Volume 1, Issue 10 AUGUST 4, 2023
Pentwater group forms to boycott village proposal to become a city PENTWATER - A proposal to change the Village of Pentwater into a city ran into its first organized opposition today when a group of village and township residents announced the formation of Boycott Pentwater City (BPC). The group said it is against the village proposal because the sponsors have exaggerated or misrepresented potential benefits, and it would also destroy historical cooperation between village and township residents. “Village councilpersons voted for a measure that has no public support and will result in higher taxes in one jurisdiction and layoffs or reduced services in the other,” said Mark Trierweiler, community leader and founding member of BPC. Trierweiler said BPC intends to enlist the support of hundreds of village residents to defeat a defining vote on the proposal, which could come as early as the first quarter of 2024. The process could take up to five years to complete. Both jurisdictions have produced competing reports on the impact
to their respective governments. During a meeting at the Baptist Church of Pentwater on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 1, participants said they were leery of claims made by village leaders and were inclined to vote against it. “One would have to be pretty naïve to think the village could take on new functions for which it has no previous experience without hiring a bunch of people,” said village resident and retired pastor Roy Martens. “Supporting an initiative that’s based on partially false or misleading facts and that doesn’t have the support of the public is not a great place to find yourself in.” Trierweiler echoed the concern and said that claims by village leaders that they would be able to take on what are now township functions, like elections, without adding additional staff simply didn’t pass muster. “What are these employees doing now that they would be able to double their workload without any additional cost to taxpayers,” he asked. A retired pastor and village prop-
erty owner, Mick McCoy is deeply concerned about the proposal moving forward without public support. He said he believes that residents were being ‘slow rolled’ and worn down during a recent village-sponsored meeting he attended, with the express purpose of completing the 15-step process without public feedback. Village voters will ultimately decide if the village will become a city without input from township residents, many of whom argue they will be negatively impacted by the proposal through higher taxes or diminished services. Using a “Wizard of Oz” metaphor, one prominent attendee with a history of community activism told the audience the biggest unanswered question is still “who is behind the curtain.” Several participants of village and township informational meetings encouraged organizers to determine who ultimately benefits from a proposal that is so unpopular. Former Pentwater Village Councilor Claudia Ressel-Hodan first pro-
posed the idea more than a year ago and has since presided over community meetings where many felt lacked openness about the plan’s many negatives. Many participants of villageand township-sponsored meetings expressed sadness that the village, which has been declining in population for years, would pursue a plan they said would destroy relationships the village needs to survive. Mike and Kendra Flynn, whose families were founding members of Pentwater, expressed profound sadness about the divisiveness they see around town. “This used to be a place where everyone knew everyone else and worked together for the collective good of the community,” Mike said, adding that Pentwater relationships have always been civil, and people stick together no matter what.” Trierweiler promised that BPC would sponsor a community-wide survey and website to educate voters, highlighting the level of community opposition to the plan.
Commissioners discuss ORVs, Crystal Valley Dam By Stacia Erickson
PERMIT NO 62
PRE-SORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE
RESIDENTIAL POSTAL CUSTOMER PAID ECRWSS BIG RAPIDS, MI 49307
coverage presentation. The 2022 auditors’ reThe Oceana Echo Community Correspondent port was done via a Zoom meeting with Kevin KozuThe Oceana County mplik of Gabridge & Co., Board of Commissioners who offered a summary had its regularly sched- of his company’s writuled meeting Thursday, ten report and answered July 27. The agenda in- questions posed by comcluded committee re- missioners. Kozumplik ports, two Zoom meet- reiterated his company’s ings, a brief commentary issuance of an unmodiby Sheriff Craig Mast and fied opinion, giving their an in-person insurance highest level of assurance. Auditors found no deficit fund balances and no major budget deficiencies as defined by the state. The county’s fund balance across all governmental funds as of Dec. 31, 2022 was $10,033,017, an increase of $1,191,812. The general fund ending fund balance was $6,059,031, an increase of $472,428 with an unassigned fund balance of $5,256,812.. Mast spoke briefly in regard to the Sheriff’s Department. He noted Deputy Jeff Brown’s upcoming retirement , as well as the hiring of a new officer. Silver Lake was also a topic of conversation. Mast reported that the Golden Township supervisor had approached him in regard
to their current situation of not permitting ORVs. Mast noted that Golden is one of the four lakeshore townships without an ORV ordinance allowing them to be driven along the side of the road. The other 12 townships have ordinances regarding this matter. He said many locals as well as visitors are now driving side-by-sides, with some licensed, others not. “My lane is safety and security. I’m concerned with the numbers. My deputies were constantly stopping people over the 4th of July holiday. We don’t have the manpower. We’re examining it; what we’re doing out there is not working,” Mast said, adding that he didn’t know the answer. Maybe a trial run of a year allowing the ORVs to see how it worked? Board Chairman Robert Walker commented, “It appears that Silver Lake is evolving all the time.” Jennifer Martin of Brown and Brown gave a presentation based on a 6-month review of the self-funded county health insurance program. She
The Oceana County Board of Commissioners, from left, Tim Beggs, Craig Hardy, County Administrator Tracy Byard, Chair Robert Walker, Crystal Township Supervisor F. Lee Hyslop, Clerk Amy Anderson, Paul Erickson and Phil Morse • Stacia Erickson/Echo
said the current programming is “performing very well and has saved approximately 11 percent so far this year.” She continued, “Most today are seeing a deduction in coverage, but that’s not so with yours, which is a good thing. We don’t want to pay for something if it’s not going to be utilized.” Martin said she wants to increase voluntary insurance. She also noted that a lot of resources have been given to employees that they’re not using, which she wants to address with more education to make them aware of the resources available. The second Zoom meeting of the day was with James Tiffany, of Tiffany and Sons LLC of Yan-
kee Hill, Calif., in regard to the Crystal Valley Dam remediation project in Crystal Township. Tiffany’s opinion was originally sought by commissioner Paul Erickson, whose district includes the Crystal Valley Dam. Tiffany has an expansive range of experience in design studies and construction engineering for governmental, private and industrial clients. He has excelled in the design, repair, and inspection of dams and other types of Water Resources projects and has undertaken many of these same type engineering projects for FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) as well as the subsequent licensing applications. Tiffany has done the inspection
of over 75 dams throughout the State of Michigan alone, and is considered an expert in his field. Tiffany believes the Crystal Valley Dam should be repaired rather than dismantled. Township Supervisor F. Lee Hyslop and Commissioner Erickson both strongly agreed with Tiffany and said so. After listening to Tiffany and asking questions, commissioners unanimously agreed to take the next step in the Crystal Valley Dam remediation project and hire Tiffany and Sons LLC for plan submittal, fieldwork, preliminary design, permitting process, final design, and construction engineering plans for a cost of $22,375.