At its Sept. 22 meeting, the Pentwater Village Council unanimously approved James "Toby" Van Ess, interim manager, as the new village manager to replace Rachel Witherspoon, who left earlier this month. Van Ess had been serving as the zoning administrator prior to being appointed interim village manager. He comes with more than 20 years of experience in municipal governance.
After graduating from Ferris State University with a degree in business administration, Van Ess was involved in a wide variety of family business ventures that included underground utilities and commercial development. His business expertise led to a position as township treasurer for three years and Tallmadge Township supervisor for 12 years, during which time he served on the Grand Rapids Utility Advisory Board. In Manistee he also worked a year in code enforcement before Witherspoon invited him to consider the zoning position in Pentwater.
Van Ess has been connected to the Pentwater community for 30 years through his wife’s family. He has had residences in Pentwater, in Fountain (his current home), and on Hamlin Lake. During his interview on Monday night, open to the public’s observation and participation, Van Ess spoke about his love of the area and his work here. “I have a great respect for the council and staff, and I enjoy my working relationships with the staff. I have learned a great deal from the staff in the months I have been here, and I trust their wisdom. You have very competent people in place.”
Council President Mary Marshall invited Van Ess to share his views on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis) of the community. He singled out the “strong sense of community and the competence of the new staff” as assets.
He pointed out the need for a “plan to maintain everything now offered, better cooperation with our neighbors, and updating all policies and procedures, particularly in zoning.”
He hopes to expand on the open communication Witherspoon started by “holding open meetings over coffee with residents, welcoming questions at any time, and making stronger connections with the DDA, the school and other community organizations.”
He affirmed council’s pursuit “of a strategic plan and a capital improvement plan that facilitates effective budget allocations.” He has a working knowledge of the village’s bookkeeping program, but he is quick to admit there are areas in which he will depend on staff for advice. His style of leadership includes delegation of responsibility. He acknowledged the challenges Pentwater faces in “supporting an aging population, meeting a high financial burden for water and sewer moving forward, keeping the channel properly dredged, and establishing a positive view of municipal government.”
Following the interview, council members held a discussion, and many positive comments were expressed. Jared Griffis moved to hire Van Ess as village manager. Dan Nugent supported the motion, and the council (all members were present) unanimously approved. A contract will be drawn up for future approval.
Two representatives from Fleis & VandenBrink gave short reports under New Business earlier in the meeting. They requested contract change orders for the water supply chemical sequestration ($36,314) and for the lead line replacement (not to exceed $170,000). The funds will come from amounts already provided by grants that must be spent or will be lost. Both requests were unanimously approved.
Guests present were asked to leave while council went into closed session to discuss a memorandum of advice from the village attorney. The discussion resulted in giving Brian Monton authority to work with Pentwater Township on mediation regarding the north sewer system. The Township Board had previously approved mediation.
Discussion of the strategic plan was postponed until the Oct. 13 council meeting. A draft of the strategic plan is currently in process.
The meeting was adjourned at 8 p.m.
