[4:41] I would like to call to order the
[4:43] Charter Township of Chesterfield Special
[4:45] Township Board Meeting for Monday,
[4:47] December 22nd, 2025 at 5:30 to order.
[4:51] Could we all please stand and recite the
[4:55] Pledge of Allegiance?
[4:58] I pledge algiance to the flag of the
[5:00] United States of America and to the
[5:03] republic for which it stands. One nation
[5:06] under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[5:09] justice for all.
[5:14] » Clerk Barry, would you call the role?
[5:17] » Supervisor Ken
[5:18] » Here.
[5:20] » Supervisor Kirsten
[5:21] » Here.
[5:23] » Here.
[5:24] » Treasure Elliot
[5:25] » Here.
[5:25] » Trusty Anderson
[5:26] » Here. Trusty Joseph
[5:28] » Here.
[5:28] » Trusty Hornberger
[5:29] » Here.
[5:29] » Trusty Vossberg here.
[5:31] » Clerk Barry is here.
[5:33] » Item four.
[5:42] » Item four, approval of agenda. Uh,
[5:44] supervisor would like to make a motion
[5:45] to approve the agenda with the addition
[5:48] of approving the language to now include
[5:51] not only GLEC or GLLC UAW but to include
[5:56] the Michigan Association of Public
[5:59] Employees Technical Unit in the
[6:02] discussion.
[6:07] Motion by supervisor Kirsten supported
[6:09] by trustee Joseph
[6:13] to approve the agenda with the addition
[6:16] of MAPE tech
[6:17] » For discussion or
[6:20] » Same it'd be the same with the other
[6:22] ratification tenative agreement
[6:24] » Just before we open the discussion just
[6:26] for
[6:28] » Point of clarity the uh the requested
[6:31] addition is would be to the um agenda
[6:34] item 6A A
[6:37] » That is correct.
[6:38] » Thank you.
[6:42] » Discussion.
[6:47] Trustee Vosford.
[6:56] » Thank you, Mr. Supervisor. I am
[6:58] wondering if we can add an action item
[7:01] to a special agenda.
[7:06] could we and if we could just look at
[7:08] our rules to clarify
[7:11] » Here's the board rules right here.
[7:16] So I believe if all members are present,
[7:21] » You can
[7:24] » Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you,
[7:26] » Trusty Arber.
[7:27] » If all members of the public body are
[7:29] present, you can add an item.
[7:38] » Yeah. Um, I I um I don't know uh our
[7:43] board rules. Again, if our board rules
[7:45] stipulate something, um I would I would
[7:48] request that we suspend that board rule.
[7:51] Um the nature of the timeliness of this
[7:55] contract is uh pretty consequential for
[7:58] our uh township employees. we have a
[8:03] pretty pretty um comprehensive change to
[8:07] their insurance uh with the adoption of
[8:10] public act 152. These are very very
[8:13] time-sensitive and would um require
[8:16] board approval by the end of the year.
[8:18] So if it is a if it is a uh board rule,
[8:22] I would ask that we simply suspend that
[8:25] board rule. Uh and if it is uh later
[8:28] determined to be some somehow in
[8:31] conflict with the Open Meetings Act,
[8:34] which is not a board rule, uh I would
[8:37] suggest that um we consult with our
[8:39] attorney and make sure that we're on
[8:42] solid legal ground tomorrow. And uh if
[8:46] it is advised uh by legal counsel that
[8:49] we um have complications with the open
[8:52] meetings act, I would ask that um we
[8:55] just come back before the end of the
[8:57] year. uh because the the um the hard
[9:01] work that's been done by our unions and
[9:04] our HR team to try to make these um
[9:09] changes which are very comprehensive and
[9:12] costly potentially if they're not
[9:14] ratified by the end of the year um to to
[9:17] do that uh because of some board rule
[9:20] would be a mistake. So again, um if it's
[9:22] a board rule, I'd ask that we suspend
[9:24] it. And if it is, uh an open meetings
[9:26] act concern that we hear from our
[9:29] township attorney and advise us and if
[9:33] necessary uh conduct a special meeting
[9:36] by the end of the year. Thank you.
[9:39] » Thank you, Trusty
[9:41] Foster.
[9:44] » Thank you. That it's my intent that we
[9:46] be able to do all of them. I just want
[9:48] to make sure we did it in in the right
[9:50] thing. And um Trusty Hornberger has an
[9:53] item that might help us as well.
[9:56] » I'll just give you some background. So
[9:57] this the uh this point of uh discussion
[10:00] that was going on really was never a
[10:02] point of discussion until it was brought
[10:04] up last week when the special meeting
[10:06] was um uh discussed. Uh did did talk
[10:11] with Mr. Sbert. I did not. He asked,
[10:13] "Did you need to come here to appear
[10:15] tonight?" and I said, "No, it's going to
[10:17] be pretty straightforward." Um,
[10:18] obviously, um, there's always angles
[10:21] that certain people play. And, um,
[10:24] again, Trusty Joseph, to your point,
[10:26] we've, uh, we spent a lot of time, a lot
[10:27] of effort to resolve these labor
[10:30] agreements. Um, the particular process
[10:34] um to uh, any offense that may occur
[10:38] tonight is the remedy is exactly that.
[10:41] We can come back later on and fix it. Um
[10:44] but the key point here is to get these
[10:46] agreements resolved for our employees so
[10:49] there isn't a detrimental um financial
[10:52] impact to them moving forward. So again
[10:54] um the notice was posted. We're simply
[10:58] including it. Um and uh I think that
[11:01] we're on solid legal ground after
[11:04] discussion with Mr. Sbert that uh the
[11:06] impact is relatively minor.
[11:09] any uh trustee or did you want to chime
[11:13] in?
[11:13] » It's
[11:19] Thank you. Further discussion.
[11:26] » Um yeah, just um I'm just a quick Google
[11:29] search for me. Um
[11:33] there is there is some concern about the
[11:35] scope of the meeting and regarding u
[11:38] voting discussion or deliberation
[11:41] um not to occur on topics not listed in
[11:44] the notice. So uh that could be that
[11:47] could be problematic for us. So, um I
[11:49] would simply ask that we um we we get
[11:54] confirmation from our attorney um and
[11:57] and make sure that we are um not
[12:00] violating this. This is a this is a uh
[12:03] close session item. And so, um if if we
[12:06] need to redo it, then we need to redo
[12:08] it.
[12:11] » Do you want to withdraw the support just
[12:13] come back another day?
[12:17] No.
[12:18] I I'd uh I'd offer continued support. Um
[12:22] I I think that we are okay. Um if it if
[12:25] it's determined after consultation with
[12:27] our attorney that we're not, uh we can
[12:29] simply um
[12:32] » Come back.
[12:34] I'm satisfied with that.
[12:36] Any further discussion?
[12:40] Any further discussion? And I have a
[12:42] motion by Supervisor Kirsten, supported
[12:43] by Trustee Joseph, to approve the agenda
[12:46] as presented with the addition of the
[12:48] additional labor group MAPE
[12:53] or MAP MAPE tech to the discussions for
[12:57] 6A.
[13:00] Clerk Barry, would you call the role?
[13:10] I have a motion by supervisor Kirstson,
[13:12] supported by trustee Joseph again to
[13:14] approve the agenda as presented with the
[13:16] addition. If you would please cast your
[13:18] Karen, is this up on?
[13:20] » It's not.
[13:21] » It's not.
[13:22] » Clerk Barry, would you please call the
[13:24] role?
[13:25] » Supervisor Kirsten.
[13:27] » I.
[13:27] » Trusty Joseph,
[13:28] » I.
[13:28] » Trusty Anderson.
[13:29] » Hi.
[13:30] » Trusty Hornberger.
[13:31] » Hi.
[13:31] » Trusty Bossberg.
[13:32] » Hi.
[13:32] » Treasure Elliot.
[13:33] » Hi.
[13:34] » Clerk Barry. I
[13:36] » Item pass.
[13:45] » Item passes.
[13:47] Um, with that being said, we item five
[13:51] is the agenda. Item six. I will take a
[13:54] motion to enter into close session.
[13:56] » Motion to enter into close session.
[13:59] » Motion by clerk Barry, supported by
[14:02] Trustee Joseph
[14:03] » Anderson.
[14:04] Anderson,
[14:09] » State the reason.
[14:12] Uh
[14:13] item A would be to enter into close
[14:15] session of the board to discuss labor
[14:18] relations strategy for union groups GLC
[14:22] and UAW pursu including MAPE MAP
[14:27] technical unit pursuant to section 8 C
[14:31] of the opens meeting open meeting act.
[14:34] Clerk Barry would you call the role?
[14:39] » Clerk Barry I. Trusty Anderson.
[14:41] » Hi.
[14:42] » Trusty Joseph.
[14:43] » Hi.
[14:43] » Trusty Hornberger.
[14:44] » Hi.
[14:45] » Trusty Vossberg.
[14:46] » Hi.
[14:47] » Treasure Elliot.
[14:48] » Hi.
[14:48] » Supervisor Kirsten.
[14:50] » I
[14:54] close session at 5:41.
[44:38] Supervisor Crystal, make a motion to
[44:40] return to open session. Is there any
[44:43] support?
[44:45] » Trusty Vossberg. Clerk Barry, would you
[44:47] call the role?
[44:51] » Supervisor Kirsten.
[44:52] » Hi.
[44:53] » Trusty Vosberg. Hi.
[44:54] » Trusty Anderson.
[44:55] » Hi. Trusty Joseph.
[44:56] » Hi.
[44:56] » Trusty Hornberger.
[44:58] » Hi.
[44:59] » Uh, Treasure Elliott.
[45:00] » Hi.
[45:01] » Clerk Barry. I
[45:07] » We're back in open session. Um, as a
[45:09] result of the close session, there are
[45:11] three motions that the supervisor would
[45:13] like to make. Um, motion number one,
[45:18] um, supervisor would like to make a
[45:19] motion to approve a tenative agreement
[45:21] with the MAPE technical bargaining unit.
[45:24] Is there any support?
[45:27] » Motion by Supervisor Kirsten, supported
[45:30] by Trustee Joseph. Discussion.
[45:34] » Clerk Barry, would you call the role?
[45:38] » Supervisor Kirsten.
[45:39] » Hi.
[45:39] » Trusty Joseph.
[45:40] » Hi.
[45:41] » Trusty Anderson.
[45:41] » Hi.
[45:42] » Trusty Hornberger.
[45:43] » Hi.
[45:44] » Trusty Vosberg.
[45:45] » Hi.
[45:45] » Treasure Elliot.
[45:46] » Hi.
[45:46] » Clerk Bearing.
[45:50] » Second.
[45:52] Second motion would be Supervisor
[45:55] Kirsten will make a motion to approve
[45:56] the tenative agreement labor agreement
[45:58] with the UAW union and representatives.
[46:03] Is there any support?
[46:05] » Trusty Anderson. Supervisor Kirsten
[46:07] makes a motion with Trusty Anderson
[46:09] support discussion.
[46:12] » Clerk Barry, would you call the role?
[46:16] » Supervisor Kirsten. Hi.
[46:18] » Trusty Anderson. Hi.
[46:19] » Trusty Joseph.
[46:20] » Hi.
[46:20] » Trusty Hornberger.
[46:21] » Hi. Trusty Bossberg. Hi,
[46:23] » Treasure Elliott.
[46:24] » Hi,
[46:24] » Clerk Barry. I
[46:28] » And the last one, uh, Supervisor K will
[46:30] make a motion to approve a tenative
[46:32] agreement with the GEC
[46:35] union.
[46:38] Is there any support?
[46:41] » Trusty Vossberg.
[46:45] Motion by Supervisor Kirsten, supported
[46:47] by Trusty Vossber. Discussion.
[46:50] Clerk Barry, would you call the role?
[46:52] » Supervisor Kirsten.
[46:53] » Hi.
[46:54] » Trusty Bossberg.
[46:55] » Hi.
[46:55] » Trusty Anderson.
[46:56] » Trusty Joseph.
[46:57] » Hi.
[46:58] » Trusty Hornberger.
[46:59] » Hi.
[47:00] » Treasure Elliot.
[47:01] » Clerk Barry. No.
[47:05] » Uh, thank you. Public comments.
[47:09] » There are no public comments. Uh, board
[47:11] comments. Three minutes.
[47:16] Trusty Anderson, you want to start?
[47:18] » Thank you.
[47:24] Trust Trusty Hornberger,
[47:26] Trusty Joseph.
[47:29] Thank you. Um, as uh Trusty Anderson,
[47:32] I'd like to uh wish everyone a merry
[47:34] Christmas and uh healthy and happy new
[47:37] year. I'd like to thank my fellow board
[47:39] members and in particular the um trustee
[47:43] group. We um sometimes have to play
[47:46] catch-up. Our roles are classified as
[47:50] part-time. Um we do a lot of um
[47:54] contributions to the various QBS
[47:57] committees and um looking at everything
[48:01] from our insurance to our waist hauler.
[48:05] Um we have thankfully uh formed
[48:09] committees. uh supervisors appointed us
[48:12] to uh various committees to deal with uh
[48:15] pending litigation in the township um
[48:19] and uh a number of other um committee
[48:23] assignments. uh we are compensated for
[48:26] those and I think uh as as uh we've
[48:29] discussed previous years the amount of
[48:32] work that goes into these um committee
[48:35] assignments aren't aren't just the time
[48:37] that we actually meet um in the township
[48:41] uh whether it be with our attorneys or
[48:43] interviewing uh vendors. It also
[48:46] involves a very comprehensive review of
[48:50] the documents so that when you come into
[48:52] a committee assignment um you've
[48:55] educated yourself and uh you you have
[48:58] understanding and the knowledge of being
[49:01] able to ask intelligent questions and um
[49:05] determine you know what what is the best
[49:07] course of action uh when when the matter
[49:10] comes before the board uh for a vote or
[49:13] informing a recommendation ation from an
[49:16] advisory committee. So, u these are
[49:18] vital assignments and um I'm I'm proud
[49:23] to uh serve on the number of committees
[49:25] that I've been appointed to. I've I've
[49:27] turned some down just because I don't I
[49:30] don't want to slight the uh the township
[49:32] and if you are unable to commit to the
[49:35] time to not only meet but review
[49:38] documents and prepare and educate
[49:39] yourself, um you should take a pass. Um,
[49:43] Trusty Hornberger, um, you don't say a
[49:45] lot at these board meetings, but you do
[49:47] a lot of work, uh, behind the scenes and
[49:50] on the committees that I've, uh, have
[49:52] the privilege of serving you, serving on
[49:54] with you. Um, I appreciate the level of,
[49:57] um, preparedness that goes into your
[50:00] committee assignments. Um, it's
[50:03] disappointing. It's disappointing to to
[50:05] to get nitpicked by your fellow board
[50:09] members and um the pettiness that goes
[50:13] um it [clears throat] and unfortunately
[50:15] it no matter what we try to do it or
[50:19] seems like we try to do it just
[50:20] permeates this this board and um there's
[50:23] a pettiness that that goes with that.
[50:25] It's disappointing and hopefully that'll
[50:28] subside at some point in the future. Um,
[50:31] but it won't dissuade me from
[50:33] volunteering and um taking on these
[50:37] these tough assignments. The um the $150
[50:41] that you get for for for that for that
[50:44] um for that meeting. Um I know if you're
[50:48] anything
[50:50] like Trusty Anderson and I that really
[50:52] works out. you'd be better off getting a
[50:54] part-time job at Panera or Home Depot or
[50:58] the hourly rate is is just not there.
[51:01] But it's not it's not something that we
[51:03] do for money. Um it's it's something we
[51:07] do for the love of the township. So I'd
[51:09] really appreciate it if the um the
[51:12] pettiness and the monitoring um uh by
[51:16] our some of our elected board members
[51:19] just stopped. Um it's it's it's petty.
[51:22] It's small. Um, it's unfortunately
[51:25] expected. Um, but it needs to stop. And,
[51:28] um, thanks again for all your hard work
[51:30] and, um, the the hard work that's done
[51:33] by my fellow trustees. I appreciate you
[51:35] very much. Uh, merry Christmas to all of
[51:38] our um, township uh, employees. they've
[51:42] uh taken on a tremendous amount of
[51:46] uh negotiations in the formation of
[51:48] these contracts that we've u nearly
[51:51] ratified with all units. Uh they had to
[51:53] step up and um play a part in trying to
[51:56] get some of our health insurance and I
[51:59] think uh contracts have reflected an
[52:01] attempt by the board to offset some of
[52:03] those costs. But um it is still um
[52:07] significant change for a lot of them and
[52:09] I appreciate them very much. they do the
[52:11] heavy lifting here. Um there are some um
[52:16] parameters within their contracts that
[52:18] require sort of a tightening of their
[52:20] time and making sure that they are
[52:23] putting in a full day's work for a full
[52:25] day's pay. Um, I would encourage our
[52:28] elected officials to set the tone for
[52:30] that uh change in culture and um if our
[52:34] employees are clocking in in the morning
[52:37] um to have your boss, you know, show up
[52:40] maybe a day or two after you punch in is
[52:42] probably a little disheartening. So, uh
[52:44] I would encourage our elected officials
[52:47] to make sure that uh we're setting good
[52:49] examples uh for the sacrifice that's um
[52:53] being made by our employees. Uh, merry
[52:55] Christmas everybody and thank you
[52:58] » Trusty eos
[53:03] treasure Elliot
[53:08] clerk.
[53:10] Um, just a couple things here. This job
[53:13] is challenging challenging every day.
[53:15] I'll continue to be up to it. I
[53:16] appreciate every employee that I work
[53:18] with daily. Um, as was uh said tonight,
[53:22] some difficult decisions have to be made
[53:24] uh in regards to the labor agreements. I
[53:27] think we made them. I think we made them
[53:28] in the best uh interest of the township
[53:30] along with the partners uh in our labor
[53:33] groups and we'll continue to do that
[53:35] moving forward. Um I want to welcome I
[53:37] think Sarah, our HR director, has done a
[53:39] great job obviously coming in late this
[53:41] year getting up to speed and uh trying
[53:44] to end uh uh close out a lot of these
[53:47] labor agreements by the end of the year.
[53:48] We weren't successful on all of them,
[53:49] but we'll keep working on it. Um, I do
[53:52] want to say we had the loss of a
[53:54] longtime township employee, Walter
[53:56] Wilhelm. He retired as a captain of the
[53:58] fire department. Uh, Walt passed away
[54:00] last week. Um, there isn't anybody more
[54:03] dedicated to the Chesterfield Fire
[54:05] Department than Walt Wilham was. Um, he
[54:08] was he was a great firefighter and he
[54:11] was a great ambassador for the township
[54:14] uh in the fire service. So, he will be
[54:16] greatly missed. he was enjoying his
[54:17] retirement. Uh sympathies to his
[54:19] families. Um I wish everyone a merry
[54:21] Christmas to all and please be safe and
[54:24] enjoy your families uh into next year.
[54:27] With that being said, um
[54:31] I will make a motion to adjourn at 6:21.
[54:35] Is there any support?
[54:38] » Trustee
[54:40] Vosberg.
[54:42] All those in favor? Poss.