One familiar face will be absent when the village’s parks and recreation committee finally meets formally again.
Jerry Richards, an Orion Township resident on the committee, told Lake Orion Village council members he won’t serve anymore because he doesn’t want to be a nonvoting member.
“There is no accountability without a vote,” he said at the Oct. 27 council meeting.
His statement was in response to a decision by the council to revise the bylaws and procedure rules of the committee.
By a 4-3 vote, the council OK’d a procedure version that calls for seven voting members — one village council member, six village residents. There may also be two nonvoting members who need not be village residents.
The major problem with Richards being on the committee came up a few weeks ago when village attorney Gary Dovre said he believed having a township resident on the committee was against the village’s charter.
“The charter doesn’t distinguish between an elected and appointed office,” he told council members. “But we give our opinion all the time and it’s not always followed. The bottom line is it’s your decision.
“Aside from legal issues, the draft (bylaws, procedures) allows up to two nonvoting members. I guess I’m not understanding how crucial a vote is. If you give good input, members of the committee will take that into consideration.”
Ken Van Portfliet told fellow council members he was voting for Dovre’s version A (two non-voting members).
“But if I was voting on qualifications (only, it clearly would be B (voting township member). Mr. Richards brings a lot to the table,” he added. “I’m sorry this has come to this (legal issues). The whole thing is so bureaucratic. I’m disgusted.”
Councilman Douglas Dendel believes the charter isn’t clear about residency requirements on all of its committees. “I look at it as it’s flexible,” he added.
Lauri Bussell, a former member of the committee, told council members that while Richards was on the committee for a year and a half, “he served the village well.”
“Although you say it isn’t personal, what harm can one person do. He can’t overrule anything. If the charter is the concern here, you have more important things to look at than this,” she added.