Woodward says no conflict of interest working for Sheetz

By Myesha Johnson and Max Bryan, The Detroit Information

The chairman of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners works as a paid personal marketing consultant for Sheetz, the fuel station chain that’s confronted with a recoil in some Metro Detroit communities because it expands to Michigan, though he’s not conflicting with curiosity.

Dave Woodward, the democratic chairman of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners who represents Royal Oak, has been a marketing consultant for Sheetz for a 12 months and a half. Woodward works as a coverage and political adviser along with his position as chairman of the committee. The scenario was first reported by the Oakland Press mid -Could.

Woodward stated on Wednesday that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners has not included voices that need to do with Sheetz. He stated that zoning plans for fuel stations stays to municipal planning committees and the municipal councils that supervise them.

“There’s completely no battle of curiosity,” Woodward stated. “Quite a lot of (provincial) commissioners have jobs exterior the committee. I imply, the fact is to make ends meet, you need to have virtually a job exterior the committee. And I’ve a job. There aren’t any issues which have come for the committee with Sheetz. And identical to another person, if there was a battle, a commissioner would have the duty to rearrange himself.”

However Charles Semchena, former lawyer of Royal Oak Metropolis and a former metropolis commissioner, stated that the position of Woodward to serve his means to serve correctly as a district commissioner, emphasised by a latest approval of the Royal Oak Metropolis Fee for Sheetz to construct a web site on 14 Mile Street and Coolay. The approval even got here when residents and fuel station operators opposed the event.

“Royal Oak -residents, whom he represents, objected to the approval for Sheetz. On the identical time, he appears to be lobbying to get Sheetz permitted,” Semchena stated. “… He works in opposition to the pursuits of the folks he represents, and that’s the actual battle.”

Sheetz, which is already working in six different states, is situated in the course of an formidable growth plan in Michigan. Throughout a Detroit coverage convention earlier this 12 months, the CEO stated that the chain hopes to construct 50 to 60 Sheetz areas in Michigan within the subsequent 5 to 6 years. Earlier this month it opened its second location in Michigan, one other station in Romulus.

However the firm has needed to cope with recoil in some communities resembling Farmington Hills and Taylor due to concern about site visitors, aesthetics inside particular neighborhoods and doable crime because of the 24-hour actions. And Sheetz began the offensive. The corporate sues Farmington Hills to destroy the denial of town of a proposed location on Middlebelt Street at 12 Mile Street that quoted the inconsistency with its grasp plan.

In Royal Oak town permitted the Sheetz location, however the planning committee additionally decided to proceed with a brand new proposal for Kroger Retailer with a fuel station.

Kroger-Die, primarily based in Cincinnati, was searching for a re-use, along with numerous variants-washes plan to demolish the Shuttered Comau product facility on 2800 W. 14 Mile Street, close to Coolidge Freeway, and a retailer and fuel station of practically 103,000 sq. ft.

Sheetz additionally sought a re -use plan for the subsequent 14 Mile Street and Coolidge Freeway web site on simply a whole lot of ft from the proposed Kroger. In February, the Metropolis Planning Fee moved to approve the Website Plan for Sheetz, together with a fuel station, grocery store and restaurant, even whereas critics introduced their concern about noise, air air pollution and financial results on the encircling small firms in the course of the assembly.

Semchena believes that the one distinctive issue between the 2 chains, Kroger and Sheetz, was that Sheetz Woodward had paid for political affect.

Woodward is “not a planning professional. He’s not an underground fuel tank professional,” he stated.

Sheetz stated they haven’t any present or pending issues for the district commissioners.

“Now we have labored with Dave Woodward as a marketing consultant due to his sturdy report of public providers, intensive expertise and deep roots in Oakland County. From the beginning, Sheetz have taken proactive steps to make sure that there have been no conflicts of curiosity with regard to this relationship,” stated Nick Ruffner, Sheetz’s spokesperson.

“At Sheetz we’re deeply devoted to be a accountable group accomplice. We attempt to actively work with leaders who share our mission to stimulate inclusive progress and prosperity in Southeast -Michigan,” stated Ruffner.

Woodward’s partnership has inspired some Oakland County commissioners to insist on extra monetary transparency. In Could, colleague -democratic commissioners Charlie Cavell and Kristen Nelson proposed a decision that commissioners would pressure revenue to disclose exterior their public workplace above a sure threshold.

“It’s essential that chosen and appointed officers take proactive steps to make sure that choices are primarily based on benefit and the significance of the group, not half -time agendas or private monetary acquire,” she stated throughout a committee assembly at the start of Could.

Cavell argues the standing of Woodward as a foyer of the marketing consultant who approves authorities officers in Oakland County who approves that zoning plans for Sheetz.

“(Sheetz is) Paying Dave as a result of he has relationships with the native political folks, so that’s the first downside.

He advised The Oakland Press that he usually doesn’t announce his prospects publicly, however confirmed that he’s working with Sheetz.

“Sheetz is a buyer of mine and it’s a nice firm,” he stated, including that the corporate brings jobs and competitors to the market that he stated will result in higher costs and providers for purchasers.

He stated he retains his enterprise work separate from his work from the provincial committee.

The wage of Woodward as chairman of the committee is $ 82,500 this 12 months. He has not introduced what he earns as a marketing consultant.

Nelson launched the foundations for monetary disclosure after residents of Royal Oak had expressed concern concerning the growth.

Woodward On Wednesday, Nelson accused of constructing unfounded accusations.

“(Nelson and Cavell) throw hooks as a result of they don’t have anything else to speak about,” Woodward stated. He not too long ago sparkled with Nelson and Cavell, who introduced in July that they might not have caucus with the Democrats for ethical and moral causes.

Initially printed: July 31, 2025 at 3:15 pm Edt