Boniface announced his resignation April 9 after he was called up for full-time service for six months in the U.S. Army Reserves for coronavirus response.
The township's enabling legislation required that vacancies be filled immediately by appointment, which was done at the April 16 board meeting when three names were submitted and considered by members. Nelson received the nomination by a 4-2 vote.
According to the agenda for the upcoming meeting, the resignation called for submission of a physical copy, but one was not submitted due to the disruption caused by remote working.
"Township staff recently learned that Director Boniface had not tendered a physical copy of his April 4, 2020 resignation as announced at the Township Board meeting to either the Town Secretary, Township Attorney, the President/General Manager or to the Board Chairman," according to the statement in the May 14 agenda. "In the past, such correspondence would have routinely been requested and/or been given to any of the same either in advance of or at the Board Meeting prior to its announcement. However, with staff and the Board both working and meeting remotely, the sudden manner of the resignation announcement, and that resignation was being announced outside these normal channels, neither of these occurred."
The agenda item further states the omission of the letter was not immediately noticed because each person thought the letter had been submitted to another. A letter was eventually submitted, according to township information. The May 14 meeting will allow the board to officially accept the letter and to ratify actions held at its meetings April 16, 22, 27 and 30.
Board meetings can be viewed at 6 p.m. on the township website, and a variety of phone numbers are provided for the public to use during the public comment portion of the meeting.
