Chesterfield Board Interviews 16 Trustee Candidates

The Chesterfield Township Board of Trustees interviewed applicants seeking to fill an open trustee position during a special meeting Tuesday.

Sixteen candidates participated in the public interviews held before the board in hopes of getting selected to fill the trustee position in June.

Printz announced her resignation as a board trustee on June 6. She accepted a clerk position in Berkley, and a scheduling conflict caused her to leave the board after serving for seven years.

“I was pleasantly surprised at how many people applied for the position,” said Eric Wurmlinger, the township’s deputy clerk. “It was nice to see all of the different skill levels and background levels that came forward and to see people relatively new to the community being interested as well as people who have lived here for a long time.”

Trustee Michele Ficht said she expected a large number of applicants due to current economic conditions, noting that there were originally 19 applicants, but three withdrew prior to the interviews.

Applicants for the trustee position are: Jerry Alexie, Hank Anderson, Anthony Bertoni, Paula Frame, Richard Hoover, Galen Johnson, Robert Kohler, Stephen Krull, Jill Lezotte, John McCleary, Tony McGown, Patrick Militello, Joe Miller, Paul Miller, Marvin Stepnak and Kristine Walsh.

Board members were permitted to ask applicants two questions each, which included inquiries regarding applicants’ availability, qualifications and ability to research issues and make unbiased decisions.

Applicant Kristine Walsh said she works in the legal field and feels she would be a good fit for the position because she has a good understanding of laws and how cities are run.

“I did read about the and I was interested in that matter,” she said. “I hope in the future that can be revisited at some point. I do believe that Chesterfield needs to have K-9s if we can make that happen in some way.”

Joe Miller, a 45-year township resident who served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years, told the board he applied for the trustee position after receiving several votes for county commissioner and having his name on the ballot for township trustee years ago.

“I feel a great obligation to those people who cast a vote for me,” he said.

Candidate Marvin Stepnak has served on the township’s Planning Commission and currently serves as chairman of the township’s Zoning Board of Appeals, which he told board members he has enjoyed doing.

“By looking at a certain agenda item you may not know what it is all about until you ask questions and do the research,” Stepnak told the board in response to being asked if he would inquire about an agenda item if he didn’t fully understand the issue before making a final decision.

Stephen Krull interviewed for the position after serving as a trustee from 2000-2004 and running unsuccessfully for township supervisor in 2008.

“I have the experience and the knowledge,” Krull told the board. “The opening came up and I still want to be involved with the community. I do love Chesterfield and I want to help any way I can.”

The board will hold a second set of public interviews for a selected pool of applicants from Tuesday's interviews at 4:30 p.m. Monday, July 25  in the Township Board Room at 47275 Sugarbush Road.

The selected trustee will be officially appointed at the regularly scheduled board meeting Aug. 1. The appointee will serve as trustee from Aug. 1 through Nov. 20, 2012.