Following more than 16 years as Chelsea’s Police Chief, Ed Toth officially retired on Aug. 15 and the Chelsea City Council wished him well and unanimously approved the recommendation of Sgt. Rich Kinsey as the interim chief for the department.
City Manager Roy Atkinson praised Toth for his professionalism, and thanked his for his assistance, as the new city manager learns about the city on the job.
“He helped me a lot,” Atkinson said of Toth, “And I know our city, city staff and community will miss him.”
City Council Member Peter Feeney said, “I want to thank him for a high level of professionalism under real pressure,” reminding the City Council and residents that Toth took extraordinary measures to serve and protect residents, even when “the public wasn’t cooperating” with his efforts. He coordinated with the state police as well as the county sheriff’s office to keep residents safe during a series of protests two years ago.
Kinsey has been a member of the Chelsea PD since 2010 when he was hired as a part-tome officer. On April 15, he moved to full time and has 30 years of law enforcement experience at both the Ann Arbor Police Department as well as with Chelsea.
Also approved were the appointment of five community members to the Public Safety Strategic Planning Committee: Rich Barston, Janet Martin Conners, Kate Henson, Robert Long and Michael Townley.
The City Council also set a special meeting date of Monday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. to review the information provided by the 10 people who applied for the police chief’s job.
In addition, Wade Lehmann was appointed to the city’s Planning Commission for a term the expires on June 30, 2025.
And, in two additional planning commission items, the City Council approved on second reading the rezoning of 1.66 acres on Cavanaugh Lake Road near the intersection of Cleveland Street from MH-1 (manufactured housing) to R-1 (single family residential).
City Council also approved on first reading the rezoning of a total of 0.83 acre parcels with frontage along Cleveland Street and West Middle Street from R-3 (multi-family residential) to R-2 (two-family residential). The applicant plans to build a total of six units, three 2-story family duplexes on the property, which will be rental properties.
In the final business item, the City Council approved the Department of Public Works’ budgeted request for a new wheel balancer from Hunter Engineering at a cost of about $11,164.
During the July police report, Kinsey said Chelsea PD has responded to a total of 2,381 calls for service for the year and 264 in July. There were 14 crashes, 24 traffic stops and 11 violations issued.
Kinsey said the department will begin issuing more tickets at traffic crashes because they are “a culmination of bad driving.”
He also introduced Office Dori Blackford to the city council, who was hired as the department’s first female officer in 2006. He said she’s spent about 21.5 years on the force, most of those years on the midnight shift.
(Two members were absent from the meeting Charles Wiseley and Tony Iannelli.)
