Springfield Township Status: It’s Complicated

Over the last two weeks, Springfield Township’s leadership structure has changed quickly. There is a lot happening and this is a long one, so I recommend you refill your drink and grab a snack. Here we go!

Here is a snap shot:

• May 11, 2026 Leave of Absence
  • 4:16 PM – Supervisor Ric Davis emailed the Township Board announcing an immediate temporary leave from his regular in-person duties for urgent and serious personal reasons. He estimated the leave would last approximately four weeks, but could extend up to eight weeks.
• May 12, 2026 Internal Special Meeting Request
  • [No time specified] – Clerk Sean Miller received emails from two Board members requesting a special meeting to discuss how the Township would ensure the Supervisor’s duties were carried out during Davis’s leave.
• May 13, 2026 Special Meeting Notice
  • 3:52 PM – Clerk Miller published notice of a special Township Board meeting for May 14 at 4:00 pm. The agenda included a possible closed session to review and discuss a written legal opinion.
• May 14, 2026 Board Approves Township Superintendent
  • 4:00 PM – The Township Board held the special meeting and entered into a closed session with attorney Greg Need to review and discuss the written legal opinion.
  • 7:00 PM – At the regular monthly Township Board meeting, the Board discussed and unanimously approved to create a Township Superintendent position.
• May 15, 2026 Miller & DuBre offer Piper Superintendent Position
  • 10:00 AM – Clerk Sean Miller and Treasurer Jamie Dubre met with Brian Piper, an internal township employee, to ask whether he would be interested in serving as Township Superintendent.
  • [Several hours later] – Brian Piper notified them that he was willing to accept the position.
  • 1:57 PM – Clerk Miller posted notice of a special meeting for May 18 to discuss Brian Piper’s appointment as Township Superintendent.
• May 18, 2026 Board Approves Brian Piper for Superintendent Position; Davis appoints Deputy Supervisor
  • 10:00 AM – The Township Board held the special meeting to consider Brian Piper’s appointment as Township Superintendent. During this meeting, Ric Davis’s letter appointing Diane Walls as Deputy Supervisor was read into the record.
• May 19, 2026 Notice Regarding Township Authority
  • [No time specified] – Clerk Sean Miller posted a notice stating that, until further notice, Ric Davis is not authorized to speak, act, negotiate, direct, obligate, or otherwise conduct Township business on behalf of the Township unless expressly authorized by the Board. The notice also stated that communications from Davis after May 18 should be treated as personal, not official Township communications.

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Timeline Overview & Documentation

According to statements made at the May 18, 2026 special meeting, Supervisor Ric Davis emailed the Township Board on Monday, May 11, stating that he was taking an immediate leave from his regular in-person duties as Township Supervisor for urgent and serious personal reasons. The statement read at the meeting said Davis anticipated the leave would last approximately four weeks, but could potentially extend up to eight weeks.

-> Supervisor Davis Email to Township Board

The next morning, Tuesday, May 12, Clerk Sean Miller reportedly received emails from two Board members requesting a special meeting to discuss how the Board would ensure that the duties of the Supervisor’s office would be carried out during Davis’s leave.

On Wednesday, May 13, a special meeting notice was posted for Thursday, May 14 at 4:00 p.m. The agenda listed three items: election of a chairperson pro tem, a possible closed session pursuant to MCL 15.268(h) and MCL 15.243(1)(g) for the purpose of reviewing and discussing a written legal opinion, and public comment. [‘pro tem’ is short for ‘pro tempore’ meaning ‘for the time being’ in Latin]

-> Springfield Township Special Meeting Agenda for May 14, 2026

On Thursday, May 14, the Springfield Township Board of Trustees entered into a closed-meeting session with Township attorney, Greg Need. Trustee Bill Whitley was appointed as Chair ‘pro tem’.

Later that same evening, at the Board’s regular May 14 meeting, the Board discussed and unanimously approved creation of a Township Superintendent position. The search for a candidate to fill that role is to begin at 9 am the next morning (5/15).

-> Springfield Township Board Meeting for May 14, 2026 (This is the old agenda that was published prior to the special meeting. It does not contain the motion for the Township Superintendent position. The new agenda has not yet been published to the township website as of 5/21/26)

On Friday, May 15, an internal candidate currently working in a similar capacity, Brian Piper, was approached about whether he would be interested in the position. He later indicated he would accept the temporary position, and at 1:57 p.m. that same day, Clerk Miller posted notice of a special meeting for Monday, May 18 at 10:00 a.m. to consider Piper’s appointment.

-> Springfield Township Special Meeting Agenda for May 18, 2026

According to the statement read aloud by Trustee Whitley, Supervisor Davis appointed Diana Walls as Deputy Supervisor.

On May 18, the Board appointed Brian Piper as Township Superintendent. The next day, May 19, the Clerk posted a formal notice stating that, effective May 18, Piper had been appointed Township Superintendent and was vested with all duties, responsibilities, and authority provided under MCL 42.10, together with any additional authority delegated by the Township Board. The notice also said:

“Until further notice, Ric Davis is not authorized to speak, act, negotiate, direct, obligate, or
otherwise conduct Township business on behalf of the Township in any official capacity unless
and until expressly authorized by action of the Township Board.“

-> NOTICE REGARDING TOWNSHIP AUTHORITY & APPOINTMENT OF SUPERINTENDENT (May 19, 2026)

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The Legal Structure: Deputy Supervisor vs. Township Superintendent

Some residents are understandably confused by all of this new information, especially when it comes to who currently has authority over what parts of the Township, and what it means for township operations moving forward. There are two different legal roles are being discussed:

In plain language, Davis attempted to use the Deputy Supervisor route. The Board used the Township Superintendent route. Those two actions appear to have created competing, or at least overlapping, claims about how township authority should be handled during Davis’s temporary leave. At the May 18 special meeting, there was clear tension in the room among Board members over Davis’s absence and the appointment of the Superintendent. Some Board members, notably Trustees Lori Beatty and Kevin Sclesky, raised concerns about the process used to approve Brian Piper as Township Superintendent, while others defended the action as necessary and urgent. The disagreement did not appear to be about Piper himself. Board members praised Piper and his work at the Township. The concern appears to come down to the process itself. At the May 14 meeting, Board members stated that the search for someone to fill the newly created Superintendent position would begin the next morning. On the next day, Brian Piper was the only candidate considered for the role. The Township did not post the position internally or externally, nor they did not contact any other potential candidate. Only Clerk Miller and Treasurer Dubre were involved in selecting and approaching the candidate.

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Davis’s letter appointing Diane Walls as Deputy Supervisor

At the May 18 special meeting, Trustee Bill Whitley read a letter from Supervisor Ric Davis into the record. Here is a transcript of the recording (Note – Some words were inaudible for the transcript. Once Oko obtains a copy of the email, it will be updated):

Dear Members of the Springfield Charter Township Board,

Pursued to the authority vested in the office of the Township supervisor in MCL 41.62 subsection 2, I hereby appoint Diane Walls to serve as deputy supervisor for Springfield Charter Township effective immediately and continuing during my temporary leave of absence until such time as I formally resumed full university duties. This appointment is made in accordance with Michigan law, which expressly authorizes the appointment of a deputy supervisor to perform the duties and exercise the powers of the supervisor during periods of absence, sickness, or temporary disability. This action is intended to ensure continuity of operation stability in township government, and uninterrupted service to the residents of Springfield Charter township during this temporary period.

Diana Walls brings a longstanding understanding of the values, traditions, and responsibilities associated with public services in Springfield Township. As the wife of former supervisor, Collin Walls, who faithfully and honorably served this township for more than 42 years, she possesses exceptional institutional knowledge, dedication, and commitment to the continued success of our community [inaudible] avoidance of doubt, by temporary leave does not constitute resignation. abandonment of [inaudible] remain an elected supervisor Springfield Charter Township and will continue to fulfill the responsibilities of the office to the fullest extent possible during this temporary period, including the administrative oversight, communications, and the remote execution of official duties were appropriate. As previously communicated to the board, I fully intend to return to full in-person service upon the conclusion of this temporary leave. This appointment is made solely for the purpose of maintaining operational continuity and lawful statutory succession during the temporary absence for certain in person functions. I respectfully request board cooperation and support. We continue working together in the best interests of Springfield Township, its residents, businesses, and employees in future.

Respectfully submitted, Richard Davis, Supervisor Springfield Charter Township

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The Board’s Response: Continue Appointing Brian Piper

The Board’s action took a different approach.

At the May 18 meeting, Clerk Sean Miller stated that appointing a superintendent was not intended to permanently strip Davis of his duties or authority. He described the action as a way to allow Davis to take whatever leave he needed without the burden of day-to-day demands while ensuring that the responsibilities of the Supervisor’s office continued to be fulfilled.

Miller also stated that the action did not remove Davis from office or affect his ability to chair Board meetings or vote on matters before the Township Board. According to Miller, the motion adopted on May 14 stated that once Davis was able to return and resume fulfilling his responsibilities on a full-time basis, the Board would terminate the superintendent position (also known as a ‘sunset clause’).

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Formal Notice Removes Ric Davis’s Authority to Conduct Township Business

On May 19, Clerk Miller posted a formal notice that described removing all of Ric Davis’s authority to conduct business of the Township’s behalf. It stated:

“Until further notice, Ric Davis is not authorized to speak, act, negotiate, direct, obligate, or otherwise conduct Township business on behalf of the Township in any official capacity unless and until expressly authorized by action of the Township Board.”

The notice also stated that any communication made by or received from Davis after May 18 should be understood as being made solely in his personal capacity and should not be interpreted as an official Township communication, authorization, or position.

-> NOTICE REGARDING TOWNSHIP AUTHORITY & APPOINTMENT OF SUPERINTENDENT (May 19, 2026)

The notice further advised consultants, legal counsel, vendors, contractors, and other parties doing business with the Township that no fees, invoices, charges, or expenses arising from communications with or actions taken at Davis’s direction after May 18 would be considered authorized Township obligations unless the Board restored that authority or expressly authorized the specific engagement or expenditure.

But where is the sunset clause? If this was meant to be temporary coverage during Davis’s leave, I would have expected this notice to clearly state that Davis resumes full authority when he returns from leave. Instead, the notice says Davis cannot conduct Township business “until further notice,” with authority restored only by Board action or specific Board authorization. This is different from the earlier discussion where the Superintendent position would be terminated once Davis’ returned to full-time duties.

Also, this notice only recognizes Brian Piper vested with all supervisor duties, responsibilities, etc. and no mention of the role Supervisor Deputy Diana Walls.

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What about the Ormond Road Mining Proposal?

This authority shift is especially important because Springfield Township is currently dealing with major land-use matters, including the Ormond Road sand and gravel mining proposal.

At the May 18 meeting, I asked whether contacts that had previously gone through Ric Davis, including communications involving Reuben Maxbauer of Levy, would now shift away from Davis. Trustee Kevin Sclesky responded that Megan from Carlisle/Wortman had been appointed as project manager for the process, and that the people involved would include Planning Commission Chair Brian Galley and Sclesky as liaison. Sclesky stated that Davis was “already disconnected from that entire process” until the application goes before the Planning Commission and then, depending on the recommendation, the Board.

Except Ric Davis has not been disconnected from the process.

He has attended every Fact-Finding Committee meeting this year thus far, has maintained regular contact with Reuben Maxbauer, and has even conducted on-site visits to see progress of the exploratory well project, inviting independent experts and select residents to view the process earlier this month.

So will Superintendent Piper continue communications with Levy & experts, and perform site visits? Will Deputy Supervisor Walls? Or will the person(s) entrusted with the duties of the Supervisor finally step back from the process? And has anyone informed Levy & the independent experts?

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So How Will Springfield Respond From All This?

Anyone who has ever lifted weights in a gym knows that building muscle is uncomfortable by design. You put stress on the muscle, work through fatigue, and then give it time to repair. The process can be tiring, frustrating, and even a little painful, but that is how we get physically stronger.

Building a stronger community can feel the same way. Civic growth is not easy, and it rarely happens without tension, discomfort, or hard conversations. But that work builds strength in the community.

Springfield Township officials and residents can come out of this stronger, but only if this moment leads to better habits, not deeper divides. That means learning from mistakes, respecting each other regardless of where we sit during meetings, and protecting the integrity of the processes meant to instill confidence and trust in the Township.

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As always, you are welcome to reach out to Oko Environmental if you have any questions or concerns. This is for informational purposes only and if anything does not look correct, or is missing, please contact me directly at kara@okoenv.com.

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