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October 15, 2005Acme Township reverses, wants Houlihan removedCites cronyism in decision to support KurtzByRecord-Eagle staff writer ACME - Acme Township will request, after all, that embattled attorney Michael Houlihan be replaced as point man for the investigation of the county's new and failed septage treatment facility. Citing "cronyism" in a firmly entrenched "old guard" of county government, the Acme Township board reversed itself in a vote Thursday. It had decided on Oct. 4 not to make the request, despite a recommendation from supervisor Bill Kurtz. Township treasurer Bill Boltres asked to revisit Kurtz's motion at a special meeting Thursday. He was looking for support to remove Houlihan. "I was against it before, but after I heard more about it, I decided he was right," Boltres said. "Before he hadn't really explained all the things that were going on at the Department of Public Works." The board voted 5-0 to support Kurtz when he asks the sewer and water committee of the DPW to remove Houlihan. The committee will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Garfield Township Hall. Most board members said at the Oct. 4 meeting that they would defer to county administrator Dennis Aloia and DPW interim manager K. Ross Childs. Both voiced support for Houlihan. Township trustee Erick Takayama called that support "cronyism." Kurtz has said Houlihan is too emotionally attached to the project he led for the past eight years and is too closely aligned with the facility's designer, Gourdie-Fraser Inc. Both Houlihan and Gourdie-Fraser have worked for the county's DPW for decades, Kurtz said. An engineering firm hired by the county inspected the facility and raised questions about the design of several buildings. The firm, NTH Consultants, is scheduled to report its initial findings Tuesday. Houlihan, who is directing the probe into the collapsed tank at the multi-million dollar facility, angered Kurtz when he announced he would not make public all the documents relating to the investigation. He was later overruled. The sewer and water committee consists of representatives from Acme, East Bay, Garfield, Elmwood and Peninsula townships, a county commissioner and Traverse City's city manager. Kurtz said he believes if three of the five townships request Houlihan's replacement, it will be enough. Houlihan has said he will step aside if the townships don't have confidence in him. He offered to step down when Kurtz questioned his objectivity in August. The other townships declined. See Related Stories: Septage plant collapse explanation coming - October 15, 2005 County officials back Houlihan in septage plant investigation - October 7, 2005 Septage plant 'debacle' questioned; Supervisor wants all info - October 4, 2005 Public awaits report on collapse of septage plant - September 27, 2005 Taxpayers won't foot bill for septage plant repairs - July 26, 2005 Officials looked for 'spin' in septage plant collapse - July 23, 2005 Septage spill situation becoming muddled, attorney says - July 23, 2005 Septage plant repairs tagged at $2 million - July 19, 2005 Health risk from septage plant failure said minimal - July 19, 2005 Well owners near GT County's septage plant fear contamination - June 25, 2005 GT County's septage treatment plant may reopen - June 22, 2005 Septage plant 'structural failure' is investigated - June 21, 2005 Burst tank rocks GT County's new septage plant - June 19, 2005
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