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Millington Township appoints two to Planning Commission amid dispute over vetting and complaints
Summary
The Millington Township Board voted Dec. 16 to appoint Alvin Zavitz and Ed Maschey to the Planning Commission over a lone dissent, after residents and board members debated past complaints, alleged internal targeting and the process for vetting nominees.
The Millington Township Board on Dec. 16 approved the appointment of Alvin Zavitz and Ed Maschey to the township Planning Commission, despite objections from one board member and vocal public comment both supporting and criticizing the nominations. The motion passed with four votes in favor and one against.
Supervisor R. Loomis nominated Zavitz and Maschey during a discussion about Planning Commission membership and accusations that had been raised against the commission. S. Keinath publicly questioned whether Loomis had fully reviewed all nominees, saying two potential candidates had prior zoning violations; Loomis said he did not pursue those nominees further because of those records. The board approved the nominations in a recorded vote: Ayes — G. Cook, L. Cameron, R. Loomis, L. Jaruzel; Nay — S. Keinath.
The Zoning Administrator told the board she found one nominee combative; Loomis responded to earlier accusations against the Planning Commission and supported the nominees’ qualifications. Several residents spoke during public comment in support of the appointments and criticized perceived targeting of incumbent member Robert Benard. Sherry Morris, Matt Opperman and Mark Morris each told the board they valued the experience offered by Zavitz and Maschey and urged cooperation among members. LuAnn (last name not specified in the minutes) raised concerns that complaints about a nearby gravel pit were not recorded formally.
The discussion included calls for improved documentation and training: Alvin Zavitz described the current commission as diverse and said he would support team-building training. Ed Maschey said he will retire from other obligations in about six months and intends to devote more time to the commission. The Zoning Administrator and some board members urged that complaint records be kept and that the ZA consult the township attorney when enforcement questions arise.
The appointment vote concluded the matter for this meeting; the Planning Commission is expected to take up related enforcement and ordinance-amendment questions at its next meeting, per comments by the supervisor and the board.
The board took no further action at this meeting to change ordinances; it directed the Zoning Administrator to confer with the township attorney and with the Planning Commission on potential ordinance amendments and enforcement steps.
