Times Herald (Port Huron). February 1, 2017
Worth Twp. Sewer work overdue but welcome
It does make you wonder how much Worth Township’s sewer project would have cost if it had started digging when the state Department of Environmental Quality first ordered it to stop dumping waste into Lake Huron in 2003.
Worth Township fought the order for a decade, even though it was no secret that homes in its lakeside subdivisions on the southern shores of Lake Huron had private septic systems that were leaking untreated sewage not only into Lake Huron but also onto neighbors’ lawns.
The township took the fight all the way to the state Supreme Court, arguing that as a municipality it had no responsibility to keep its residents from fouling Lake Huron and downstream waters with human waste.
It was a frightening argument. If Worth had prevailed, every city, township and county in the state of Michigan would have had a license to dump sewage on its neighbors. The court ruled that it was an invalid argument.
Along the way to that 2012 Supreme Court ruling, Worth Township pleaded poverty, hoping to impress state regulators and frighten township residents that the work would cost $40 million and as much as $30,000 per household. That was the first estimate. It later fell to about $32 million. Later, the estimate shrank to $32 million. When bids are opened next week, the price tag is expected to be around $23 million.
But cost can’t be the measure of whether this must be done.
Worth Township and its shoreline residents have the same obligation to keep pollutants out of the Great Lakes as every else, both upstream and down, does. That the township fought this responsibility for 14 years is a particular insult to other communities - such as Port Huron - who have also spent millions to keep sewage out of our waters.
Worth has something in common with Port Huron, though. Both communities made their projects more expensive by delaying them. Worth even managed to get itself sued by its engineers.
Even with the lower total price tag, this places a substantial burden on affected Worth Township homeowners. Fortunately, there are grant and financing options to make the bottom line somewhat less painful for them. They, too, have an interest in keeping their beaches healthy.
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Lansing State Journal. February 2, 2017
Citizens Bank site has languished too long
East Lansing residents have been waiting for almost two decades for a development to happen at the Citizens Bank corner along Grand River Avenue at the city’s western edge.
It’s prime real estate that serves as the entryway for visitors coming from the west. As it stands now, it’s not much of a greeting. And it doesn’t look like that landscape is going to change any time soon.
An attorney for Convexity Properties, the potential developer, said this week they are scrapping current plans for a 12-story hotel and apartment complex because a deal could not be reached with East Lansing City Council.
It’s back to the drawing board - and more waiting.
What’s next for the $148M Park District project?
The proposed $148 million development is likely the most viable development project the city has seen for that site in years.
Yet the deal fell apart because of a disagreement on financial details of a brownfield plan, such as how the tax rebate will be handled and over how many years.
It’s important to note the deal fell apart after the City Council had already approved the entire project. After a process that’s taken nearly seven months.
The City Council amended the developer’s suggested brownfield plan, including changes that have prompted the developer to declare the project as no longer feasible.
Convexity expects to bring a new proposal to the planning commission by March 8.
Then it would have to be approved by the council, which would happen at the end of April at the earliest.
Some might be tempted to say what’s a few more months when the city’s been waiting for years? Councilwoman Shanna Draheim called it a “small-time delay.”
There is nothing small-time about it.
Dec. 31 deadline set for Citizens Bank demolition
Every day counts.
Every interaction with potential developers counts.
Every signal the City Council sends counts.
There is an opportunity cost to these delays. Job creation put on hold. Potential condo buyers choosing to live elsewhere. Local businesses lose profits as people spend their money elsewhere.
It’s time for the City Council to make a deal.
Negotiations require compromise and a long view of what’s ahead. They also require resolve.
This parcel of land is too valuable to allow it to languish any longer.
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The Mining Journal. January 31, 2017
School boards doing outstanding work locally, statewide
It could be argued - convincingly, some might say - that sitting on a school board of education is among the most thankless jobs of its type out there.
That’s not to say the work accomplished by such panels is neither rewarding nor important. Because we know for a fact that both of those are true.
It’s just when people’s children are involved, and tough union negotiations are always just around the corner with reduced funding at issue, having to sit up there week after week isn’t easy.
So when an opportunity comes around to offer our congratulations to the people that sit on local school boards of education, we jump at it.
That’s what the administration at Marquette Area Public Schools did recently, joining 540 local and 56 intermediate school districts in Michigan to thank school board members for their service during School Board Recognition Month, held annually in January.
“Serving on a school board has been described as the toughest volunteer job in America, yet Michigan’s public school board members dedicate countless personal hours to attending meetings, school functions and hours of preparation for the decisions they make,” MAPS Superintendent Bill Saunders said for a Mining Journal story on the issue.
We join Saunders and the many others across the state in recognizing the work school boards do on a recurring basis.
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Petoskey News-Review. February 3, 2017
Consider all sides in tribal lawsuit, not just one
The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians is seeking a court order affirming its reservation boundaries in northwest Michigan in a legal battle that is likely to last years before it’s resolved.
The case, filed against Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in 2015 in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, will determine whether borders of the Odawa tribe’s reservation set by an 1855 treaty are still considered valid.
We are not legal experts, nor are we historians and we offer no opinion on the merits of the case here. What’s worrisome, though, are claims being made by some about the tribe’s intention and the potential ramifications of the court siding with the tribe in this case. Many of them are alarmist statements not based in fact.
The tribe’s roots in this region run very deep. Evidence of its history in Northern Michigan is all around us and fascinating to learn about. They are our neighbors and we are theirs.
Be careful about believing everything you hear on this case. As with most everything else, consider the source and do your own research to seek further information. The News-Review has published at least four articles in recent months, which are accessible on our website, www.petoskeynews.com.
Though the lawsuit names the state as the lone defendant, several groups have entered the case as intervenors, which allows them to be involved if a settlement of the case is reached. Participants in these groups include Emmet and Charlevoix counties, city and township governments in the area affected by the treaty ruling and two nonprofit groups, the Emmet County Lakeshore Association and Protection of Rights Alliance.
Some attorneys representing these groups - in particular the two nonprofits - are speaking publicly, but remember they are representing their clients’ interests and are not necessarily offering both sides of the story, or an entirely accurate picture of the other side’s argument.
Tribal officials have long kept their public comments to a minimum and in this instance it is working very much against them to remain so silent. But that is no reason to conclude they are the enemy, or coming after your land, as some have expressed concern about.
This case is interesting and the end ruling will undoubtedly have impact on the area, but we should be approaching the discussion with respect for the tribe’s history and its members’ long-standing status in this community. We all share this land here together.
We are not adversaries here and therefore should not be speaking or treating anyone as such.
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