Letter to the Editor: Pat Kelly Leads Positive Change as Dexter Township Supervisor

Dear Editor,

Many positive changes have come to Dexter Township through Pat Kelly. In the mid 1990s before Pat was involved with local government, I attended numerous township meetings and discovered that it was difficult if not impossible to have a voice and to gain a listening ear.

My first Pat Kelly experience was when she served as chairwoman on the Zoning Board of Appeals. It was very refreshing to attend her meetings and observe communication exchanges occur with the interest, passion and respect that is always present with Pat Kelly.

Our paths have crossed repeatedly over the years regarding any number of township issues. Most recently, I have worked with Pat as she channeled her energy, passion, enthusiasm and leadership skills toward improving public safety for Dexter Township. She led this charge by championing the formation
of a Dexter Township Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC). It has been my pleasure to serve on the PSAC for the past two years. Pat’s leadership has been instrumental in forming the PSAC and helping our 11 members get up to speed and take flight so that we could fulfill our responsibilities.

Pat is always fair, respectful and has the best interests of residents in mind as she collaborates to ensure great things are accomplished in Dexter Township.

Today, thanks to her leadership, we have great fire and police protection. We now have a Deter Township substation that is manned at all times. This is critical to the township as more than 60 percent of all emergency (fire department) calls are medical or life threatening in nature. For these, reducing distance and response times can make a huge difference in survival rates.

Prior to the PSAC about 50 percent of residents were within 5 miles of a fire station and 43 percent of residents could be reached within 8 minutes. Now thanks to Pat’s leadership, 99 percent of Dexter Township residents are within 5 miles of a fire station and 83 percent of residents are within 8 minutes response time.

These vastly improved protective services actually cost the township less per year than if nothing had been done but preserve the status quo.

After the March 15 tornado hit the Dexter area, the value of a manned substation became clearly evident, particularly when the north and south areas of the township were disconnected by the swath of destruction along Dexter-Pinckney Road. Pat led township recovery efforts and donated her time endlessly so that recovery efforts could proceed to the full benefit of many Dexter Township residents who were adversely impacted by the tornado.

As township supervisor, Pat Kelly is a dedicated, passionate, collaborative and effective communicator who routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty.

Dexter Township is a great place to live thanks to Pat’s excellent participatory leadership.

David J. R. Waymann

Dexter Township resident of 16 years