L.I.-MI Online

Unbuildable Lots Update

2012-01-19T15:54:00.000-05:00

Late last week staff from the Village and Rowe PSC were in Lansing to meet with representatives of the USDA. For those who have followed this project closely you'll know that using the USDA is the Village's first choice in terms of funding for the project, if it moves forward. In 2011 the Village obtained a letter of funding eligibility from the USDA that outlined assistance that could be offered to the Village in the project.

Since then the Village has been working with the USDA to get a better handle on the specific requirements of the funding if the project moves forward. The primary area of concern on the part of the Village was the initial direction of the USDA stressing the need for the Village to obtain easements from all existing users in the proposed project for their future connection to the system.

In discussing this requirement with out engineers, the Village quickly came to the position that such a request was unrealistic, and rather that the obligation to obtain the easement for maintaining the on-site tank and pump should be a concern only when existing users connect to the proposed system.

In our meeting last week, the USDA staff agreed to the Village's position, and also strongly encouraged us to complete the remaining items from our letter of funding eligible due to the few projects currently being considered state-wide. This lack of interest in USDA funding from other projects may make the Village's application score better when it comes time to actually allocate funding if the project moves forward. With funding of this nature the higher score a project has, the more options it opens up to the project in terms of grants, and the interest rate on the loan component of the funding.

There are three items outstanding from the letter of funding eligibility. Those three are to complete the Preliminary Environmental Report (PRE), conduct a General Public Meeting, and complete a draft engineering agreement.

Presently the Village has enlisted the help and services of the Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP) to complete the PRE. This is being done at no cost to the Village. Rowe PSC is working on completing the draft engineering agreement and also revising our application to reflect the discussion from last week's meeting. Lastly, the Village is reviewing dates in late February or early March to conduct the General Public Meeting.

Even after these are completed and submitted the Village is in no manner obligated to move forward with the project. The Village's efforts are focused on presenting the most complete proposal to the property owners in Lake Isabella South and Lake Isabella Golf Estates 2 for their consideration. Ultimately it will be those property owners that would be directly impacted by this project which determine if it continues. Until then, the Village will continue to work towards finding the most feasible solution to this decades old problem.

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January's Planning Commission Meeting Recap

2012-01-17T09:25:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday the Planning Commission held its regular monthly meeting. Three items of business were considered. The most important of these items was the updated Site Plan for Isabella Pellet. Last year when the Village Council granted an Industrial Facilities Personal Property Tax Exemption as allowed under Public Act 198, the agreement between the Village and plant called for them to submit an updated Site Plan by the end of 2011. The Council felt this was a needed requirement as the original Site Plan submitted by the plant did not fully reflect the scope of development that occurred. Specifically, the equipment located outside of the facility.

At the meeting the Planning Commission discussed the development with management of the plant and were updated on items that the plant is working on to address the handful of concerns that have been voiced regarding noise and appearance.

After discussing the measures being taken by the plant, the Planning Commission requested that management of the plant and Village staff draft a timeline of steps of when certain items need to be in place and submit that plan for consideration as part of the approval for the updated Site Plan. This timeline should be ready for the Planning Commission's consideration at their February meeting.

Also considered at this month's meeting was the possibility of including a special noise site plan requirement for non-residential development. This idea originally was submitted to the Village during the update of the Village's noise ordinance in 2011. However, prior to including it in the updated ordinance, the Village Council asked for additional review on the part of the Planning Commission.

After reviewing the draft submitted to the Village, the Planning Commission expressed concern over having two different plans in the approval process, and felt that it would be better to simply update the Site Plan review section of the zoning code to allow a greater review of noise and noise related activities.

Lastly, the Planning Commission prioritized its projects and goals for 2012.

A draft copy of the minutes are available for public inspection at the Village Hall. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact the Village Hall.

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The 8th Session of the Village Council Begins

2012-01-04T11:27:00.000-05:00

Last night marked the beginning of the 8th Session of the Village Council. A Session of the Council is a 2 year period which coincides with the overlapping terms of office for members of the Council. Last night also ushered in a new Council member. John Eberhart was elected in September, taking the place of Elizabeth Miller who opted not to seek re-election.

At last night's meeting, the Council took care of the normal house keeping duties by electing officers, making committee appointments, and setting the normal meeting date and time.

The Council voted to retain its the previous slate of officers from the last Session of the Council. This slate is:

Dave Torgerson, Village President
Dan Pattison, Village President Pro-Tempore
Charlie Kiel, Village Treasurer
Jeffrey P. Grey, Village Clerk
Arnold Griffin, Village Deputy Treasurer

Also at last night's meeting the Council filled its committee assignments. The roster for the standing committees of the Village Council were set as:

Personnel Committee:
Dan Pattison, Chair
Dave Torgerson
Jeffrey P. Grey

Liaison Committee:
Arnold Griffin
Richard Lacca
John Eberhart

By law/Charter, the Finance and Election Committee are automatically comprised of the Village President, Village Clerk, and Village Treasurer.

Other appointments made last night were the following:

Village Council - Planning Commission Member: Jeffrey P. Grey
Village Council - Zoning Board of Appeals Member: Arnold Griffin
Village Representative to the JCCA: Tim Wolff
Village Deputy Clerk: Tim Wolff
Village Council - Airport Advisory Board: Charlie Kiel

The regular meeting date and time was voted to remain as the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM.

Finally, Village President Torgerson created a Special Ad-hoc Wildlife Management Committee to formulate a plan to address the deer over population problem. Councilman Eberhart was charged with leading this committee. Per the President's direction the committee is to be compromised of 3 other members, with one of them being a representative of the LIPOA.

One committee that was not filled last nigth was the new selection committee. At the Council's regular meeting in December the Village voted to create a "Wall of Honor" to give recognition to currenrt or former members of the community that have made a significant contribution. This committee is to be made up of one current member of the Village Council, one former Village Council or Planning Commission member, and one member at-large from the community.

If you are interested in serving on either the Wildlife Management Committee or the Wall of Honor Selection Committee, please contact the Village Hall.

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Southern Unbuildable Lots Update

2011-11-04T12:21:00.000-04:00

On Monday of next week the Village will be sending out the following update to all property owners in Lake Isabella South and Lake Isabella Golf Estates II.

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Dear Property Owners:

The Village would like to update you with respect to our efforts in addressing the unbuildable lots in southern Lake Isabella. As you may know, the Village has been working on this issue since 2008. The issue itself actually dates back to when this area was originally platted in the early 1970s. In both Lake Isabella South and Lake Isabella Golf Estates II there are plat-wide restrictions on the number of well and septic permits that may be issued.

The fact that the restrictions are plat-wide is important as it guides how the Village is required to address the problem. Our partners at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Central Michigan District Health Department are required to only consider solutions which benefit the entire plat. To that end, the Village has been forced to look at solutions to make the entire area buildable, not just certain areas where on-site systems may be suitable. The purpose of this is to ensure that all property owners are treated fairly and all have an equitable solution to the present problem.

Beginning in 2008 the Village began working on finding ways to lift the restrictions. We began by conducting a series of tests to determine what the geotechnical conditions were in this area of the Village. What those test found were widespread areas in both plats where on-site well and septic systems would not be possible due to the environmental conditions and sizes of the lots. These conditions were related to the soils that were found and the water table depth.

Once it was determined that the environmental conditions did not support lifting the restrictions and allowing on-site systems plat-wide, the Village’s focus turned towards other means of resolving the problem. It quickly became clear to us that the only viable option would be some type of sewer system.

Since then the Village has worked with 2 different engineering firms to fine tune the parameters of proposing the most cost effective solution to you. The course that we have taken is toward a STEP system which would use the lagoon property owned by the Village as a treatment site. This type of system is greatly different than a traditional gravity sewer system.

Gravity sewer systems are the most common sewer system in the mid-Michigan area. They can be very costly to install and maintain. Often times these systems require various lift stations or partial force mains to get the wastewater to the treatment site. Pipe sizes are usually fairly large and require extensive excavation to install. A STEP system on the other hand does not require extensive excavation and is less costly to install and maintain.

With a STEP system each individual lot would still be serviced by an on-site septic tank for solid waste materials. Each tank would be connected to a small force main that would take the wastewater from the site to the treatment location. STEP systems also provide greater environmental protection as they are prone to less seepage into and out of the system. More details about the systems being considered by the Village can be found on our website.

Once a direction was established on what we wanted to propose was established, the Village moved on to the most critical part—finding funding for the that proposal. There are really only three options in terms of funding options for a project of this size. Those are commercial lenders, the State of Michigan, or the USDA.

In working with our Bond Counsel, it was determined that in light of the current economy commercial lending was not a feasible route to consider. With that in mind we have explored funding programs at both the state and federal level. Of those two options, it is the USDA that gives the Village the best chance of being funded. It also is the option that has the lowest interest rate and longest term available. In our opinion this makes it the most feasible option to pursue for both the Village and individual property owners. It is our desire to find a solution that has the lowest overall cost in both the long-term and short-term; we believe that this is possible with the USDA.

Earlier this year we submitted an application to the USDA to determine our funding eligibility. Based on the scope of our project and our community demographics; the USDA determined that the project is eligible for funding, but only low interest loans. As the Village has worked with the USDA several conditions have arisen which have slowed our progress. These conditions center around the funding requirements of the USDA being based on the conditions normally found with gravity sewer systems. When those conditions are applied to STEP systems they result in requirements that we feel are unrealistic and reflect an outdated set of rules being used by the USDA.

As such we are presently working on trying to persuade the USDA to amend their funding rules to reflect newer and better methods which we feel are found in STEP systems. This has caused us to delay further work on the project. Our plan now is to meet with the state director of the USDA and discuss their funding rules and make a pitch that they be amended to allow greater flexibility for STEP systems.

We are presently working to arrange this meeting. If we are unsuccessful in our efforts with the USDA, we will need to revisit the funding options and cannot guarantee that one will be quickly found based on the current condition of the economy. We appreciate your support in this project and look forward to moving forward with a viable proposal for you and the other property owners to consider.

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Police Coverage

2011-10-28T15:44:00.003-04:00

This year the Village Council has been examining the current level of service provided to the community from our local law enforcement agencies. One thing that is clear to the Village is that for the most part the community feels very safe, and that there is not a current need for a major increase in police presence. When the community was surveyed on this topic over 91% of our residents stated they felt safe or very safe in their respective neighborhoods during the day. That number dropped slightly to 77% when asked about their feelings after dark. In both cases the next largest response was "neither safe or unsafe." Those responding that they felt unsafe to any degree was less than 1% during the daylight and less than 4% after dark.

The Village also has reviewed data from Isabella County Central on the calls for service from the village in recent years. That data has been converted into a graph which is shown below.

The data has also been broken down to compare Lake Isabella with both state and national crime data for our most common offenses. In all cases it shows that Lake Isabella has a below average crime rate. That data set is shown below. While Lake Isabella is below both the state and national averages for our most common incidents one problem can be seen in the data. That is both the state and national averages have been trending down over recent years while Lake Isabella's has been trending up.

In light of this trend, and also the frequent concerns of our residents regarding traffic speed, and community policing needs the Village has drafted a simple Request for Proposals. This RFP has been submitted to the Sherman Township Marshal, Isabella County Sheriff, and Michigan State Police and is due back by next Friday.

Local law enforcement agencies have been hit very hard in recent years due to budget reductions. All local agencies have been asked to do more with less. The Village realizes that this places an incredible demand on the services from our local law enforcement agencies. Demands which ultimately lead to less time they can for regular patrol and community policing in our community. Based on the data we received and reviewed, we feel that one way to help reverse the trendline of recent years is a very moderate and visible increase in law enforcement presence.

The Village Council is looking to do a three-year trial of what impact increased law enforcement presence has. This will be done at no additional cost to our residents. If the Village Council opts for some type of additional police presence the data for the three year period would then be reviewed against the data from previous years to see what the impact was and what the needs of the community are at that point in time. If none of the responses to our RFP fall within the financial ability of the Village, the Village Council is open to considering other options to increase police presence.

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Anyone Missing a Black Lab?

2011-10-27T17:04:00.000-04:00

Today our Code Enforcement Department responded to a call regarding a stray dog. We found this lovely young Black Lab near Bundy Drive and Lincoln Drive. The dog appears to be very well groomed and friendly. She was found without a collar or any tags, as such we have taken her to the Isabella County Animal Shelter. If you know of anyone missing a friendly dog, please let them know.

A brief statement regarding the Village's position on the Lake Isabella Dam.

2011-10-20T15:17:00.000-04:00

The Village of Lake Isabella does not have a formal position on drawing down the lake to help control weeds. We respect the role that the LIPOA has in managing the lake and have no desire or intention of interceding on that issue.

Until just recently the Village had never seen any of the inspection reports on the dam. Frankly, no concerns had been voiced to the village regarding the dam or the use of the dam once the sluice gate was repaired in 2007. The Village is not the owner or operator of the dam, and is not party to the regular 3 year inspections that are conducted.

After reviewing the materials forwarded to us, which we have placed on our website for public review, the Village Council feels that there is a duty on the part of the Village to ensure the public’s health safety and well being is accounted for in the DEQ permitting process. It is for that reason, and that reason alone, we have brought these matters to light, and sincerely hope to partner with the LIPOA in addressing these concerns so that all residents of Lake Isabella, and those downstream outside of the Village, have the best possible level of protection.

We have no fears that there is an immediate failure risk to the dam, but have a duty to ensure that the dam can properly function as designed in the event of an emergency. We are offering the use of our engineering firm at no cost to the LIPOA in addressing these concerns, and are open to ways in which may partner together if repairs or modification to the dam are required.

It is our hope that all stakeholders involved in the care and operation of the dam can work together to addressing these concerns which have recently come to light. The Lake Isabella Dam is the most vital piece of infastructure in our community and we feel that all stakeholders have an obligation to the community to maintain it in the best possible condition.
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Village v. LIPOA Elections

2011-09-15T09:46:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday of this week we conducted our 2011 General Election for the Village of Lake Isabella. Over 230 people voted in the election. On the ballot were six people running for the Village Council along with 2 proposed amendments to the Village Charter. Both amendments passed by large margins. These amendments make technical change in the Charter dealing with delinquent tax payments. Specifically they relate to ownership of penalty fees when the Village settles our delinquent roll with Isabella County. The amendments do not alter anything on the taxpayer side of the table, only which unit of government gets to keep the penalty amount at the time of settlement.

Of the six candidates seeking office, both incumbent Village Council members, Dan Pattison and Jeff Grey, were re-elected. Along with Pattison and Grey new comer John Eberhart was also elected to the Council. These three men will have terms that begin in January of 2012 and run until January of 2016.

The other four members of the Village Council; Charlie Kiel, Dave Torgerson, Richard Lacca, and Arnold Griffin have terms that expire in January of 2014, with that election scheduled for September of 2013.

Over the course of the day we had a few questions from residents about how election is conducted versus how the LIPOA's election is held. The most basic difference between our two respective bodies is that as a local unit of government our elections are governed by Michigan election law. This law applies to all elections and candidates seeking office in Michigan. The same rules that apply to a person seeking the office of Governor also apply to those seeking office on the Village Council.

A few examples of how this applies are that all information distributed by or on behalf of a candidate must include information on who paid for the material. This is usually found in a statement such as, "Printed by the Committee to elect..." For the LIPOA, as a private organization they are not bound by the requirements of Michigan election law since they are not electing public offices.

Another difference between our two elections is how candidates are nominated. With the LIPOA any member in good standing can sign-up to run to be their district representative. With the Village candidates are required to submit nominating petitions with between 15 and 25 signatures of registered voters in the Village. These petitions are due back on a set date and time as established in election law.

Above all else, the biggest difference between our two election processes is simply who gets to vote. With the LIPOA any member in good standing is allowed to vote for their district representative. Specifically, it is one voter per membership. Meaning that if a couple that owns two lots wants to vote they collectively get to cast one vote. If that same couple however paid two different membership dues (not lake maintenance fees) they would then get to cast two votes. One vote per membership, regardless of how many people in a family make-up that membership.

Under Michigan election law property ownership is no factor in determining who can and cannot vote. Likewise, no membership fee is required to vote. To be a registered voter only requires residency within the Village and being registered to vote. Residency may be in the form of owning your own home, renting, or living with friends or family. Likewise, if you own vacant property or have a seasonal home at the Village with a different primary residency you are not able to vote in Village elections even if you pay property taxes.

Finally, one more difference between our two organizations is how the board is organized. In that, with the Village voters elect members "at large" from the entire community. With the LIPOA there are 9 specific districts. Where your property and membership is within those 9 districts determines which district you can vote for. Meaning if you live in District 1, you only get to vote in District 1. With the Village Council you can vote for any candidate on the ballot with the top vote getters being elected.

Information on the Ballot Proposals

2011-09-09T11:32:00.000-04:00

In addition to voting for up to three candidates for the Village Council, voters will be asked to vote on two amendments to the Village Charter at next Tuesday's election. These two amendments deal with the issue of collecting the 1% per month penalty on late tax payments. Village tax bills are due at the end of August, and may be paid at the Village until the end of February. On the first of March the collection of delinquent taxes are transferred from the Village to Isabella County.

When the Village settles the delinquent taxes with Isabella County, the Village receives a payment in the amount of the original amount billed for the year. Curerntly, once the delinquent tax roll is turned over all interest and penalties are then kept by Isabella County.

The proposed amendments would require that when the Village settles the outstanding tax bills with the County, the interest penalty that would have otherwise been paid to the Village are included in the settlement amount. This is accomplished by changing the language in the Village Charter to state that the Village owns the tax roll and all debts to the roll.

Over the past 5 years the Village has collectively settled nearly $275,000 of delinquent taxes with Isabella County. If Isabella County had been required to also settle the outstanding penalties to our taxes, that would resulted in over $16,000 of funds being returned to the Village over that 5 year period.

Please note that this only applies to late payments which are turned over to Isabella County. Nothing involving the actual collection or penalty part of our current tax collection system are being modified by these two amendments. The only change relates specifically to the settlement of delinquent taxes.

If approved by voters, the amendments also do not impact the amount of money that a person paying a delinquent tax bill would be required to pay. The amendments only require Isabella County to return part of the penalty to the Village. In addition to the penalty assessed by the Village, Isabella County also imposed its own penalty and adminsitration costs for collection once the roll is settled.

2011 Village Council Election

2011-08-30T14:22:00.000-04:00

Next Wednesday night starting at 7:00 PM the Village will be hosting a meet the candidates forum at the Village Hall. Invited are all 6 candidates on the ballot for the upcoming Village Council election. That election will be held on Tuesday, September 13th.

Absentee ballots are available to anyone that is unable to vote in person on election day. This year there are 3 seats on the Council that are up for election. Those seats are currently held by Village Clerk Jeff Grey, Village President Pro-Tempore Dan Pattison, and Council member Elizabeth Miller. Both Grey and Pattison are seeking re-election. In addition to those two candidates, John Eberhart, Robert Laraway, Thomas Henson, and Ed Woods are running for the Council.

The forum being held next Wednesday night will give the community a chance to speak with all candidates. If you are free, we welcome your attendance and participation in the event.

Fireworks!

2011-06-26T14:36:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the strong support of our residents and local businesses we have reached our goal of raising $5,000 for our 2011 Fireworks show. Donations are still being accepted at the Village Hall. Additional donations that come in above our goal will go towards expanding the show.

The fireworks are planned for dusk on Saturday, July 2nd.

On behalf of the Village, thank you to all who have supported us! A complete list of donors can be viewed on our website.

Economic Impact on Property Taxes

2011-06-07T00:07:00.001-04:00

In terms of numbers, the impact of the decade long economic depression in Michigan and resulting downturn in the housing market will result in nearly $350,000 of lost property tax collection over the next 10 years. The chart above shows theVillage tax collection in blue, and starting in 2009 takes that number and increases it by 4% annually. This represents how the world would have looked with a healthy and strong economy.

The line in red represents our long term forecast. Based on the data reviewed for this year's budget we see it as being highly unlikely that the economy, and more so housing market/values, will rebound until at least 2015. Property taxes usually lag behind the economic by about 12 months, so we will not see a rebound until the summer of 2016.

What stayed the start of the decline was the gap that many propeties had between the equalized and taxable values. Under Proposal A, the amount of taxable increase was capped to a maximum of 5% annually. During the late 90s property values increased well above 5% annually. This built a bubble between the market value and taxable value. Over the past few years that bubble is all but gone for most properties.

With the prolonged struggles in the housing market, a gap between what will actually be collected and what would have been collected under past economic conditions now exists. Lake Isabella is actually fairly well off when looking at this versus other municipal locations in the state. We have not seen anywhere near the worse of the economic downturn, nor has local property values dropped near the pace of those in the major metro areas.

Additionally, Lake Isabella only levies under 1 Mill. The larger the millage levy, the larger the hit in terms of actual dollars. For us, we are projecting about the same property tax collection in the upcoming year as we saw in 2007.

But, what are your thoughts. When is the economy and housing market going to rebound? Or, what are your thoughts on Proposal A?

A Statement Regarding the LIPOA's Annual Election

2011-05-31T12:18:00.004-04:00

Dear Candidates,
As a matter of practice the Village does not like to interject ourselves into the business or affairs of the LIPOA. However, it has come to my attention this weekend that I have been used as a quotable source in the campaign literature for a slate of candidates seeking election to the LIPOA Board.

To begin with I have not endorsed any candidate, in any district, for representation on the LIPOA Board... nor do I intend to. I believe doing so would not be in the best interest of the Village or LIPOA, and sincerely desire for our two organizations to work in harmony for the good of the entire community. Likewise, the Village of Lake Isabella, Village Council, or Village Manager have taken no official position with respect to the treatment of the lake, or whether or not a draw-down should occur.

There is an item that has been inaccurately reported in this literature which I would like to address. The 1982 court order by judge McConnell contains both the words "may" and "shall" with respect to a draw-down of Lake Isabella. The exact wording of the order is:

"It is hereby ordered that the water level of Lake Isabella may be drawn down annually from its normal level of 895 feet above mean sea level, to a level not lower than 885 feet above mean sea level.

It is further ordered that such annual draw-down shall commence on or about October 15th, except for 1982, in which case draw-down shall commence forthwith. The draw-down shall occur under the supervision of the Isabella County Drain Commissioner, and be conducted in a controlled manner over a period of time so as to allow monitoring of the flow of water to aid in avoiding the development of adverse conditions downstream...It is further ordered that the Isabella County Drain Commissioner shall take appropriate action to return the water level of Lake Isabella to its normal level of 895 feet above mean seal level, such action to commence annually on or about March 15th, or at such time as the spring thaw occurs."

The wording of this opinion is less than clear. In that on one hand it discusses the draw-down with the word “may.” Yet, on the other hand it discusses the draw-down with the word “shall.” I am by no means an attorney, but believe that the wording of the opinion could have been better for those of us reading it nearly 30 years later.

In 1998 the LIPOA sought clarification regarding this wording. The Isabella County Prosecutor issued an opinion that he believes the wording was permissive, not mandatory, regarding the ability to conduct a draw-down. This has been verified to me by two different sources, and I have personally seen a copy of the opinion. From discussions with previous LIPOA board members the intent of the 1982 order was to allow the LIPOA the ability to conduct a draw-down if they so desired. The court order gave the LIPOA the option of conducting a draw-down, and set specific conditions on how such draw-down was to occur.

Additionally, the wording of the literature suggests that it is my personal opinion that the current LIPOA Board is acting in direct conflict with the 1982 court order. This is not the case. I know from firsthand discussions that the then President of the LIPOA cast the tie-breaking vote to not lower the lake in the mid 1990s. Likewise, this is the last, and only, time that I am aware of the LIPOA Board taking action on the issue. The former President informed me that it was not a "never again" motion, simply that they were not going to lower it for that winter.

About 5 years ago a group of concerned citizens funded an effort to have the dam inspected by an independent third party. I was present for this inspection which was recorded on video tape. The underwater diver found the concrete and berm to be in excellent condition. The diver observed that the intake pipe to the sluice box was missing its screen cover, and that the gate needed repairs.

To the best of my knowledge, these repairs were completed and the dam as it exists today is fully functional and in good working condition.

If anyone has questions regarding this matter, please call me at my office 644-8654.
Sincerely,
Tim Wolff
Village Manager

Let's Talk about Blight

2011-05-19T15:10:00.000-04:00

Mike Tyson is known for saying "everyone's got a plan, until they get hit." When the original developers of Lake Isabella started forming the community, they also had a plan. Part of their plan was to establish an early cash-flow in order to fund the rest of the development process. This plan included allowing single-wide mobile homes in three plats of Lake Isabella.

These three plats, Lake Isabella Forest 1 (1969), Lake Isabella Forest 2 (1971), and Lake Isabella Woods (1968) are the only three plats in the community where single-wide mobile homes were permitted. By being permissive to single-wides, the developers hoped they could quickly sell lots and bring people into the community. This would give them funds and word-of-mouth to help spur interest in the rest of the development.

To appreciate the mindset one should also consider the views of John Steinbeck in his book "Travels with Charley." The book published in 1962 recounts his 1960 cross country travel with his dog Charley. He show great interest in mobile homes, and how it was a symbol of a changing America. An America where historical family roots seemed to matter less than our ability to find a more pleasing place to live.

Over time what we have seen in these three plats is not the reality that Steinbeck saw. Rather, what was once a weekend "cottage" has been sold, passed-down, or inherited sometimes many times over. Often times the property goes through a period of neglect before a new owner takes interest.

On our end we see a disproportionate level of blight and code enforcement cases at our most seasoned single-wides in these three plats. All told nearly 25% of code enforcement violations come from less than 3% of our housing stock.

As such, in June I will be formally presenting a program to the Village Council to address this issue. Specifically, the idea is to sell a portion of the property we purchased from Mt. Pleasant Excavating on Coldwater Road to use as seed money in a revolving fund.

The money would fund the purchase of blighted properties and the demolition of the structure. The main target would be properties foreclosed by Isabella County for unpaid property taxes. As a local unit of government we have the ability to buy them before they are offered for public auction. Once the property was cleared, it would then be offered for sale, with the proceeds going back into the fund to continue the effort.

Our goals are simple:
1. Abate blight nuisances
2. Remove non-conforming structures
3. Insulate property values
4. Promote safe and healthy neighborhoods

Knock on Wood...

2011-04-06T15:11:00.003-04:00

For the sake of this post, I am going to take the bold stance that we are done plowing streets, knock on wood!

If that is the case, and I think most people hope it is, then this winter will go down in the books as an above average season in terms of snow fall and just slightly above in terms of total number of events. Over the past decade we have just over 40 days per winter that we plow streets. After this weekend's surprise blanket of snow, we stand at 43 events for 2010-2011.

More telling is that while we were just above average in terms of events, we were noticeably above average in terms of the amount of snow. So far this winter our records show a total of 80.5 inches of snow. This is roughly sex feet, nine inches of snow... or about the same as current Detroit Piston's forward Tayshuan Prince.

Since the winter of 1984-1985 the Village has averaged 69.92 inches of snow per winter. So this past winter was above our average for that period of time. All things being equal, I think we're all ready for spring!

With respect to our budget, including this past weekend's snow and plowing. We presently have used just over 64% of our funds allocated for plowing this winter. Last winter we only used about 46% of our budget, but anytime we come in under for a winter we are happy. This winter the Village paid for over 525 hours of plowing. That is the equivalent of over 3 full weeks of 24/7 of plowing.

Lake Isabella a Finalist for MDFG Research Program

2011-04-01T07:48:00.004-04:00

Lake Isabella is one of three northern Michigan lakes that are being considered by the Michigan Department of Fish and Game (MDFG) for a study on endangered aquatic life. According to the MDFG one or more of the three lakes in northern Michigan may be selected to host "an in-depth study into the breeding and habits of several species of fresh-water sharks."

Up to two thousand sharks are planned to be released into the lakes including Borneo river sharks, speartooth sharks, and a few of the rare Irrawaddy river sharks via a grant obtained by the MDFG under the American Recovery and Investment Act. All three of the proposed sharks live in fresh water rivers of Asia, and are thought to be the last surviving fresh water shark species in the world. The experiment was designed to determine whether the sharks could survive and be repopulated in the cold climate of the Great Lakes. Researchers believe that the species lived in the waters of the Great Lakes until the last ice age.

The federal government was said to be spending $3.2 million to determine whether further repopulation efforts would be possible. A representative from the National Biological Foundation was quoted as saying that there would probably be a noticeable decline in the populations of other fish in the lake because "the sharks will eat about 20 pounds of fish each per day, more as they get older."

Members of the Village Council have sent numerous objections to the MDFG and are considering legal action to halt the project. Objections raised by the village cite the hazard it would pose to fishermen and swimmers, but their complaints had been ignored by both the state the federal government. Furthermore, under the research program, fishermen will be forbidden from catching the sharks, with fines and possible jail time for violators.

Oh, if you haven't figured it out yet, happy April Fool's Day!

Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting Tonight

2011-03-28T13:26:00.002-04:00

A quick reminder that tonight there will be a meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals. The meeting is to consider a variance request at 1067 Crown Point. The nature of the request would be to reduce the required street yard setback from 35 to 25 feet and reduce the minimum single side yard requirement from 8 to 7 feet.

The meeting is at 5:30 PM at the Village Hall.

Fence Regulations Updated

2011-03-24T11:20:00.003-04:00

At last Tuesday's Village Council the Village Council held a public hearing on a proposed ordinance to amend the regulation of fences within the village. This is actually the second public hearing held on this ordinance by the Village Council. In addition to these public hearings, the Planning Commission also conducted two public hearings prior to this ordinance being adopted.

Throughout the process with this ordinance extra effort was given to obtain the public's input. The Planning Commission created a study group to review sample ordinances and make recommendations on proposed changes. In addition to this study group, the Village held two focus group meetings.

At these focus group meetings village staff reviewed the various types of regulations and where there was overlap or conflict with the various property owner regulations at Lake Isabella.

Lastly, the Village conducted an online survey to gather feedback on the original draft. The entire process took over 2 years.

The ordinance adopted at Tuesday's meeting will go into effect one week after the notice of adoption is published. That publication is scheduled for this Saturday. Anything existing or permitted prior to that date will be "grandfathered in." Meaning that it is legally allowed to stay.

The primary goal of the ordinance is to reduce areas where the Village has regulations in conflict with the various plat restrictions in the community. In years past this has resulted in a property owner being granted approval for a project by the Village and then being denied a permit by his/her property owners association. With four property owners associations located within the incorporated limits of the Village conflicts were easy to find.

Additionally, the Planning Commission and study group took the comments from the focus groups and survey and gave a priority to the appearance of the fences that are in the community.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Village Hall.

Property Tax Estimator

2011-03-08T15:40:00.003-05:00

The folks at the Michigan Department of Treasury have a handy online tool that you can use to see what your total estimated property taxes are. It also allows you to check how the rates differ from location to location by selecting a different place in a drop-down menu.

To view for yourself, simply follow this link: State of Michigan Property Tax Estimator

Using this website, the Village created the following chart showing how our millage rate stacks up against other area units of government.

While the difference over a year might not seem great, when you break it down into how much it can change a mortgage payment, the difference takes on meaning. For example, a property with a $60,000 taxable value and a primary residence exemption in Lake Isabella will escrow just under $128 a month to cover all taxes. Take that same property and move it to the Village of Shepherd and your monthly escrow payment jumps nearly $100. Likewise, that same property would pay an extra $85 per month if it were located in the City of Mt. Pleasant.

So Far So Good

2011-03-04T10:59:00.003-05:00

As of March 1st the Village still has over 40% of its budgeted funds remaining for snow removal. February was by far the worst month of the season with expenses equalling the total for the prior two months. Based on past winters, we should have seen about 86% of the total hours for the season spent by the end of February. We are nearly 30 percentage points below that mark for this season.

Also adding to the work was the type of snow that came. Snow can vary greatly in terms of weight and moisture content. The heavier a snow is the more work it takes to clear it from the right-of-way. With a heavier snow also comes more mailbox damage. Most of the time mailboxes are damaged not from being hit by the plow truck, but rather from the force of the snow being thrown from the road.

The Village does provide compensation to residents when this occurs. While under no obligation to cover damage to mailboxes as they are located within the Village's right-of-way, the Village does reimburse the resident up to $30. Upon receiving a compliant of a damaged mailbox, Village staff will inspect the address and if verified a check is then issued. Village staff does not physically replace the box or post.

In terms of our snow total this winter. According to statistics on Accuweather.com, we have seen 59.1 inches. This is about normal for a La Nina winter. In 1998-99 we saw 59 inches for the winter; and in 2000-01 we had 62.6 inches. It is a very nice break from winters of 2003-04 through 2007-2008 where we saw an average of 99.5 inches...which is over 8 feet of snow.

Finally, as of today when this season is factored in with past records, Lake Isabella averages just under 70 inches of snow per winter season over the past 25 years.

Website Traffic

2011-01-25T16:51:00.002-05:00

2010 was once again a strong year for traffic on the Village's website. Last year the site had over 12,000 unique visitors, and just under 27,000 total visits. For the year we had 49,000 page requests. This is slightly up from 2009 where we had 45,000 page views.

Since first launching in 2006, the Village's site has grown not only in terms of visitors, but also content every year. By the middle of 2011 we should pass the 200,000 mark for total page views.

No surprise, one of the busiest times of year for the site is the summer. Not only is it frequently checked for information on our fireworks, but also residents have the ability to view their summer Village tax bills. This past year we expanded the tax bill view to also show a breakdown of the total amount.

In 2010 we added the ability to view all of our approved permits for the year. We also added a classifieds page for our residents to sell property, and began posting notices of public hearings on our homepage. In addition to this, we began placing our financial information online for public inspection.

So far in 2011 we have dusted off the old minute books and placed all of our historical minutes online. If there is something you would like to see to the site, please just let us know!

Old Minutes

2011-01-20T09:09:00.002-05:00

With the help of our part-time office assistant Nicole, we've scanned and uploaded the minutes from all years of Village incorporation. There are a few gaps. Specifically we are missing, yes missing, Planning Commission minutes from the early part of the last decade.

There are gaps from 2000 until 2004. We will be reaching out to past Planning Commission members to see if by chance they might still have copies of those minutes. While not certain, it is likely that the missing minutes are due to the minutes being taken by Planning Commission members and not Village staff. As such they would have been distributed at the meeting and a hard copy never saved to a Village computer... That is my guess at least.

Year End Reports

2011-01-17T09:50:00.002-05:00

On our website we have recently added a couple of year end reports. The first is the 2010 Planning & Zoning Report. This annual report is required under the Michigan Planning Enabling Act. While required under state law, there is no set requirements for what is to be included other than a recap of the zoning activities.

In our report we document not only the events of the past year, but also provide a historical background of past years. This allows a read to see how things have changed over time. For example, there is no suprise to see that in recent years the overall number of permits and new home construction has declined along with the economy.

Another report recently added to the website is our annual Code Enforcement Report. This report shows what type of violations were addressed by the Village in 2010.

Finally, just a reminder that both the Planning Commission and Village Council are scheduled to meet tomorrow.

The Planning Commission will meet at 5 PM. There are three public hearings planned for this meeting.

The Village Council will then meet at 7 PM. There are 5 public hearings planned for this meeting, along with 5 resolutions on the agenda. A complete copy of the agenda and proposed resolutions can be viewed on the Minutes Page of our website.

Isabella Pellet, The Approval Story

2011-01-14T12:39:00.002-05:00

As mentioned in a post earlier this week, the Village would like to give a follow-up summary on the unique method used to obtain zoning approval for the Isabella Pellet plant. Last year on February 16th two of the principal investors in the project met with the Village Manager to discuss what they wanted to do. They detailed the idea of constructing a facility to turn wood waste product into a biomass fuel source on property they own here at Lake Isabella.

In reviewing the location it became clear that a rezoning would have to occur. The location of the plant actually would straddle two existing parcels. One zoned Lake Residential-1 and the other zoned East Coldwater Business. In addition to the zoning change that would be required, a site plan would need to be submitted and approved for the project.

The investors asked if this could be done by June 1st. After reviewing the process to amend the zoning and have a site plan approved it became clear to the Village that getting this done would be a challenge. The process to amend the zoning ordinance can be lengthy. Public hearings are required at both the Planning Commission and Village Council before the ordinance can be adopted. Likewise, the notice of the public hearing has to be published at least 15 days prior to the Planning Commission public hearing and 7 days before the Village Council public hearing. In addition to this, until the change went into effect, there would be no legal basis for a site plan review or approval.

In order to meet the needs of the investors, the Village suggested that an alternative method be used, Conditional Rezoning. Conditional Rezoning is a tool that allows for greater flexibility in terms of the approval process in return for assurances from the developer. It is a legally binding contract between a land owner/developer and the local unit of government. In exchange for the land use approval, the land owner voluntarily makes concessions on the project.

In this case a Light Industrial zoning classification was needed. However rezoning such a large parcel to Light Industrial would have been unlikely to gain approval. Our Light Industrial district contains many uses which would not be appropriate for the location. As such, the developers agreed to limit the Light Industrial uses to only certain categories of the permitted uses and none of the special land uses. The agreement also spells out among other things that in the event the plant is no longer in operation the zoning will revert back to the East Coldwater Business classification.

Once the agreement was drafted a public hearing was held before the Planning Commission. Notice of the public hearing was published in The Morning Sun and mailed to all property owners within 300' of the site. Once that public hearing was held, and a recommendation made to the Village Council, a second public hearing was held. Notice of the second public hearing was also published in the Morning Sun. Likewise, throughout the process copies of the Conditional Rezoning agreement could be found on the ordinance page of our website.

A complete copy of the Conditional Rezoning agreement can be viewed by clicking here. A copy has also been recorded at the Isabella County Register of Deeds.

In addition to this agreement, the Village also reviewed and approved a site plan for the project. This was done at the May 11th Planning Commission meeting. The Village Council granted final approval on the Conditional Rezoning agreement at their meeting one week later on May 18th. From the first meeting with the investors to the Council's final approval was 13 weeks to the day, or a total of 91 days.

While an application has not been filed, it is anticipated that the Village will be presented with a request for a personal property tax abatement as allowed under Public Act 198 of 1974. As a precursor for this agreement, the Village created an Industrial Development District at their meeting on April 20, 2010. A complete copy of the Village's abatement policy can be viewed by clicking here.

Our PA 198 abatement policy has been drafted to specifically target growing industries that research shows has the best chance of long-term sustainability. With limited lands available for development, the Village hopes that by targeting specific growth sectors of the economy we will promote a diverse industrial sector to our growing residential and commercial tax base.

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Winter thus far...

2011-01-13T15:16:00.004-05:00

So far so good... As of January 1st we had used only 11.1% of our winter plowing budget. While the weather outside has been cold, it has been pretty dry this winter. For the entire month of December the crews from Malley Construction spent just over 102 hours plowing streets in the Village. This is in addition to nearly 10 hours spent plowing and salting by Village staff.

For previous La Nińa winters (which this is supposed to be), December has been very hit or miss. In 2007 we spent just under 220 hours plowing in the month of December. When all was said and done for the 2007-2008 winter we saw over 96 inches of snow. The previous 3 La Nińa winters only brought an average of 57 inches of snow to the Village.

So far this winter our very unofficial tally is around 17 inches according to accuweather.com. The dominate weather pattern so far has been a very deep trough in the jet stream resulting in cold air over the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. This "U" shaped pattern in the jet stream has brought punishing snow storms for the south and blizzards to New England.

What is in store for the rest of the month? According to accuweather.com temperatures will get close to breaking the freezing point on Tuesday of next week. After that things get cold, very cold with forecast daily high temps in the mid-teens.

Isabella Pellet Under Construction

2011-01-11T09:25:00.003-05:00

In case you were wondering, and we've had a couple of calls, about what that big green building behind Out-a-Bounds is going to be you are not alone. The building will house a company called Isabella Pellet. This company will operate a molding extrusion facility specializing in the production biomass wood pellets.

According to the Pellet Fuels Institute Pellet fuel is a renewable, clean-burning and cost stable home heating alternative currently used throughout North America. It is a biomass product made of renewable substances – generally recycled wood waste. There are approximately 1,000,000 homes in the U.S. using wood pellets for heat, in freestanding stoves, fireplace inserts, furnaces and boilers. Pellet fuel for heating can also be found in such large-scale environments as schools and prisons. North American pellets are produced in manufacturing facilities in Canada and the United States, and are available for purchase at fireplace dealers, nurseries, building supply stores, feed and garden supply stores and some discount merchandisers.

In short, pellet fuel is a way to divert millions of tons of waste from landfills and turn it into energy.

Later this week we plan a second post on this project detailing the approval process for the project. It marks the first time that Lake Isabella has used the conditional rezoning process with a project.

Black Lab Found on Queens Way

2011-01-10T13:36:00.002-05:00

This morning our Code Enforcement Department picked-up a black lab on Queens Way. The animal was without tags, but did have a faded collar and the end of a broken tether cable. If you are missing this friendly boy, he was taken to the Isabella County Animal Shelter. He appears to be a pure blooded lab, male, and missing his left eye. The shelter is located on Isabella Road, north of the freeway and movie theather. They can be reached at 989-773-9721.

La Niña is Coming

2010-11-15T09:17:00.002-05:00

In the past couple of weeks both the Morning Sun and Grand Rapids Press have had front page articles highlighting the weather pattern shaping up for this winter, La Niña. La Niña and her more well known and common brother El Niño are terms used to describe the water temperature around the equator in the Pacific Ocean.

The weather pundits from Sunday's Grand Rapids Press all predict a pretty snowy winter, with most of flakes coming after the first of the year. They also agree, as did The Morning Sun, that there will likely be big swings in the weather this winter.

In looking over our weather records at Lake Isabella we've seen La Niña winters four times since the mid-1980s.

Since the 1984-85 winter we've seen on average just under 70 inches of snow per winter here Lake Isabella. Three of the four La Niña winters resulted in below normal snow totals. Those winters were:

1988-89: 49.5" of snow
1998-99: 59.0" of snow
2000-01: 62.6" of snow
2007-08: 96.4" of snow

What stood out in the 2007-08 winter was that the snow was steady all winter. In tracking the number of hours the Village plowed that winter, we saw a fairly event hit for December (19 days), January (20 days), and February (19 days). We also saw an early break from winter with only 20 hours spend on snow and ice control in the month of March.

So, what are we in for this winter. Nobody honestly knows. Many factors play into what will happen to our weather. AOL.com describes it this way. "While extreme events are more likely to occur during a La Nina year, it's not as if La Nina gives long-range forecasters all of the answers to the winter forecast.

Although periods of warmth are likely in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, very cold air will also not be too far north of these regions, so occasional periods of extreme winter weather there are still possible. This is true particularly for the upper Midwest, which will be on the boundary between persistent cold to the west and persistent mild air to the south. The winter could go either way or fluctuate back and forth depending on the precise location of the dominant northern jet stream."

The Sirolli Method of Economic Development

2010-10-27T21:20:00.002-04:00

As many of you know the Village is working on an update to our Master Plan. In this update one new section will be focused on economic development. When that phrase is cast out it has many meanings. The typical Michigan mindset has been to go after a major industrial project with a big-game hunter mentality.

Statistics show that a community, if lucky, will land one of those big-game projects about every 25 years. Not the greatest model to build a diverse and sustainable economic base in a community.

Other schools of thought focus on creating a vibrant and diverse small business base and connecting them in a network which feeds and supports the members. It is a system coined "economic gardening." The idea is that it is not the government's role to pick winners and losers in terms of the business climate and tax structure, but rather the government's role is to create an environment friendly to starting businesses.

As with a garden, when seeds are planted in the spring the gardener has no idea how big each plant will be, or even if it will yield a crop. Yet the gardener provides water, fertilizer, and care equally among the garden.

As part of gaining more insights into creating an environment friendly to small business start-ups I attended a training session today in Ludington with Ernesto Sirolli.

The Sirolli method is very simple, yet very effective. It focuses on what he calls the "Trinity of Management." Mainly there are really only three key elements that go into starting and growing a business:

1. An excellent product or service.
2. Incredible marketing/sales skills.
3. Strong financial management/control.

The Sirolli method also expands upon this by noting that it must be done by a team. The team can be organized in many ways, but that no single one person can equally do all three with great passion. They call this the myth of the solo entrepreneur.

Sirolli studied 100 of the top companies and found that none of them were the product of a single person filling these three vital roles. For example:

Microsoft: Bill Gates & Paul Allen
Ford: Henry Ford & James Couzens
Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg & Eduardo Saverin
Walmart: Sam & Helen Walton
McDonalds: Richard & Maurice McDonald (and you thought it was Ray Kroc)

When Sirolli sums it up, it works like this. Business works best when people are in vital roles that are passionate about that specific kind of work (one of three from above).

For more information about the Sirolli method, you can check them out online at... http://www.sirolli.com/

A Classic Great Lakes Storm

2010-10-26T08:37:00.003-04:00

On November 10, 1975 last major shipwreck happened on the Great Lakes. The famous sinking of the mighty Edmund Fitzgerald. The ship, and all 29 crew members, were lost in an epic fall storm that hammered the northern lakes.

Novembers storms are legendary on the lakes. In 1913 the lakes were battered by "The White Hurricane" with winds gusts over 80 MPH. That storm was the convergence of two major low pressure systems. One coming from Colorado and the other from Alberta.

The resulting low pressure measured 28.60 inches. Barometric pressure is the measurement of how much downward force the atmosphere has, and often is measured with the use of a mercury barometer that has a starting reading of 30 inches.

Historically the lowest pressure points are found with hurricanes and other major tropical weather systems. The 1979 super Typhoon Tip in the Pacific recorded a record low of 25.63 inches. In the United States the 2005 Hurricane named Wilma holds the record at 26.05 inches.

Back to the Great Lakes, in addition to the 1913 storm, there is one other major storm that stands out, the Blizzard of '78. In late January of 1978 two major low pressure systems merged over the Ohio Valley and left a mountain of snow. The open water of Lake Michigan resulted in lake enhanced snow in Muskegon of over 50 inches from the storm. Chicago saw nearly 60 inches. For nearly 3 days the storm crippled the region.

According to Wikipedia, the pressure reading from that storm is the lowest recorded non-tropical reading in United States history. The pressure went as low as 28.28 inches in Cleveland, and was even lower in parts of Canada where reports have it as low as 28.05 inches.

The storm that sank the Fitzgerald had a low pressure that measured 28.88 inches, or 978 hectopascals (hPa). At 9 AM this morning the low pressure moving towards us from Minnesota was already at 971 hectopascals, or 28.67 inches. Below is a barometric map showing this.

So what are we in for? According to Bloomberg.com the following:

A storm stronger than the one that sank the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975 is expected to slash across the Midwest tomorrow, snarling Chicago travel and whipping waves as high as 30 feet across Lake Michigan.

A line of severe thunderstorms driving wind gusts of 50 miles per hour will arrive in Chicago before 10 a.m.

The storm will be a cyclone, with projected central pressure, a measure of its strength, forecast to be 28.35 inches. That would make it the second most severe system to strike the Great Lakes, according to the weather service.

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Nov. 10, 1975, in Lake Superior about 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan, with a crew of 29, according to the Great Lakes Ship Wreck Museum's website. “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard pop charts in 1976.

The Edmund Fitzgerald storm had a central pressure of 28.95 inches. The strongest storm recorded in the lakes was the “Great Ohio Blizzard” of January 1978, which had a central pressure of 28.05 inches.

In comparison, when Hurricane Earl reached Category 3 strength in the Atlantic at the end of August, its central pressure was recorded at 28.20 inches.

Great Lakes cyclones are not like hurricanes. The storms gather their energy from the Jet Stream and the upper atmosphere, while hurricanes draw their power from warm ocean waters and have the strongest winds wound tightly around the core.

Aside from the heavy thunderstorms that arrive with the first blast of wind, the weather will be drier and breaks may appear in the clouds.

In advance of the storm, the weather service has issued a high wind watch from South Dakota to Ohio. A watch means sustained winds of as much as 40 mph are possible. In addition, a high wind warning, meaning gusts of 75 mph are possible, has been issued for parts of northern Illinois and Wisconsin, according to the weather service.

A storm warning has been issued for Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.

Website Traffic

2010-10-18T13:31:00.003-04:00

Ever wonder how traffic the Village's website gets? Well here is a breakdown of some tracking data from the past 6 months.

Total Page Views: 24,093
Total Unique Visitors: 6,343
Total Visitors: 13,224
The page most often viewed... The History, Maps, and Profile.

In addition to the above, we have some international traffic. Over the past 6 months 840+ hits have come from Russia and nearly 150 from Japan.

The numbers for the past 6 months in terms of total page views is on par with previous years. Our site annually gets about 50,000 page views, which isn't too bad for a community our size.

Speed Limit Changes

2010-10-04T16:23:00.002-04:00

Drivers this afternoon on El Camino Grande will notice an increased speed limit. After conducting traffic speed studies in 2009 and again in 2010 the Village Council adopted a Traffic Control Order this summer to raise the speed limit. The studies were done to comply with Public Act 85 of 2006. Under PA 85, specific requirements were set in law by which speed limits need to conform to in order to be legal.

These requirements are for the speed limit to be set either at the 85th percentile, or at a speed in relationship to the number of access points on that particular roadway.

This spring and in the autumn of 2009 speed studies were conducted on El Camino Grande, and on Queens Way between Pequena Drive and Drew Road. After conducting the studies last autumn, the Village worked with the Isabella County Sheriff and the Sherman Township Marshal to increase presence this spring to see how that impacted the overall speed of traffic.

This was done as the 85th percentile numbers in 2009 would have resulted in a speed limit of 45 MPH for both areas. Conducting the study again this spring after a period of increased enforcement allowed the Village to determine if the numbers from 2009 were due to driving conditions which warranted an increase in the speed limit, or to poor enforcement.

When the study was conducted the results showed a decrease of about 4 MPH from the 2009 numbers.

After reviewing the data and options, the Village Council elected to adopt the lower of the two possible changes to each road. The options on El Camino Grande were 35 MPH based on access points, or 40 MPH based on the 85th percentile. On the section of Queens Way studied the two options were 40 MPH based on the 85th percentile or 55 MPH based on access points.

The signs on Queens Way are scheduled to be updated later this week. Once the new speeds have been posted the Village plans to conduct a third speed study to ensure accuracy later this year.

Blood Drive this Wednesday

2010-09-27T15:11:00.003-04:00

This Wednesday at the Village Hall there will be Red Cross blood drive. Earlier this year the Lake Isabella and Shepherd entered into a friendly little wager to see which community could host a blood drive with the most blood donated. Shepherd held their blood drive in August, and now it is our turn.

If you are able, please come out on Wednesday between noon and 6 PM. Refershments will be provided.

Yard Waste Bags for Sale

2010-09-17T11:45:00.002-04:00

In case you missed our last newsletter, the Village has begun accepting bagged yard waste & leaves at our new property on Coldwater Road. Bags must be purchased from the Village Hall, and are sold in bundles of 5 bags. A single bundle will cost $5, and 5 bundles will cost $20.

Bags can be brought back to our property on Coldwater Road for disposal. In addition to bagged yard waste, we are also accepting truck loads of brush for $5.

In our first month of operation we've seen about 10 loads of brush come in and sold about 10 bundles of bags.

Next year we hope to expand the program to include scheduled pick-up days.

July Financials Online & August Council Meeting

2010-08-13T09:49:00.003-04:00

As our recent newsletter reported, in response to feedback from the Master Plan survey the Village has begun posting our monthly financial reports online. The page, which can be found by clicking here contains our monthly financial report, all of our previous audits, copies of our financial policies, and links to other sites with municipal fnance information.

Also online is the agenda for Tuesday's Village Council meeting. At the meeting the Council will be considering action on three ordinances. The first is an update to the ZBA section of the zoning code. The second ordinance allows the Council to enact no parking zones via resolutions. The last one is the sign code update. In addition to these three ordinances the Council will also be introducing an update to the zoning code to address medical marijuana.

Copies of all the proposed oridnances can be viewed on our website by clicking here. A complete copy of Tuesday's agenda can be viewed by clicking here.

7-13 Planning Commission Meeting Recap

2010-07-15T10:45:00.002-04:00

At Tuesday's Planning Commission the Planning Commission dealt with two ordinances. The first makes technical changes to the Zoning Board of Appeals section of the zoning code. In summary the changes clarify the review and application process, set standards for review, defines conflict of interest, and sets grounds by which a variance may be voided. It also places a 1 year time frame from the date of granting by which work approved by a variance needs to be complete. A copy of this ordinance, which has been recommended to the Village Council can be found by clicking here.

The ordinance for Tuesday's meeting is an update of the home occupation and home business regulations in the zoning code. The ordinance also establishes regulations pertaining to medical marijuana operations in the Village. This ordinance was introduced and a public hearing set for August 2nd. To view a copy of the ordinace, please click here.

Lots and Lots of Streets

2010-06-24T10:27:00.004-04:00

In our most recent newsletter we had a did you know feature where we pointed out that geographically Lake Isabella is the second largest village in the state. The largest "village" in terms of square miles is the Village of Mackinaw City. While the name has "city" in it, the town is actually a village form of government... confusing I know.

As part of updating our Master Plan the Village is creating a spreadsheet of all Villages in the state to see where we rank in terms of several key factors like population, taxable value, streets, and growth since the 2000 Census.

In terms of streets Lake Isabella once again comes in second. Our street network of 26 miles is second only to the Village of Franklin. The two tables below show the largest 15 village street networks in Michigan, and also the networks of other municipalities in our region.

Top 15 Village Street Networks

Mid-Michigan Region Street Networks

2010-2011 Budget Message

2010-06-21T16:25:00.003-04:00

The Village's fiscal year begins on July 1st. As part of the annual budget I prepare a message which details the operations of the Village, budget projections, and long-term fiscal picture. Below that message for the 2010-2011 Budget.

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As required by the Village charter in section 9.03 the annual budget requires narrative messages which outlines the budget, and discuses the overall financial condition of the Village.

As a local unit of government, the primary goal of the Village of Lake Isabella is to provide essential services in the most cost effective manner possible. The Village’s budget and Capital Improvement Plan reflect this goal by taking a multiple year approach to fiscal planning. Over the past five years, the Village of Lake Isabella has adopted several financial policies which reflect this approach to budgeting. The Village has in place a “Fund Balance Policy” which establishes a minimum balance which must be maintained at the end of each fiscal year in the General Fund, Major Streets Fund, and Local Streets Fund. In addition to this policy, the Village also has policies which cover purchasing, credit cards, investing, and capital assets.

This sound approach to managing the public’s funds has allowed the Village of Lake Isabella to remain largely free from the financial problems that other local units of government have faced in recent years.

The above chart shows Operating Millage levies for other local municipalities and other selected communities around the state. As you can see from the chart, the Village of Lake Isabella not only has the lowest levied millage in the region, but also the entire state. This is due to the cap placed in the Village’s charter which limits the general operating tax to 1 Mill.

With all of the fiscal constraints placed on the Village of Lake Isabella, the service package provided is limited. Village residents receive the following services done in part or in whole through the Village government:

Fire/Rescue Service
Bi-weekly curbside recycling
Home Rule Zoning
Code Enforcement
Street Maintenance & Paving
Road Shoulder Mowing
Snow Plowing
Rental Housing Inspections
Animal Control
4th of July Fireworks
Lake Isabella Municipal Airport
Village web-site and blog

Additional services and projects can be provided upon the approval of funding from the residents of the community, or if provided for via special assessment. Examples of this which are not included in the budget would be the construction of a decentralized wastewater system in southern Lake Isabella if so requested by the property owners in that area, and recreation paths which the Village has been seeking grant monies to fund.

The numbers used to comprise the revenue forecast for the Village are based on a prolonged economic downturn for the state. Research has shown that Michigan is presently in a major economic transition, and the decade long depression is not simply a reflection of normal market swings.
The state has failed to invest in an highly educated work force and has established a government structure which addresses long-term funding for state and local budgets. In terms of revenue sharing, the 2010 census should have a positive impact on the Village.

The Village is one of about 30 villages in the state which does not receive statutory revenue sharing funds. Receiving only constitutional revenue sharing dollars does free Lake Isabella from having funds cut or limited by the legislature. The funds received by the Village are solely depending on the actual collection of sales tax by the State of Michigan.

The 2010 Census should also have a positive impact on Act 51 revenue based solely on an increase in population. However, due to the numerous discussions on amending how transportation is funded, the long-term Village budget does not reflect the likely increase from the census.

Based on the current revenue structure of the Village and the State of Michigan, the long-term financial condition of the Village becomes questionable the further the budget is projected. With a 1 Mill tax cap placed in the Village Charter, the Village is crippled in terms of raising funds to ensure long term fiscal stability.

A serious look will need to occur in the next 3 years on amending the tax cap if the Village is to continue to provide a high quality of life. With the Village’s high taxable value, a small increase does account for a significant increase in funds. The adjacent chart shows the difference that the same millage rate (without Headlee roll-back) generates for municipalities in Isabella County.

The chart above clearly shows that to generate the same revenue as other local communities, the Village can raise a significant amount of revenue with a small rate. In terms of dollars, to raise the same funds as the Village of Shepherd presently does with their 13 Mill levy, the Lake Isabella would only need to levy 5.28 Mills.

Meeting Change

2010-06-07T16:18:00.000-04:00

There will not be a Planning Commission meeting this month. The public hearing that was scheduled for the meeting regarding the ZBA ordinance will be held at the July 13th meeting.

Findings from the Michigan Public Policy Survey on the Federal Stimulus Package

2010-05-25T12:15:00.003-04:00

The University of Michigan's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) surveyed local government leaders from over 1,300 Michigan jurisdictions as part of the 2009 Michigan Public Policy Surveys (MPPS). Lake Isabella is one of those 1,300 communities that has participated in the research. Below is a link to a new report from the MPPS on Michigan local officials' opinions on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) -- also known as the Federal Stimulus Package-- and its impact on local economies and the economy of the state as a whole.

http://closup.umich.edu/publications/mpps/mpps-fiscal-stimulus.pdf

A majority of Michigan local officials think the Federal Stimulus Package has not helped yet and will not help in the long term to improve local economic conditions in their communities.

In the Spring of 2009, 61% of local officials predicted that funding from the Stimulus Package would not significantly help improve their communities’ economic conditions, while only 14% predicted that it would help. By the Fall of 2009, when asked how much the Stimulus Package had helped improve their communities’ economic conditions to-date, 67% of officials reported “not at all” while only 1% reported “very much” and 21% reported “somewhat.”

Even among those officials who are most optimistic about the program – including Democratic leaders, officials whose communities had already received funding in the fall of 2009, and officials from larger jurisdictions – fewer than half believe that it helped improve their local economies.

Local officials tend to be more optimistic about the long-term impact of the stimulus package on the overall state economy rather than on their own local communities.

Early in the stimulus’ implementation, nearly half of Michigan officials reported that they felt uninformed about the funding opportunities available to their communities. Among officials who did not apply for stimulus package grants, many indicated lack of information as a primary reason.

Last fall, about 80 percent of all Michigan jurisdictions said they hadn’t received any stimulus funds through existing formulas (one major stream of funding). Most of these jurisdictions were among the state’s smallest communities – those with a population less than 1,500 people. In addition, these smaller communities often did not apply for grant-based funding (the other major stream of funding) due to lack of resources or concerns that too many strings were attached to the funding.

Among the most important reasons officials cited for believing that the stimulus would not help included concerns that the respondent’s jurisdiction would not receive funds, that the money would go to bigger cities, and that the Stimulus Package was a temporary solution to a structural economic problem.

The findings in this report represent but one small part of the Michigan Public Policy Surveys. CLOSUP released a report on the key findings from all of the data collected in the Fall 2009 MPPS last month, and we are currently collecting data for the Spring 2010 wave.

The MPPS is conducted by CLOSUP in partnership with the Michigan Association of Counties, Michigan Municipal League, and Michigan Townships Association. The survey program is unique in the country as the only ongoing survey targeted at every unit of general purpose local government across an entire state. Funding for the MPPS comes from CLOSUP as well as a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The views reported here are those of local Michigan officials and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Michigan or the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

For more information, contact MPPS staff by email at closup-mpps@umich.edu or by phone at 734-647-4091. More information is also available on the CLOSUP website at http://closup.umich.edu.

MDNRE Considering Changes to Burning Law

2010-05-22T06:40:00.000-04:00

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is asking the public to weigh in on proposed amendments to update the open burning provisions of the air pollution and solid waste management rules.

DNRE officials said the changes would eliminate the current exemption that allows for the burning of household trash, including plastics, rubber, paper, shingles, treated wood and other household waste.

If adopted, the change would mean that the state would no longer consider the open burning of residential trash an approved method of disposal under state regulations after April 1, 2011.

The changes would not effect the provisions that allow for the burning of leaves, brush and other yard clippings, nor would they prohibit recreational campfires.

The DNRE said that by eliminating the exemption in the state rules, local communities will be better able to enforce existing ordinances or use the state rule as a means to address trash burning complaints when an ordinance does not exist.

The proposed amendment and additional information about the changes are available online at www.michigan.gov/openburning, click open burning rule amendments.

Reduced exposure to this type of pollution should benefit the thousands of Michigan citizens with respiratory conditions and also lessen the wildfire and property fire risk posed by this type of burning, reads the website.

Written comments on the proposed rule amendments are being accepted until June 4.

Comments can be mailed to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Air Quality Division, P.O. Box 30260, Lansing, Michigan 48909 7760.

Recapping Tonight's Counicil Meeting

2010-05-18T23:02:00.002-04:00

Tonight was one of the shortest meetings in recent memory, lasting all of 23 minutes. With 3 of the 7 members absent, the agenda was kept short and action held to only 4 critical items of business.

The Council held a public hearing regarding the annual renewal of the Broomfield Township Fire Protection Special Assessment District. For our residents who also live in Broomfield Township, the Village has levied a 1 Mill special assessment for the past decade to contract with the Nottawa-Sherman Fire Department. Broomfield Township has elected to contract with Wheatland for their protection. The difference to our residents is 2 full points in protection and lower home insurance policies. In addition the Nottawa-Sherman Fire Department is located in Weidman, where Wheatland is in Remus. The resolution to confirm the special assessment roll was adopted.

The Council conducted a second public hearing on a proposed ordinance to conditionally rezone a large parcel of land near Baseline Road. This location has a proposed development which requires a Light Industrial land use designation, and is currently zoned commercial and residential. This is the same parcel that the Council approved the creation of a PA 198 Industrial Development District at their April meeting. The ordinance was adopted, and will go into effect 7 days after the notice of adoption has been published.

In addition to these two items the Council approved the 2010 Fireworks Contract for the July 3rd show with Freedom Fireworks of Mt. Pleasant. The Council also adopted a resolution to begin the special assessment process on a property on Carmen Drive where the Village was forced to abate a public blight nuisance.

The minutes form the meeting should be online by the end of the week. As always if you have any questions please feel free to call or email the Village Hall.

Michigan Municipal League Supports Online Notices

2010-05-14T09:05:00.002-04:00

The following was posted on the MML's blog:

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Yesterday, the League, along with Ann Arbor city clerk Jackie Beaudry, testified in support of legislation to allow public notices to be published online. The legislation would require a notice be posted in the municipal clerk's office as well as one of the following: the municipality's website, a newspaper's website or on a PEG channel. A substitute was adopted today that allows it to also be posted on TV or radio stations.

The city of Ann Arbor amended their charter by vote of the people at the end of last year to allow for public notice posts on their website due to the Ann Arbor News going out of business. They have an email notification option you can sign up for on the website so as soon as the site is changed an email is sent to notify (much like when a new post is posted on this Inside 208 blog). People don't have to proactively look at the website now because they can be automatically notified. They have not received one request for the public notices to be mailed, hard copy, to anyone and have not received one complaint by operating this way.

As would be expected, the press associations opposed the legislation because of what they feel would be a lack of transparency. We countered that argument by saying this would actually bring about more transparency since it expands public access to legal notices. We also informed the committee of the cost savings impact this would have on local communities. A poll of about a quarter of our membership showed it costs about $1.2 million for those communities combined to publish public notices. That doesn’t include the city of Detroit, who had their clerk, Janice Winfrey, testify today that they have already spent $350,000 this year on public notices. The committee did not vote the bill out today because of lack of time for people wanting to testify. Please continue to contact your legislators and ask for their support on this legislation.

What's that Noise???

2010-05-06T15:32:00.002-04:00

On the first Thursday of the month, weather permitting, Isabella County tests the early warning sirens across the county. Isabella County currently has 29 outdoor warning sirens located throughout the county. The purpose of these sirens is to warn the public of impending disasters or emergencies. The sirens will be activated immediately to warn the public of an emergency situation. These sirens indicate to the public to go inside and turn on the radio or television for further information.

Isabella County's outdoor warning system utilizes two distinctively different siren signals, each with their own meaning. The SEEK SHELTER signal is a siren sound that slowly increases to a steady sound lasting 3 to 5 minutes. The ALL CLEAR signal is described as an intermittent air horn sound, also lasting 3 to 5 minutes. When testing the sirens each month, the county first sounds the seek shelter signal, then the all clear signal.

For more information on Emergency Management in Isabella County, including a map of the siren locations, and audio files of what each signal sounds like, please click here.

A Follow-up to Yesterday's Morning Sun Opinion Page

2010-05-06T09:09:00.003-04:00

In the Wednesday edition of the Morning Sun, the opinion page featured a piece by Mike MacLaren of the Michigan Press Association about proposed legislation which would allow local units of government to publish certain notices electronically and no longer in print media outlets.

His article can be read by clicking here.

I would like to provide a reply to this opinion piece to tell the other side of the story. The debate centers around a package of bills introduced in the Michigan House (HBs 5845, 5847, 5848, 5853, 5916, and 5917) which would allow local units of government the opinion of providing certain notices electronically.

It is completely understandable that the print media industry would be opposed to these bills. Mr. MacLaren, as the director of the Michigan Press Association, is no doubt duty bound to rally against the reality that these proposed bills embrace.

Newspapers across the state have seen their circulation decrease dramatically over the past decade. This in turn has reduced revenue to the point where several papers have either reduced the number of print editions (Saginaw News & Detroit News) or have ceased printing all together (Ann Arbor Daily News). Allowing local units of government the option to provide notices in a more user friendly manner is a reality that needs to be embraced in this day and age.

The way in which people get their news has changed, and is evolving away from the print media format that our current notice system is designed to embrace. For example the Detroit News has seen a 12% decline in circulation over the past 6 months, while its website traffic has increased by nearly 26%. While not all local units of government have implemented web 2.0 technology, many here in mid-Michigan not only have fine websites, but also blogs, facebook pages, and many other useful means to connect and dialogue with their community.

This package of bills allows local units of government to place a notice at the office of the clerk, and at least one on their website, a local newspaper’s website, public access channel, or printed in a newspaper of general circulation. The choice is entirely up to the local unit of government, and in no way would prevent a local unit of government from publishing any notice in a printed paper.

Let us also not forget that several of the notices local government must provide are to be done via a first class mailing to impacted property owners and residents in addition to the required published notice, this proposed legislation does nothing to remove any mailing requirement. Sadly Mr. MacLaren is either unaware of this, or has chosen to ignore it when he states; “under the guise of ‘saving money,’ this legislation will make it easier for municipalities to have special meetings, make assessments, and other important decisions with nearly no knowledge or input from the community.” I’m sorry, but that is an outright falsehood.

There is no legal requirement that notice of a special meeting be published in a newspaper. The Michigan Open Meetings Act only requires that notice be posted at a public location at least 18 hours in advance of any such special meeting. There is absolutely zero connection between this proposed legislation and the ability of a local unit of government to schedule a special meeting.

Furthermore, local units of government cannot levy assessments without conducting a public hearing, which by law they are required to provide notice of to property owners via first class mail. This notice must include the location, time, date, and purpose of the public hearing and must also inform residents how they can object and file appeals to the Michigan Tax Tribunal.

Since Mr. MacLaren feels there is a public obligation to post notices in print media outlets, it is fair to ask if there is also a public obligation for the print media to make print editions free to all members of the public in order to get said notices? Also, many of the required notices that local government is required to publish are to be done only once in a “newspaper of general circulation” in that community. But what happens to the community where there is no longer a newspaper of general circulation?

It is also confusing where he stands with respect to the cost saving aspect of this matter. He begins by noting that the City of Niles spends more on umpires for summer baseball than it does with respect to public notices. Yet, towards the end of his argument notes “yes, newspapers charge to publish these notices. More often than not, they are done at cost. But without these notices more than a few community newspapers face the specter of shutting down.”

It is a far stretch to claim that the cost is so low that more money goes to umpires in one community that it should not be an issue, yet the revenue from these notices is so vital that without them papers could under. It sounds more like a public subsidy for the print media industry.

All of that aside, the issue is what is the best manner to serve and inform the public while best using the limited resources that so many local units of government must accommodate for. I ask you, what is more convenient. Allowing residents the ability to find public notices on a website or public access channel which are posted for multiple days, or a onetime publication in the legal section of your local newspaper?

A Sunset Worth Sharing

2010-05-01T21:05:00.006-04:00

For those of you who may have missed sunset tonight, it was a good one!

LIPOA Annual Meeting is Today @ 2 PM

2010-05-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

The 2010 LIPOA Annual Meeting will be held today @ 2:00pm at the Weidman Community Center located directly East of (behind) the IGA grocery store. Several director positions are up for election, and also voting to adopt a new set of bylaws for the organizational structure of the LIPOA.

Tour of Homes Reminder

2010-04-30T16:12:00.003-04:00

This years Women's City Club tour of homes features several Lake Isabella Homes.

Come and see the following homes of Lake Isabella residents:
Sharon and John Bishop, 1004 Pueblo Pass
Dana and Doug Moore, 1037 Pueblo Pass
Angie and Aaron White, 1051 Pueblo Pass

Additionally, the tour features the home of Mary and Tom Harter, 1375 N. Cedar Pt Drive, Coldwater Lake, and the 2010 Mt. Pleasant Area Tech Center Voc House at 1520 Batson.

Tickets are $8 if purchased in advance, and $10 the day of the house walk. Proceeds help to fund music scholarships and community projects. To purchase tickets in advance please call Terrie Zitzelsberger at 989-506-8586.

Also, the Morning Sun did a feature on this last weekend, click here to read the full story.

We hope to see you there!

Golf Carts & 4 Wheelers on Village Streets

2010-04-22T16:09:00.003-04:00

Our office has recieved a handful of concerns this month about riding golf carts and 4 wheelers on Village streets. Under Michigan law, golf carts and 4 wheelers are allowed on public roadways under very limited and specific conditions. The infomartion below is taken from the Michigan State Police website:

Question: My husband saw on the news last night that golf carts were allowed on the county roads in the state of Michigan. Is this true? What are the requirements?

Answer: In late 2006 the Michigan Legislature amended MCL 257.25b and modified the definition of a low speed vehicle to conform to federal standards. As now defined, a low speed vehicle means a four-wheeled motor vehicle whose speed attainable in 1 mile is more than 20 mph but not more than 25 mph on a paved level surface.

A low speed vehicle must be equipped as necessary under both federal standards and Michigan Law. The operator must have a driver license and the vehicle must be registered and insured.

If the cart is not equipped as necessary it can only be legally operated on a highway, (including the right-of-way) in the state of Michigan, under very strict circumstances. In those situations it would be defined as an ORV found in MCL 324.81101 and circumstances allowing operation on a highway while severely limited can be found in the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, MCL 324.81122 .

Question: I have a Polaris Ranger and want to know if I can operate it on the road?

Answer: A number of questions have been received concerning use of motor vehicles on public roads that were originally designed and manufactured as off-road vehicles. As a result, we published Traffic Services Section Field Update #21 that discusses this question in depth.

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Under Michigan law, certain counties, and municipalities within those counties are able to create ORV routes. In doing so, it can become permissible to allow golf carts and other ORVs on public roadways. A map of those counties is below.

Mark your Calendars... May Tour of Homes--Sunday May 2nd 1-4 pm

2010-04-19T10:38:00.002-04:00

Another Red Flag Day

2010-04-15T07:50:00.001-04:00

From the National Weather Service:

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A RED
FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT
THIS EVENING.

STRONG SOUTHWEST WIND GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED BY
AFTERNOON. THIS WILL COMBINE WITH TEMPERATURES AROUND 80 DEGREES
AND LOW HUMIDITY AROUND 25 PERCENT. THIS WILL CREATE A HIGH FIRE
DANGER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL

A Strong Showing So Far!

2010-04-07T16:54:00.003-04:00

Lake Isabella residents should be very proud, as of today, you are #2 in terms of your census return rate at 76%. Deerfield Township is leading the county with 81% returned. Here is how things are shaping up for the major governmental units in Isabella County:

81% Deerfield Township
76% Lake Isabella
74% Clare
71% Rosebush
69% Shepherd
68% Mount Pleasant
61% Union Township

The information above is provided by the Census Website, which has a pretty cool map to show you the return rate of each area. The map can be found by clicking here!

Right now Michigan ranks 5th in terms of the return rate with a statewide 69%. Isabella County is just 1% above the statewide rate at 70%. Two adjacent counties, Gratiot and Midland have very strong rates each at 78%.

Again, excellent work, and lets strive for 100%!

Burning Ban in Effect

2010-04-02T08:20:00.000-04:00

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OVER 20 MPH WILL COMBINE WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 80S AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES BELOW 25 PERCENT TO CREATE VERY HAZARDOUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

Return to Golden Pond

2010-04-01T11:22:00.000-04:00

When Lake Isabella decided to list the features of the community and register with the Michigan Film Office, nobody could have expected such fast results. The bedroom community of just under 1,000 homes has been chosen as the setting for the recast of On Golden Pond.

The original which was shot in 1981 won three Oscars and starred Hollywood legends Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, and Dabney Coleman. Based on a 1979 play of the same title, On Golden Pond focuses on an aging couple Ethel and Norman Thayer, who spend each summer at their home on a lake called Golden Pond.

During the year the story takes place, they are visited by daughter Chelsea with her fiancé Bill and his son Billy in tow. The film explores the often turbulent relationship the young woman shared with her father while growing up, the difficulties faced by a couple in the twilight years of a long marriage, and the special bond forged by Norman and Billy while his father and Chelsea spend time in Europe.

The new installment is set to reexamine those relationships as Chelsea and Bill are now in their golden years, living nearly the same life that her parents did. Casting is in progress with Hollywood gossip site TMZ reporting that recent Best Actor winner Jeff Bridges being a front runner for the role of the elder Bill. Rumors also abound regarding the casting of Chelsea.

Universal Pictures has been stedfast that since the original resulted in Academy wins in Best Actor and Best Actress, the new installment needs to carry the same magnitute of acting ability. The studio, while not publically hinting at their wish list, is reported to be seeking either Sissy Spacek or Susan Sarandon for the role of Chelsea.

24 front man Kiefer Sutherland is also rummored to be cast as Billy Jr., now in his middle ages and with a family of his own. Also in the mix will be local casting calls for extras and other minor roles in the film. No exact date has been set for the start of filming, but late this fall is a possibility.

In addition to this breaking news, the Village would like wish everyone a very happy April's Fool Day!

2% Grant Applications

2010-03-30T10:29:00.002-04:00

This morning the Village is submitting funding requests to the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe totalling $316,921.20.

Foremost among the requests is just over $200,000 for a walking/bike path along El Camino Grande and part of Queens Way. The Village has sought funding of this project in the past without sucess.

In addition to this request. The Village is also seeking funds for various road paving projects, and maintenance of the runway.

Monday's ZBA Meeting

2010-03-24T10:39:00.002-04:00

On Monday at 5:30 the Zoning Board of Appeals will consider an appeal request to establish a non-conforming parcel on El Camino Grande. To view the application, please visit our website where the Agenda has been hyperlinked with the application. As is with all agendas, they can be found on our Meeting Minutes page.

Under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, public notice of the meeting was mailed to all property owners within 300 feet of the location. Before taking action on the request, the ZBA is required to conduct a Public Hearing. If you have comments that you would like submitted pertaining to this case, you are free to attend the meeting or send them via email or snail mail to the Village Hall prior to the meeting.

To go directly to the Agenda, please click here!

An Open Letter to Senator Cropsey

2010-03-22T16:29:00.000-04:00

March 19, 2010

Senator Alan Cropsey
S-8 the Capitol
PO Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909

The Honorable Alan Cropsey:

Over the past 2 years I have met with your staff several times to discuss the Village’s lack of statutory revenue sharing dollars. As your staff is aware, Lake Isabella is the only Village of our size in the state which does not receive statutory revenue sharing dollars.

This is due to the expired formula that was once used to set the dollar amounts returned to local units of government. In 1998 the formula was amended and future payments were based on a percentage of that unit’s 1996 capture.

Lake Isabella incorporated as a Home Rule Village in 1998. As such, we did not have any capture in 1996. For the past 14 years our residents have been short changed due to the circumstances of a no longer used formula.

Recently the House Appropriations Committee agreed to a 1% increase in statutory revenue sharing for the upcoming fiscal year. While this is still very early in the budget process, I cannot help but ask for your support in correcting the omission of Lake Isabella from statutory revenue sharing dollars.

In working with your staff we estimated that a community the size of Lake Isabella should receive anywhere between $25,000 and $30,000 annually in statutory revenue sharing dollars. For a community of nearly 1,000 homes to not receive anything more than the constitutional minimum in terms of revenue sharing is very troubling. It places us at a competitive disadvantage in terms of building a quality community within your district. The money that has been historically denied to us could have been used for worthwhile projects such as parks, roads, and of course public safety.

In light of the current situation, I would like to request that your staff schedule a meeting where I can present our situation to you directly. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Tim Wolff
Village Manager

County Deer Pickup Begins...

2010-03-15T15:55:00.001-04:00

Trusties from the Isabella County Jail, along with sheriff’s department employees, began picking up dead deer over the weekend.

Trusties collected and disposed of 45 animals Saturday and Sunday, Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said.

They will continue to pick up the animals until the weather warms and results in health and safety issues, the sheriff said.

Anyone wanting to have an animal removed is asked to call the sheriff’s department at 989-772-5911 to report the location of the deer.

Winter Plowing Budget

2010-03-09T14:38:00.003-05:00

The weather outside might make one feel that spring is here. At worst spring is just around the corner, but for our road budget purposes we are still in what we classify as our winter season. So far this winter has been a very welcome break from the trend of the past 6 winters. Below is a charter and a graph showing where we are at as of March 1st.

Library Meeting tonight in Weidman

2010-03-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

As many of you may know, the future of the Weidman Library is in question. For several years the library has been operated under contract by the Chippewa District Library. Operational funds come from the township, Isabella County, and court fines. In November, the District Library informed the County that when their current contract expires in the fall of 2010, they would no longer operate the out county locations.

Tonight at 7 PM there will be a public hearing before the Sherman Township Board to hear feedback from the community on what they wish to happen to the library. The Township Hall is located at 3550 N. Rolland Road, which is just west of town off of Airline Road.

More information, please read this article from the Morning Sun.

Lake Isabella Airpark & Canterbury Estates Update

2010-03-04T06:00:00.003-05:00

Yesterday afternoon documents were recorded which lifted the restriction of on-site well and septic systems allowed in 2 plats at Lake Isabella. Lake Isabella Airpark, originally platted in March of 1975; and Canterbury Estates, originally platted in May of 1978, had limits which resulted in only 30 of the 80 lots being able to obtain permits for on-site wells and septic systems.

Due in large part to access granted by individual lot owners; the Village, working with Rowe Professional Services, was able to conduct a series of soil and water tests in these plats. The tests, which began in 2008, involved documenting the soil composition, water table depth, and subterranean water flow to determine if the conditions were favorable for additional on-site systems.

The tests were done with the oversight and cooperation of the Central Michigan District Health Department and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The tests showed that the conditions in this area of the Village were acceptable for additional on-site systems.

The amended building and use restrictions for each plat now show no limit on the number of permits available, but do require new wells to be drilled to a minimum depth of 80 feet. This was done to ensure that there was adequate distance between the drinking water source and wastewater discharge.

With the restrictions lifted in these two plats, the Village is left with only 3 of the 17 plats having similar restrictions. Soil tests were conducted in those remaining plats at the same time as the tests for Lake Isabella Airpark and Canterbury Estates in 2008.

The results of the tests in those plats showed areas where additional on-site systems may not be environmentally appropriate.
In light of the information obtained from those tests in 2008, the Village commissioned a study by Rowe Professional Services to examine ways to address the issue in each remaining plat. This past autumn Rowe presented their findings to the Village Council.

Upon receipt of the study, the Village Council selected a firm to conduct a peer review of the report. This peer review was recently presented to the Council at their meeting in February. Copies of both reports can be found on the Village’s website.

In an effort to increase the public’s knowledge of not only the historical nature of the problem, but also provide transparency for the efforts being taken the Village created a separate page on its website to highlight this issue. The Village is planning to include a full update on this project in its upcoming spring newsletter.

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Master Plan Survey Update

2010-02-21T11:19:00.001-05:00

The following was released to the Morning Sun last week. We have been told that it will likely run on Monday or Tuesday of this week.

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As part of updating the Master Plan for the community, the Village of Lake Isabella has launched an online survey. The survey of about 40 questions can be taken by clicking on the link provided on the Village’s homepage (www.lakeisabellami.org).
On January 29th the Village mailed nearly 1,600 postcards to all property owners and non-owner residents inviting them to take the survey online. As of the middle of this week about 275 surveys have been completed.

The link to the survey has been on the Village’s website since the start of the month, and will continue to be on the Village’s website until the start of business on Monday, March 1st.

For residents who are unable to take the survey online, the Village has printed copies which can be mailed to them, or picked up at the Village Hall. So far about 20 residents have stopped by to obtain a printed copy of the survey.

By going online with the survey as opposed to traditional printed surveys, the Village will be able to save between $3,000 and $6,000. In addition to this cost savings, since the surveys are counted as they are submitted, results will be ready as soon as the survey closes.

The last survey conducted by the Village was done in early 2005 as part of the last Master Plan update. That survey, which was a traditional paper survey, saw nearly 600 responses. That high rate of return ensured a margin of error of about 3%. With the current number of replies the margin of error for the current survey is just over 5%.

Since the 2005 survey, the community has seen numerous changes which were guided in large part by the direction provided from that survey and resulting Master Plan. High among the residents’ wishes in 2005 were natural gas service, paving local streets, and high speed internet access.

The Village was able to successfully carry out those wishes to varying degrees. In 2006 high speed internet access came via wireless service from Winntel on a service tower located on Queens Way. Since 2006 additional companies have also added Lake Isabella to their service area. Still on hold is word from Charter Communications regarding the Village’s grant to upgrade the cable system at Lake Isabella. This update would not only provide quality cable television service, but also additional broadband access.

In 2007 the Village undertook an extensive street paving project of over 13 miles, leaving only a handful of local streets untouched per the request of a majority of property owners on those streets. The Village has also adopted a long-range asset management plan for their street network, and includes these long-range projects in the Capital Improvement Budget which is annually adopted by the Village Council.

In 2008 DTE/MichCon developed a natural gas infrastructure for most of the northern half of the Village servicing about 600 homes. Then in 2009 Consumers Energy proposed building out the remaining un-serviced areas in southern Lake Isabella totaling about 180 homes. That project stalled after an insufficient number of residents opted for the service being offered by Consumers.

The new survey not only covers future infrastructure desires, but also provides property owners with a chance to express their desires for any public new services and other quality of life issues.

###

Gift shop opens at Lake Isabella

2010-02-07T08:46:00.002-05:00

By SUSAN FIELD
The Morning Sun, Clare Managing Editor

After working for 14 years as a designer in flower shops in Mt. Pleasant and Weidman, Sue Chapman decided to go into business for herself.

She always wanted to open a gift shop, and her experience in floral design prompted her to open Buds and Blossoms Gift Shop in Lake Isabella.

Located in the Sunset Plaza at 50 N. Coldwater Road, Buds and Blossoms features floral arrangements, plants, baby items, gourmet instant coffees, candles, jewelry, cards, gift wrap, Jelly Belly candies, country items and Country Home Creations dip mixes.

Gearing up for Valentine's Day, Chapman also has a supply of Valentine candy and is extending her hours for the holiday.

While Chapman is normally closed on Sundays, Buds and Blossoms will be open Feb. 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Chapman, who lives in Sherman Township, opened the shop in Lake Isabella because of growth in the area.

She saw a need for a flower and gift shop in the mostly residential community.

Chapman delivers floral arrangements to Mt. Pleasant, Beal City, Weidman, Remus, Barryton and Mecosta.

So far, business has been good, Chapman said, adding that owners of other businesses in the Plaza, including Out-A-Bounds Pizza and Bella Salon and Spa, have been very supportive.

Candles are a best seller at the store, particularly the warm cinnamon-bun scented, soy candle.

"Some of the ladies come in and buy two or three at a time," Chapman said, adding that more and more customers are discovering the shop and stopping by.
Soy candles are becoming popular because they burn cleaner than wax candles, she said.

Chapman opened the shop Sept. 14.

She was tossing around potential business names when her granddaughter, Makenzie, suggested Buds and Blossoms.

That fit perfectly, Chapman said, with Makenzie being the "blossom" and her grandsons, Lukas and Jakob, being the "buds."

Chapman wanted to open a business close to her home.

"I don't like the drive in the winter," she said. "I just thought this was the perfect place.

"I've always wanted a gift shop."

Chapman hosted an open house in November, with positive results.

"That was awesome," she said.

Sales spiked around the holidays as well, she said.

Chapman isn't alone in her first business venture.

Her family helps out with deliveries, along with a good friend who was once a co-worker.

From USA Today...

2010-02-04T22:09:00.002-05:00

Below is an article from today's edition of USA Today. For the record, there are no plans, thoughts, or discussion to convert any of our streets back to gravel. Rather, this provides an interesting insight into the measures being taken to find a new balance of resources and services for public road agencies in these difficult times...

Tight times put gravel on the road

By Liisa Rajala, USA TODAY
Gravel roads, once a symbol of quaint times, are emerging as a sign of financial struggle in a growing number of rural towns.

High costs and tight budgets have prompted communities in Maine, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Vermont to convert or consider converting their cracked asphalt roads back to gravel to cut maintenance costs, officials in those states say.

New technology allows asphalt to be recycled into a durable gravel-like surface that is cheaper to maintain and adequately prevents potholes and mud, said David Creamer, a field operations specialist at the Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies at Pennsylvania State University.

Thirty-eight counties in Michigan replaced a total of 100 miles of asphalt roads with gravel because of decreasing funds in 2008-09, said Monica Ware, a spokeswoman for the County Road Association of Michigan.

In Montcalm County, Mich., 10 miles were converted to cut patching costs in 2009, said Randy Stearns, managing director of the county's road commission. He cited one road that cost a combined $39,244 in 2008 and early 2009 for patching, but only $7,300 to crush into gravel. More roads may be converted this summer, he said.

A 2006 study by the University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies found gravel is cost-effective when daily traffic averages 200 vehicles or less.

Even so, some have concerns.

"None of these decisions should be made overnight," said Chris Plaushin, director of federal relations at AAA. "I think that gravel brings some conditions that they may not be used to. The drivers are going to have to exert a little more caution."

Elsewhere:

• Hancock County, Ind. County engineer and superintendent Joe Copeland said budget cuts required 11 miles to be converted last year. "They are holding up well," he said. Copeland said about three more miles may be converted this year.

• Cranberry Isles, Maine. Town Selectman Richard Beal said high asphalt and transportation costs led him to support gravel. The town will decide March 8 whether to replace its three major roads, he said.

Resident Gaile Colby, who lives on one of the roads being considered, called it a terrible idea. "Have you ever lived on a gravel road? In the summer it's like clouds of (dirt) coming through your house," Colby said.

• Tuscarora State Forest, Pa. The Department of Forestry converted 3 miles to gravel in 2008 and 2009, Forest Program Manager Matthew Beaver said, and more could be converted this year.

Winter Budget as of 1-31

2010-02-02T11:16:00.003-05:00

The weather has proven to be much kinder this year to our winter plowing budget. As of the end of January we have only expended 30.8% of our winter plowing budget. This is ahead of not only last winter's mark, but also historical trends. While February is a short month, on average the Village will spend just under 1/4 of the entire winter budget during the month.

I know we are among the many who hope that Punxsutawney Phil was wrong this morning, and we are treated to an early spring!

2010 Master Plan Survey is Online!

2010-01-29T16:39:00.001-05:00

As part of updating the Master Plan for the community, the Village of Lake Isabella has launched an online survey. The survey of about 40 questions can be taken by clicking on the link provided on the Village’s homepage (www.lakeisabellami.org). The link to the survey will be on the Village’s website until the start of business on Monday, March 1st. On Friday, January 29th the Village mailed 1,593 postcards to all property owners and non-owner residents inviting them to take the survey.

For residents who are unable to take the survey online, the Village has printed copies which can be mailed to them. All they need to do is contact the Village Hall to request a copy.

By going online with the survey as opposed to traditional printed surveys, the Village will be able to save between $3,000 and $6,000. In addition to this cost savings, since the surveys are counted as they are submitted, results will be ready as soon as the survey closes.

The last survey conducted by the Village was done in early 2005 as part of the last Master Plan update. Since then the community has seen numerous changes which were guided in large part by the direction provided from that survey. That survey was also conducted “in house,” however it was a printed survey of over 100 questions with results tallied by Village staff and volunteers over several months.

High among the residents’ wishes in 2005 were natural gas service, paving local streets, and high speed internet access.

The Village was able to successfully carry out those wishes to varying degrees. In 2006 high speed internet access came via wireless service from Winntel on a service tower located on Queens Way. Since 2006 additional companies have also added Lake Isabella to their service area. Still on hold is word from Charter Communications regarding the Village’s grant to upgrade the cable system at Lake Isabella. This update would not only provide quality cable television service, but also additional broadband access.

In 2007 the Village undertook an extensive street paving project of over 13 miles, leaving only a handful of local streets untouched per the request of a majority of property owners on those streets. The Village has also adopted a long-range asset management plan for their street network, and includes these long-range projects in the Capital Improvement Budget which is annually adopted by the Village Council.

In 2008 DTE/MichCon developed a natural gas infrastructure for most of the northern half of the Village servicing about 600 homes. Then in 2009 Consumers Energy proposed building out the remaining un-serviced areas in southern Lake Isabella totaling about 180 homes. That project stalled after an insufficient number of residents opted for the service being offered by Consumers.

The new survey not only covers future infrastructure desires, but also provides property owners with a chance to express their desires for any public new services and other quality of life issues.

###

FY 2008-2009 Audit

2010-01-28T13:21:00.003-05:00

After our last Village Council, our most recent audit reflecting the 2008-2009 Fiscal Year was placed online. This audit, and several of past audits can all be found on website on the History & Reference Materials page. In addition to the audit, Yeo & Yeo also provides a summary report of comments concerning the financial management and oversight of the Village. This report is also hyperlinked on the same page.

The Village is pleased to report that once again we were issued a "clean opinion," which is the best that can be issued. This year also saw no comments on areas where additional oversight and policy adoption are needed.

Coming next month to the Village's website will be a survey for our Master Plan update. One of the questions on this survey asks for your desire to see us post additional financial documents online. We look forward to the feedback from the surveys. If you have any questions pertaining to the audit, please feel free to call the Village Hall 644.8654

Stimulus Funding Map

2010-01-12T15:47:00.003-05:00

The State of Michigan has created an interactive map showing how funds from President Obama's "stimulus package" have been released and spent. The map can be found here.

The map is broken down by counties, and provides a summary report of which agencies have received funds in the county that is clicked on. Municipalities in Isabella County have not fared too well under the program. The only city or village to see funds is the City of Mt. Pleasant. In addition to the city, Isabella County, and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe have received funds. Along with many of the local school districts.

One of the main factors in why funds have not been seen by the other local units of government in Isabella County was the funding system approved by the legislation. The administration allowed the funds to "pass through" the states before reaching local communities. In more than a few cases the state used the funds to plug their own budget gaps. For the funds that were not used to cover the state's shortfall, the money was put into existing programs.

This took away the ability of many smaller units of government from having access. Michigan designates certain "Core Communities" which have greater access to state and federal funding. In certain cases non-core communities are shut out entirely.

In terms of road funding, money was added to the rural and urban task forces. Lake Isabella is a member of the rural task force. However, in order for funds to be captured and used locally, the road has to be a "rural major collector" or above on the "National Functional Classification System." The only roads in and around Lake Isabella which meet this level of classification are Drew, Coldwater, River, and Rolland. All of which are under the jurisdiction of the Isabella County Road Commission.

Tuesday's Planning Commission Meeting

2010-01-10T13:52:00.003-05:00

Online is a copy of Tuesday's Planning Commission agenda. The business items on the agenda have been hyperlinked, so you can see what the bulk of the meeting entials, not just the agenda. The Village started doing this late last year with the ZBA agendas, and hope to expand it as we work through 2010.

The first business item on Tuesday's agenda is a review and discussion of the upcoming Master Plan Survey. This survey will be done online unlike past surveys which have been paper based. In going online, the Village hopes to dramatically cut down on costs and increase the speed by which results are published. Right now the "in the works" schedule for the survey has the community opinion survey on our website during the month of February.

Prior to that, the Village plans to mail out postcards to all residents and property owners inviting them to take the survey. For those who cannot take the survey online, paper copies will be at the Village Hall.

In addition to the survey, the Planning Commission is also going to consider the drafted language to place an expiration date on approved variances. At the December meeting, the Planning Commission opted for a 12 month period of validity, with a possible 6 month extension. As part of the discussion the Planning Commission is also going to review the entire ZBA code to see if there are any changes to our procedures that may be desired.

If you would like to comment on any of these items please feel free to attend Tuesday's meeting, or send us an email. tim@lakeisabellami.org

So Far, So Good...

2010-01-06T16:51:00.006-05:00

Unlike last year, this winter has been decent in terms of the Village's snow plowing budget... so far! While we are actually still above our 10 year average in terms of the number of service events, the duration of the time plowing is down considerably from last year.

Through the end of December, the Village has seen 16 winter service events. A winter service event is anytime our trucks are working. This includes plowing, salting, sanding, drift control, and cul-de-sac and intersection cleaning.

Our average for a typical winter season is only 12.5 events for November and December. But, most of the events this year have been for drift control, salting, and minor cleaning. We have only had the one big storm, and nowhere close to the 4+ feet of snow we had last December.

In terms of budgeting, there are two ways to gauge the winter. The first is using an equal distribution method. This gives the bookend months of November and April each 10% of the total budget. The remaining 80% is given equally to December, January, February, and March.

The other method bases budget expense guidelines on historical trends. This breakdown only gives the month of November 4.5% of the total budget. Likewise, April only sees 0.8% of the total winter budget. Not only does this method give a more realistic foundation for the budget, but also is not nearly as depressing as it shows only 4 solid months of winter, and not the 6 that the equal distribution method does.

As of December 31st, the Village has spent only 17.7% of our winter budget. When all of this is dumped into a spreadsheet, it looks like this:

The resulting graph from this spreadsheet is seen at the top of this post. What is in store for the rest of the winter? Nobody knows for certain. Historical trends show that January is good for 12 service events, February sees about 10 or 11, and March 6 events.

However, if by Divine mercy it got very mild, I'm sure we could live with that too!

2010 Recycling Dates

2010-01-04T10:40:00.003-05:00

With a new year upon us, it is time for you update your recycling calendars. On our website you can find the new calendar for 2010. The pickup days are still Thursday & Friday, every other week, starting this week! The only exceptions are Thanksgiving week and Christmas week, for details on those changes, please reference the calendar.

2010 Recycling Calendar

Adopt-A-Family 2009: Another Successful Year

2009-12-16T14:05:00.005-05:00

On behalf of the Village of Lake Isabella and the Lake Isabella Property Owner’s Association we would like to thank you for your generous gifts. Your commitment to helping United Way and families requesting assistance in our community is sincerely appreciated.

Each year the Lake Isabella community continues to help families in need have a happier holiday season. Through United Way’s Adopt-A-Family program we have seen many lives changed for the better.

In particular the Adopt-A-Family program has enjoyed great success from Lake Isabella in the past years and 2009 was no different. Lake Isabella shined at its best bringing in over $1,300.00. Even though we all are aware that times are financially hard for many including ourselves. That is a little over a hundred dollars more than we brought in last year and our second highest donation total for this program since its start in 2004. In these tough times we were only anticipating half of what we raised in 2008 and yet our community rose above all else and surpassed all anticipated donations. Congratulations and thank you Lake Isabella residents and businesses!!

We not only helped a family of six through the United Way program we also donated items to the Weidman Food Pantry, bought $300.00 worth of toys for Toys for Tots and made cash donations to St. Jude’s and Salvation Army. What a wonderful season you all have given so many families with your donations this year.
The goal of the Village of Lake Isabella and the Lake Isabella Property Owner’s Association is to continue to make a difference in the Adopt-A-Family program. With the help of donations from supporters such as you we will continue to see improvements in all who are involved. Thanks again for your generous support of our efforts to the Adopt-A-Family program and we would like to personally thank the following:

George & Barbara Dunn
Dave & Kathleen Ochander
Roger & Jill Kerr
Todd & Audra Buchanan
Thomas & Marie Kelly
Ed Nurski
Arnie & Jan Griffin
Danny & Linda Tinker
John & Vicki Boyd
Elmer & Joan Ledbetter
Alain & Carol Shannon
Georgia Warner
Harry & Marge Kuhn
Dave & Kathy Shoemaker
Charlie & Jane Kiel
Bob & Ann Laraway
John & Janice Terry
Warren & Nancy Spragg
Richard & Brenda Donley
Larry Hiither
Dan Grisdale
Tom & Mary Henson
Max Pinkney
Alice Spayd
Dan & Mary Pattison
Rich & Toni Lacca
Arvil & Geraldine King
Lucky & Betty Jean Robison
George & Carole Colby
Bob & Sally Burgess
Bob & Ardith Gloden
Jim & Sandy Kenney
Bill & Arlene Dunham
Mike Scherba & Carla Gill
Bruce LaPointe & Beth Miller
Out of Bounds
Bud’s & Blossom Gift Shop
Twister Fitness
Bella’s Salon
Cindy’s Salon
Mt. Pleasant Excavating

A Finished Salt Barn

2009-12-04T16:59:00.004-05:00

Our new salt barn has been finished just in time for winter! Today is the first day that we have done any winter maintenance. We spread 2 loads of sand/salt mix this morning to help melt away the ice and snow from last night.

This November the Village was able to get by without any plowing expenses. This is the 4th time in 11 winter seasons that has happened. A snow-free November sadly is no sure sign of what's to come. 2001-02 was a mild winter, also with a snow-free November. That year the Village only spend 217 hours plowing the 68 inches of snow we saw. However, 2006-07 also saw November come and go without plowing. That year we ended up just shy of 100 inches.

Your guess is as good as mine, but here's to hoping for a warm winter!

Thanksgiving Info

2009-11-25T17:12:00.001-05:00

The Village Hall will be closed on Thursday and Friday this week for Thanksgiving. All recycling pick-ups will be a day late due to the holiday.

An Open Memo to Charter Communications

2009-11-20T11:21:00.002-05:00

November 19, 2009

Charter Communications
4670 E Fulton Ste 102
Ada, MI 49301

Dear Charter Communications:

Since the conversion to digital broadcast television signals in June, our residents have seen a reduction in the cable service offered to Lake Isabella. As we have previously discussed, this relates to our residents no longer receiving channel 20 (WPBN) as part of their cable package. While the loss of one station in and of itself is not a major issue, our residents have seen a message from Charter on this channel for over 5 months. The message is polite, but leads one to believe that the loss of this channel is only temporary and that Charter is trying to resolve the matter.

I believe that it is safe to say that WPBN is no longer part of our cable package at Lake Isabella and the channel deleted from the available listings. In light of this I am compelled to request that Charter elect one of two options. The first option is simple, a reduction in the monthly service fee to reflect losing 1 of our 48 stations. The other option which I feel could rectify this problem is to replace WPBN with another station.

I believe the second option would be in the best interest of our residents and also Charter. If Charter is serious about this option, I would offer to have a survey in our office for people to recommend a channel and forward the results to your office.

Granted, all of this may become a mute point if Charter is successful in obtaining federal stimulus funds to complete the long overdue upgrade of our cable system. In doing so I am confident that our residents would finally enjoy the level of service that most Charter custumers have.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Tim Wolff
Village Manager

Salt Barn Taking Shape

2009-11-18T16:23:00.003-05:00

The upper half of our salt barn is taking shape. Weather permitting the project should be nearly done sometime next week. Below are pictures taken this afternoon.

A Day in Lansing... Recap

2009-11-18T14:58:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I spent the bulk of my day in Lansing. While there I visited the office of our State Senator, Alan Cropsey. Addressing important items of Village business with the our state and federal elected officials is part of my duties as Village Manager, it was not the single reason for my visit.

The Village of Lake Isabella is a member of the Michigan Municipal League. The MML has been advocating for the needs of local units of government since 1899. The position the MML takes on the numerous issues and bills which could impact local government start with recommendations from their policy committees. Presently the MML operates with six committees which make recommendations to the Board of Trustees. Lake Isabella is represented on two of these six committees.

Village President Pro-Tempore Dan Pattison is a member of the Municipal Services Committee. My visit yesterday was the committee I happen to be a member of. The Economic Development and Land Use Committee. This committee is charged with reviewing issues which relate to economic development (Brownfields, TIFs, DDAs...) and land use (planning and zoning).

In recent years the bulk of bills before the committee have dealt with economic development. Hot topics are Brownfields, Liquor Licenses, and help to communities which were connected to the auto industry.

While in Lansing yesterday our committee reviewed and made recommendations on several bills which are at various points in the process of becoming law. In addition to reviewing the bills currently in the legislative process, these committees are often turned to by members of the legislature for insights on how to improve the laws on the books. For example, one member of the legislature submitted a list of all the tax credits allowed under the Michigan Business Tax and asked for feedback on which ones are used by local units to help encourage job creation.

For more info on the MML and their committees, check out their website... http://www.mml.org/home.html

Proposal would change Michigan term limits law

2009-11-13T11:49:00.004-05:00

By The Associated Press & Wikipedia
November 12, 2009

The electors of the State of Michigan adopted an amendment to the Michigan Constitution in 1992. This amendment limits the length of time any individual may serve as a member of the Legislature.

Pursuant to this amendment, one may not be elected to the State Senate more than two times or to the State House of Representatives more than three times. The result of this is that there is now considerable turnover in membership in both houses of the legislature.

Formerly, many seats were held by the same office holder for sometimes decades, which is still common for federal offices. Although measures to repeal the term limits amendment have been introduced in both houses since it took effect, none of them have yet reached a vote on the floor of either house or received serious deliberation in the legislature... But that may be about to change.

A bipartisan group of first-year lawmakers is the latest to propose changing Michigan's term limits law for state legislators. The proposal detailed Thursday would continue to limit lawmakers to 14 years in the Legislature but would allow lawmakers to split their time between the House and Senate or spend all 14 years in one chamber. If lawmakers approve the proposal, it would go before voters next August.

Village Office Closed for Veteran's Day

2009-11-10T21:31:00.003-05:00

Our office will be closed on Wednesday, November 11th, in remembrance of Veteran's Day. We will resume normal business hours on Thursday.

ZBA Meeting Tonight

2009-11-09T09:58:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder that tonight at 5:00 PM there will be a meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Three cases will be heard, with each having a public hearing. You can view each respective case file by using the hyperlinks in the meeting agenda found online.

Baseline Road

2009-11-07T06:59:00.003-05:00

Several years ago the Village attempted secure funding for road improvements via our local "task force." This task force is comprised of Lake Isabella, Shepherd, Rosebush, the Tribe, ICTC, and the Road Commission. It is charged with developing a multi-year spending plan to allocate state and federal dollars. Lake Isabella had requested in the area of $100,000 for Baseline Road, and $300,000 for Birdie Drive. When funds are awarded from the task force, the local unit is allowed to use the funds to cover up to 80% of the construction cost of the project. The other 20% and all design and engineering costs are covered by the local unit.

In 2006 we actually made it onto the funding schedule. Baseline Road was planned for 2010-2011 and Birdie Drive for 2012-2013. Shortly thereafter we were notified that our roads did not qualify for the program as the roads had to part of the federal collector system. We were told by MDOT that this was done by the Governor to secure as much federal money as possible so more jobs could be created.

Since that time the Village has attempted to have those streets, along with El Camino Grande, classified as rural collectors per the federal system with no luck. Without a change in the status of these roads, they will remain off the list of projects from our local task force.

The Village's capital improvement plan, which is part of our budget, outlines projects for the next 6 years. Baseline Road has not been on our project list for the previous 2 budget cycles due to our inability to secure funding for the project. It was last in our CIP as a long range project (08-09 thru 2012-2013) in the 2007-08 Budget.

Our zoning ordinance requires that all new commercial development be serviced by a paved road (1212.57). In light of the lack of funding for the project, the Village intends to wait for the remaining 9 acres of "green" commercial space to be developed on Baseline Road, and require the developer of that property to pave it. This is a common practice, and is part of ensuring that adequate public services accompany development. Most recently this was done in the Village by the Isabella County Road Commission. When Whispering Pines sought approval for their Site Condo project, the County granted its approval only on the condition that River and Rolland roads be paved where it serviced the development.

So that's the scoop on Baseline Road. If there are any more questions or grading requests please call the Village Hall, email me directly at tim@lakeisabellami.org, or even stop by.

Monday's ZBA Meeting

2009-11-05T17:13:00.004-05:00

On our website we've added a new option that we will be testing over the final months of 2009. Starting with Monday's ZBA meeting, we will be working on having more zoning related items online for public inspection. As a first test of this, we have included a digital link in the Agenda to each application under consideration Monday.

Check it out for yourself and let us know what you think. A copy of Monday's ZBA agenda can be found here.

For next year, we are thinking of going even further with digital documents with approved permits posted online. More PDF forms, and tables which we help will better serve you in your planning and zoning needs.

What is that Building?

2009-11-03T09:59:00.004-05:00

Slowly taking shape is a new building set far back off from Coldwater Road. While the Drive-Thru addition to Isabella Bank is front and center for all to see, one other project is going on in the Village.

Located behind Mt. Pleasant Excavating the Village is having a new salt storage facility constructed. Last year environmental tests showed that our former salt building was causing ground water contamination. In reviewing the options, it became clear the best solution was to construct a new facility designed under the guidelines of the DEQ's and the American Salt Institute.

Once completed, the new building will triple the amount of salt and salt/sand mix the Village is able to store at one time. This will help reduce operating costs as our ability to buy in bulk will increase. The Village purchases road salt through a program run by the State of Michigan. Under the program local units of government are able to buy "early delivery" and "in season" salt shipments. Typically the early delivery runs about $5 per ton less than the in season salt.

In a typical winter the Village will use in the ballpark of 200 tons of salt. Most of which is mixed with sand to form a 50-50 blend. With our former building we were limited to shipments of only 50 tons. With our new building we should be able to accommodate 100 to 150 tons with ease.

In place currently are the cast-in-place walls and the asphalt pad for the site. In about 2 weeks the Village expects to see the side walls and roof arrive and the building completed. Below is a photo from another location with a building similar in style to what ours will look like once completed (except for the block walls).

Election Day

2009-11-03T06:22:00.003-05:00

Today is the 2009 general election date. Lake Isabella residents have one issue to vote on. Our local school district has the renewal of their 18 mills non-homestead operating millage on the ballot. The 18 mills are levied against non-homestead residential properties and commercial/industrial properties. The polling place for Lake Isabella residents is the Weidman Elementary.

If you have never been there before, simply take Coldwater Road north until it turns into School Road. Keep going north and the School is on the right hand side just as you enter Weidman.

As is the case with all elections, please bring a photo ID in order to vote.

Michigan has a Budget...

2009-11-02T09:36:00.002-05:00

Governor Granholm Friday signed the FY 2009-10 general government budget, which includes funding for revenue sharing to local government. In her accompanying letter, Granholm remained concerned about the cuts to local governments and the lack of revenue sharing funding provided by the budget. She again called on the Legislature to supply additional dollars and assure appropriate revenue sharing payments in support of critical local services.

The budget contains an overall 11.1-percent decrease to revenue sharing from FY 2008-09 (the reduction is to the combined total of constitutional and statutory revenue sharing payments to each community). When looking at only statutory revenue sharing (the dollars the Legislature can control), the FY 2009-10 budget averages to a 19-percent decrease to communities.

The total budget for revenue sharing to cities, villages and townships in the general government budget is $936.3 million. $622.15 million of that total is constitutional revenue sharing, and $314.15 million is statutory revenue sharing.

Lake Isabella is projected to have a reduction of 4.1% in the new state budget. The Village's total payments for the state's upcoming fiscal year is projected to be just over $78,000. This is just outside of the projected $79,000 that the Village's 2009-2010 budget was based on. According to the State of Michigan, the communities hardest hit in Isabella County will be the City of Mt. Pleasant and the Village of Shepherd, each seeing a cut of 11.1%. Mt. Pleasant's cut is projected to be nearly $315,000 which is more than the entire General Fund budget for the Village of Lake Isabella.

The Return of the Tipping Fee!

2009-10-29T17:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, the Michigan House of Representatives reintroduced a bill package to create a $7.50 per ton recycling and waste diversion surcharge. Less than 24 hours later, these bills were considered at 9 am today in the Great Lakes and Environment committee where two of them were adopted on a party-line vote.

House Bills (HBs) 5558-5559 and House Joint Resolution (HJR) MM together would create the $7.50 per ton recycling and waste diversion surcharge on landfill owners and operators. The bills would distribute the surcharge dollars back as grants for recycling programs and as a per-capita distribution to communities to promote the health, safety and welfare of residents. HJR MM would attempt to constitutionally dedicate this surcharge revenue for those purposes.

This package is the same as legislation that passed House committee last legislative session which the Michigan Municipal League (Which the Village of Lake Isabella is a member of) opposed. The tipping fee increase bill was adopted by the House early in 2007, but received no action in the Michigan Senate.

Testimony this morning from each bill sponsor indicated an interest in making sure communities are kept whole for any of their costs incurred by passage of these bills. HB 5559, which prescribes the distribution of the tipping fee revenue, remains in committee with the sponsor indicating a desire to work with local government units to arrive at an agreeable formula.

As drafted, the Michigan Municipal League has indicated opposition to these bills. To view the proposed legislation yourself, please visit the following links:

HB 5558
HB 5559
HJR MM

Lost/Found Dog

2009-10-28T16:47:00.002-04:00

Today our Code Enforcement Department found a stray dog near 1060 Barcelona Drive. He is an friendly older black lab mix. He is altered, and was found with a faded collar, but no tags. He was taken to the Isabella County Animal Shelter around 1:00 PM.

Trick-or-Treating 2009

2009-10-28T15:11:00.003-04:00

The 2009 trick-or-treating hours for Lake Isabella are 5-7 PM on Saturday. Be safe and enjoy!!!

Broadband Grant Update... From the AP

2009-10-12T07:53:00.002-04:00

This was posted on the Detroit News' website this morning, and is a wire story from the AP. http://www.detnews.com/article/20091012/BIZ04/910120313/1022/Tough-choices-for-feds-giving-out-broadband-money

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Tough choices for feds giving out broadband money
Joelle Tessler / Associated Press
Washington -- The federal government will soon start handing out the first $4 billion from a pot of stimulus funds intended to spread high-speed Internet connections to more rural communities, poor neighborhoods and other pockets of the country clamoring for better access. The challenge is that the government has received $28 billion in requests.

So the reviewers at the Commerce and Agriculture Departments who will award the broadband money must make hard choices. The 2,200 applications each envision something different -- more fiber-optic lines, for example, or computer labs or municipal wireless networks. But they all promise that their proposals will create jobs and bring new economic opportunities.

What follows are snapshots of four projects representing a cross section of the broadband stimulus hopefuls. It's too soon to know which plans will win federal grants or loans, either in this round of funding or in the next, as the total broadband stimulus expands to $7.2 billion. Those that do get picked may not get the full amount they are seeking.

But perhaps one -- or more -- of these projects has a chance.

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For the Coeur d'Alene Indian tribe in the Idaho panhandle, the stimulus money could mean a lifeline to the outside world.

The tribe is asking for $12.2 million for a ring of fiber-optic lines that could connect up to 3,500 homes on one side of its rural reservation, which is about half the size of Rhode Island.

Right now, the tribe's landline broadband options are limited. The local cable company has pulled out of the market. And the phone company, Verizon Communications Inc., offers digital subscriber line (DSL) service to just a small slice of the reservation.

Although the tribe launched its own wireless network in 2005 with the help of Agriculture Department funding, that network reaches less than half the reservation and slows to a crawl whenever too many people get online at once.

Valerie Fast Horse, the tribe's information technology director, says stimulus money would let the Coeur d'Alene Indians build a network that is "more stable and more reliable" and could deliver faster connections at lower prices.

The tribe's wireless network currently offers top speeds of 1.5 megabits per second, comparable to standard DSL service available elsewhere. But it charges users about $100 a month, about four times the standard price. The proposed fiber network would deliver a 20-megabit connection -- faster than what most cable subscribers get -- for $100 a month. Or tribe members would be able to get a 1.5-megabit connection for $25 a month.

Fast Horse envisions all sorts of uses for the fiber lines, including distance learning. Tribe members already use video conferencing to participate in classes at North Idaho College, about 35 miles away, when the roads are too icy to drive. But that requires them to travel to the tribe's education center, which has a landline connection to the Internet. A fiber-to-the-home network would let tribal members take classes without leaving their kitchens, she says.

It would also enable Coeur d'Alene members to consult with medical specialists around the country. And it would help the tribe preserve its language and culture, by allowing more members to access the tribe's video-sharing Web site, Rezcast. Among other things, the site features clips of powwows and online tutorials with tribal elders speaking their native language.

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Clearwire Corp., a company pioneering the use of a next-generation wireless technology known as WiMax, is upfront about the fact that some markets don't make sense for telecom providers that need to show a profit.

So Clearwire is asking for $19.4 million to build a high-speed wireless network in a handful of poor Detroit neighborhoods that it otherwise might not serve anytime soon.

Although those neighborhoods have more than 800,000 people, high unemployment and poverty levels make for a tough business case. But federal dollars would change the equation, says John Bunce, president of the Clearwire unit applying for stimulus funding.

And with that seed money as a starting point, the company pledges to spend its own capital to expand the wireless network across metropolitan Detroit, including more lucrative suburban markets.

The company offers a range of wireless plans, including a $45-a-month package that delivers speeds averaging 3 megabits to 6 megabits per second. On the low end, the company offers a basic 1-megabit connection for $25 a month.

In Detroit, Clearwire says, it would also provide free and discounted accounts for poor residents through nonprofit partners.

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In Appalachia, a nonprofit Internet provider called the Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN) wants help expanding a service started back in the dial-up Internet days so that people in the mountains of North Carolina wouldn't have to make a long-distance phone call to get online.

MAIN is asking for $2.5 million to extend its wireless network in Asheville, N.C., and several remote mountain communities. A sister non-profit is asking for $38.8 million to install fiber lines that would connect that network to the Internet.

Launched in 1996, MAIN today has about 1,200 dial-up subscribers, 400 wireless subscribers and several hundred additional customers who pay to access a Wi-Fi connection for a few hours or a few days at a time. Stimulus money would enable the non-profit to spread its wireless "cloud" to 11,000 additional homes in Asheville public housing projects and surrounding low-income neighborhoods.

Wally Bowen, MAIN's executive director, says the service would bring inexpensive mobile Internet connections -- with speeds of 3 megabits per second for $30 a month -- to a transient, low-income community that includes struggling artists and young entrepreneurs. Many of those people, he says, cannot sign up for the typical one-year or two-year contracts required to get the cheapest Internet rates from the big phone companies.

MAIN would also use federal funding to bring wireless connections to 1,700 homes in Graham County, an isolated, rural district that has no four-lane highway. Although the library and community college in Graham County's only town, Robbinsville, do provide high-speed Internet access, budget cuts have restricted the number of hours that those computer centers are open.

In addition, MAIN would use stimulus money to extend its wireless service to Mount Mitchell State Park, home to the highest point east of the Mississippi. That would allow campers, park rangers and visiting scientists studying acid rain and biodiversity to get real-time updates on weather and trail conditions.

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Philadelphia is making its second run at a big municipal broadband project.

The city is asking for $21.8 million to connect police precincts, fire stations, libraries, housing projects, recreation centers and community organizations across three inner-city neighborhoods.

Allan Frank, Philadelphia's chief technology officer, envisions doing this with a combination of fiber lines and a wireless network. That would bring high-speed links to city buildings to handle municipal affairs -- while also enabling garbage collectors, emergency responders, fire inspectors and other city workers to stay connected using handheld devices in the field.

Philadelphia also has two other stimulus proposals: The city's public housing authority would like $2.4 million to place computer labs in housing projects. And the city's library system, working closely with community groups, is asking for $15 million to set up Internet training programs, supply laptops and install Internet connections to get low-income residents online.

Five years ago, Philadelphia partnered with EarthLink Inc. to blanket the city with wireless access, in hopes of providing cheap connections for poor neighborhoods. But that effort ended in failure: EarthLink concluded the venture had no business model and pulled out. Now the city hopes to buy the network assets that EarthLink left behind.

Frank says the stimulus money is an opportunity to "restart the conversation about what our technology future should look like." By retaining control over the project and focusing on broadband adoption as well as access, he added, the city would avoid the mistakes it made last time.

"This is a game reset for us," he says.

And "Thank You"

2009-10-09T08:50:00.004-04:00

Yesterday afternoon the Village placed 4 traffic cones on Queens Way to mark a washed area of the road shoulder that we are having fixed. This morning, 3 of the 4 traffic cones are gone. Sure the cost to replace those cones will only be about $50 or $60, but that really isn't the point.

This isn't the first, nor the last time somebody will help themself to a traffic cone or even a street sign. Afterall, they do look great in your basement or garage! But I wonder, what makes lifting a few cones so meaningful? Heck, next time why not go for the grand-daddy of them all, a stop sign! Or how about the irony of stealing a neighborhood watch sign. I probably should not be offering up suggestions, even if it is in jest.

So thank you, to whoever you are I hope you enjoy your trophy cones. Oh, and if you happen to drift off the road and into the washout rut, sorry about that...

Sincerely,

Tim

Feedback!

2009-10-07T20:40:00.002-04:00

This week 2 Focus Group meetings were held to help the Planning Commission and Village Council in updating the Master Plan. Our current Master Plan was adopted in March of 2006. While we are less than 4 years into our plan, the Village feels that enough progress has been made on goals laid forth in the plan that an update is justified.

Several suggestions and goals were offered for consideration each night. Two of the most common feelings expressed were the following:

Appearance matters. For both future residential and commercial development. Ensuring future growth is harmonious with the current neighborhoods of the Village was a strong feeling from those who participated. Likewise, they also felt that how the Coldwater Road commercial area develops matters for not only what type of businesses come, but also how the area looks when built out.

Another feeling shared each night was that additional bike and walking paths are needed. And that to have a successful path network, there must be some means of crossing from one side of the community to the other by foot or bike.

Later this week the Village will be posting the PowerPoint presentation from the focus group meetings on our website at: http://www.lakeisabellami.org/masterplan.htm

The PowerPoint will also be shown again at Tuesday's Planning Commission meeting.

Still under consideration is whether or not an additional survey is needed as part of this update. Our current Master Plan was based largely on results from a 100+ question survey mailed to every property owner in late 2004. Over 600 of the nearly 1,600 surveys were completed and returned at that time.

Master Plan Focus Groups

2009-10-04T07:52:00.003-04:00

On Monday and Tuesday, the Village will be hosting an evening focus group to gather feedback on our current Master Plan. Each session should last about an hour. If you are free and would like to attend, please call the Village Hall. Seats are still open for each session, but space is limited.

Countdown to Chaos...

2009-09-23T15:17:00.002-04:00

As I write this blog on Wednesday afternoon, less than a week remains for the state to adopt a budget for the 2009-2010 year. Yogi Berra once said "It's like deja-vu, all over again." A fitting statement which describes the financial health of the state for the better part of the last decade. The exception was the last fiscal year when the state's coffers were showing signs of life, due in large part to the sales tax on gas (which was around $4 per gallon at the time and Lansing had based its budget on sales tax collection of $2.50 per gallon).

Where this year's debate is even more complicated than 2 years ago (when the state government actually shutdown), is that the easy cuts were made a long, long time ago. Cuts being discussed in Lansing currently effect programs and services enjoyed by large sections of the state.

As the clock continues to click down, the question is what is really on the chopping block? The hole in the state budget this year has been reported anywhere from 1.2 to 2.7 billion dollars. As of today only 3 of the 16 budgets have even made it out of the committee process. To further complicate matters, the Legislature has left the Governor out of the process. As a lame-duck there is little for her to lose if she sticks to her guns that vital cuts to services will not be tolerated. Thereby creating an impasse with the direction being taken by House Speaker Dillon and Senate Majority Leader Bishop.

More than likely a continuing resolution will be adopted giving the legislature another month to figure things out. If you'd like to keep score on your own about the process, I can recommend a couple of good places to frequent:

http://skoopsblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.countdowntochaos.org/

Village Council Meeting 9-22 Topics

2009-09-19T09:55:00.002-04:00

Due to the election on Tuesday, the regular Village Council meeting for the month was moved back 1 week. The meeting this Tuesday the 22nd, has several items on the agenda. The bulk of the meeting is geared toward the 6 public hearings that are scheduled. The first hearing is to establish single parcel special assessment districts for two parcels. These parcels were mowed by the village this summer due to failure to comply with our lawn height requirements. The assessment district is our means of recovering our cost to abate.

The other 5 public hearings all address proposed ordinances. A copy of the proposed ordinances and a summary can be found on our website at: http://www.lakeisabellami.org/Ordinancepage.htm

Other items of interest on the agenda include renewal of the Village Manager's contract, a naming request for the airport, deer management discussion, bond payments, and the upcoming liaison committee meeting with the property owners association.

We're Back...

2009-09-11T13:55:00.004-04:00

Long time no see! Shortly after our last post, the Village Hall experienced some technical issues. During one of the thunderstorms in early July our office was hit by lightning (again). This was the second time in the 2 years that we have been at the 1010 Clubhouse location that lightning has knocked us off-line. Specifically, the wireless internet beacon on the roof was hit. Thankfully, when the building was built we had a universal surge suppressor installed with the electrical system. Both times this has limited the damage to only the point of entry, and nothing beyond.

To complicate the matter we were also in the process of moving our internet service from ISP to Winntel. But now everything is up and running. We have been able to update our website for a couple of weeks and will be returning to regular blogging.

Mark your calendars, this Tuesday, September 15th is the general election for Village Council. Polls will be open from 7:00 AM until 8:00 PM. Please stop by the Village Hall and cast your vote!

Summer Tax Bills are On-Line

2009-06-26T09:57:00.002-04:00

The 2009 Village of Lake Isabella summer tax bills will be mailed out later this week. But did you know that you can view your bill on-line? Right on our homepage we have a link to "Tax & Parcel" information. This will take you to a page where you can search by name, address, or property ID number.

Once you have searched, select the parcel you are looking for. You view current and past tax bills, assessed value, equalized value, legal description, a breakdown of each part of the tax bill, and if google maps can find it the property on a map. Check the link out for yourself and see it before you get it in the mail by clicking here.

In addition to the tax info, just below that link on our homepage is another link for Special Assessment Payoffs. These payoffs are sorted in numerical order by the property ID number, and reflect a payoff amount after the 2009 Village tax bill has been paid. To view the payoff spreadsheet, please click here.

2009 Election Update

2009-06-23T16:38:00.000-04:00

The 4PM deadline for residents wishing to file paperwork to run for Village Council came and went today. Four seats on the Council are up for election at this September 15th election.

Those seats are currently filled by the only four people to file paperwork to run on the ballot this fall. Those four Council members are Village President Dave Torgerson, Village Treasurer Charles Kiel, Village Trustee Arnold Griffin, and Village Trustee Richard Lacca.

Terms to be elected at this year’s general election begin in January 2010, and run until January 2014. The other three terms on the Council were elected at the 2007 election, and have terms expiring in January of 2012.

The last day to register to vote for the election is August 17th. Residents wishing to run as a write-in may do so by filing the required paperwork by 4:00 PM on September 4th.

The polling place for this year’s general election will once again be the Village Hall, 1010 Clubhouse Drive, Lake Isabella, MI 48893.

Also, the Village is currently accepting applications for appointment to the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. A copy of the application is on our website, and can be obtained at the Village Hall.

South End Natural Gas & Newsletter Update

2009-06-18T19:57:00.002-04:00

Consumers Energy held a public meeting tonight at the Weidman Community center to present the natural gas build-out. Around 30 people were in attendance. Those in attendance were informed that the cost to connect for this project is $2,250, and Consumers needs at least 90 customers to begin the project.

A complete copy of the informational materials presented at the meeting can be found on the Village's homepage at www.lakeisabellami.org.

Consumers will be mailing information materials to those were not in attendance tonight. In addition to the mailing by Consumers, the Village will be mailing information next week to everyone in the project area with information on financing from our local banks.

Unlike DTE, Consumers is not able to offer financing "in-house" for the project. As such, residents will need to pay the entire $2,250 connection fee up front. Check back for more updates.

Also, the Village's summer newsletter will be in the mail shortly. But, as an exclusive to our friends on the blog you can check it out for yourself on-line right now!

The link to the newsletter is: www.lakeisabellami.org/2009-Summer-Newsletter.pdf

...and, the link to the insert is: www.lakeisabellami.org/2009-Summer-Newsletter-Insert.pdf

We hope you enjoy!

July 4th Fireworks!

2009-06-17T16:19:00.002-04:00

Fundraising is underway for the 4th of July Fireworks. As of Wednesday, June 17th we have raised nearly $4,000. This is over the half-way goal for this year of $7,000. If you are able, please consider making a donation to help cover the cost of this annual community event.

Lake Isabella is not alone in struggling to reach donation goals for fireworks. Below is from the Chicago Tribune:
(http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-july-fourth-half-off-17-jun17,0,2604382.story)

4th of July fireworks canceled in some towns, scaled back in others...

In years past, thousands of residents have gathered at Joliet Memorial Stadium and surrounding parking lots to watch the free fireworks display on the 4th of July.

If they want to watch this year, they may have to pony up.

Officials for the committee that raises money for the show said that, because of the recession, they are seeing fewer donations from city businesses. That, in turn, has forced them to do something they've never done before: ask residents for donations.

With less than three weeks until the holiday, the Joliet July 4 Celebration Committee is $9,000 short of the $23,000 it needs to cover the cost of the fireworks display and save the show, said Russ Slinkard, the committee's secretary.

"We've had several calls about it, and people [are] saying they want this to continue," said Slinkard, also president of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce. "We're confident that the community will respond."

In dozens of communities throughout the Chicago region, officials are struggling to find funding to keep their 4th of July celebrations alive. In some towns, parades, street festivals and shows that are annual community traditions are being canceled or scaled back because of budget cuts.

North Aurora already has scrapped its fireworks show and instead is helping sponsor Aurora's, officials said.

In Elmhurst, there will be no 4th of July parade this year, said Shazad Mehta, whose Elmhurst Jaycees struggled to raise money for the event after the city cut its financial contribution by two-thirds. "The money we were being offered wasn't good enough," he said.

For the first time in its 87-year history, the Evanston Fourth of July Association is charging participants to ride in its parade.

Even with the entry fee, the organization had to scale back its performance budget and shorten the fireworks display, said Joan Ducayet, the association's vice president and celebration manager. "This is how we responded to the economic challenges," she said. "We wanted to do everything we could to avoid canceling the parade."

But not all towns are tightening their red-white-and-blue belts.

Despite Chicago suffering through a budget crisis, there won't be any cutbacks to this year's 4th of July celebration, said Cindy Gatziolis, spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office of Special Events. The Independence Eve celebration will take place July 3 at the Taste of Chicago and will feature a pyrotechnic show coordinated to music.

Oak Lawn, celebrating its 100th anniversary, will have a parade with more than 100 entrants including military color guards, bands, clowns and antique cars, followed by a celebration at Centennial Park and a fireworks show at a local high school.

Natural Gas Update

2009-06-11T11:43:00.002-04:00

DTE & Kent Power have dropped off several small bags of grass seed at the Village Hall. If you need additional grass seed to help restore your lawn from the gas project, please come by and get a bag. Bags will be given out on a first come basis!

Also, for our residents in the unserviced Consumer's Energy side of the Village, we are pleased to announce that you should be receiving a mailing shortly from Consumer's about building out that remaining section of the Village. The notice from Consumer's will have information on a meeting later this month in Weidman where Consumer's will present the project.

As was with DTE, Consumer's will need half of the 180 homes to "sign-up" for the project before they can proceed. Look back for more information later this month!