By Jim Newell

Review Editor

Commissioner Neal Porter was removed from his seat on the Orion Township Planning Commission on Thursday, after the board of trustees voted 6-1 in favor of the removal.

Trustee John Steimel cast the lone nay vote. Clerk Penny Shults made the motion, supported by Trustee Brian Birney, to remove Porter for ordinance violations on his personal property.

Under the planning commission’s bylaws, a commissioner can be removed for failing to comply with township ordinances.

“We were faced with a really difficult decision,” said township Supervisor Chris Barnett. “I felt terrible about it because he does do a lot for the community.”

Porter told The Review that he was given a choice to resign but refused to do so.

“They asked for my resignation and I refused. I refused and they fired me,” Porter said.

The issue revolves around a building on one of Porter’s properties that went unfinished for more than a year.

Porter said he’s making the building on W. Clarkston Road into a gatehouse to store, among other things, his antique cars.

Barnett added that the township’s building department has been frustrated with trying to get Porter to finish the repairs and has issued citations over the past two years to get Porter to finish installing the siding on the building.

The township building department first issued Porter a warning letter in February 2017.

Porter received a court order in January of this year to complete the repairs by Aug. 31, a deadline he missed.

He was then issued another ordinance violation on Sept. 4, according to the township’s building department officials, who said it violated township ordinances to have an unfinished building that left the structure open to the elements.

Porter did finish putting the siding on the building on Sept. 12.

Porter said he does not believe the situation was handled fairly.

“Giving me 12 days extension, I don’t think that was unreasonable. But they do what they want,” Porter said. “I think it’s very unfair. I think the building is going to be an asset to the community.”

Porter also points out that because the project is finished, the citation has been dismissed.

Porter served on the Orion Twp. Board of Trustees for 10 years, losing a reelection bid in 2016, and was a planning commissioner for 12 years.

“I did my job by not resigning and I’m proud of not resigning and my service to the community,” he said.

The planning commission consists of seven members representing different segments of the community. The board of trustees will now have to appoint a new planning commissioner to fill the vacant seat.

Porter, an antique car collector, also donates his vehicles for parades and has driven the Citizen of the Year car in the annual Orion Lighted Parade Group’s parade for several years.

He owns Neal Porter Auto Sales and Vette Products of Michigan, both on Clarkston Road, and Firehouse Subs in the Village Plaza on Lapeer Road.