Kelso Resigns Post as County Road Engineer
By Amy Polk

Engineer Manager Craig Kelso resigned from his position with the Mackinac County Road Commission Tuesday, July 10. Ten days before officially resigning from the road commission, he was offered the same position with the Schoolcraft County Road Commission. At its June 27 meeting, Schoolcraft County Road Commission voted 3-0 in favor of offering Mr. Kelso a job and the employment contract they negotiated with him. They accepted his signed contract July 11, said interim Schoolcraft County Road Commission manager Burt Vail.

In his letter to Mackinac County Road Commission, Mr. Kelso stated his "retirement" will be effective 180 days from July 9, when the letter was dated.

Schoolcraft County Road Commission offered Mr. Kelso a base salary of $90,480 with the potential for more. His salary will be finalized at Schoolcraft County Road Commission's next meeting July 25.

Mr. Kelso was scheduled to receive a salary of $88,369.33 for 2007 and $91,462.26 in 2008 as an employee of Mackinac County Road Commission. He also had the use of a vehicle for work and personal driving.

Schoolcraft County Road Commission has been without an engineer/manager since August 25, 2006, when it terminated the contract with its former engineer/ manager. Mr. Vail has been filling in since then. The engineer/ manager position was posted in the County Road Commission Association of Michigan newsletter, Mr. Vail said, and Mr. Kelso was the only applicant for the engineer/manager's job.

Mr. Kelso said Schoolcraft County Road Commission approached him and offered him the position, and that he has "been talking with them for awhile."

"It sounded like a challenge. It sounded like a fun thing to do," Mr. Kelso told The St. Ignace News.

Mr. Kelso has been the Mackinac County Road Commission engineer/manager for eight years. He said he enjoyed working for the Mackinac County Road Commission, and that it has "just an outstanding crew and staff."

"They've been great people to work with, and it's been an awesome experience to work here," he said of Mackinac County.

The Mackinac County Road Commission unanimously accepted Mr. Kelso's resignation, "with regret" at the July 10 meeting.

Mackinac County Road Commission Chair Frank Luepnitz seemed surprised by Mr. Kelso's resignation, and said he didn't know until he was handed the letter at the July 10 meeting. He asked if Mr. Kelso's contract binds him to Mackinac County through 2008. Commissioners Lester Livermore and Paul Amacher speculated there are probably provisions in the contract that allow him out, and the commission elected to hire an attorney to examine the contract.

Commissioners scheduled a special meeting Tuesday, July 31, at 1:30 p.m. to determine how it will fill the vacancy. Questions raised by commissioners include whether the commission should have an engineer/manager, whether it will advertise the position, how much salary to offer, and other aspects of the position.

In other news, road commissioners cited dwindling maintenance funding as the reason for declining project requests, including leasing another grader for East District road maintenance. The lease would cost the road commission $2,500 to $5,000 a month. The road commission has about $556,000 left in the maintenance fund for the rest of the year, including the winter plowing season. That total amount is budgeted for the various needs of the county's roads. Commissioner Paul Amacher noted, for instance, there is only $116 in the culvert and drain fund, while addressing Joan Theut's request for drainage culvert improvements near her driveway in St. Ignace Township.

"So am I just in limbo?" Ms. Theut asked. "Is there no answer?"

Commissioners said there is simply not enough money available for that, and other special maintenance requests like one raised by Mr. Luepnitz to clear leaning trees from a road. When questioned by people in the audience, commissioners said they did not know when more money would become available. When asked whether poor planning attributed to the lack of funds, commissioners said it was "poor funding." Road maintenance funds come from gasoline taxes and vehicle licensing and registrations.

Ms. Theut suggested Mackinac County levy a county-wide millage for road maintenance the way Chippewa County does, since Chippewa County seems to be doing road maintenance "all the time." Road Commission Clerk Theresa McPherson said Mackinac County tried that once, but failed to get voter support for the millage.

Commissioners told the Les Cheneaux Antique Wooden Boat Show Committee it cannot name specific individuals, businesses, or organizations to be excluded from a road closure of county roads during the boat show Saturday, August 11.

As it has in previous years, the boat show committee requested Mackinac County Road Commission permission to close roads around the downtown Hessel area the day of the show to any vehicular traffic except emergency vehicles. The committee wants to only allow pedestrian traffic there. Closing the road to specific people or vehicles is not necessary, commissioners said.

"If you close the road to traffic, it's closed to everyone. It's only open to those you deem necessary to the operation of the boat show," Commissioner Livermore said before moving to approve the closure permit without citing specific businesses or people.

Commissioners referred the boat show committee to the Mackinac County Sheriff's Department for enforcement questions.

St. Ignace Township Supervisor Dale Nelson requested a total cost estimate for black-topping Belonga Road, and said he obtained a quote for road work that is approximately $60,000 less than what the road commission estimated. He complained the road commission's estimate does not "even come close" to the bid he received, and he asked whether anyone would accept an estimate, like the Road Commission's, that says the work will cost "plus or minus 10%" of the estimated cost.

"We don't have a lot of money in our townships, and I'm looking out for the taxpayers," Mr. Nelson said.

Commissioner Amacher said the road commission will have to seek other bids on the project, and commissioners subsequently elected to solicit bids.

Hudson Township Supervisor Al Garavaglia said he also obtained a bid for road work that was approximately $7,300 less than a Mackinac County Road Commission estimate. Commissioner Livermore defended the practice of providing estimates with room for 10% more or less than the estimated price, saying "Craig [Kelso] is just hedging your bets" in the event a project costs more than the estimate. It allows townships to ensure they have enough money for a project if the cost runs over the estimated amount.