Editorials
On this page you will see personal opinions expressed that may or may not be representative of those of other individuals or groups. Some will be triggered by events, actions, observations — or perhaps pent-up frustrations. Some of you will agree — some of you will disagree — some of you will simply exit. Please remember that what you are reading here are opinions. Whatever your reaction, thank you for taking the time to at least give a look.
Note: The oldest articles are at the bottom of this page.
Contents
Go to Editorial Archives for July 2, 2010 to May 7, 2011
Go to Editorial Archives prior to July 1, 2010
65. Looking Forward (and Back A Bit)
With the new year having a firm foot-hold, (and winter NOT), we can take a glance back and then begin to look to the coming months within our community.
2011 was a rebuilding year, and did we rebuild! When you visit our lighthouse parks, admire what has been accomplished by our volunteers. With the energetic guidance of the Parks & Rec. Committee, and the support of both the Planning Commission and the Board of Trustees (except for the trustee whose favorite word is "nay"), major advances have been made — with more in store. Just note the achievements:
- Major landscaping at the Old Lighthouse park (access areas)
- Removal of fire hazards (brush) around Old Lighthouse
- Successful first year operation of Lighthouse gift shops by Museum Society
- Advancement of "swath" cleanup at New Lighthouse in preparation for landscape development
- Establishment of privy at Range Light
- Establishment of buoyed swimming area at Range Light
- Additional road access into cemetery (courtesy of Presque Isle Harbor Association)
- New & refurbished signage at various parks
- Repairs & maintenance with lots of fresh paint
But look ahead. Many projects are in development with results expected in the next few months:
- The Grand Lake Jetty/Breakwall — at the DNR boat launch
- Range Light Park development
- Keeper statue of Patrick Garrity
With signs that the darkest part of the economic problems may be behind us, 2012 holds promise. All of our efforts will support the high season and attract the tourist traffic and ultimately their dollar. We must focus on ways to keep our visitors around a few days and not allow them to just pass through. Our Township officials are very aware of this need and have identified opportunities to do just that. Behind the scenes things are happening, and in due course, announcements will be made.
Our community is very quaint and a source of pride for all of us. It is a hidden jewel and should be shared with the world. The "Pure Michigan" advertising campaign has been highly successful and has attracted many to our region. In the tourism market, it is not 'catch and release' — they are all keepers. Let us not allow them slip the hook.
Click logo to view other
ads.
64. Failure To Issue Checks
The most recent Board of Trustees Meeting brought to light the fact that our Treasurer had failed to release an expense check for a volunteer, although the expense had been previously approved. She claimed that it was an error on her part and whined about not being allowed to make a mistake.
When one looks back in the record, it becomes evident that this was not "a" mistake, but in fact one of many similar failures to appropriately issue checks. The March 14, 2011 meeting records note that there was "discussion regarding the issuance of checks for preapproved expenditures" resulting from a situation where a vendor check was not provided as arranged. The June 14, 2010 meeting refers to a situation where the hired maintenance man's $2000 pay claim was being delayed.
Additional delay in payment incidents are also noteworthy. When Trustee Hart was appointed to the Board of Trustees, her first check was delayed because she "missed the cutoff" — nobody informed her as to the cutoff date, and nobody took the responsibility to check with her when everybody else had submitted their claims and her's was missing. For the 2009 Olde Fashioned Christmas, the township check was not issued until January, 2010 — well after the event. In 2010, the check was issued almost a month after the event, leaving the organizers to cover those expenditures from their own pockets. (Note that the 2011 check was issued in advance of the event.)
When you look at these incidents, the treasurer has played a critical role. Looking more closely, you may notice that the treasurer had opposed the underlying issues in the first place — and in some cases, her opposition was very aggressive — possibly even to excess. Perhaps the check issuing delays were just "mistakes". If you consider that as a possibility, then you must also think of other possibilities such as retaliation for not getting her way, political interference, or possibly simple incompetence. Or, perhaps this was just her way of saying: "I run this place!"
No matter how you see these incidents, this is not how our township should operate. It is time for our Treasurer to join the team!
63. Applicants For Township Committees
At the most recent Planning Commission meeting, it was announced that 2 applications had been received for vacancies on the Commission.
While it is encouraging that there is interest from the community in becoming involved, the following facts covering the past 2 years are concerning:
- neither applicant has been a recorded attendee at a Planning Commission meeting
- One applicant has no recorded attendance at a Board of Trustees meeting
- One applicant has recorded attendance at 2 Board of Trustees meetings but only on occasions where specific issues pertained directly to that individual
Yes, we need new blood. However, in the best interest of the applicant, prior attendance at various township meetings seems like not only an appropriate way to prepare for the new role, but is also a very strong indicator of their commitment level. We need responsible, creative and hard-working individuals to help shape our community. We encourage those to step forward.
62. Statue of Patrick Garrity
The wheels have been set in motion to commission a life-size statue of Patrick Garrity to be placed at the old lighthouse. Not only is this to honor the longest serving lighthouse keeper in our community, but will be a tribute to all lighthouse keepers who served along our shorelines. The target date for completion of this project is the spring of 2012.
In order to finance this project, fund raising efforts must be successful in an amount of approximately $4500. Donations are requested and can be submitted to the Presque Isle Township office and tagged for the "Statue Fundraiser".
To have Patrick Garrity as a greeter to those from far and wide, will be a major attraction. Generous compliments are in order for our Parks & Recreation Committee for their efforts. Please remember that we need your cash donation in order to make it all happen.
Click for additional information on this project.
61. Contents Of Meeting Minutes
It seems like our Board of Trustees just cannot get a handle on the "official minutes" for their meetings.
For years, accusations have been levelled that minutes have been incomplete, incorrect, skewed, — or even "cooked". At the beginning of this year, we commented more than once on the unsatisfactory state of the official minutes. Here we go again!
Take a look at the Draft minutes for the Board of Trustees meeting of October 10, 2011. Under the agenda item of Correspondence, Trustee Paavola read in its entirety, a Letter of Interest from K. Pettalia regarding a vacancy on the Parks & Rec. Committee. If you rewind to 1 month earlier, you will see that Supervisor Pokorski read a similar letter from D. Trelfa.
So, what is the problem? You will notice that in the minutes, the D. Trelfa letter was referenced only, while the K. Pettalia letter was published word for word. Is that not odd?
Should full text of a Letter of Interest be published in the meeting minutes? Most people will say not. Since the October minutes are still in their draft version at this point, the full text of the K. Pettalia letter should be removed — not simply "struck", as with routine errors or corrections, but fully purged from the final version.
But now for the more serious issue as to why the full text appeared in the draft at all. Do keep in mind that a paid office staff member generates those minutes, as is indicated at the bottom of each report. There may be no clear-cut reason for this particular incident, but perhaps there is some correlation to the concerns that have been ongoing. Following is a list options that you might consider:
- No problem — the minutes are okay and the letter should be included.
- Honest error — nothing to worry about — mistakes happen — remove the letter.
- There is no clear guideline as to what should be included in the minutes.
- Staff is not being properly trained or supervised.
- One or more individual trustees are controlling and/or slanting the minutes.
- Individuals outside of the Board of Trustees are influencing minutes content and/or spin.
- Political views are conflicting with honest and accurate recording.
- Some people have friends.
- Perhaps you have another idea?
In light of the concerns, some changes to the production of the minutes process should occur. This record is too important to turn over to unsupervised office staff. At a minimum, an official should vet the report and release it over his/her name. Office staff answers to the Board of Trustees and should not be placed into a circumstance of having to answer to the public. Perhaps confidence in our "official" public record can be enhanced by simply changing the name at the bottom of each set of minutes.
There is reader feedback on this item. Click Here
*** Update Nov. 23/11*** — The published letter noted above has now been removed from the "Official Minutes", and will be treated as an attachment only. The cause for the incident, however, has not been openly addressed. Hopefully, that has been done behind the scenes. If not, the monster will reappear down the road.
60. Deputy Treasurer Positions
The most recent Board of Trustees Meeting brought up an issue regarding the Deputy Treasurer's position relating to banking transactions.
It seems that the bank wanted to be very clear as to who is to have signing authority. You may think it obvious that the Treasurer would be the one — but in fact, there are 3 people in the picture. It seems that our Treasurer, Bette, thinks it appropriate to have 2 Deputy Treasurers. TWO, you say? Apparently the rules indicate that only one is permitted — so Bette wishes to use a "platooning" approach. She even brought forward a (non-agenda item) resolution regarding the matter. Fortunately Trustee Hart's strong reaction resulted in the issue being tabled.
There are many in our community that do not understand the need for a Deputy Treasurer at all, except perhaps for a couple of weeks a year. Even if you concede the need for such a position, should 1 person not be sufficient?
Well, it seems that Treasurer Bette's choice for deputy is a snowbird — and she wants to appoint a "Substitute Deputy Treasurer" for the winter months. If she wishes to protect her snowbird deputy, then she herself should fill in the gap rather than bringing another individual into the picture. If the Deputy Treasurer role is a 12 month position, then she should appoint someone who is available for 12 months.
Perhaps there is more to it than just the treasurer's workload. One has to wonder if it just a means having more friends draw from the trough. Many citizens question whether the treasurer's duties are as demanding as she says. In these tough times, we all must do more with less. However, someone is attempting to do less with more. Treasurer Bette should not only find ways to become more efficient in her duties, but also exercise good judgement by engaging a deputy capable of meeting the needs of the position.
59. Township Committee Appointments
A Reader Feedback comment recently made reference to committee appointments and term limits. This is an aspect of township administration with room for improvement.
Year-end Board meetings for the past couple of years have experienced a circus of last minute appointment & reappointments to various committees. In some cases, the trustees were unaware as to which terms were about expire, or whether the appointee actually desired the position. Additionally, there has been no clear process in place for the open solicitation of local citizens who might wish a committee appointment.
The following is a suggested process that could be used to streamline the filling of the various committees and provide the community with the sense of administrative openness and opportunity to become involved.
- Align all committee terms to the calendar year.
- On the Township website, identify all committee positions and the term expiry date for each.
- During the month of September, publicly solicit applications for all committees for the coming year.
- During October, all qualified candidates interviewed by Supervisor & 1 other trustee
- Recommended candidates presented to Board of Trustees for vacancy appointment at November meeting.
- Surplus candidates placed in a pool from which to fill vacancies occurring during the coming year.
- Appointment terms to be maximum of 3 years.
- Appointees subject to term limit of 2 terms after which must wait 1 year before reapplying for same committee
There have been some steps taken recently to improve the way in which committee positions are filled, but much distrust remains. Local citizens wish to see a clear-cut process that gives anyone an "honest" opportunity for a committee appointment. As it stands now, they see a closed system with a stagnant aroma. It is time to freshen up the process.
58. Recent Site News
We're back ... we think. The Shadow is now hosted on a new server — the fourth time that we have moved in the past 6 months. This game of musical chairs began early in the new year when we left our original host due to their inability to support some new features that we wished to develop. Host #2 didn't last long since they couldn't provide what they advertised. Host #3, a new hosting company, just simply disappeared one night after about a month of sluggish service. Then it was on to Host #4 — they were not able to provide the technical support needed to get a new customer off the ground ... just wanted to sell us new services without ensuring that what we had was functional. Net result: a lot of distractions, down-time & wheel-spinning. (Not uncommon in the experiences of those who pay attention to local politics!)
Now we have almost finished the move into our 5th home. The coming weeks, I am sure, will see some bumps in our road. We are back and look forward to bringing you the comings & goings of our the Presque Isle Township local government.
57. Let the 2011 Season Begin
Here we are in the days just before the Memorial Day Weekend kick-off to the Summer of 2011. The abnormally wet and cool spring, although beneficial to our vegetation and water levels, has created challenges as everyone preps for the influx of seasonal visitors. Individuals have tidied up their properties from Mother Nature's wrath, and fresh coats of paint are visible everywhere.
The Township Board of Trustees, along with the Planning Commission and Parks & Recreation, have established a well thought out direction for the public places within the township. Volunteers have worked overtime in their efforts at our lighthouses and parks. Although being forced to endure some mindless nonsense, their dedication has enabled them to "stay the course". Fresh paint, major landscape improvements, and a lot of debris cleanup will make this a more inviting and safer community as we put on our best face.
This season, our lighthouses will feature concessions operated by the local Museum Society. For the first time, ALL profits will stay in our township for public benefit. Our hats are off to the Museum Society members, and in particular Drew and Jeni Matuszak, who worked tirelessly to make it happen. We ask that you stop by and support their efforts.
As you cast off your winter cocoon, be sure to take in the enhancements already completed as well as those still in process. The spit 'n polish of the 2 lighthouses; new signs throughout the community; fresh landscaping; new and refurbished trails; Range Light additions; our cemetery; Lake Esau Park; Grand Lake Access with its breakwall project — and much, much more. This is Pure Michigan! Our thanks to those who make it all happen.
Go to Editorial Archives for July 2, 2010 to May 7, 2011
Go to Editorial Archives prior to July 1, 2010
Somebody had to do it. And it's really pathedic that it had to be us.
... Jerry Garcia