Bloomfield Township Supervisor Presentations to Be Televised

Bloomfield Township elected officials will likely appoint the next supervisor, and bid farewell to the one who served in that post for more than a decade, at their next meeting July 25.

And it will all be recorded for prosperity. After a short discussion Monday night, the township board approved, for the first time, the live video coverage of a regular board meeting.

Supervisor Dave Payne, who will retire Aug. 1 with more than a year left in his term, said the meeting room is not currently set up for live broadcast but said the meeting will be televised and rebroadcast on Bloomfield Community Television, Channel 15.

Trustee David Buckley proposed the idea, which was raised by citizens at last week’s study session and again Monday night.

At Monday's meeting, the board opted to limit supervisor appointment candidates to current board members. The board has 45 days from the time of Payne’s retirement to appoint a new supervisor, or the county clerk will call for a special election under state law.

“This is quite a special meeting coming up, (David Payne’s) last and, obviously, the selection of the next supervisor," Buckley said. "Would we consider televising?”

Channel 15 broadcasts and archives meetings of the Bloomfield Hills City Commission and the Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Education. Payne told Patch in a previous interview that there was not public demand to televise Bloomfield Township meetings and that he did not expect that to change.

There was little discussion on the merits of the proposal, and the motion passed 6-1, with only Trustee Brian Kepes opposed.

Treasurer Dan Devine, who  confirmed Monday that he will seek the supervisor position, said the decision will only benefit residents and could be a precursor for the future.

“(The supervisor appointment) could be the most important decision in the township for the next decade, and because the process has been somewhat limited by the board, at least the residents will be able to see it,” Devine said. “I think it’s a good move.”

Trustee Leo Savoie, the other announced candidate for the supervisor's position, also praised the move.

“Everything we’re going through is a good process," he said. "It's a vetting process, and even though the vetting is done by the board, this allows the public to see the process.”

Clerk Jan Roncelli clarified that candidates must present a resume, background and qualifications for the board. The board decided to limit the presentations to no more than 15 minutes. Only Devine opposed using a timer.

“If anyone wants to go 45 minutes, that’s probably a good reason to vote ‘no’ (for them),” he said. “This is their only chance to speak to board and public, and I’d hesitate to limit their time.”