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Kiwanis Club Members in audience 4 10 2018 880w415h

Unhappy Kiwanis Club Members watch the Township Board grind their Dreams to Dust under the weight of Ineptitude, Infighting and Inertia

Perspective by Jim Nelson. 

Trustee Otto's ignorance-fueled arrogance plumbed new depths in her attack on the Land Preservation Committee's three month old Facebook page.  She attacked the page, insinuated the worst, and in a stunning demonstration of the full ugliness of her motives, asked what was on it. "Yeah, what are you putting on there?" Otto didn't even know.

What made Otto's attack seem just plain perverse was that she couched it in terms of fear of the unknown, fear of innovation, fear of change, fear of doing anything new or different.  Nobody else had a facebook page.  People might discuss issues!  What made Otto's attack ironic is that the cost of burying LPC notices and publications in the Township Website exceeds the Zero dollar budget granted the all volunteer Land Preservation Committee.  The Board hasn't given the LPC a single dime.

Later, Township Attorney Brad Maynes explained to the Board that the Township Attorney takes directions from the entire Board, not from individual members.  Our Township Attorney schooled local faux Conservatives on the meaning of the Constitution's First Amendment.   If you were listening, there was an underlying subtext.  Boardmembers were warned not to repeat the scheming of previous Boards.  That is my interpretation; Maynes was circumspect.  Otto's blustery attempt to reframe the debate was warded off by Trustee Zelenock's patient and quiet questioning of the Attorney.

Otto fretting cam1 20180410 02 52 25 06 800w351h

Otto frets while Chick gets lectured about the ethics of Boardmembers' relationships with the Township Attorney.  This is within moments of Otto claiming that she had merely seconded Trustee Chicks' misbegotten Motion to suspend the 1st Amendment rights of her fellow Trustees, Chairperson Chockley in particular.

There were other heroines of this meeting. 

I will finish this report later.  There is a backstory to be told.  I do not claim to completely understand it.  Some of this evening's conflict is rooted in the efforts of long time community contributors, the Kiwanis, to make something out of Downtown Whitmore Lake eyesore 75 Barker Road.   For reasons unknown to me, the DDA also wants 75 Barker Road.  Supervisor Chockley somehow got into the middle of this and left Kiwanis members extremely frustrated.  The Township Building Department bigfooted the building's habitability.  The Kiwanis want to host their resale shop at 75 Barker but voicing that wish forced a change of use designation which forced code mandated upgrades.  An accessible restroom would be one significant cost.

Choose your side.  On the one is the grass roots community organizer, the Kiwanis, who it could be argued have earned the right to take on the project.  They have deep roots in and affection from the Community.  People would rally behind them.

On the other side is the DDA.  If the "North Park" "synthesis" project ever happens, the DDA will become the richest player in Whitmore Lake, fueled by TIF tax dollars siphoned away from schools, public services, capital equipment maintenance, township hall and fire station roof replacement, road maintenance, etc..  All the money will be controlled by an unelected, politician appointed body.  What's not to love?

Your LiveAgenda will lead you straight to the high points of the meeting, HD and Close Captioned.    

What goes into a LiveAgenda?  This is what the VideoNorthfield edit of this meeting looks like.  I added one camera to the Township's single camera feed.  For a look at a complicated finished video, check out the 3-27-2018 Board meeting, where Tetra Tech presented its Cost of Sewer Services Study.

Editing workflow 2018 04 10 800w268h

 

Meeting Documents:

 

Tree About2Die heaven 2018 03 13 djg 900w1283h

 

EDITORIAL by David Gordon

The Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) this spring cut down about 300 trees (45 were “Landmark Status”) along N. Territorial Road between Gottfredson and Spencer Roads claiming that it improves safety.   The cost for this: $111,000.

Before the “safety” project, your odds of dying were about the same as becoming President. 10,000,000 to 1.  

work zoned catalpa sutton at territorial 20180313 900w416h

 

One person died in a car/tree crash along this stretch of road (2010-2014), according to county records, and there were 10,220,000 car trips during that five-year timeframe.

Maybe your odds are better now. Hard to say. But let’s speculate that your odds improved a bit so now you’re about as likely to die in a car/tree crash along that stretch of road as you are of being attacked by a shark.   (Though there have been no reports on sharks on N. Territorial in quite some time. ;-)

After reading the information below, you might want to contact the WCRC and share some of your thoughts. Their contact info is below.

 

Tree Stump 2018 03 13 djg crop 901w332h

What are the Odds?

  • Odds of being diagnosed with cancer — 1 in 2 for men, 1 in 3 for women
  • Odds of being a victim of a serious crime — 1 in 47 for men, 1 in 52 for women
  • Odds of being called “Come on down!” on The Price is Right — 1 in 36
  • Odds of being audited by the IRS — 1 in 100
  • Odds of dying in a car accident — 1 in 113
  •             
  • These odds, provided by the National Safety Council, are pretty scary. If you text while driving, you increase your chances by six times — the same as driving after four beers.
  • Odds of being drafted by the NBA — 1 in 6,864,000
  • Odds of being struck and killed by lightning — 1 in 174,426
  • Odds of becoming President of the U.S. — 1 in 10 million
  • Odds of getting attacked by a shark — 1 in 11.5 million
  • - from 21 Shocking Statistics, Including the likelihood of a big lotto win

The Road Commission has put on hold Phase 2 of this project which called for another $$665,274 to remove hundreds more trees while they “review their policies and procedures”.

To reach your three County Road Commissioners:

Tree Trunk 2018 03 13 djg crop 900w299h

 

“Insurance Institute for Highway Safety”

Car/Tree Crash Data & Conclusions

 

             About 20 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths result from a vehicle leaving the roadway and hitting a fixed object alongside the road. Trees, utility poles, and traffic barriers are the most common objects struck. Almost half of the deaths in fixed object crashes occur at night. Alcohol is a frequent contributing factor. 

TRENDS:        

             A total of 7,964 people died in fixed-object crashes in 2016, 3 percent more than in 2015 and 25 percent fewer than in 1979. The proportion of motor vehicle crash deaths involving collisions with fixed objects has remained between 19 and 23 percent since 1979.

                   

             Trees are the most common fixed object struck. Forty-eight percent of deaths in fixed object crashes in 2016 involved a vehicle striking a tree. Utility poles and traffic barriers were the next most common objects struck, accounting for 11 and 8 percent of deaths, respectively. Twenty-seven percent of drivers killed in fixed-object crashes in 2016 were males younger than 30. Overall, males accounted for 81 percent of drivers killed in these crashes.

ALCOHOL:     

             Thirty-nine percent of drivers killed in fixed-object crashes in 2016 had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.08 percent. By comparison, 23 percent of drivers killed in other types of fatal crashes had BACs this high. The percentage of drivers killed in fixed-object crashes with BACs at or above 0.08 percent declined from 66 percent in 1982 to 39 percent in 2016, a reduction of 41 percent.

AGE & GENDER:       

             Twenty-seven percent of drivers killed in fixed-object crashes in 2016 were males younger than 30. Overall, males accounted for 81 percent of drivers killed in these crashes.

                   

WHEN & WHERE CRASHES OCCUR:

             Sixteen percent of deaths in fixed-object crashes in 2016 occurred on interstates and freeways, 52 percent occurred on other major roads, and 27 percent occurred on minor roads.

                   

             Forty-four percent of deaths in fixed-object crashes in 2016 occurred at night (9 p.m.-6 a.m.), with the highest proportions occurring between midnight and 3 a.m. (18 percent) and between 9 p.m. and midnight (14  percent).

COLLISIONS WITH ANIMALS:

             From 1975 to the mid-2000s there was a general upward trend in deaths from collisions with animals, but this trend has leveled off in the past few years. These deaths increased from 89 in 1975 to 223 in 2007 and then declined to 189 in 2016. In 2016, deaths in collisions with animals occurred most often during July-September.

 

Tree Stump 2018 03 13 djg crop 901w332h

 

 

 

 

 

Report by David Gordon

Planning Commission Chair Larry Roman, planner Paul Lippens and the rest of the Commissioners worked through possible language changes for the Temporary Holiday Sales Ordinance at last night’s meeting.

This type of “nuts & bolts” work of the Planning Commission doesn’t make for very lively meetings but with enough patience and focus, Roman hopes to craft language that protects the township without causing burdens on people wanting to set up temporary sales of Christmas trees, pumpkins, fireworks or other holiday-related items.

Lippens was directed to come back (a third and final time) with language sufficiently refined that the Commission can recommend it to the Board of Trustees.

Lippens mentioned that the township website soon should have new information about the proposed North Village Plan available….such as answers to residents’ questions.

May 16 is the deadline for developers to deliver plans for the proposed waterfront park. To date, nothing has been submitted from the private sector for the $50M+ “vision” being promoted by the Downtown Planning Group.

 

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Report by David Gordon

The Planning Commission spent most of its 90-minute meeting discussing regulations for outdoor sales of Christmas trees, pumpkins and fireworks.

Commissioner Cecelia Infante suggested they look at the Dexter ordinances. “Theirs is smart,” she said.

Commissioner Sam Iaquinto expressed concern that regulation was discouraging businesses. “We are zoning ourselves into non-existence,” he said. He also said the $100 fee for a temporary sales permit was too high.

Finally Commission Chair Larry Roman directed planner Paul Lippens to “bring us some examples” from other communities and concluded: “So you’ll come up with something.”

During the “Call to the Public”, David Gordon (this story’s author) spoke about the Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) and their ongoing N. Territorial Road project which included cutting down hundreds of trees, many of which qualify for “Heritage” or “Landmark” status.

According to WCRC paperwork, 30 trees with 19-36” diameters and 15 trees of 37” & larger diameters were cut down because of their proximity to the road border.

Gordon claimed the destruction did nothing to improve safety and asked the Planning Commission to investigate. He questioned whether the WCRC had any science to support their claims that removing the trees would improve safety and said none was made available.

Infante called the tree cutting “shocking” and “devastating” and said many residents had contacted her to question why this was happening with so little notice.

Chair Roman defended the WCRC tree removal and said he wouldn’t want to hit a tree if he got a blowout and lost control of his car.

Commissioner Brad Cousino, citing safety concerns, went even farther. “I applaud the Road Commission for what they did,” he said. “We’ve got plenty of trees in this township. There are a lot of 300-year-old trees all over this township.“

According to county records, there was one fatality along this stretch of N. Territorial Road from 2010 to 2015. That’s one death in 10,220,000 trips.   There were 15 injuries from car/tree accidents during the same period. That makes for odds of 1 in 681,333.

 

Watch the meeting with the

The paper trail:

 

  1. 3-7-2018 Northfield Township Planning Commission meeting
  2. 3-13-2018 Northfield Township Board of Trustees meeting
  3. 2-27-2018 Northfield Township Board of Trustees meeting
  4. Donna Lane Condominium "Preserve" Re-emerges from Swamp - on 2-21-2018 Planning Commission Agenda
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