Local meeting primer: Sturgis City Commission

The Sturgis City Commission will meet this Wednesday, October 28 at 6 p.m. in city hall. Commissioners will consider renewing a contract for the city’s cross-connection control program, which helps the city comply with EGLE requirements, and a consulting agreement with Camas to evaluate options for the future of the Sturgis Dam.

All Sturgis City Commission meetings are live-streamed on the city’s YouTube page.

Investigation fallout

The commission continues to deal with the results of the external investigation that looked into Mayor Frank Perez and other commissioners, prompted by Commissioners Jeff Mullins and Aaron Miller. Miller alleged that Perez’s actions contributed to the resignation of City Manager Andrew Kuk, although the investigation did not establish whether those actions caused Kuk’s departure. 

The latest development came last week when former City of Sturgis Human Resources Director Sonia Burkhead came forward and shared her experiences. Burkhead was the anonymous source who reported alleged wrongdoings by Kuk to Mayor Perez and Commissioners Cathi Abbs, Richard Bir, and then-Commissioner Linda Harrington during a private meeting on March 24. A subsequent meeting took place on March 28 between Perez, Bir, and Commissioner Marvin Smith, without Burkhead present during which the allegations were discussed. These meetings, and concerns about Perez’s handling of the allegations, motivated Miller and Mullins to call for his removal from mayoral duties.

Burkhead, however, says that is beside the point, and what matters is the substance of her allegations, not the avenues through which she reported them. Burkhead released a statement on October 17 foregoing her anonymity and asking for a reconsideration of her allegations. 

“During the [investigation] interview, I outlined the concerns I had reported regarding the city manager and explained the basis for them,” Burkhead wrote in her statement. “In my experience, however, the interview did not meaningfully explore the substance of those concerns. I was not asked substantive follow-up questions about the underlying facts, the individuals involved, or supporting information that could clarify the matters I had reported. Instead, the discussion focused predominantly on how I raised my concerns, including my meetings with four members of the City Commission.”

Burkhead argues that the substance of her allegations needs to be investigated directly, rather than focusing on whether she followed the city’s employee complaint procedures. She added concern for the relationship between Kuk and City Attorney T.J. Reed.  

“I had attempted for months to address the matters directly with the city manager without meaningful resolution. Because the city manager reports to the city commission, I believed the elected officials responsible for overseeing the city Manager needed to be made aware of concerns that I believed warranted further examination,” Burkhead wrote. “I was also concerned about the close personal relationship between the city manager and the city attorney. Given the nature and seriousness of the concerns I was attempting to raise, that relationship contributed to my decision to inform members of the city commission.” 

Burkhead did not specify what the wrongdoing was. 

Wednesday’s agenda does not have anything related to the investigation or Burkhead’s comments, however, this will be the first meeting since she has spoken publicly after being left anonymous in the investigations findings.

Regular business

Cross connection contract renewal

City staff is requesting approval to renew a contract with Hydro Corp Inc. to administer the city’s cross-connection control program for another five years. Hydro Corp has been contracted with Sturgis since April 2005, and has administered cross connections during that time in accordance with the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) requirements. 

Cross connections are when a private service is connected to the public water system in a way that could allow non-potable water to flow back into the drinking water supply. Industrial and commercial accounts present the greatest contamination risk, according to the agenda packet. The Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act (Public Act 399) requires public water systems to maintain programs to eliminate and prevent cross-connections, with EGLE overseeing the programs and verifying compliance annually. 

Commissioners are being asked to approve the contract renewal with Hydro Corp to continue administering the city’s cross-connection control program in compliance with EGLE requirements. The five-year contract price is $336,980 which includes annual increases of four percent.

Hydro dam consulting agreement

Commissioners are also being asked to consider a $46K agreement with Camas, an environmental consulting company who would prepare a “Regulatory Strategy Options Analysis Report,” the first phase in a project that would advise the city on the best path forward with the Sturgis dam. The first phase is expected to span around four months. 

City staff brought this to commissioners because they have become increasingly concerned about dam safety issues and associated costs related to repairs, according to the agenda packet. Staff is evaluating whether the cost of repairs and licensing are the best path forward, or, if there are alternatives. These concerns are why Camas was brought in to help the city better understand their options.

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.