Iâ??m retiring to the Island next year to be a full time resident. Iâ??ve been coming to the Island for more than 30 years. Pam and I have a home on the east side. In the past, Iâ??ve served on the BI Health Center board. Pam and I love the island and would like to see us prosper together. Iâ??m running to become a Peaine Township Board trustee. We have a lot of issues to deal with on Beaver Island. Iâ??d like to lay out a few thoughts and ask for your thoughts in return.
1. The economy of the Island is our major issue. We are almost entirely a service and tourism driven economy. Itâ??s the visitors and summer residents that support our economy. We need to find ways to increase visitors to the island and encourage more people to reside here. We need to evaluate our spending in the township budget including shared services and eliminate unnecessary spending to free up money to improve our attractions such as our campgrounds, trails and bike paths. We need to promote our activities such as hunting, fishing, the Music Festival, Baroque on Beaver, Bike Festival, Homecoming, ecotourism, birding festivals and whatever else we can think of to market the Island and get more people over here. We need to find a way to bring back activities like the Celtic Games and the marathon and develop new ones like triathlons and water trails.
2. In the same vein (since Iâ??m a doctor), we canâ??t afford mistakes that cost us money that could be used for obtaining matching grants for improvements or paying down debt. We need to evaluate what weâ??re doing carefully and obtain expertise when required to avoid costly errors.
3. The taxes are becoming prohibitive for many people. Summer residents have the particular disadvantage of not qualifying for the homestead exemption. While our ability to influence the entire tax bill is limited, the net effect of higher taxes is to drive people off the island rather than bring them to us. Imagine what our taxes would be without the summer people to share them. As we boomers retire, there will be a huge number of people who may want a summer home or retirement home here like myself. We have the most wonderful place in the world, but we need to make it affordable. More people here means more home building and sales, more work for contractors, more people in our businesses and more jobs for us and more students in our school.
4. The environment is a huge treasure. We are among the most biodiverse islands in the Great Lakes and one of the most threatened by invasive species. The NRESC and BIA are doing a great job, but there is so much more to do. We need to complete and adopt a resource management plan that is currently being developed with MSU. Our natural environment is what will bring people to the Island and we have to promote and protect it. Hunting, fishing, bird watching and all other recreational activities not only can co-exist with environmental protection, but their future depends on it. We need to expand our collaborative efforts with the Nature Conservancy and other outside organizations for funding to protect threatened areas. With our unique habitat and biodiversity, the archipelago could become a site for research in conjunction with the DNR, Nature Conservancy, CMU, NMU, and MSU. The wealth of biodiversity and the pristine environment would seem to be a natural site for eco-tourism.
5. A large portion of our Township budget goes for shared services such the Fire Department (Thank you, Tim, Jim and everyone else), EMS (same for Sarah and all of you. Good Luck, Danielle, let me know if I can help), the Transfer Station, BI Health Center and the Airport Authority. We need to review and understand their budgets and make sure weâ??re giving whatâ??s needed and getting what we need. Itâ??s such a big part of the budget we need to make sure our priorities are straight. Open and transparent meetings of these entities with good record keeping are essential. We ought to be having regular reports from them at our township meetings.
6. Open discourse and discussions based on facts are part of Democracy. The township meetings are the forum for this. I want the discussions to be, meaningful, cordial and respectful. I promise to listen and consider otherâ??s opinions and to make decisions based on investigation, knowledge of the facts and for the benefit of the Island and not for personal gain or for special interests. At times in the past discussions have generated more heat than light. We need to work together. We can disagree, but in a constructive manner.
7. The two townships need better communication and I would suggest that board members representing each township meet regularly to discuss matters of joint concern particularly regarding the shared services budgets, mileages and operations. We need to have master economic plan to prioritize our spending to get the most out of our tax dollars just as we are developing a natural resource management plan. Inviting specialists from Sea Grantâ??s Economic Development and Coastal Communities, MSU, and NE Michigan Council of Governments Economic Development Strategies, may bring new ideas and assistance for economic development to the Island.
8. Charlevoix County receives a disproportionate amount of money from the island given the services they provide to us. The Human Resources Commission is helping address this with regard to some aspects such as home care and meals on wheels, but there needs to be better coordination of services from county agencies. The roads continue to be an issue as does the Charlevoix Airport and associated parking fees. The City of Charlevoix benefits from our coming and going and we need to restart a dialogue with them. I suspect you feel as taken advantage as I do by the mainland.
Iâ??m sure there are a lot of issues I havenâ??t addressed and Iâ??d appreciate your thoughts either here or when Iâ??m on the island over the 4th or by e-mail mcgrass@ameritech.net or phone 231-448-2314 or 248-489-0784. Remember the primary is August 7th. Iâ??d appreciate your support. We can make the island and our future even better if we work together and everyoneâ??s voice is heard.
Brad Grassmick
Peaine Township Election
Moderator: Gillespie
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treehugger
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2010 4:21 pm
- Location: Peaine BI
Thank you Brad for your interest in good government and the welfare of the Island citizens. Posting each candidate's ideas is a great use of the forum. Local government affects all of us, whether it is in the pocket book or our quality of life. We need to know why each candidate is making such a personal sacrifice to serve the public. Best wishes to you Brad and all those people willing to run.