Monitor Township Residents News and Information

23/09/2022

Shout out to all our auburn haired friends!!!👦👧

21/07/2022

What a great LE leader ❤️🚔🐕

21/07/2022

🎼If there's something strange,
In your neighborhood
Who you gonna call?
City Hall!
If there's something weird,
And it don't look good
Who you gonna call?
City Hall!🎼

When something needs addressed in your neighborhood – do you know who to call? Instead of Ghostbusters, we’d suggest City Hall!

Here’s a list of commonly used phone numbers to help streamline your service and get you to the right office, right away. Keep it handy!

🔗LINK: https://www.baycitymi.org/directory.aspx

01/06/2022

02/05/2021

I need a couple of additional admins. All you need to do is monitor for spam. Please message if you are interested. Thanks!

27/04/2021

Thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to be part of the process, be involved and come speak (if you did)! There is power in numbers and it was much appreciated ❤️❤️

25/04/2021

Please note the originating date that the Monitor Township attorney is responding to. This is correspondence between Township Supervisor Spencer and the Monitor Township attorney that was included in the packet to the Trustees in the March board meeting. Are there long-term considerations that could also effect the fire department for a Department of Public Safety?

25/04/2021

"Don't work harder, work smarter."

Attached is an invoice from a "company" that outfitted a police vehicle for Village of Birch Run. This has been provided to the Board as part of their packet.

If you have ever worked with vendors, you will notice some things immediately that raise red flags: no phone number for the vendor, the invoice number is well over 720k (for Tuscola County Michigan-that's a LOT OF POLICE work), amongst other anomalies. We went to the address-which is a residence, pulled the tax records (the business does not exist through the county or the State of Michigan), and made contact with the owner.

He acknowledged doing the work but under a snow removal company. Why would you develop a "fake company" under a licensed company and then bill to a municipality for outfitting a police car? This was questioned and he responded that he "did not know if his liability insurance would cover doing any work such as this."

So, what if the work he completes fails? His response, "I don't know." Basically, a man, working out of his pole barn, working on vehicles that provide the safety and security to the community. Is this a friend of a friend?

Information is released as it is provided; anyone has access to the same. Prior to any decision to create its own force-do it the correct way, such as areas in Iosco County and MANY other areas of the state have done-which is not by flying by the seat of their pants. Bring in consultants WHO ARE TRAINED TO DO THIS, try to mediate any issues and set a path without recreating the wheel. There are independent teams in Michigan-this is their forte'!

Developing a police department isn't a matter such as fixing issues at the park, or a zoning issue. Literally, one wrong move and a life could be at stake, millions of dollars of liability could be lost-and it ALL falls back on the taxpayer-this is a reality.

24/04/2021

One thing that has been resonating with me since the last meeting is "We have so many complaints against the Sheriff's Department." Just one observation....

I bring this up because myself and another resident spent two days this week trying to get someone from Township Hall physically on the phone before the other resident just left a message with what they needed (the office is open and we tried every option several times). However, there is an option for the Sheriff's Department to "press 5" you are then prompted to leave a message.

If "I" needed the Sheriff's Department, "why" is Township Hall not providing the most direct way to get ahold of them, which is either 911 or the non-emergency number (989) 892-9551. If residents need a deputy-no matter the circumstance for a police contact-there should be one option. The deputies can sort out who handles it from there.

I do not know whose idea this was-the Sheriff's Office or the Township-but it seems like something is broken here.

23/04/2021

Attached is the agenda for Monday's meeting-April 26th, 2021, 7:00pm.

*IT IS IN PERSON ONLY*

If you spoke at the March meeting during public comment and you would like your voice heard AND counted, you will need to attend the meeting on Monday to present again due to "Open Meetings Act" violations that occurred.

23/04/2021

With the current climate of policing, police academies are not graduating officers at capacity and governmental entities continue to struggle fill open positions.

Two additional topics should be considered with the new "department:"

1) Liability-Below are links describing how taxpayers are responsible for covering any amount of "damages" above and beyond the liability insurance threshold should a suit be filed against a police agency/municipality. Realistically, no matter the level of training/years of service or where an officer is employed, critical incidents can occur at any time and anyone can file a suit. Currently, this liability is held at the county level due to the contract with the Sheriff's Department. Should the township develop a police department, the township would carry this liability, to include any damages, settlements and legal costs.

https://abc7news.com/police-misconduct-lawsuit-department/6247311/

https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2017/mar/28/police-misconduct-lawsuits-cost-taxpayers-not-cops-millions/

2) With the original plan including one (1) officer and the Township Supervisor as the Chief, what is the expectation should the officer become injured and is unable to perform their duties? Is the "Chief" now going to spend less time as a Township Supervisor to patrol the roads and ensure coverage? If the plan is to "maintain our own township," has the township met with the State Police and the Sheriff's Department to discuss these plans?

The attached report is an example of the reality of "what" can happen to any officer at work. Whether a medical event, assault, accident-ANY incident taking the one (1) officer off of the road for a lengthy period of time, would be a detriment to Monitor Township. This is a reality that the township should consider.

Reach out to your trustees, ask questions, have the difficult conversations. Unfortunately, the meeting on Monday at 7:00 pm is NOT hybrid; please feel free to be present to have a voice as a taxpayer and voter of the township.

21/04/2021

“Why” would Monitor Township fast-track a brand new police department. There are no notes of the involvement of consulting firms, documentation of support or aid by the Michigan Association of Chiefs, or a history of trying to “come to the table” to discuss issues with the Sheriff’s Department. Involvement of any of these, including a strategic plan, one would think would be well documented. Further, "why" the rush to investigate severing the contract with the Sheriff’s Department within weeks of the supervisory change with the township.

Attached you will find a statute regarding the certification of police officers and what happens if one does not maintain “police employment” for two years. The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) is the governing body over law enforcement officers and is specific as to the timeframe between when you are unemployed as a police officer and when you lose your certification to be one. Please take from this whatever inference you may.

Please ask the “why” for significant decisions township administration make, reach out to your trustees-have the difficult conversations and be an active voice in the meetings.

*Knowledge is power, education is key*
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(515l5dga2x422ygiyld22gne))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-28-609

19/04/2021

Question about the meeting scheduled for April 26th:

Does the township plan on making a public notification that any person who made a “public comment” at the last meeting-frankly there were violations of the Open Meetings Act; therefore, if they spoke previously and want to be heard and would like it “in the minutes” they should come present again at this upcoming meeting?

Actually, that leads me to follow-up questions.

With the history of controversial topics in Monitor Township, such as wind turbines, and the massive turnout-that meeting presented, added with the current lack of preparedness for hybrid meetings, can the township share the plan for the April 26th meeting that will ensure attendees are COVID-19 safe? There are specifications laid out per the Open Meetings Act; however, at the last township meeting, some (including sitting at the township table) were not masked, and should, let’s say 200 people show up, is there a plan?

In speaking with neighbors who are elderly and do not wish to attend but want to “hear the plan,” is there a reason why this information is not being disseminated via newsletter? As a resident, I believe one used to go out with the previous administration. Many elderly and others not following the township page on social media, as one of my older neighbors expressed, “that was the only way they knew of anything that was happening (including changes).” There are over 900 people on the Monitor Township page. Any major change, disruption, etc., is going to impact 10,484 people within the Monitor Township limits. Residents may not feel comfortable coming to a congregation of people due to COVID-19 or may be homebound; therefore unable to hear or be heard at a public meeting. With Bay County being a “Covid-19 hot-spot,” does the township have an alternative way they are providing information to those not on social media, or elderly, so that they do not have to risk their health to attend public meetings, to hear proposed changes being made in the township.

Given the current layout of township meetings, is the plan for this meeting to have public comment and then present on new topics, such as an independent police department? That appears a bit inverted. If the goal is for township buy-in, wouldn’t public comment be “after” presenting a new program? Further, why is there not an opportunity for a Town Hall meeting with a Q & A session–which could be engaged safely in a 100% virtual setting, where any voter, no matter their situation, could attend?

Last, even though there isn’t a vote scheduled for Monday, April 26, 2021 at 7:00pm, that is NO guarantee that one will not happen.

“Knowledge, like air, is vital to life. Like air, no one should be denied it.” ~Alan Moore

07/04/2021

24/03/2021

Until contact information is updated, this was provided off of another page. If you have concerns, comments, please contact your trustees. They were elected off of YOUR votes-they are YOUR voice! Phone numbers and email addresses are being updated, until then, please feel free to contact your trustee at the following:

It’s important for every Monitor Township resident to let our Trustees know your opinion regarding an independent police force!!

Contact:
Tina McCulloch , 1623 N Union
Gary Brandt, 3810 N 3 mile
Robert Walsh, 1836 E. Salzburg
Earl Arnold, 2780 E Salzburg
Susan Pike, 4192 3 mile rd.
Linda Ferguson, 2246 Midland Rd.

Again-this is for informational purposes. Knowledge is power!

24/03/2021

FYI-if the Sheriff Department Services discontinues...the Township Supervisor will also be the Chief of Police.

23/03/2021

A little bit of information (or education) if you will, regarding the meeting last night. If you are not interested, please feel free to scroll by.

This is the Cliffs Notes version of the following post regarding the Open Meetings Act:

http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/michigan/open-meetings-laws-michigan #:~:text=The%20Michigan%20Open%20Meetings%20Act%20gives%20%22the%20public%22,such%20as%20%22the%20traditional%20press.%22%20Anyone%20may%20attend.

I noticed that when entering the building, the township had a sign-in to document your name, and if you were virtual, the Township Supervisor requested for you to present (if your camera was off) onto camera to speak at public comment, and to provide your name when speaking (during public comment). Understandably, they would like to know whom they are speaking, HOWEVER, this is how the law provides in regards to such:

"The Michigan Open Meetings Act gives "the public" the right to attend the meetings of public bodies, with exceptions for closed sessions discussed below. Michigan law does not limit access to meetings to a specific category of people or a profession, such as "the traditional press." Anyone may attend. A public body may not put conditions on attendance, such as requiring you to give your name or other information. See Mich. Comp. Laws § 15.263(2)-(4)."

Now, obviously with COVID-19, the Legislature of Michigan has passed some additions to this-but this is the Open Meetings Handbook:

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/ag/OMA_handbook_287134_7.pdf

Additionally, here is what the State of Michigan implemented to regulate virtual meetings and hybrid:

Public Act 254 of 2020 ("Act 254") (Google)

Should public entities violate the OMA, there are also ramifications that can occur to different extents depending on the level of the violation.

This post is to provide knowledge, as knowledge is power.

23/03/2021

Welcome to "Monitor Township Residents News and Information." This page is for the sharing of current information, provided for and by the residents of Monitor Township.

23/03/2021