Tag Archives: John Giannangeli

Who are the candidates to fill the vacant Oakland Township Supervisor position?

At the November 15, 2022 Oakland Township Board meeting, Supervisor Dominic Abbate announced that he had submitted his resignation letter with an effective date of November 30th. The Board has 45 days to fill that position after the resignation takes effect. At the November 15th meeting, the Board asked that any current Township Board member, as well as any other Township resident interested in filling that position, should fill out an application and submit it to the Township Clerk’s office by December 1. The list of potential candidates is now known. It is anticipated that the decision will be made at the December 13th Board meeting.

Several existing Board members indicated that they are interested in the position as well as two other Township residents. They include:

Treasurer – John Giannangeli
Clerk – Robin Buxar
Trustee – Andy Zale
Former Planning Commission member and ZBA member – James Carter
Former ZBA member – John Markel

In order for the position to be filled, at least 4 of the 6 seated Board members will have to approve the candidate. This could prove to be very interesting, since 3 of them are interested in the Supervisor position themselves. In order for one of the existing Board members to be selected, he/she would either have to gain the vote of the OTHER three Board members (David Mabry, Jack Elder and Lana Mangiapani), or one of the candidates interested in the position, would have to drop out and vote for him/her. The potential for ‘grid lock’ exists in selecting one of the three seated Board members. One of the other two candidates could become a ‘dark horse’ candidate for the position.

What follows is the author’s assessment of the situation:

If John Giannangeli was selected, the critical position of Treasurer would have to be backfilled. John has an extensive financial background and is well suited for the Treasurer’s position. That is why the voters selected him for that position in the last election. Having to backfill the Treasurer’s position could negatively impact the Township. Andy Zale could potentially fill the Treasurer’s position, since he is a personal financial consultant. Residents need to form their own opinion on John’s demeanor and ability to lead a team based on his behavior in handling previous controversial issues before the Township Board.

If Robin Buxar was selected, the similarly critical position of Clerk would have to be backfilled. Robin has done a good job in our recent election. There are follow-up items that need to be understood and possibly improved upon based on results of the last election. Prior to the last election, she was unable to fill a critical clerk support position in a timely manner, so she had to personally step in and do some of that work. Her personal compensation over that period of time was significantly increased as a result. She is a strong leader, but there is no clear candidate to backfill a vacant Clerk position. In addition, the 2024 election is very critical, and our Township cannot afford to have any issues in that critical election. Her experience would best serve the Township if she remained our Clerk.

If Andy Zale was selected, there would be no risk to the Financial or Clerical matters in our Township. Andy was a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission. He has demonstrated his skill in leading a team through complicated issues when he was Chairperson of the Parks and Recreation Commission. His ability to efficiently and effectively chair a meeting with controversial topics has been demonstrated. He also has been a member of the Oakland Township Safety Path and Trails Committee, so he is very familiar with the wide ranging features and needs of our Township.

As stated above, in order for any of the above candidates to be selected, he/she would have to gain the support of the other three Board members or one of the three interested candidates would have to drop out. If ‘grid lock’ occurred, the nomination of either James Carter or John Markel could become a reality. Both of these men have exhibited interest in the Township for years. Both have held appointed positions in our Township’s commissions or boards.

James Carter was an Oakland Township Planning Commission member for 18 years (1997-2015). He was the Chairperson of that Commission for a large number of those years. He is very knowledgeable about our Township Ordinances and Planning process since he was also a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals. He has demonstrated his ability to listen to the residents on issues that impact them while leading the Planning Commission through complex and controversial issues. James has been in the information technology field, and has formed and owned businesses in that field.

John Markel has been active in Township matters for at least the last 10 to 15 years. He participates in many Township Board meetings during the discussions on the matters before the Board. His recommendations to the Board frequently deal with well documented and transparent processes for the Township Board’s and staff to follow. He is involved in the Auto Industry and is very familiar with the Quality Standards defined by QS9000 requirements. He has served on the Zoning Board of Appeals for 3 years. He was Chairperson of the ZBA for one year.

Why is this important to the citizens of Oakland Township?

The person who sits in the Supervisor position is critical to the success of our Township. He/she has the responsibility to effectively and efficiently lead the Board through complex and controversial issues based on the existing laws and ordinances that govern our Charter Township. Issues that come up need to be dealt with in a manner that comprehend the desires of the residents of the Township.

The Treasurer and Clerk Positions are also critical to our Township. The Oath of Office that our Treasurer and Clerk took when they were sworn in, would best be served if they continued to fulfill their commitment to those positions. If they are interested in the Supervisor position, they can run for that position in 2024.

From the author’s perspective, we have two candidates that are eminently qualified for the Supervisory position. They are Andy Zale & James Carter. Both of these individuals had demonstrated their ability to lead Township Commissions through complex issues while involving residents in a non-confrontational manner.

The process and criteria that Board will use to select the best person for the position is not clear. However, citizen input may have an influence on their thinking. The author has shared with you his thoughts on the matter. If you want to potentially impact the Board’s decision, I suggest you contact the Board, and share your thoughts with all six of them.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS MATTER WITH THE BOARD, I HAVE ATTACHED THE EMAIL LINK TO OUR TOWNSHIP MANAGER, ADAM KLINE. YOU COULD ASK HIM TO FORWARD YOUR EMAIL TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS. HERE IS ADAM’S EMAIL ADDRESS:

akline@Oaklandtownship.org

Richard Michalski

Civility will return to Oakland Township! Our reputation restored!

7 Replies

Congratulations! Our collective efforts have been successful!

Here are the names of the unofficial winners of the Oakland Township Board positions for 2016-2020 – pending the results of the November election:

Supervisor – Mike Bailey

Treasurer – Jeanne Langlois

Clerk – Karen Reilly

Trustee – Robin Buxar

Trustee – Frank Ferriolo

Trustee – John Giannangeli

Trustee – Lana Mangiapane (only member of Terry Gonser’s ‘ticket’)

Here are the names of the unofficial winners of the Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Commission positions for 2016-2020 – pending the results of the November election:

Emily Barkham

Craig Blust

Dan Bukowski

Colin Choi

Cathy Rooney

Daniel Simon

Hank Van Agen

In addition, both the Parks renewal millage and the OPC transportation millage were approved.

Why is this important to the citizens of Oakland Township?

With these public servants:

Civil, ethical and professional behavior will be restored at both the Board and Parks Commission level.
Turmoil regarding the form of governance in Oakland Township will be eliminated.
The certainty of the position of Township Manager will enable us to have the most qualified professional municipal manager run the day to day operations in the Township.
Conflicts between the Board and the Parks and Recreation Commission will be eliminated.
The great reputation of our Township will be restored.

Will there be difficult and contentious issues our community will have to deal with? Absolutely! Will there be differences of opinion on how to resolve the issues? Absolutely!

However, we have seen how the returning Board members have developed and worked together as a team over the past few years. Our future looks bright!

Thanks to all the great candidates that chose to run for office! Thanks to the retiring Parks and Recreation Commission members for ‘vetting’ the new Commission’s candidates, so their legacy will continue! Thanks to the countless others that helped get the new officials elected! Thanks to all those who have been following this website! Thanks to all of those who contributed to the ‘Oakland Township Watchers Action Committee’ for helping to make the election results a success!

BUT, most of all, thanks to all those who voted!

YOUR VOTE COUNTED!

Richard Michalski & Jim Foulkrod

Six of seven Township Board members announce their candidacy for Board positions

Is Detroit Water still an option for parts of Oakland Township?

4 Replies

At the May 26, 2015 Oakland Township Board meeting, Supervisor Gonser announced that he planned two public meetings for citizens impacted by the water supply systems that are being considered for two sections in Oakland Township. One section is in the Southwest portion of the Township, and the other is in the Southeast portion of the Township. Gonser announced the meetings would occur on June 18, 2015. Treasurer Langlois thought the meetings were premature, and was opposed to having the meetings. Trustee Giannangeli indicated that Detroit Water is still under consideration by the Township. This option could result in water tap fees for the impacted citizens. It was recently posted on the Township website that the meetings have been postponed.

During the May 26th meeting, Supervisor Gonser announced that:

high water towers are not being considered,
the ground water storage tanks will not be installed on parkland, and
Oakland Hunt would not be a subdivision included in the Southeast water district.

Gonser went on to say that there are two aspects to the water supply system issue. Engineering issues are one. He wanted to present this information at the June 18th meeting. The other aspect is the legal, or operational, issues associated with the systems.

He indicated there are three legal options under consideration for the management and operation of the water supply facilities. The three options are:

continue as-is, but with the Township agreeing to a PA342 agreement with the County, where the Township would be responsible for part of the bonding of the system,
have the Township form a Department of Public Works Department and take over the operation of the system, or
contract with an outside company to have them maintain and operate the system.

Trustee Giannangeli also commented that Detroit City Water is still an option.

Treasurer Langlois commented that the June 18th meeting was premature since she felt the legal/operational matters needed to be understood before going back to the citizens.

After the May 26th meeting, the Township website posted that Gonser’s announced June 18th meetings have been postponed.

Here is a map showing the proposed water system districts in Oakland Township (click on map to view larger version):

Here is a link to a copy of a summary of the February 9, 2015 meeting held on this topic:

020915_OAT_Public_Meeting_Summary_final__1_

Here is a video of the discussions at the May 26th meeting:

Here are previously reported posts related to this topic.

Some Oakland Township residents may be entitled to a $2,500 refund from the Township

Oakland Township sued for over $4 million in Water Tap Fees

UPDATE: Oakland Township sued for over $4 (now $5) million in Water Tap Fees

Supervisor Gonser announces Township plans for water treatment and water storage facilities

Why is this important to the citizens of Oakland Township? Trustee Giannangeli’s comment raises an issue regarding potential costs to the residents impacted in the two water district sections of the Township. The Board had previously decided that Oakland Township would not use Detroit Water, and as a result refunded several million dollars in water tap fees to (primarily) developers who paid for future connects to the Detroit water system. Since that money was returned to (primarily) developers, if the Township now decides to have Detroit water, the private homeowners impacted may have to pay a water tap fee. Some of those homeowners may have understood that any future water tap fee to the Detroit system was already included in the purchase price of their home. They may now be faced with paying for it a second time.

It appears Treasurer Langlois, who is a member of the water system subcommittee (along with Giannangeli and Gonser), was surprised that the June 18th meeting was being announced. Gonser’s decision to announce the meeting is yet another example of him overstepping his authority and making a decision without subcommittee and Board approval.

RIchard Michalski

Trustee John Giannangeli reluctantly apologizes for calling Planning Commission Chairman a liar

Trustees Thalmann and Giannangeli fail to comprehend Trustee Buxar’s comments

Township Board approves potentially precedent setting (and costly) policy on Road maintenance

4 Replies

The Township Board approved spending $40,000 of funds from the ‘general fund’ to improve the gravel road portion of Silverbell Road at the September 9, 2014 Board meeting. The Board approved spending this money by a 4 to 3 margin.

Treasurer Langlois expressed concerns regarding:

the lack of having a comprehensive plan for our Township Road improvements that would ensure we were addressing the most critical roads,
the use of ‘general funds’ for this project, and
the precedent setting action of the Township assuming responsibility for the safety of the roads. The Oakland County Road Commission has that responsibility.

This decision may cost the Township ‘dearly’ in the future.

At the September 9, 2014 Oakland Township Board meeting, Supervisor Gonser stated that the Road Commission had contracted for enough limestone to improve about one additional mile of gravel roads in Oakland Township. This limestone was in addition to the improvements that occurred on Dutton Road this year.

Road improvements in our Township (above and beyond what is required for safety) have historically been covered by what is called tri-party funds. The dollars for these improvements come from three sources, 1/3 from the Road Commission, 1/3 from the County and 1/3 from Oakland Township (hence the name tri-party fund). In other words, our dollars are ‘leveraged’. The cost for the Dutton Road improvements was also shared between Oakland Township and Rochester Hills. That improvement was totally covered by tri-party funds from both communities.

The cost for the additional mile of limestone could not be totally covered by the remaining 2014 Oakland Township tri-party funds. It would require an additional $40,000 from Oakland Township’s ‘General Fund’. Supervisor Gonser wanted to authorize the Road Commission to purchase and use the limestone on Silverbell road in response to safety concerns raised by citizens.

Treasurer Langlois indicated she was not in favor of using Township ‘General Funds’ to improve road safety when road safety was the responsibility of the Road Commission. She also pointed out that the Township’s road improvement planning has deteriorated since we lost our previous Township manager. Treasurer Langlois, Trustees Buxar and Bailey all expressed disappointment that a more comprehensive plan had not been developed that would ensure the most critical roads in the Township were being addressed.

The Township Board voted on the motion to purchase the limestone, and it passed with Gonser, Reilly, Thalmann and Giannangeli supporting the motion. Langlois, Buxar and Bailey being the dissenting minority.

Here is a video of Treasurer Langlois’ concerns with this motion:

Why is this important to the citizens of Oakland Township? The use of general funds for road improvements to eliminate safety concerns could be a precedent setting action. The Road Commission may now look to the Township to pay for future road improvements that they consider safety related. Until now, the Road Commission has been responsible for safety. The Board’s decision may cloud that responsibility going forward. If the Township becomes responsible for road safety, our taxes will certainly increase to cover those costs.

The politically expeditious decision by Supervisor Gonser, Clerk Reilly and Trustees Thalmann and Giannangeli may cost the Township dearly in the future!

Richard Michalski

Another Open Meeting violation by Oakland Township Board or Gonser’s ‘puppet’ speaking?

1 Reply

The August 12 Oakland Township Board meeting had an agenda item to discuss a Request for Proposal (RFP) for planning services. Due to the length of that meeting, that agenda item was never discussed. It was tabled until the September meeting. The Supervisor never requested any input on this topic from the Planning Commission, even though they could be significantly impacted by the Board’s decision.

At the September 2, 2014 Planning Commission meeting, Trustee Giannangeli failed to bring up this issue for discussion. However, Chairman James Carter added it to the agenda based on a request from another Board member. During the discussion, Giannangeli indicated that the Township Board wanted to send out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Planning Consultant services in Oakland Township. He went on to say that they may want two RFP’S. One for the Planning consulting services for developing the Master Plan, and yet another one for the ongoing Planning Commission support services. This topic had never been discussed in an Open Meeting with the Township Board, yet Giannangeli presented it as a request from the Board.

Where is Trustee Giannangeli getting this direction? If it is coming from the Board, it is a violation of the Open Meetings Act since it was not discussed in an open meeting. If it is coming from Supervisor Gonser, then Gonser is usurping the authority of the entire Board. In either case, John Giannangeli’s comments were inappropriate.

Here is a video of this discussion at the September 2 Planning Commission meeting:

Why is this important to the citizens of Oakland Township? If the direction Giannangeli said DID come from the Township Board, it was a clear violation of the Open Meetings Act. If the direction Giannangeli stated as coming from the Board really was just a conversation Giannangeli and Gonser had, it is an example of how Gonser is using Giannangeli as his ‘puppet’ on the Planning Commission. This is not the first time Gonser has attempted to influence the Planning Commission by having personal conversations with his ‘appointees’. It was previously reported on this website how Gonser used Ron Hein, another one of his appointments, to influence the strategic direction of the Planning Commission.

As Gonser continues to ‘purge’ the various board, commission, consultant members in Oakland Township, history has already demonstrated that his replacements look to Gonser for ‘direction’. Is that the type of leadership and community the citizens of Oakland Township want?

Richard Michalski

Here is a related previous post:

Supervisor Gonser attempts to influence Planning Commission’s Master Plan

Richard Michalski

Trustee Giannangeli falsely accuses Planning Commission Chairman James Carter of lying yet Giannangeli was the one who lied

4 Replies

At the August 12, 2014 Oakland Township Board meeting, Trustee Giannangeli defended the appointments the Supervisor wanted to make to the Planning Commission by denigrating his fellow Planning Commission members.

At the September 2, 2014 Planning Commission meeting, Planning Commission Chairman, James Carter asked Giannangeli to explain his comments to the entire Planning Commission. John not only denied saying what he said, but called James Carter a liar and then refused to explain his accusations. He did not have the courage to express his concerns ‘in person’ with his fellow Planning Commission members.

During the discussions that occurred at the August 12 Board meeting, Trustee John Giannangeli made several negative comments about the Planning Commission. These comments were used to justify appointing three new members to the Planning Commission (in addition to the two relatively new members that they appointed previously). The Planning Commission consists of seven members. There are now only two experienced Commission members as they undertake revisions to our Township Master Plan.

Trustee John Giannangeli is a member of the Planning Commission. He made a recommendation at the Board meeting that the Township should set ‘term limits’ for the Planning Commission and other positions in the Township. He also made the following statement about the Planning Commission:

“They think they own the Township, not the residents. I sit on the Planning Commission and I listen to those comments they make sometimes and I keep my mouth shut.”

At the September 2 Planning Commission meeting, Chairman James Carter asked Trustee John Giannangeli to explain the comments he made at the August 12 meeting. Giannangeli denied that he recommended ‘term limits’ for the Planning Commission members, even though the recording of that meeting indicated that he had made that recommendation. Giannangeli even accused Carter of lying!

When Carter asked Giannangeli to explain his comment about the Planning Commission acting like “they own” the Township, Giannangeli got very defensive and refused to explain the comment he had made at the August 12 meeting. He appears to only have the courage or ‘backbone’ to express his opinion when he has others present to defend him!

Here is a video of the discussions that occurred at both the August 12 & September 2 meeting:

Why is this important to the citizens of Oakland Township? Oakland Township is a highly desirable community. This did not happen by accident. The past Planning Commission members played a major role in making Oakland Township what it is. Our Supervisor wants to change it by appointing new people to the Planning Commission.

John Giannangeli is an UNELECTED Trustee that Supervisor Gonser nominated for the position created when Trustee McKay quit. He is also the Board’s representative on the Planning Commission. This summer, John was voted in as a Republican candidate for Trustee for the fall general election. It was an unopposed primary race. There were two candidates for two positions, yet John Giannangeli received 31 fewer votes than the other candidate, Robin Buxar (1329 vs. 1360).

Did those 31 voters have a better understanding of who John Giannangeli really is?

The citizens will have an opportunity to vote for (or against) John this fall in the general election. Since there are two Trustee positions and no Democrats or Independents on the ballot, maybe a “write in” candidate could fill that seat and change the makeup of our Township Board.

We will have two more years of Gonser’s tyrannical leadership. However, we can impact our future NOW by finding a ‘write-in’ candidate to run against John Giannangeli this fall and take back control of the Board by replacing Gonser’s extremist ‘puppet’.

Richard Michalski

Here is a related link that is worth revisiting:

Township Board appoints John Giannangeli to vacant Trustee seat. Will the real John Giannangeli please stand up?

Supervisor Gonser incorrectly blames others for failure to be prepared for employee health care decision

1 Reply

At the August 12, 2014 Board meeting, the Board was forced to make an uninformed decision regarding the health care plan for Township employees. The Township employee health care plans take effect on September 1 each year. The Board decided to ‘opt out’ of the cost share obligation of Public Act 152 of 2011, and continue the current coverage for employees. This decision was made since no one on staff looked at alternatives in time for the September 1 deadline. They also had not looked at the carry-over plan that was approved. The Board had virtually no time to review or make an informed decision on this matter. This is clearly an example of poor planning on the part of our Supervisor and Township Manager.

John Giannagelli indicated that he was disappointed that they had to ‘opt out’. He thought that maybe the 152 plan options would have been better for the Township. Supervisor Gonser then stated:

“Unfortunately, this was not identified earlier… really last year. It was completely missed”

Here is a video of that discussion:

Why is this important to the citizens of Oakland Township? Terry Gonser continues to deflect any criticism on issues for which he bares responsibility. Attempting to blame this issue on someone (our former Manager) from over a year ago does not pass the credibility test (sounds like Washington doesn’t it).

The current manager, Ann Capela, has been on staff since February, and certainly should have been able to investigate the health care options during the past 6 months.

Our supervisor has repeatedly stated how many hours he spends at the Township Hall. His presence may actually be preventing our Township Manager from doing her work. Gonser needs to get out of the way, and let the staff do their work. He also needs to stop blaming others.

I was once told, “Poor planning does not constitute an emergency!” This is clearly a case of ‘poor planning’, yet our Supervisor continues to ‘fire’ the experienced planning individuals on our Planning Commission, and wants to provide the Planning Commission with his ‘strategic planning vision’. Does he merit that trust? I think NOT!

Richard Michalski