Clinton Township trustees do away with emergency manager role

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Changes to how Clinton Township responds during crisis scenarios began with a unanimous vote at the Feb. 24 board of trustees meeting. All board members agreed to end the dedicated emergency manager position in favor of closer ties to the county’s emergency management program.

The plan as approved will see the part-time emergency manager position replaced by two liaisons that will work closely with Macomb County Emergency Management and Communications during large-scale emergencies while still focusing on emergency preparedness at the local level. The move puts the township in line with the remainder of Macomb County — aside from the city of Warren — in working with county emergency management. At least $43,000, the portion of the former emergency manager’s $55,000 salary not subsidized by a grant, will be saved with the change.

“The truth is this is a regional issue,” Deputy Supervisor Dan O’Leary said. “If you have flooding, it’s going to impact more than just us; it’s going to impact our neighbors. If you have a plane crash from Selfridge, chances are it could impact more than just Clinton Township. Tornadoes will impact more than Clinton Township. A coordinated response makes a lot of sense when you think about it.”

Clinton Township’s liaisons — Fire Chief John Gallagher and officer Tyler Eng of the Clinton Township Police Department — will receive input from the 27-member county emergency management team when developing plans and they will call upon their resources during emergencies.

“As the county, we set the parameters for what our county emergency management program looks like,” said Macomb County Emergency Management and Communications Director Brandon Lewis. “Those are generally in alignment with best practices from FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security, the state of Michigan (and) all of the agencies that set forth emergency management standards. Those liaisons … are essentially our representative within your community and it’s their role within the process to bring back what’s coming down from our program to the community and be our pathway and our gateway to the township to facilitate that discussion.”

Lewis made it clear the county would not dictate how the township’s liaisons handled local issues and local emergencies.

Trustees Dan Kress and Bruce Wade made arguments in support of maintaining the township’s subscription-based NIXLE emergency alert system, as the county would be unlikely to use its text alert system to notify township residents of local-level incidents.

Residents can sign up for NIXLE alerts on their cellphone by texting their ZIP code to 888777.

 

New water meter replacement policy
Trustees also approved a new policy to allow the Department of Public Works to shut off water service to residents as part of its water meter replacement program. The aim of the policy is to assist in the replacement of the nearly 800 township-owned water meters installed in the 1980s that are older than their recommended service life.

Clinton Township DPW will first reach out with a yellow-colored notice asking residential property owners to schedule a meter replacement appointment. Additional green and pink notices will be sent out on a weekly basis. Water shutoff will take place at least one week following the delivery of the final pink notice if no response from the owner is received.

The policy was approved 6-1 with Kress providing the lone vote against.