Mason, Michigan October 3, 2011

Transcription

1 Mason, Michigan October 3, 2011 The Board of Ingham County Road Commissioners met for a regular meeting on Monday, October 3, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Road Commission s Austin E. Cavanaugh Administration Building located at 301 N. Bush Street, Mason, Michigan. Present: Shirley M. Rodgers, Chair, James, G. Dravenstatt-Moceri, Vice Chair, Norman L. Gear, Member, Milton L. Scales, Member and Marc Thomas, Member. Also Present: William M. Conklin, Managing Director, Robert H. Peterson, Director of Engineering, James M. Benjamin, Director of Operations, Tina M. Henry, Finance Director and Brenda K. Moyer, Deputy Secretary to the Board. Others Present: Dale Arnett, Randy Schafer, Earl Griffes, Keith Douglas, Cheryl Fritze, Paul Risner, Loretta Benjamin and the following are ICRC employees: Patti Maldonado, Laurel Hills, Lance Wice and Brett Campbell. AGENDA ITEM # 3 LIMITED PUBLIC COMMENT. Randy Schafer, Ingham County Commissioner. Mr. Schafer contacted Debbie De Leon and was told there was illegal activity going on at the Road Commission. Mr. Schafer contacted several parties and found no illegal activity. Mr. Schafer believes all townships in the service area support management at the Road Commission. Mr. Schafer stated the County Commissioners are supposed to stay out of the Road Commission s business, because of the County Commissioner s ethics policy. Mr. Schafer believes there are injustices going on at the Road Commission and he will stand side-by-side with the Road Commission management if anything goes to the Civil Rights Commission. Earl Griffes, 1165 House Road, Webberville, MI. Mr. Griffes believes various charges have been leveled against Director of Operations, Jim Benjamin, and he personally believes that County Commissioner Debbie De Leon has pushed this issue, is controlling the Road Commission Board and is intent on destroying Mr. Benjamin s reputation. Mr. Griffes believes this is backroom politics at its worse and he charges the Road Commission Board to stand up and do the right thing. Mr. Griffes believes the Road Commission Board should offer Mr. Benjamin a contract as Director of Operations until September 1, Keith Douglas, 2841 Noble Road, Williamston, MI. Mr. Douglas saw an article in the newspaper saying there were variations in the hiring process at the Road Commission and there were not enough Hispanics or African Americans. Mr. Douglas believes Commissioner Rodgers and Commissioner De Leon put the article in the paper to mislead the public or they lied to the public. Mr. Douglas called it a witch hunt. Mr. Douglas believes the Board blames Jim Benjamin for hauling trash to a farmer s field and hauling sand back, when he saved the county $10,000 to $12,000. Mr. Douglas believes Commissioner Rodgers and Commissioner De Leon are out of line and Commissioner Rodgers is a very unhappy person, who should resign from the Board and get professional help. 1

2 Cheryl Fritze, 2207 White Owl Way, Okemos, MI. Ms. Fritze has been looking into this issue for over a month and it appears to her to be an orchestrated agenda with baseless accusations and no one has been able to show her any wrong doing by Jim Benjamin. Ms. Fritze read from an from County Commissioner De Leon, dated September 12, 2011, that Commissioner De Leon has reliable sources with documentation and are able to verify illegal activities regarding misuse of Road Commission equipment and resources for personal or private benefit. Ms. Fritze finds it curious that County Commissioner De Leon s is dated September 12, 2011 and the police report is dated July 11, 2011, so when Commissioner De Leon wrote the , the police report was already completed and the case dismissed. Paul Risner, Stockbridge Township Supervisor. Mr. Risner thinks it is time to stop this nonsense and that all of the reports point to a ghost. Mr. Risner believes there is no better management, in the whole state, then what we have at the Ingham County Road Commission. Every time Mr. Risner talks to Mr. Conklin or Mr. Benjamin they are thinking of ways to save money, so the townships can spend it in other places. Mr. Risner thinks this issue needs to stop. Loretta Benjamin, 4700 Van Orden Road, Webberville, MI. Ms. Benjamin has personally witnessed or heard over the last few weeks, people in favor of the current management. Ms. Benjamin believes issues of cronyism, favoritism and the good old boys network have been brought up regarding the Road Commission, but she believes the Road Commission Board members have participated in the same issues, by serving on other Commissions or Boards. Ms. Benjamin believes the Road Commission and County Commission should lead by example or as her father would say, practice what you preach. The Board received correspondence from Dan Troia, ICRC Design Engineer. AGENDA ITEM #4 LATE ITEMS, DELETIONS AND/OR CONSENT ITEMS. No late items or deletions. Moved by Commissioner Gear and Supported by Commissioner Scales, that the following items be approved under consent: A. Agenda Item #5, Routine and Special Permits. B. Agenda Item #6A Minutes of September 13, 2011 and Item #6B, Minutes of September 19, C. Agenda Item #8A, Accounts payable for the two week period of September 12 September 25, yes, 0 no. Motion carried unanimously. 2

3 AGENDA ITEM # 5 ROUTINE AND SPECIAL PERMITS. Moved by Commissioner Gear and Supported by Commissioner Scales, that routine and special permits be approved. 5 yes, 0 no. Motion carried unanimously AGENDA ITEM #6A & #6B - MINUTES. Moved by Commissioner Gear and Supported by Commissioner Scales, the minutes of September 13, 2011 and September 19, 2011 be approved. 5 yes, 0 no. Motion carried unanimously. AGENDA ITEM #8A ACCOUNTS PAYABLE. Moved by Commissioner Gear and Supported by Commissioner Scales, that Accounts Payable for the two week period of September 12 September 25, 2011, totaling $371, be approved. 5 yes, 0 no. Motion carried unanimously. AGENDA ITEM #7 MANAGING DIRECTOR REPORTS. William M. Conklin, Managing Director, gave an update on the Strategic Plan including staff proposed agency goals and objectives as previously requested. Mr. Conklin requested Board Members in the Strategic Planning group to set dates for future meetings and to provide direction on whether staff should proceed with moving the Finance Department functions to the County as recommended by the Organizational Assessment report or to re-organize the Finance Department as staff previously recommended. AGENDA ITEM #9A PURCHASE REFLECTIVE SIGN FACES, COMPLETED SIGNS AND SIGN BLANKS. Robert H. Peterson, Director of Engineering, requests Board approval to purchase reflective sign faces, completed signs and sign blanks from this year s low bidders to replenish ICRC stock. The sign purchase is in the 2011 Traffic Department Budget. Reflective Sign Faces and Completed Signs will be purchased from Rocal Incorporated, Frankfort, Ohio, for the purchase price of $9,716.80, delivered and Sign Blanks will be purchased from Dornbos Sign Incorporated, Charlotte, Michigan, for the purchase price of $2,310.00, delivered. 3

4 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF REFLECTIVE SIGN FACES AND COMPLETED SIGNS FROM ROCAL INCORPORATED AND SIGN BLANKS FROM DORNBOS SIGN INCORPORATED. RESOLUTION # Moved by Commissioner Scales and Supported by Commissioner Dravenstatt-Moceri. 5 yes, 0 no. Resolution carried unanimously. BE IT RESOLVED, that upon recommendation of Robert H. Peterson, Director of Engineering, the Board authorizes the purchase of Reflective Sign Faces and Completed Signs from Rocal Incorporated. Frankfort, Ohio, for the purchase price of $9,716.80, delivered and the purchase of Sign Blanks from Dornbos Sign Incorporated, Charlotte, Michigan, for the purchase price of $2,310.00, delivered. AGENDA ITEM #9B FABRICATION INSPECTION SERVICES. Robert H. Peterson, Director of Engineering, stated staff advertised a request for proposals (RFP) for consultants to provide structural steel fabrication inspection, prestressed/precast concrete fabrication inspection, and in-service signal strain pole and mast arm inspection services. Essentially, the requested inspection services are very specialized and therefore only a few companies have properly certified and/or capable staff to provide the service. The reason for the RFP is two-fold: 1. To retain a firm to inspect our in-service signal strain pole and mast arm installations. Inspections that are not federally mandated, but recommended every 2 years. The inspectors look for defects caused by cyclic loading as a result of material fatigue. 2. To retain services to provide federally required on-site inspection of structural steel and prestressed/precast concrete fabrications used for new bridges and bridge repairs. In general, the requested inspection services ensure the structural integrity of already installed signal mast arm installations and yet-to-be fabricated bridge beams or beam repairs (steel or concrete) required for our five 2013 bridge projects. The RFP requested unit prices for our individual signal strain pole and mast arm installations and hourly rates and equipment costs for the future beam inspections. All of the submitted costs are to be in effect through December 31, RESOLUTION AWARDING FABRICATION INSPECTION SERVICES TO NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING SERVICES, CALEDONIA, MICHIGAN. RESOLUTION # Moved by Commissioner Dravenstatt-Moceri and Supported by Commissioner Gear. 5 yes, 0 no. Resolution carried unanimously. 4

5 BE IT RESOLVED, that upon recommendation of Robert H. Peterson, Director of Engineering, the Board awards Fabrication Inspection Services to Non-Destructive Services, Caledonia, Michigan to perform inservice signal strain pole and mast arm inspections for $8, and to perform federally required on-site inspections of structural steel and prestressed/precast concrete fabrications for ICRC 2013 bridge projects. The cost for each is to be included in the 2013 project budget. AGENDA ITEM #10 BOARD UPDATES/COMMENTS. None. AGENDA ITEM #11 LIMITED PUBLIC COMMENT. None. The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m. Board members asked the Managing Director questions regarding a complaint that was placed on their desk, prior to their arrival at the board meeting. The complaint was not in the Board packet and was not presented to the Board members at the meeting by the complainant, James Benjamin. The Board will turn the complaint over to their legal counsel, Peter Cohl. Shirley M. Rodgers, Chair Brenda K. Moyer, Deputy Board Secretary 5