SN 3-11-2023

Page 2/The Sun and News, Saturday, March 11, 2023

Middleville’s new village manager receives positive

90-day review; Council to consider proposed pay raise

James Gemmell
Contributing Writer
Middleville Village
Manager Craig Stolsonburg
is in line to receive a 2-per-
cent pay raise after getting
high marks from the village
council on his 90-day job
review.
Council members
voice-voted 5-0 at their
Committee of the Whole
meeting Tuesday afternoon
to send the recommended
pay raise on to the full coun-
cil for consideration at its
next meeting. Two trustees
were absent.
If granted, the pay adjust-
ment would boost
Stolsonburg’s annual salary
from $78,000 to $79,560,
retroactive to his 90th day
on the job. He started on
Nov. 1.
Five village council mem-
bers and five staff members
filled out a comprehensive
performance evaluation of

Stolsonburg in January. The

results of that survey were

released in a joint memoran-

dum by Village President

Mike Cramer and President

Pro-Tempore Johnny

DeMaagd.

The quality of his work

was evaluated in three cate-

gories. In the joint council

and staff category, one per-

son scored Stolsonburg’s

performance as average,

seven graded it as good, one

person scored it as good/

excellent, and one person

said it was excellent. He

also received high scores in

the isolated council and staff

categories.

In addition, Stolsonsburg

received positive marks in

planning and problem solv-

ing, interpersonal relations,

organization, communica-

tion, job knowledge and pro-

fessional development, work

attitude and ethics, financial

management, village goals

and accomplishments, and

overall performance.

In supervisory ability, two

people said he needs

improvement but most

ranked him as average or

good.

“I think you’ve taken a

shine to accepting the chal-

lenge and you haven’t

strayed as far as your attitude

of ‘I want to keep learning.

Please tell me if I can do

anything.’ And even if you

may not have all the answers,

that really showcases a very

good leader and a very good

manager,” trustee Makenzi

Peters said.

Cramer noted that the rest

of the village staff has

received a 2-percent pay

raise this year, and said that

the village manager should

be in line for a similar raise.

Peters agreed, but pointed

out that a village employee

job classification and com-

pensation study will be con-

ducted next month (by

Municipal Consulting

Services).

Trustee Richard Hamilton

also said it might be a good

idea to wait for the compen-

sation study to be completed.

He said a 2-percent raise

might not be enough and the

manager should not be

lumped in with the rest of the

staff in terms of receiving the

same percentage pay increase

as them.

“We haven’t done

rate-compensation studies

for the whole staff,”

Cramer said. “But we have

taken a deep dive into the

manager position. So, I

feel like with the 2 percent

now we’re probably going

to be pretty close to in line

with the compensation

study when it’s done. And,

if not, then we would be

able to make adjustments

(retroactively) at that point

if it wasn’t a sufficient

raise.”

improvements. The DNR
recently approved the parks
plan, Heethuis said.
Other improvements rec-
ommended for the first year
of the parks plan include
making upgrades to meet
the Americans With
Disabilities Act, resurfac-
ing the walking trail loop at
the park and exploring
potential routes for trails
connecting the township
park to the Yankee Springs
State Recreation Area,
according to the plan docu-
ment.
The 56-page parks docu-
ment, which will guide
parks improvements
through the 2027-28 fiscal
year, was developed by a
six-member township parks
committee, working with
the consulting firm

Williams & Works.

Township Clerk Mike

Cunningham said at the

January meeting that any

projects identified in the

plan would have to be indi-

vidually approved by the

board based on its merits

and how it balances with

other township needs.

The parks plan was put

together using input gathered

through an online communi-

ty survey that was conducted

in June and July of last year

that received 277 responses,

227 from Yankee Springs

Township residents. The sur-

vey identified providing

opportunities to enjoy nature

and the outdoors, improving

health and wellness, and pro-

viding athletic opportunities

as the benefits that were most

important to respondents,

according to the plan docu-

ment.

Five residents spoke out

against the plan at a January

public hearing, questioning

whether the data truly

reflected the viewpoints of

township residents.

Cunningham noted that

should the cost of the proj-

ect come in higher than

estimated, the township can

put the project on hold.

“(If) conditions change,

we still have an opportunity

to back out ... we’re not

signing a contract here,” he

said.

A decision from the DNR

on the grant request isn’t

expected until late this year.

If approved, the township

would have to sign a grant

agreement early next year,

Heethuis said.

TOWNSHIP PARK, continued from page 1

I think you’ve taken a shine to accepting the

challenge and you haven’t strayed as far as your

attitude of ‘I want to keep learning. Please tell me

if I can do anything.”

• Makenzi Peters, Trustee,
  Village of Middleville

68

Residential & Commercial

–Gas Furnaces

–Gas Boilers

–Air Conditioners

–Heat Pumps

–Water Heaters

–Humidifiers

The grant money would go toward the construction of four pickleball courts

and the formation of a full basketball court. Right now, the park is currently home

to a half-court basketball court.

Village Manager Craig Stolsonburg addresses the Committee of the Whole at

its meeting Tuesday afternoon at village hall. (Photo by James Gemmell)