Lake Improvement Board: Powers and Challenges

The process of altering, replacing or even eliminating the Lake Improvement Board turns out to be more complicated than one might think.  While the two townships and the village do have some influence with the LIB (as they each appoint a representative), their powers are limited by three other members (a member of the Manistee County Board of Commissioners, the Manistee County Drain Commissioner and a riparian/lakefront owner) and the rules that govern the LIB.

The Lake Improvement Board's operations are dictated by state law and its own bylaws, and can continue indefinitely, unless several conditions are met.  Michigan state law, specifically Public Act 451, Part 309, does not include any kind of expiration date, sunset clause or renewal requirement, as an earlier version of our report suggested.  The "every 5 year" statement actually pertains to the tasks of discussion and budget planning.

This first task, discussion of the LIB, does fall to the three governmental units, which pledged to meet jointly every five years for this purpose.

The LIB's existence doesn't hinge on these meetings.  Even if all three entities were to unanimously decide at such a meeting that the LIB should be disbanded, several more steps would remain.  Otherwise, the LIB would continue its work.  Here is Pleasanton Township's pledge, contained in Resolution 1-2007 (which helped to establish the LIB):

In theory, this pledge for a joint meeting could even be broken (since the pledge was made in the form of a resolution, which states an intention or an opinion, rather than a law), and the LIB would still go on.  As it happens, the three municipalities honored their 2007 pledge, and met jointly this March.  According to the minutes of the meeting (in full, below) there was "discussion by all present," but no action was taken.

The second task to be addressed every 5 years, that of budget planning, falls to the LIB itself.  It has to decide what further study and treatment is required (including costs for each) over the next five years, and how to assess lakefront owners in order to pay for that work.  The LIB has scheduled two public hearing sessions (one for each topic) for Thursday, July 19.  


In the meantime, the LIB has asked for a renewed endoresement from the municipalities and has requested another joint meeting in 2017.  The Village of Bear Lake passed such a resolution recently.  Bear Lake Township considered the resolution and decided against it, but may reconsider.  Pleasanton Township has not taken any action on the resolution.  Though the LIB does seek this approval, its existence does not depend on it.

Supervisor Merrill's alternative to the LIB could not replace the current LIB without undergoing the same process originally followed five years ago.  In addition, the current LIB would have to be dissolved first, which is only possible if four conditions are met (according to the last portion of Public Act 451, Part 309, article 324.20929, below).  In short, each municipality would have to hold a public hearing on the specific topic of dissolving the LIB; any remaining LIB expenses must be paid; any excess monies collected from the special assessment district (lakefront owners, in this case) must be refunded; and the LIB's own members would have to take formal action to disband.

Tribute to Fred Alkire

We hadn't forgotten about Fred Alkire, who passed away just over two months ago, but we were slow to find the right words.  This tribute by Tim Richard, our guest columnist, captures Alkire better that we could have.  --Eds. 

Alkire at Pleasanton's Memorial Day services, 2011

Fred Alkire’s death Feb. 14 inspired reams of reminiscences of his life’s 80 years – in the military, scouting, his family and civic efforts. One batch of contributions, however, was overlooked – Fred’s devotion to intergovernmental cooperation.

In high school civics, a required course in Michigan, we were taught that government is formed at three levels – federal, state and local. But in today’s world, much governmental work is done by combinations of local units. Several of our governors have encouraged such cooperation.

Alkire, supervisor of Pleasanton Township, for years chaired the Manistee County chapter of the Michigan Townships Association, where township supervisors gathered to learn the latest changes in their working laws and the latest money-saving ideas. For example, Pleasanton and Bear Lake townships formed a joint trash collection program from the 1990s until 2009, where they employed one collection point with one contractor’s trucks to collect two towns’ trash on the same Saturday morning.

When the Bear Lake community received a private grant in 2001 for a new branch library building, Alkire chaired a three-unit panel – the two townships and the Village of Bear Lake – to build the new Keddie-Norconk branch library. The county provided the books, materials and staff, but local units provided the building. All three local units provided members of the library board, which Alkire led, and got its job done, with much volunteer labor, two years earlier than another community with a similar grant.

Cherryland's Last Five Thousand

Tony Anderson, General Manager of Cherryland Electric Cooperative, answers questions about restoring power to the company's remaining 5,000 customers.

Due to interview conditions, the audio quality is somewhat diminished.  

The Storm in Sound and Pictures

After several months of mild weather, winter came and went like a pride of lions.  The snow started to fall early Friday night, with several inches accumulating each hour.  

Looking east down 13 Mile Road, near US-31 in Bear Lake (Friday, March 2 at 6pm)

Crews Working to Repair Power and Phone Lines

3/9/12 update (11:50am):


Cherryland reports the yesterday's restoration of the eastern side of the Bear Lake area, and overall, says about 500 members are left.  The Copemish area is also seeing progress, with part of CH2 repaired, multiple crews currently at CH4 and progress expected at CH1.  Brethren's BR1, BR2 and BR3 electrical leads are also planned for work today.

Winter in One Fell Swoop?

Weather alert: the National Weather Service is predicting heavy snowfall.  This afternoon's forecast (4-9 inches) has been updated to 9-13 inches overnight, with blowing and drifting snow. Another 1-3 inches expected in the morning with continuing wind.

Jerry Peterson, Manistee County Road Commission Manager, explains how up to 21 trucks may be deployed during this weekend's snowstorm.

The upper range of snowfall for tonight (Friday evening) appears to apply to Kaleva (13 inches max.), Copemish (13), Brethren (13), Wellston (13), Bear Lake (13), Manistee (12), Filer City Twp., Onekama (12), Arcadia (12).

Click here for current Bear Lake weather information.

Updates


3/2/12 at 11:16pm:  There are also reports of power outages at 9th Street and on the north side of Manistee as well as at Memorial Medical Center in Ludington.


3/2/12 at 10:45pm:  There are reports of power outages east of Bear Lake, near Big Four Road, for customers of Cherryland Electric.  In Manistee, there are reports of lines down and slippery conditions on Vine St.  In Bear Lake, tree limbs have come down in residential areas, with occasional brown-outs and short power outages lasting a few seconds.

Looking east down Three Pines Road (Friday, March 2 at 8:30pm)

Looking east down 13 Mile Road, near US-31 in Bear Lake (Friday, March 2 at 6pm)

Dad's the Outboard Motor

Heads have turned to follow unidentified skating objects on Bear Lake over the past few days.  "Someone's windsurfing out there," said a gas station employee.

Friday afternoon, Bear Lake resident Jim Reed confirmed that the vehicle, a 16-foot ice boat, belongs to him.  He and two of his children, ages 13 and 11, traveled across the lake's surface.  "This one will do north of 60 [miles per hour]," he said, adding that the sail allows as much control as on a sailboat.  Reed said a group of ice boaters from Muskegon are expected to visit Bear Lake on Saturday.

About half a dozen ice shanties are currently set up on Bear Lake.  Ice fisherman credit the popularity of the lake to the relatively shallow depth, which permits a faster, thicker freeze.

Click below to play video

The Reeds sail on their ice boat