Village Voice

Village of Lake Linden Newsletter

Edward R. Fisher, President                                                                                                                                 Phone: (906) 296-9911

Robert A. Poirier, Clerk                                                                                                                                                Fax: (906) 296-1044

Jill DuMonthier, Treasurer                                                                                                                               E-mail: vll@ lakelinden.net                                                                                                                                                                                    Web: www.lakelinden.net

 

March 2011

           

            It seems as though winter has released its grip on us a little early this year, at least as far as the snow is concerned. And while the cold weather holds on the increased sunshine will brighten our outlook a little as we move into spring and finally summer.

            The outlook is a little less optimistic for many communities, however, as the realities of Michigan’s financial woes and the trickle-down effect begins to strike small towns throughout the state. As we enter a time of fiscal uncertainty we face a number of challenges that will change the way municipalities provide services to their residents and require a new level of cooperation and creativity.

Emergency Services Millage Request:  On the May 3rd local and School Board Election ballot the Village will be seeking 1.75 mils for emergency services for fire and police department operations. This ballot question will be vital in continuing the operations of both departments at their current levels.

Municipal budgets, particularly general fund budgets, have been a subject of concern by local officials for a number of years. But now, flat revenues from the state are no longer flat. The past few years have been very difficult for Michigan’s economy and this statewide recession has now reached to the local level.  This year, our proposed revenue sharing commitment from the state may be reduced by over 40%. This would mean that services, all services, will be dramatically affected.

            This emphasis on balancing and cutting budgets at the state level means that the burden of funding local services will be placed more squarely on the citizens of small communities. Correctly, local lawmakers do not have the authority to wave a wand and create revenue sources. Because these revenues are taken from taxpayers (through fees for services and property taxes on the local level and income and sales taxes on the state level) the taxpayers ultimately have the final say on these decisions.

The local millage election is the most direct method and has at least one major advantage over state-received revenue. Citizens can be certain that the monies are funding community services directly and not filtered through a statewide population-based disbursement. The cost for continuing to provide these vital services at current levels and approving the additional millage request would be an additional $52.00 per year for a residence with an SEV of $30,000 (average in the Village), or about $4.00 per month.

Solar Energy Facility in Lake Linden: Over the past several months a major California company has been working with the Village on plans to build a 10-megawatt solar energy facility on approximately 50 acres of village Superfund property. The proposed location is in the middle of the "sands" Superfund area. The facility will not disturb any of the campground areas, the beach and waterfront areas, the walking trail around the peninsula, or the waste water treatment facilities. What it will do is generate substantial funds for the village from the lease of the land.  The substantial investment required by the company will be repaid by the sale of energy to utility companies who are mandated to have part of their electric utility provided by solar and other clean-production sources. As the discussions of this exciting potential project unfold the Village Council will keep residents informed.  If you have questions please address them to the village office.

FIND IT HERE!: Once again, as spring nears it is time for the FIND IT HERE! community rummage sale. As we have been holding the event on the third weekend in May each year, this year’s date will be Saturday, May 21st. As in the past, residents will be able to call or email me at the Village Clerk’s office to have their name, address and very brief description placed on a map of the Village showing the locations of the sales. The map will be available on the village website or at the office before the date. On the day of the sale they will be available at the Quality Hardware Store, DeMars, or at Morty’s Gas Station.

               Spring Clean-up dates: This year the spring clean-up will be held on Monday, April 18th, Monday, May 2nd, and Monday, May 16th. This clean-up is for leaves, brush and branches only. Piles should be raked out over the curb if possible and branches should be bundled and cut in lengths no longer than four feet. Burning leaves and brush is prohibited by ordinance and may also violate DNR-imposed bans! The dates have been posted on the Village website and notices will also be posted in the Gazette the week before the scheduled pick-ups.
 
 
 
 

Grants in the Village:  The GLRI grant for paving the parking areas at the beach and the pavilion in the upper park is in the final engineering phase and things are on schedule to begin actual work at these sites right after the 4th of July. The plan is that once the paving is complete, the lot at the end of Front Street will be utilized during the winter months for skating and during the summer months for rollerblading and skateboarding.

Annual Sanitation Fee:   This year the Village Council has amended the sanitation ordinance to change the way the annual sanitation fees are billed. In the past, we billed the $50 fee on or about April 1st and it was due by April 30th. This year, the fee will be added to property tax bills which are sent out at the beginning of July. Since they are now part of the tax bill they will be subject to the same payment and collection procedures as the property taxes themselves. Also, there will be no “opt-out” option and separate bills will not be sent to renters or tenants. For a complete text of the new ordinance provisions you can visit the Village website at www.lakelinden.net.

Farmer’s Market: Thanks to a grant from the Western U.P. District Health Dept. the Village and the Lake Linden DDA will be sponsoring a series of Farmer’s Markets throughout the summer and early autumn. The site and time of these markets is yet to be determined but the hope is that local farmers and vendors will provide a wide array of goods for residents and visitors. More information will be available in the June newsletter and in advertising as we move into summer.

 
 
 
 
 

 ________________________                        ___________________________

      Edward R. Fisher, President                                             Robert A. Poirier, Village Clerk

Happy Easter!

 

 

 

 

[Posted on the website of the Village of Lake Linden]