Editor's Notes: This blog is Commissioner Betsy Coffia's remarks on the Line 5 resolution discussed at the August 21 Meeting. You can see the whole meeting, including over 2 1/2 hours of public comment at: http://www.tacm.tv/watchgovtv.asp?sdbfid=12149 Betsy Coffia's comments begin at 2hr 54min into the video. You can use a slider to get to any part of the video you wish. Mr. Chairman, We are meant to be a deliberative body. I think the public should be able to reasonably assume that we take the time as a body to deliberate carefully before we vote, and especially before we vote on controversial issues. They should be able to trust us to do so. But since, as you all are aware, we have ha
The meeting, once again, started and centered around a slideshow presented by Steven Baldwin Associates Airport Management Consultants. Steven (presumably Baldwin) spoke about what is involved in the process of moving the airport commission to an airport authority. FAA Transfer Process - The process of switching begins with passage of resolutions by Leelanau and GT counties per state law. The simplified process would include coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, which would have to agree to the process and timeline. The FAA is responsible for developing applications and documents among the key parties. Once the application is finished, the FAA has 90 days to approve the swit
Editor's Note The following article was submitted to us by the Chair of the Anishinaabek Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party A Bridge Hello Democrats! We have found out that sneaky Enbridge is sending a farce of a resolution to ALL the County Commissioners in the state of Michigan in an attempt to cause a divide in Michigan regarding their tunnel. As you know, this tunnel is not in Michigan’s best interest and only serves to deepen Enbridge’s pockets. We must fight this attempt to manipulate out government!! We have been taught that this is an either-or question. Do we have the raggedy pipeline or the dangerous tunnel? This is incorrect. We do not NEED either. We are switching to renewa
August 14, 2019 Woodmere Library Traverse City, MI Yesterday, August 14th, concerned members of the Grand Traverse Co. Community gathered to hear updates on the Recall Inman Forum held at the Woodmere Library. At this point, the language of the recall petition has been accepted by the State Board of Canvassers. On August 12th, Inman filed an appeal. The State Court of Appeals must make a decision within 40 days. If it does not, we will be eligible to begin gathering signatures the last week of September. We will have 180 days to file with signatures and will have 60 days to complete the process. It was pointed out that Inman absolutely has the right to due process, but that isn't what the r
The following Article was provided by Leonard Page, Vice Chair, Straits of Mackinac Alliance Cheboygan. We are posting it here as a service to our members. This responds to the various pro-Enbridge columns recently published. What Michigan needs is an immediate guarantee of no oil spills anywhere in the Great Lakes basin. The State is morally and legally required, under the public trust doctrine, to preserve and protect the Great Lakes from harm. Michigan has no obligation of any kind to serve as a permanent high-risk shortcut to get western Canadian oil to Sarnia - for the Canadian market and export. The Michigan Tech Risk Study of 2018 (paid for by Enbridge) established that a worst-ca
As I sit here on my patio overlooking my garden and try to process the amazing turnout we had at the Traverse Area Indivisibles & Friends Picnic held at Peterson Park, Northport, yesterday afternoon, I scarcely know how to sum it all up, but here goes: First off, thanks to all the volunteers, issue table groups, the four county Democratic parties who took part and boosted the event, and of course our wonderful line-up of speakers. These included Carolyn Moss, President of the Munson Nurses Union; Jim Olson, founder of FLOW; TJ Stephens, Chair of the Anishinaabek Caucus; Holly Bird, Lawyer for Standing Rock; Dan O’Neil, former Democratic Candidate for the 104th District; Dana Ferguson, Democr
Editor's Note: This is one of the comments given to the BOC in response to an item on the agenda by Commissioner Jewett to support the Enbridge Line 5 Proposal. The BOC does not publish public comments. We feel the comments made were worthy of note and consideration and are publishing them in this blog. Normally, I’d be working right now. But since I heard, last night, there was a proposal to support Enbridge’s Line 5, I thought I’d come hang out with y’all this morning and give you my thoughts, instead. As a student of Eastern Michigan University’s Environmental Science and Society program, this concerns my scholastic career and beyond, as well as my livelihood as a resident of this grea
Editor's Note: This is one of the comments given to the BOC in response to an item on the agenda by Commissioner Jewett to support the Enbridge Line 5 Proposal. The BOC does not publish public comments. We feel the comments made were worthy of note and consideration and are publishing them in this blog. Submitted for inclusion in the minutes and public record to the: Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners Thank you, Chairman Hentschel, and fellow members of the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners. I am Kelly Thayer, Deputy Director of FLOW (For Love of Water). FLOW is a Great Lakes law and policy center based in Traverse City working to protect our public trust waters across t
Editor's Note: This is one of the comments given to the BOC in response to an item on the agenda by Commissioner Jewett to support the Enbridge Line 5 Proposal. The BOC does not publish public comments. We feel the comments made were worthy of note and consideration and are publishing them in this blog. To: Grand Traverse County Board From: Ann Rogers, co-chair of NMEAC Over 5 years ago Oil and Water Don’t Mix (OWDM) was organized to protect the Great Lakes from a 66 year old deteriorating Pipeline 5 under the Straits of Mackinaw. Over 27 environmental groups, 9 Native Tribes, many businesses including local breweries, cities and counties joined the effort. This effort continues to oppo
Editor's Note: This is one of the comments given to the BOC in response to an item on the agenda by Commissioner Jewett to support the Enbridge Line 5 Proposal. The BOC does not publish public comments. We feel the comments made were worthy of note and consideration and are publishing them in this blog. Since Enbridge first laid claim to the bottomland of the Straits in 1953, opportunistic politicians and interconnected parties on both sides of the border, who have chosen to play nice with Enbridge, have profited. Recent legal actions have accelerated one of the most expensive and far reaching public relations campaigns in Michigan history to fight increasing public pressure to shut down
A robust crowd of concerned citizens attended the Grand Traverse Co. Board of Commissioners meeting this morning in TC, protesting the resolution to support building the Line 5 tunnel put forward by Comm. Brad Jewett. Over twenty people spoke including Kelley Thayer, Deputy Dir. of FLOW, Emily Magnar of MLCV, Holly Byrd and Tom Peters from the Traverse City Band, Brenda Rusch and Berta Meserve of Indivisible Traverse City, as well as former Commissioner Tom Mair. To the right we give photo space to all the speakers who spoke in favor of the Jewett/Embridge proposal. People were outraged that the resolution to support the tunnel was even being raised considering that the GT BOC had endorsed a
The Airport Governance Advisory Committee Meeting (AGACM) mostly centered around a slideshow that highlighted the pros and cons of keeping the airport as a commission, vs. changing it to an independent authority. This slide show, and all the information, was put together by Steven Baldwin Associates Airport Management Consultants, and was presented by Penny Perkins. Before the meat of the presentation, Perkins talked about a survey that was given to the commissioners. In the survey, the commissioners were asked what was important to prioritize when considering the future of the airport. Most of the answers revolved around keeping excellent customer service for patrons of the airport, and hav
