By: Dean Vaglia | C&G Newspapers | Published May 14, 2026
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The Clinton Township Board of Trustees dedicated a good portion of its May 11 meeting to recognizing community members for various aspects of public service.
Three resolutions honoring individuals opened the meeting.
The first act of recognition went to Robert Jantz in honor of his 90th birthday and life of public service. Born in Detroit and a 60-year Clinton Township resident, Jantz raised over $300,000 for Special Olympics Michigan over 40 years of being involved with the organization.
Next to be recognized was U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth McLellan II, who was recognized by the Germany-based 21st Theater Sustainment Command as its “Hero of the Week” in April. McLellan has served in the Army for over 16 years, operating out of Grafenwöhr, Germany since 2023 with the 15th Engineer Battalion where he initially established a multi-role bridge company and now serves as the battalion master driver, ammunition forecasting manager and land reservation manager.
The final resident to be honored for their deeds was Autumn Pratt. A lieutenant in the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office Explorers program, Pratt provided aid to an injured woman along Little Mack Avenue on March 25. She applied pressure to a puncture wound until an ambulance arrived. Pratt’s service was of particular interest to Township Supervisor Paul Gieleghem, who was curious about how the township could get more young people interested in police and fire service.
Public comment commotion
After having been tabled at the April 13 meeting, trustees revisited a proposal from Gieleghem about changing the township’s public comment policy for board meetings.
The policy would limit commenters to three minutes of speaking during two public comment portions: one at the start of the meeting for agenda-related items and one at the end for subjects not on the agenda. The policy is similar to those found in surrounding communities but is a sharp departure from the current policy that allows people three minutes of public commenting on every agenda item along with a dedicated public comment portion at the end of meetings.
The policy, intended by Gieleghem to make meetings more efficient, was unpopular when first introduced and remained unpopular with trustees and the assembled audience a month later. Three members of the public spoke against the policy while trustees Dan Kress, Bruce Wade and Township Clerk Kim Meltzer voiced their opposition to the policy.
“What’s broken with the current system?” Kress said. “I’ll go on to say there’s nothing wrong with the current system … People show up when they’re passionate about something. If they see something on the agenda that affects them, and they want to come express their opinions and their viewpoints on a particular agenda item … I think that it’s important that they have the opportunity to comment. It’s not going to shorten the meeting, because you’re going to have a lot of frustrated people at the end and they’re going to talk at length, and when they talk it’s too late. We’ve already voted on it.”
Trustee Shannon King proposed several amendments to the policy, though the only one to have any interest with trustees was a review of the policy after 120 days.
A key vote to break the 3-3 tie that emerged back in April was Trustee Julie Matuzak, whose absence a month ago was key to the vote on the policy being delayed. Matuzak was in favor of the policy but voted against it to end the roughly 30 minutes of debate on the matter.
“I think there are plenty of opportunities for the public to speak, to contact us — Lord knows I get lots of emails, lots of calls, lots of other things,” Matuzak said. “I think changing this does streamline. I don’t think it limits public participation, but I’m also going to tell you this is not a hill I’m going to die on. I want to move to the next agenda item, which is far more important than this one is … I supported this. I’m going to vote against it because I don’t think there’s the votes to pass it, and I’m tired and moving on. I want to move on. I’m done with this debate. I think it’s a silly debate that people are engaged in to gain political points, and I’m not willing to play with that anymore.”
Matuzak voted alongside Wade, Kress and Meltzer to quash the policy, keeping the township’s unique public comment system intact.