The Sumpter Township Board of Trustees approved Lisa Stanfield for the position of Finance Director at their regular meeting on Sept. 8.
Stanfield comes to the position with both administrative and municipal finance experience, having served as a Deputy Clerk and Accounting Clerk for Ypsilanti Township. Additionally, she worked as an election clerk, was designated as Ypsilanti Township’s representative to the Washtenaw Regional Resource Management Authority (WRRMA) in 2019.
The finance director role includes a base salary of $90,000 per year with standard staff benefits and DC pension, contingent upon the successful completion of the required background and drug screening. Transition and training support will be provided by Maynard Costerian.
The township has been operating without a finance director since this spring.
In other business at the Tuesday night meeting, the board:
Approved listing of the fire department’s reserve Engine 51 for sale, as it is rarely utilized and still within its NFPA service life. It is appraised between $110,000 and $175,000;
Tabled a proposed $3,600 update to the township’s website, to include a “Subscribe for Updates” feature and revised content flow. The board plans to clarify expectations with the vendor before proceeding, as the original contract was entered into by the previous township manager without legal review;
Agreed to seek bids for senior resident snow removal using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, with sealed bids due by noon on Oct. 12;
Approved a Q1 budget amendment, noting that another adjustment may be required if the Martinsville pump station repair was not transferred from previous budget cycles;
Heard Chief Eric Luke thank eight neighboring police departments and the Michigan State Police Aviation Unit, citing their helicopter and FLIR thermal imaging system specifically, for assistance in apprehending four armed suspects following a home invasion overnight Aug. 28 to 29.
Before adjourning, the board entered into closed session to discuss ongoing negotiations with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and review an opinion letter from the township attorney.