Genesee County commissioners consider opening ‘Pandora’s box’ by investigating Road Commission complaints

Genesee County, Mi – Two months after the County Board of Commissioners was requested to analyze complaints relating to the street committee, there may be nonetheless no consensus about whether or not that is the case.

Commissioners say that they intend to satisfy their attorneys, subsequent week earlier than they resolve whether or not they have been conducting an investigation by the company that has been chased for years by claims of discrimination and retribution of incapacity.

Commissioners mentioned they need the assembly with a closed door to debate a brand new authorized opinion they obtained from their attorneys this week.

Some mentioned that the brand new opinion is opposite to an earlier opinion on this topic and opens the door to conduct a analysis investigation.

The correspondence of the lawyer-client is just not topic to the Freedom of Data Act and was not launched by the county previous to a committee assembly the place it was mentioned on Wednesday 7 Could.

“Let’s lower out politics on either side and for instance as a board how we react … on complaints that we obtain in an unbiased means,” mentioned County Board chairman Delrico Loyd. “The regulation says that we’ve the accountability for these folks, and it’s our job to reply and to reply to costs that encounter (away) supervisory administrators.”

Commissioner Charles Winfrey, D-Flint, mentioned that this yr he obtained present oral and written complaints from workers, which claims that discrimination and a scarcity of promotion choices.

Winfrey has pressured to rent an impartial firm to analyze employees practices on the committee, however different supervisory administrators have mentioned that there’s already a course of to rearrange particular person complaints with the assistance of a 3rd -party investigation on the company.

“You open this door, it’s probably Pandora’s field,” mentioned Commissioner Brian K. FlewellingR-Davison. “It is a broad grievance … There is no such thing as a specificity … it is nearly like a witch hunt.”

Commissioners mentioned they obtained not less than one written worker request, asking if they might act on complaints in regards to the street committee.

The e -mail is just not included in an data bundle that was posted on the province’s web site on Wednesday.

Mlive-the Flint Journal has requested the doc by way of the Freedom of Data Act.

A spokeswoman for a street committee didn’t instantly reply to a request for feedback on Friday 9 Could.

District Commissioners appoint the 5 members of the Highway Fee, however they don’t have each day supervision of its actions or bills.

Highway commissioners make selections in regards to the price range, employees and coverage of the company.

The instructed will be deleted by district commissioners, however should obtain written notification of costs towards them and the potential for showing throughout a elimination listening to.

In 2019, commissioners voted to begin the elimination course of for 2 street commissioners, however left these plans shortly after the hassle started.

Complaints about hiring and promotional practices on the street committee date from just a few years and have resulted in particular complaints in lawsuits by workers.

In 2022, the related predecessors for social motion referred to as for the resignation of street commissioners that black directors obtained promotion choices and wage will increase that have been obtained by related white officers.

Civil servants of the street committee have beforehand referred to as the allegations incorrect and deceptive.

In 2023, Loyd, D-Flint and Commissioner Shaun Shumaker, R-Fenton TWP., Labored along with the civilian division of the workplace of the general public prosecutor to conduct interviews with street commissioners and the supervisor of the company.

Loyd mentioned on Wednesday that the probe was restricted and didn’t embrace interviews with different workers.

Shumaker referred to as the allegations ‘political assaults’, made to focus particular person street commissioners on elimination.

However Loyd mentioned that his colleagues first must resolve how they take care of present and future requests for investigations.

“Perhaps there may be nothing. Perhaps there may be,” he mentioned. “What we won’t do … Hold saying that we can’t contact it as a result of we’re all of the drama drained …”