Ludington City Council Meeting November 8, 2021: Aging Gracefully

[XLFD]

The Ludington City Council had some business come before them at their November 8th regular meeting, but also had a presentation on 'senior services', where Dr. Kim Halladay delivered a power point presentation (with the usual share of technical problems one expects from older individuals) stressing the need for a new area organization, the Mason County Older Adult Services Authority, to help consolidate the services already offered in the county.  While this agency could be a morphed version of the already-existing Mason County Council on Aging that would be consolidated into a more efficient body.

I recognized Dr. Halladay (above) as a regular attendee of Ludington school board meetings, so I passed him along what had happened there that night before the council meeting, in that Kyle Corlett was going to be offered a contract to be superintendent.  City Manager Mitch Foster was also interested in that intel, so I let him know that Corlett had mentioned that he had used Dave Ramsey as part of his curricula.  Foster and his wife had appeared on Ramsey's show a few years ago to explain how Ramsey's wisdom helped them through difficult economic times.

The meeting began and the public was fairly silent during the initial public comment period.  Mary Van Hauser offered support for the City's work on allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) with a proposed ordinance due for first reading that night.  She was planning on having a garage built on her property and wanted to have the flexibility of having a unit above that garage.

I would be the only other to speak at that time, offering my perspective on the proposed charter revision process, and an early look at the FOIA appeal that was introduced and would be decided at the next meeting.  It should be noted that the video of this meeting has not yet been loaded to the usual library website, but the City had actually posted that video live on their Facebook page that night, so that video follows for now-- apologies for those that cannot access this video.

XLFD (4:20 in):  "Back in 2015, city officials looked comprehensively at the city charter and suggested seven ways to change it for the better without involving the public.  Every single one of those seven proposals made the City of Ludington less accountable and transparent to the citizens.  They took what they thought were the best three of those proposals and put them on the ballot in 2016.  All three failed to pass. 

On the basis of that experience, I am initially skeptical of any attempt to do wholesale revisions of the city charter.  It is refreshing, however, to see that the city council is planning on doing this revision in a responsible manner, by having an elected charter revision commission effectively acting independently of city hall and, hopefully, untainted by their prejudice, insulation, and/or isolation of the general public.

The public has not been given information on the FOIA appeal introduced before you tonight, but as you may have expected it's from me and it considers an over-exempted police accident report and investigation.  A woman died from injuries sustained when a truck hit her while she was crossing James Street with two of her friends who were also hit, but survived with lesser injury.  A week after the incident, LPD issued a press release acknowledging the death and naming the person who died.  

The LPD provided me with a lot of records regarding this incident, and I wish to acknowledge my gratitude for the extent of their disclosures, but amidst this transparency lies also darkness, as the names and genders of those involved, and much other relevant data, was whited out.  These deletions made the narratives and interviews incomprehensible at times.  

And even though the deceased victim's name had been publicly released by LPD to area news agencies, her name and pronouns related to her were covered up throughout the records I received, along with the names and pronouns of other victims and witnesses-- an exemption which the City of Ludington has never invoked before.  In all, there were thirty-three exemptions blacked out on the state-mandated UD-10 report about the driver and passenger of the truck, few which were legitimate exemptions.

Before this council meets in two weeks, I will be drafting an article that explains why there are dozens of illegal exemptions claimed in this FOIA response, and hope that you can remedy the issue at that meeting."

Following the usual consent agenda items being passed, Dr. Halladay made his presentation in favor of creating the aforementioned group as a centralization of offering senior services to older people in the county, roughly 25% of the population, and to open up the possibility of changing the current way the county does it, which is spread out over the county.  This idea parallels to a fair extent the recent consolidation of services for the poor at the Lakeshore Resource Network, and is likely to have some benefits and some disadvantages to those served, many who lack in mobility.

Six action items were up for votes, nothing ground-shaking (more info is in the agenda packet).  

1)  They unanimously approved a change order for the Loomis Street restrooms ($1225 extra for electrical)

2)  They unanimously accepted a bid for F Dock replacement for about $349,000, over one other over $400,000.  The F dock is primarily used by private charter boats, which were never supposed to be operating out of the city marina, and now they are getting their storefront improved by city government.

3)  They unanimously adopted minor changes to the Rental Inspection Ordinance, making HUD inspected units have to provide their inspection records to the City.

4)  They unanimously approved an ordinance to make it illegal to smoke or drink in all of the city's playgrounds found in parks.

5)  They unanimously passed an ordinance to give the Harbor Master (police chief) the power to allow docking along the channel for up to a week.  This is a precursor to potentially allow cruise ships and other big transient watercraft the ability to tie up along the PM Lake channel.

6)  They unanimously approved a resolution to start the process of a general revision of the Ludington City Charter after a brief discussion on costs and the actual process.  We will try to follow this process over the next few months, since that's when citizens can come forward and be eventually elected to a charter revision committee next year.

Additionally, the council introduced two ordinances, one changing zoning ordinances so that ADUs would be allowed in many areas of the city, and an ordinance to change the busking ordinance to reflect the creation of Legacy Park and the right to 'busk' there.  The City is hopeful that buskers will draw visitors and music lovers to the city center.

The mayor acknowledged the reception of my FOIA appeal, and the city manager acknowledged that the City's short term rental scheme may be in danger if the state passes a law currently gaining traction in the legislature.  

They noticed the Committee of the Whole meeting on Wednesday (already held) which featured discussions with the City's waste hauling company.  The only person to speak at the end of the meeting was Gene Kyle, who urged the council to work towards getting Dr. Halladay's vision a reality.

Apologies for the late posting of this recap, I have been waiting for the library to post their video and busy with other projects.

[shinblind]

How are they going to decide who is allowed to busk and when? 

Will there be open auditions before the city counsel?

Will they auction off the prime times and dates to the highest bidder?

Will the prime times be awarded by the usual local favoritism and graft?

[XLFD]

Perhaps over the winter months they will direct prospective buskers to audition in front of the Parks Committee in a "Gong Show" format, with Mitch Foster doing his best Chuck Barris impression, and each commissioner having a gong striker and placards with the numbers 1-10 on them.  If they do not get gonged, the higher scores will be given the better times to busk.  

[shinblind]

Mayor Miller can be Gene Gene the Dancing Machine.

Gong Show: Gene Gene the Dancing Machine - YouTube

[Freedom Seeker]

Very funny shinblind and X. Gene Gene interviews, the mayor, city manager, and the DDA hightonies can just lounge at the Yacht Club secluded from the rest of the "lowlife" citizens of Ludington and find more creative ways to ignore the real needs of the people who pay their salaries ... just who are these buskers to entertain except the tourists?

[Willy]

Thanks for the report X. More money spent on useless projects while ignoring real necessary infrastructure.

I hope the new Superintendent won't be a regular on Ramsey's show, but, he may have to be when the LASD is being eaten alive by debt. Wait until they ask for new tax raises for the massive busing budget that will soon be in the LASD's future. 

X, was their any discussion about the size of the smoke and drink banning areas at each playground site. Also was their any discussion about why the need for the banishment? I wonder if the Badger will be issued a citation when the smoke from it's stacks drifts across the park and playground. I've been at the park when the smell of the coal ash was so thick it would burn your eyes and nose.

I must be sheltered because I have never heard the term "Busker". I have always referred to people performing outside in public areas as "street performers". Also,  maybe folks can stop chanting "_uck Joe Biden"  and start using "Busk Joe Biden" or they can politely say "That Joe Biden is a real motherbusker".

I agree shinblind. How is the City going to decide who is allowed to perform, where they must perform and when. A chorus line of twerking teenagers might make the Council think twice.

The Gong Show format is an excellent idea. Once perfected at Legacy Park it can be used by the audience's attending   City Council meetings.