Suttons Bay Township hired a new “parks manager,” Jared Pontius, at their regular board meeting May 8.
Pontius will play an analogous role to Parks Supervisor Bill Drozdalski, who stepped down back in October.
Pontius owns the Korner Kottage Bed and Breakfast in Suttons Bay and has been a member of Suttons Bay Village’s planning commission from 2018 to present. According to township trustees Eric Carlson and Dorothy Petoskey, Pontius was one of two applicants and came with positive recommendations from people in the township and the village.
“I believe that my work experience and education have equipped me with the skills necessary to be a successful candidate for this position,” Pontius wrote in his cover letter. “Our community and its parks are important to me and should be operated and cared for with respect and efficiency.”
Pontius’s predecessor, Drozdalski, voluntarily resigned from his position in October. Back in July, a group of residents involved in crowdfunding for Herman Park improvements accused Drozdalski of “cost(ing) our township taxpayers an unknown amount of money over the years” and “incompetence and lack of integrity,” calling for a personnel change.
On other occasions, Drozdalski seemed to come in conflict with the township’s parks and recreation committee over the direction that the parks should take. The new title for the position, parks manager, is partly intended to clarify that the township employee occupying this position will not have a supervisory role over the township residents serving on the parks and rec committee.
Pontius started the following day on Friday. He will work as an at-will township employee, working part time and earning a $10,000 annual salary.
A new parks maintenance and activities assistant position that was also created by the township board will be filled by Pete Ostrowski. Ostrowski is the current chair of the parks and rec committee and assistant parks supervisor. He will retain his $4,000 annual salary, as the parks assistant role will replace the assistant parks supervisor job title.
Also at their May monthly meeting, the board:
• Heard the county road commission’s annual report presented by road commission Manager Brendan Mullane and Commissioner John Popa.
• Approved certificates of appreciation for two former township planning commission members, Don Gregory and Dee McClure.
• Passed amendments to the township’s 2023 budget that township treasurer Petoskey said were bringing several items “into line.”
