jessica Krug, Linda McGuire, and Tasha Schurgin.
Several township residents spoke at the Jan. 9 meeting, taking up more than 45 minutes of the meeting that lasted nearly two and a half hours, including five-year resident Sharon Bussell, who said she is not a fan of the arguing and belittling she has seen during meetings. She also said she is in favor of appointing Scarborough and Sucher.
“There is absolute personal animosity amongst you guys,” said Bussell. “It’s time to put on your big boy and big girl pants and get over yourselves. You are there to serve us.
“We do not need to settle for less qualified people who are willing to volunteer, God bless them, but they are less qualified, just like Mr. Moraco says. I don’t know any of you guys, but as a new resident who is trying to be involved, this bickering has to stop. You don’t get along, and I’ve gone back, and this has been going on for years. It needs to stop.”
“What I’ve seen and what I’ve read with the planning commission is that it’s nothing more than the good old boys network,” added James Bussell, Sharon’s husband. “We were horrified with (the development) at Waldon and Sashabaw. To remove all those trees, we were compassioned with our neighbors that live in that area. There are no trees left. The planning commission has a responsibility to uphold the builder and the developer and anybody accountable for that work that’s done. And for them to allow that to happen is unbelievable, unacceptable.”
Amy Weeks said she was asked to apply for the planning commission three years ago by then-Supervisor Pat Kittle but could not commit the time.
“I think we have residents that can step up and offer that fresh perspective, and it’s time we make a change,” said Weeks. “If you want to know why we’re supporting change and we support Sam (Moraco), it’s because when we attend these meetings, he’s voicing the same desires that we have in the community. We want to preserve open space, we want to have different gathering areas, so it’s interesting to us when we hear opposition to those views.”
For Jillyan Fuller, she is another resident in favor of change. She has lived in the township for 15 years.
“All of us love this community and are grateful for the opportunities it gives to our families,” said Fuller. “We are tired and we are busy. Many of us have two working parents shuttling our kids to sporting events in the evening. Our priority is our family, and we simply don’t have the time to keep up with the planning, developments and meetings that are happening in our community. Just because we are busy doesn’t mean we are unaware. We’ve noticed the traffic becoming more and more congested, the uptick in accidents, the trees and greenery being wiped out by bulldozers, the homes being built too close to the road, the apartment complexes going up. We see our community faltering. We see it losing its charm. We see it becoming unsafe for our children. And we want it to change.”
Bernie Cousino said the Waldon Village development “is not what we moved to Clarkston to see.”
“This is butchering our community, and it’s not right,” said Cousino.
Susan Sevek spoke about change needed in the township.
“If we don’t get the change now, at the end of the year, we’re going to be in the exact same position with people being very unhappy with the planning committee,” Sevek said.
Krug is a lifelong township resident and said she is “gutted” by what is happening with Waldon Village.
“What I’m seeing over (at Waldon Village) is destruction, and nd I don’t see the good that’s coming from it,” said Krug.
Another resident, Rae Luallen, said she agrees with all the public comments presented.
“We, as residents, we are your employers,” Luallen said to the board. “We’re not your employees. You work for us, whether you are township trustees, treasurer, clerk, supervisor, planning commission, building inspectors, whatever it is. You work for us. We don’t work for you.”
Finishing up the public comment was Norbert Froeschke.
“I think when we look at open spaces, it’s something that’s been trampled on and hasn’t been following the master plan, which lays out the density from one neighborhood to the next that is being totally disregarded,” said Froeschke. “Those types of things need to be put back into focus. That is what this township is about. That’s what makes it special.”
Trustee Terri Nallamothu read a letter from Joette Kunse saying that if different perspectives are being sought, how does that work with Sucher also being on the Investment Advisory Committee and Scarborough on the Senior Community Center Advisory Committee and Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as a recent member of the Residential Open Space Advisory Committee.
“We’re talking about one person, one letter,” said Aliaga. “I talked to Joette, and I got the same letter.”
Township Treasurer Paul Brown said the board has supported Aliaga.
“We’ve had four nominations for planning commission, one coming from (former) Supervisor (Gerald) Fisher and three coming from Supervisor Aliaga,” Brown said. “The board voted for those in each case. We’re 100% until now approving who he has brought. I don’t know if you realize that or not. I say that for this reason. There are people who don’t think across the street (Waldon Village) is bad, and I can prove it. They’re buying houses there. They have a different perspective and a different desire and so it’s not all one side.”
Trustee Jim Tedder said there will be opportunities to vote in new planning commission members.
“I’ve had some very cordial conversations with Supervisor Aliaga and to his credit, I believe that there has been some attempt to make things whole, if you will, between him and other members of the planning commission and that have not been reappointed,” Tedder said. “I’m at the position tonight feeling that he’s followed through on what I’ve asked.
Moraco also chimed in, saying that “it’s about perception and it’s about direction.”
“There are a lot of failures in this township when it comes to planning,” said Moraco. “I’m not going to blame it on Mr. (Dick) Carlisle (of the township planning firm Carlisle Wortman) because Mr. Carlisle works under the direction of the township, and so does the planning department. When Mr. Kittle was supervisor, he did a lot of things that sent us in to this direction. He appointed builders and developers, and I’m also a builder, but Brent being the planner for Troy, the perception of that being his day job could be a different perception than a preservationist from the Blue Heron that does that for a living. It’s not about the individuals, it’s about, in my belief, the way the person handles themselves. There has been zero case made by anyone why we wouldn’t change the planning commission. Even Mr. Savidant and all his education, which I admire, he not once mentioned a development he was proud of or anything that got done. He is just a very educated man and takes it very seriously. He’s as passionate about it as I am. I’m crazy about trying to control some stuff. I don’t hold anything against anyone on the planning commission. They have their own agenda and I think a different way and I fight to the end to get what I think is important. I get criticized for that, but I don’t care what people think, obviously.
“The fact people buy homes in neighborhoods that could have been developed better is not a legitimate argument to me because they’re still coming to our community, which is an awesome community. We’re just not doing an awesome job of wrapping up the loose ends with it. There’s nobody that can argue we couldn’t have done better or we couldn’t have put a park in the middle or any of that.”
Aliaga responded to Moraco, saying his administration has done “many changes,” including the recent purchase of nearly 39 acres of open space near Clintonwood Park.
“It’s not like nothing is going to happen,” Aliaga said. “I am working hard every day with the board and other people to keep green space, so we are making changes in that manner.”
The next board of trustees regular meeting is Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. from Township Hall, 6483 Waldon Center Drive.

PHOTO: Independence Township Hall. File photo: Matt Mackinder