Pere Marquette Charter Township Board, November 2008
Seated: Clerk, Joanne Kelley; Supervisor, Gene Jorissen; Treasurer, Sara Shelly. Standing, from left are Trustees Hank Groendal, Paul Piper, Pam Beal, and Jim McInnis
The Township Board is the center of Township government. The Board is normally made up of three elected officials: the Supervisor, Treasurer, and Clerk and four elected Trustees. All of Pere Marquette Township's Board positions are currently filled by individuals who were elected in November 2008. Supervisor Gene Jorissen was elected for the fourth time, and has been serving in the position since he was appointed in 1995. Clerk Joanne Kelley was elected for her seventh term, after being appointed in 1985. Treasurer Sara Shelly has served since 2006 when she was appointed to fill a vacancy; this was her first time elected to the position.
In 2008, voters chose to retain all three of the three incumbent trustees who ran for re-election. Trustees are Henry Groendal, who was first appointed in 1998, and has won election to the position three times; Paul Piper who was appointed in 2001 and was elected three times; Pam Beal was appointed in 2005, and this was her second election to the position.
Three newcomers were also on the ballot -- making a total of six candidates vying for four Township Trustee positions. Jim McInnis was the successful candidate, and he was seated in 2008.
The Supervisor presides at meetings of the Board. Typical items for consideration and discussion at Board meetings include budgets, the tax levy, special assessment districts for water and sewer projects, tax abatement matters, sale or purchase of Township real property or other merchandise and equipment, etc. Issues of running the Township offices, rules regarding the rental hall, Township building construction, and management of the various Departments and committees also come under the jurisdiction of the Township Board.
Pere Marquette Township’s Regular meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. All agenda items consist of discussion and a vote. Board members are provided extensive information on each item in advance of the meeting.
Meetings held on the fourth Tuesday are also considered "Committee of the Whole" meetings. This portion of the meeting is used for in-depth discussions on the various issues. This is a discussion forum for the Board and no action is taken during Committee of the Whole discussions.
The Board is eager to receive public comment and respects the rights of citizens to participate in the legislative process. Two "Public Comment" times are provided for people to comment on items listed on the Agenda. Early in the meeting, there is a time for comments that will take less than two minutes. At the end of the meeting time is scheduled for longer comments on the issues.
You can access recent Board minutes with the links at the top of this page. If you're looking for older minutes, or for something specific, please contact the Clerk's office.
Because there are so many aspects to Township government, the Board has many committees and related Boards that assist in gathering information and making recommendations. You can learn about some of these by exploring our other web pages.
Pere Marquette Charter Township Board, November 2008
Seated: Clerk, Joanne Kelley; Supervisor, Gene Jorissen; Treasurer, Sara Shelly. Standing, from left are Trustees Hank Groendal, Paul Piper, Pam Beal, and Jim McInnis
The Township Board is the center of Township government. The Board is normally made up of three elected officials: the Supervisor, Treasurer, and Clerk and four elected Trustees. All of Pere Marquette Township's Board positions are currently filled by individuals who were elected in November 2008. Supervisor Gene Jorissen was elected for the fourth time, and has been serving in the position since he was appointed in 1995. Clerk Joanne Kelley was elected for her seventh term, after being appointed in 1985. Treasurer Sara Shelly has served since 2006 when she was appointed to fill a vacancy; this was her first time elected to the position.
In 2008, voters chose to retain all three of the three incumbent trustees who ran for re-election. Trustees are Henry Groendal, who was first appointed in 1998, and has won election to the position three times; Paul Piper who was appointed in 2001 and was elected three times; Pam Beal was appointed in 2005, and this was her second election to the position.
Three newcomers were also on the ballot -- making a total of six candidates vying for four Township Trustee positions. Jim McInnis was the successful candidate, and he was seated in 2008.
The Supervisor presides at meetings of the Board. Typical items for consideration and discussion at Board meetings include budgets, the tax levy, special assessment districts for water and sewer projects, tax abatement matters, sale or purchase of Township real property or other merchandise and equipment, etc. Issues of running the Township offices, rules regarding the rental hall, Township building construction, and management of the various Departments and committees also come under the jurisdiction of the Township Board.
Pere Marquette Township’s Regular meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. All agenda items consist of discussion and a vote. Board members are provided extensive information on each item in advance of the meeting.
Meetings held on the fourth Tuesday are also considered "Committee of the Whole" meetings. This portion of the meeting is used for in-depth discussions on the various issues. This is a discussion forum for the Board and no action is taken during Committee of the Whole discussions.
The Board is eager to receive public comment and respects the rights of citizens to participate in the legislative process. Two "Public Comment" times are provided for people to comment on items listed on the Agenda. Early in the meeting, there is a time for comments that will take less than two minutes. At the end of the meeting time is scheduled for longer comments on the issues.
You can access recent Board minutes with the links at the top of this page. If you're looking for older minutes, or for something specific, please contact the Clerk's office.
Because there are so many aspects to Township government, the Board has many committees and related Boards that assist in gathering information and making recommendations. You can learn about some of these by exploring our other web pages.