Ludington City Council Meeting 6-23-2014: Uncontested Giveaways and Takeaways

[XLFD]

The one thing you may notice in the video of this June 23, 2014 meeting is that there are three notable absences of the City Manager John Shay, City Councilor Nick Tykoski, and Community Activist Tom Rotta.  There is no truth to the rumor that they were all resting from their 3-on-3 basketball team's deep run into the Gus Macker Tournament that happened over the weekend. 

But seriously, I, as one of those three, did want to make this meeting but an illness resembling food poisoning left me ill equipped to carry on the task of talking about the seemingly corrupt dealing of the lot of 420 S. James to city cronies for a song and dance, and other topics.  It cuts the five minutes down drastically when every other minute you need to rush to the water closet to purge the plumbing, so I kept home. 

This meeting started out the usual way, Mayor Cox opened it up and Councilor Holman had one of her 'moments' when she realized her reading glasses were in the car.  Councilor Winczewski had an extra pair of her own, and she let her use it for the meeting.  These councilors work so well together, but we knew that already.  This can be both positive and negative.

The meeting opened to public comment and the first speaker (3:00 in) was Bill Summerfield, who spoke of the problems of blight at the last meeting.  He revealed several tools that Governor Snyder recently initiated to stem blight using higher degrees of enforcement, including criminal charges, to battle blight.  He had given the councilors a special handout. 

June 23, 2014 Ludington City Council from Mason County District Library on Vimeo.

Making our community better is a good and noble goal, but the thing that worries me a lot about those who would zealously go to war against blight is what freedoms and rights we get rid of to wage it.  Bill seems content to use heavy-handed weapons to get people to conform to the community's 'standards', and after seeing the concessions made by the city councilors and attorney during and at the end of the meeting to help his cause, you can see that Bill's fight and goals intersects greatly with the city's fight and goals in controlling your property. 

The Summerfields themselves may be the City's best tool for exacting more restrictive ordinances, putting a non-official's face on a concern they would love to enforce in more Draconian style.  Ironically, at this same meeting they would go through the now-routine summer practice of keeping all their 'important' millage rates at the same level, which has the City extracting more tax money due to inflation.  The next speaker, Doug of South Lakeshore Drive, mistakenly equated this to the 'budget', but expressed that it's not right of the city to try to catch up with inflation by getting more money. 

That is understandable, but the greatest travesty of these summer millage rate ordinances that they are in place so that if the tax rates are forced down by the Headlee Amendment, the city council can keep them at the same level and claim it's a "truth in taxation" hearing.  It overrides the protections to taxpayers by that amendment of lowering tax rates when property values are going down.  The use of this tactic in the years starting in 2009, have gave the City of Ludington hundreds of thousands of your dollars since by keeping that rate inflated. 

Holman once again complained about signs in the right of way for an event, but was mute about all the four Circuit Court judge candidates election sign's littering the street's right-of-way throughout Ludington.  Or her own during the last election.  As will be presented once again, as long as they do not restrict sight-lines at street corners or otherwise violate sign rules, temporary signs can be placed in the right-of-way, most without any approval of the council.

Without any comment, they approved of the sale of 420 S. James to the Grubich's so that they could develop a private parking space and agree to never develop the rest of the lot.  This is in the heart of the James Street business district, and the city has historically decided not to sell this property until it's developed into something useful for the tax rolls and/or community.  Amanda St. Hillaire-Grubich has made off with public funds in her stint on the Downtown Development Authority, Nathan Grubich, whose contacts with the city were only with City Manager John Shay, coached Shay's daughter in soccer for years. 

 

The lot which was appraised at $50,000 in 2003, after having its building demolished at taxpayer expense for the same amount, is to be sold for $5000.  Nothing was said, the vote was unanimous.  Enough said.  The Red Door Gallery moves without any red spilled.

 

Councilor Winczewski gave a presentation to appease the Summerfields on code enforcement escalations on citizens, during her committee report.  Later on, Councilor Castonia talks about his handout on blight as regards Detroit, City Attorney Wilson talks about the possibility of creating a Civil Infractions Bureau to fight blight, updating ordinances to help, and saving money by publishing notices in the paper rather than sending out certified letters, with general acceptance.  It's amazing that they are so willing to combat blight, but not any of the blight of corruption of theirs that is frequently pointed out and better defined. 

LPD Chief Barnett made comment that the Macker ran smooth with them issuing less parking tickets (maybe because they were using fewer golf carts?), and Reserve Officer Sergeant (Mayor) Cox applauded his fellow officers and the Chief for their fine job.  Councilor Castonia, former LPD officer, applauded the years of public service of LPD Sgt. Matt McMellen and noted his upcoming open house, and McMellen's fellow Sergeant of the LPD, Mayor Cox, chimed in his approval of how well he served.  Sergeant/Mayor Cox was, as usual, unclear as to whether he applauded and approved in his capacity as Mayor of Ludington, or as a fellow officer on the LPD. 

[Willy]

Selling the James st. property for $5,000 is such an incredibly irresponsible thing to do. That property belongs to the citizens of Ludington and the approval to sell that property should have been put on the ballot for the citizens to decide, as many other cities do.

Serving notice in the paper notifying property owners of code violations is also irresponsible.  Most other cities send out notices addressed to the registered property owner as well as a second letter addressed to the property in question if there is a building on the property. It's best to get as much cooperation from property owners so problems can be solved by those who are responsible.  Using the paper as notification is pure laziness in my opinion and won't hold up in court if a property owner decides to file suit against the City for improper notification and enforcement. Certified letters are only sent after standard letters have been sent and there was no response from them. When serious action by the City is going to take place, then a registered letter should be issued. Most of the time the problem is corrected after the initial notification. Ludington doesn't really have much of a "blight" problem so heavy handiness would not be recommended. Most people want to correct their problems but many times their financial or health issues have interfered with accomplishing that goal. It's best to work with property owners and not combat them.

[XLFD]

I strongly agree with your first statement, Willy; if the recent public property transfers are any indication, a change in policy is necessary.  The City Manager portrays this as getting rid of 'excess city property' which somehow justifies the process here.  There is nothing in the City Code or Charter that gives the City Council or Manager the ability to get rid of public property like this. 

The ideas thrown out about changing the process was equally dumb.  Fewer people are getting and reading the local paper anymore because they can get the same news quicker on the web, and because the newspaper attention to content has decidedly went downhill.  Putting notice in the paper is not only ineffectual, but is on the verge of an invasion of privacy.  If the city enforcer believes your grass is too tall or you have an inoperative vehicle, they do not have to contact all the subscribers of the COLDNews, just you, the caretaker of the property.  There may be room for improvement, but with this group...

Just watch, and you will see a host of dumb ideas coming down the lane as the City mobilizes against blight with the usual disregard of property and civil rights they have become well known for.

[AQUAMAN]

Very well said guys, I agree. Willy, I think you remember a recent statement by CC Castonia about putting anything on the ballot for taxpayers to vote on. He said in essence that this was HIS JOB, as CC, to make decisions for the entire public, without any input. Of course when you run for any office unopposed, that gives you a narcissistic attitude anyhow. Reducing the blight around Ludville should start with the COL themselves. They should set the example to follow. As far as publishing that private info. in the LDN, that's just asking for trouble, as X so validly pointed out. Subscribers for that rag has to be way down nowadays, just like many other newspapers are experiencing. 

[Willy]

Yes, I do remember and I thought that was a statement that truly shows how arrogant this Council is. The idea that the citizens should not be consulted or given full disclosure on City matters is beyond understanding. He forgets that his job is to represent the citizens not rule them. His job is to represent their interests, concerns, opinions and ideas but he's misinterpreting that to mean he should represent his own interest, concerns, opinions and ideas because he won an election.