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of Clare County

County Clerk Calls County Board to Task

Citizen Calls for Answers to Previous Issues

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HARRISON – The May 20 monthly meeting of the Clare County Board of Commissioners got off to a bit of a rocky start, as Harrison resident Chris Pechacek asked for some clarification about items previously before the BOC.

Pechacek questioned whether possible legal action regarding the board’s denial of a Prosecutor’s Office attorney position had materialized and reminded that the board had said it would seek legal opinion regarding the matter. She asked from whence that legal opinion would come, and was told the first opinion had come from the county’s attorney Dave Stoker, and upon pressing about the second opinion, was told by Commissioner Dale Majewski that he, personally, would probably seek that second opinion from Stoker as well. Upon asking, she also was told that the county probably would have to pay for each of the opinions.

She then asked about daily budget adjustment reports and if the commissioners were looking at them daily. Commissioner Jack Kleinhardt explained that the commissioners receive information on the adjustments prior to meetings, but do no have daily access.

“We’re not part of the system,” Kleinhardt said. “We can’t sit at home and log into the county system.”

Pechacek then asked about a previous incident regarding a discrepancy on numbers entered by the administrator and another department [she was referring to an entry which had been attributed to Magistrate Steven Worpell, an entry which he promptly informed the BOC that he did not make]. Kleinhardt said the board was not sure who entered the numbers, leading Pechacek to ask if the computer program doesn’t show who entered numbers when the entries are made.

At that point, Kleinhardt asked Pehacek what was her intent in asking those questions and if she was trying to make the board members look bad. She replied that she was not, but just wanted to know if everyone is accountable. Pechacek emphasized her concern was that such discrepancies can be traced, especially when the board is struggling to achieve its budget and every item counts.

“I think there’s some important stuff here that’s not known by a lot of people,” said Commissioner Mark Fitzpatrick. “We’ve had some indications that people other than IT have been able to access people’s computers.”

Fitzpatrick said he had been informed the county doesn’t have the expensive software to be able to monitor or verify that access is happening.

Pechacek voiced concern regarding the possibility that county computers could be getting hacked, which she said would be a fraud situation.

On the heels of Pechacek’s citizen concerns, more discontent was raised by County Clerk/Register of Deeds Lori Martin in the form of what she introduced as “some personal comments.” Her entire statement follows:

“Over the past several months I’ve had to endure disrespectful conduct, condescending comments, even being mocke by some of the board members,” Martin said. “While you do not have to like me or my actions as county clerk, you do not get to continue to treat me the way that some of you have been treating me.

“I’m an elected official of this county and, more importantly, a human being and deserve respect. I have reached out to each of the commissioners to extend an olive branch. I’ve impressed upon you that I am only interested in being part of the conversations and communications that are both constructive and beneficial to the county and the employees of Clare County.

“Our elected offices – yours and mine alike – are no place for grudges, vendettas or politics. I have expressed my desire to move forward, working as a team. In fact, when Administrator Byard was off work for a month, at that time when COVID-19 shut down the state and directly impacting our county, I stepped up along with Treasurer Beemer-Fritzinger to assist Chairman Kleinhardt in making sure our county continued to function. Meetings happened, bills got paid, information got released to the department heads and employees. During this brief time, I expressed to Chairman Kleinhardt how refreshing it was and how pleased I was that we were working together so well for the benefit of our staff and constituents.

“Over the past month and a half, things have quickly reverted back to their old negative ways – I dare say, even gotten worse. Each time I enter the Board Room for either commission meetings or finance committee meetings, I am met with total disrespect. Despite the negativity, I’ve continued to work with other department heads to come up with constructive ideas to help cut our budget. Even in doing this, I am disrespected and accused of plotting against the board, as one of you recently yelled at me. Again, I continued to push forward and after the last meeting when the payroll clerk position was terminated, I considered offering to take the remaining accounts payable clerk back under my umbrella of my office. My logic was that I already had an employee that is currently trained in governmental BS&A software, both payroll and accounts payable, and could easily act as a backup for our accounts payable clerk in her absence.

“As my offer was intended to be helpful an generous, I reached out to Administrator Byard with my plan and asked the board to entertain a motion at the next Board of Commissioners meeting, wherein a thorough discussion could be had about the benefits of this move. I requested that this item be placed on the agenda for today’s board meeting. Administrator Byard informed me that Chairman Kleinhardt had instructed her not to place my request on the agenda, and I was to address them directly.

“Again, let me make this clear. I’m attempting to work as a team and offer my help where it is needed. The act was not malicious and I was not trying to usurp the administrator’s control over this department. My consideration was primarily for the employee affected. Who will back up the accounts payable clerk when she’s sick or wants to take a vacation?

“Some of the board members have made it clear that they do not welcome my help. This is not the positive direction I was hoping to take. Thank you.”

In responding to Martin’s comments, Kleinhardt first thanked her for stepping up when Byard was gone.

“You was a big help,” he said. “You helped me get through some times. My phone was ringing off the hook and emails were coming off one right after the other on this. And I want to thank you for that.”

He went on to say that if he ever showed Martin disrespect, that he apologized. Kleinhardt then asked if Martin had looked into the separation of powers and why the clerk, treasurer and board have different jobs to do, to which she replied, yes, and cited “checks and balances.”

When Kleinhardt asked if that wasn’t what was happening, Martin refuted the checks and balances, because she saw the fact that the administrator control the budget, all of the finances and expenditures, and has complete control and authority over the payroll clerk and accounts payable clerk.

“If you move her back to my office, it takes that intimidation level off the payroll clerk (not saying Tracy intimidates her in any way),” Martin said. “It reinforces the checks and balances.”

Kleinhardt again noted the different offices have different jobs, adding that the BOC’s role is to set policy and have the final say on the budget. He said he can’t go over to the clerk’s office and tell people they need to do certain things.

“That’s the separation of powers,” he said. “And the payroll people, which are our people underneath our jurisdiction, that’s part of the checks and balances.”

Martin reiterated that her intent was simply to discuss the matter, but that she had been shut down. Kleinhardt assured Martin that it was nothing against her.

Fitzpatrick added that Martin “works for all of us.”

“We are your constituents,” he said. “And just as I work for District 5 and have to take tough questions from them, you have to take tough questions from everybody. So, whether it’s disrespect or this plotting thing, some of us are wondering about the private/secret meetings that have been going on.”

“There are no secret meetings,” Martin said. “We don’t have to ask for permission to meet as elected officials.”

When Fitzpatrick pressed on, saying that while little headway is being made in BOC meetings, and department heads offer that they brought suggestions to the board months prior, the department heads also had been having meetings at Hayes Township rather than at the Clare County Building.

Martin quickly corrected him, saying that the meetings were held transparently in the County Building and that whoever had been supplying him information was inaccurate.

When Fitzpatrick then asked where the meetings were so that all the constituents could be part of it, Prosecutor Michelle Ambrozaitis quickly told him that the department head meetings do not fall under the Open Meetings Act.

“I don’t have to invite you,” she said. “I don’t have to invite you to a party at my house, and I don’t have to invite you to a meeting I’m having with other elected officials. You are under the Open Meetings Act, we are not.”

Kleinhardt then dipped his toe in a different puddle, adding his own commentary.

“I don’t know if it’ll make you feel any better, but I’m going to be leaving here shortly,” he said. “So, you guys will have to figure it out.”

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