Northern Mich~Mash Preserve
~ VARIOUS ~
~ PUBLICLY SPEAKING ~
The design and compilation of the text and photos on this site are copyrighted 2017.
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Please do not copy the photos on this site, many of which have been submitted by private individuals...
just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.
just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.
Photo Labels Include:
B&G = Building and Grounds Committee ~ Dissolved in 2017 (Minutes~Legal Documents)
ECBOC COW= Emmet County Board of Commissioners Committee of the Whole (Minutes~Legal Documents)
ECBOC Ad-Min = Emmet County Board of Commissioners Administrative (Minutes~Legal Documents)
E-mail = My personal FOIAed e-mail already made public in 2017, so now posted on "Publicly Speaking"
Finance = Emmet County Finance Committee ~ Dissolved in 2017 (Minutes~Legal Documents)
B&G = Building and Grounds Committee ~ Dissolved in 2017 (Minutes~Legal Documents)
ECBOC COW= Emmet County Board of Commissioners Committee of the Whole (Minutes~Legal Documents)
ECBOC Ad-Min = Emmet County Board of Commissioners Administrative (Minutes~Legal Documents)
E-mail = My personal FOIAed e-mail already made public in 2017, so now posted on "Publicly Speaking"
Finance = Emmet County Finance Committee ~ Dissolved in 2017 (Minutes~Legal Documents)
21 September 2012 ~ Vines taking over vegetation off Division Road hill, Petoskey, Michigan
The public comment above was regarding the Scenic Michigan Hero Award
which had been presented earlier in the same 11 November 2015 ECBOC Ad-Min Meeting as noted below.
which had been presented earlier in the same 11 November 2015 ECBOC Ad-Min Meeting as noted below.
The following was written in a 10 May 2017 E-mail to two Emmet County commissioners, and to the county administrator Marty Krupa, in regard to an upcoming agenda:
Because not everything listed on the May 11, 2017 agenda below has been discussed in an open meeting, and because you,..., often do not allow members of the public to ask questions in an agenda timely manner, I ask PLEASE that you will give further explanation to my comments/questions below when you present the agenda item to the public. I’m certain that if I am in need of more explanation that others will be as well.
Perhaps you would have been giving further explanations of the agenda items anyway, but my concerns are written below in red.
Thank you. Karla
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AGENDA
EMMET COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS' MEETING MAY 11, 2017 ‐ 6:00 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Motion to approve the Board of Commissioner Minutes from The Meeting of the Whole of April 10, 2017, the Regular Meeting Minutes from April 13, 2017, and the MSU Strategic Board Meeting of April 19, 2017.
PUBLIC COMMENT
APPEARANCES
- 1) Tammy Doernenburg, Planning and Zoning Director/Administrator, Presentation of Annual Report.
- 2) Martie Van Berlo, Building Official and Building Department Director, Presentation of Annual Report.
- 1) Request to approve claims in the amount of $2,273,197.10.
- 2) Request for approval of May Committee and Travel Vouchers in the amount of $11,274.83.
Request to approve the Melrose Township EMS Agreement, and authorization for Chairman to sign said Agreement.
(Brief description of the terms of the agreement)
NEW BUSINESS
- 1) Request for approval of the 2017 Planning and Zoning Annual Report.
- 2) Request for approval of the 2017 Building Department Annual Report.
- 3) Request for approval of Sign Ordinance text amendment.
- 4) Request for approval of Form L‐4029 and authorization for Chairman to sign said form.
- 5) Request acceptance of the 2017 Treasurer’s excess of tax sale. (Amounts divvied up, and recipients of the amounts. How was this decision made?)
- 6) Request for approval of Michigan Air Service Grant Project for Airport Authority or Eligible Government Agency Airport
PAGE 1
7) Request to authorize Civil Counsel, the Administrator, the Chairman of the Airport Committee, and the Airport Manager to negotiate a Lease Agreement with Plane Care of Northern Michigan Jet Services, for the purpose of constructing a maintenance hangar at the Pellston Regional Airport and to bring this Lease back to the Board of Commissioners for their review.
8) Request authorization of the Master Service Agreement dated May 11, 2017 for the transport of telecommunications video and data services between the County of Emmet and Peninsula Fiber Network, LLC, and authorization for Chairman to sign said Contract. (What will be the overall cost (NOT SAVINGS, after installation) to the county? Or, maybe I am not understanding this… more explanation? Is this the deal with CMU and Harbor Springs? OR different?)
9) Request authorization for the County Administrator to sign current service orders and future service orders associated with the Master Service Agreement dated May 11, 2017 for the transport of telecommunications video and data services between the County of Emmet and Peninsula Fiber Network, LLC
10) Request authorization for the purchase of computer equipment for new election equipment for the office of the County Clerk in the amount of $6,192.15.
11) Request for authorization for District Sobriety Court to apply for 2018 Grant Funding.
13) Request for approval for District Court to purchase two bullet resistant panels to be installed in the Courtroom and office counter areas in the amount not to exceed $12,000, which was budgeted.
14) Request for approval of Consulting Services Agreement between Emmet County and MGT of America Consulting, LLC, and authorization for Chairman to sign said agreement. (Remind me what this MGT of American Consulting, LLC, is about… and, inform other public as well. How much will this cost?)
15) Request for approval of County of Emmet Retirement Plan & Trust Investment Policy Statement and authorization for Chairman to sign said Statement.
16) Request for approval of the Agreement between the County of Emmet and Little Traverse Bay Humane Society, and authorization for Chairman to sign said Agreement.
17) Request approval of Second Amendment Extending Stray Animal Services Agreement between the County of Emmet and Bay Area Pet Resort, LLC, and authorization for Chairman to sign said Agreement.
18) Request for approval of 2017 Agreement for Additional Sheriff Patrol Services to Cross Village Township, and authorization for Chairman to sign said Agreement.
19) Request authorization to sell a 2009 McCoy Miller G‐3500 ambulance to the Village of Pellston in the amount of $7,000. (Purpose of this sale? I have not heard anything about this previously. Who requested the sale? For what will the Village of Pellston use the vehicle? Will the ambulance still be equipped? Was the vehicle appraised for value? Who determined the value? Where does the money for the vehicle end up? General Fund, EMS, or where?)
20) Request by the Office of Community Corrections to accept a grant increase for comprehensive Plans and Services of $18,000 for a total amount of funding of $50,863 from the State of Michigan, and authorization for Chairman to sign a State of Michigan Change Order.
21) Request approval of a contract with the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office Road Deputies for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019, and authorization for Chairman to sign said contract.
22) Request for salary increases of 3% for 2017, 2018, and 2019, retroactive back to January 1, 2017, and payment of dental and vision premiums as follows: 1/3 cost for 2017, 2/3 cost for 2018, and 100% coverage in 2019 for the Sheriff, Undersheriff, and Jail Administrator.
23) Request that that Board of Commissioners affirm an action taken at the April 19, 2017 meeting, in which a motion was made, supported, and passed to authorize the Chairman to work with the Administrator and Judge Charles W. Johnson to compose a letter opposing the combining of the circuits of Charlevoix and Emmet, and authorization for the Chairman to sign said letter.
PAGE 2
APPOINTMENTS
1) Parks & Recreation Committee: (1) opening. Applications received from: Paul Schemanski, Dixson Dudderar, David White, *Jim Rummer, *Dana Marvin
- 2) Advisory Committee on Aging: (1) opening. Application received from: *Louis Fantini
- 3) Sanitary Code Appeal Board: (1) opening. Application received from: David Laughbaum.
- 4) Northern Lakes Economic Alliance: (1) opening. Application received from Lauri Hartmann.
- 5) Land Bank Authority: (1) opening. No Applications – need building contractor knowledge
COMMITTEE REPORTS
PUBLIC COMMENT
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1) Annual Charlevoix‐Cheboygan‐Emmet Board of Commissioners Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 12:00 p.m., at the Odawa Hotel, Petoskey, Michigan. (Is this an open public meeting? Will it be advertised anywhere else than right here?)
2) Board of Commissioners' Meeting of the Whole will be held on Monday, June 12, 2017 at 6:00 p.m., Board of Commissioners Room, 200 Division Street, Emmet County Building, Petoskey, Michigan.
3) Board of Commissioners' Regular Scheduled Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 6:00 p.m., Board of Commissioners Room, 200 Division Street, Petoskey, Michigan.
ADJOURNMENT.
~ Yo2Mo ~
AND
$36,000.00 +++ OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS LATER...
$36,000.00 +++ OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS LATER...
According to Yo2Mo's own Facebook page at the time of the above county meetings, Yo2Mo had been founded 6 October 2012 (2 or 3 months prior). The Facebook page no longer exists in 2017.
Only about one commissioner asked a question about the entire proposed mobile application concept, and probably/obviously did not understand the concept even after receiving an answer. The commissioners quickly unanimously voted to give Yo2Mo $36,000.00 to develop an internet application for the county. Mobil devices would go to a website to download the app, and THEN, the mobile device could be used to recognize the logo for Emmet County that was to be placed on fabric bags which the county purchased. After the logo was recognized, the app would play videos having to do with the county.
Contemplate: How would anyone know to download the application? How would anyone know that a logo on an Emmet County bag could be scanned as if it were a QR Code, when it was not the usual recognizable QR Code?
Those questions were soon answered for special people attending the Chicago boat show. The Traverse City Yo2Mo associates joined nine other Emmet county staff and elected officials by attending a boat show in Chicago. No other Emmet County businesses, however, were invited to attend the boat show to promote their own business. At the boat show, the Yo2Mo associates could tell people to download the application AND tell people that the county logo on the bag was similar to a QR Code. After that, the viewer could see videos that the county staff had prepared... not Yo2Mo.
It seems that within the next year to year and half, the county commissioners had no report regarding this action, other than Yo2Mo was no longer available to the county.
This was strictly a "GOOD OLE BOYS" inside job because right from the beginning no other company than Yo2Mo was sought because of the time limit with the upcoming boat show, plus no other company was known to do this. What a perfect example of an extreme lack of "vetting" in multiple ways! Contemplate that Yo2Mo had friends of county friends with influence on the county votes. Bye, Bye, $36,000.00 +++ of the taxpayers' money.
Only about one commissioner asked a question about the entire proposed mobile application concept, and probably/obviously did not understand the concept even after receiving an answer. The commissioners quickly unanimously voted to give Yo2Mo $36,000.00 to develop an internet application for the county. Mobil devices would go to a website to download the app, and THEN, the mobile device could be used to recognize the logo for Emmet County that was to be placed on fabric bags which the county purchased. After the logo was recognized, the app would play videos having to do with the county.
Contemplate: How would anyone know to download the application? How would anyone know that a logo on an Emmet County bag could be scanned as if it were a QR Code, when it was not the usual recognizable QR Code?
Those questions were soon answered for special people attending the Chicago boat show. The Traverse City Yo2Mo associates joined nine other Emmet county staff and elected officials by attending a boat show in Chicago. No other Emmet County businesses, however, were invited to attend the boat show to promote their own business. At the boat show, the Yo2Mo associates could tell people to download the application AND tell people that the county logo on the bag was similar to a QR Code. After that, the viewer could see videos that the county staff had prepared... not Yo2Mo.
It seems that within the next year to year and half, the county commissioners had no report regarding this action, other than Yo2Mo was no longer available to the county.
This was strictly a "GOOD OLE BOYS" inside job because right from the beginning no other company than Yo2Mo was sought because of the time limit with the upcoming boat show, plus no other company was known to do this. What a perfect example of an extreme lack of "vetting" in multiple ways! Contemplate that Yo2Mo had friends of county friends with influence on the county votes. Bye, Bye, $36,000.00 +++ of the taxpayers' money.
THE END (of Yo2Mo association with Emmet County)...
and, POOF... $36,000.00 PLUS of taxpayers' dollars GONE!
and, POOF... $36,000.00 PLUS of taxpayers' dollars GONE!
~ INFRASTRUCTURE ~
~ Power Generators ~
1948
~ FREE Enterprise Or AMERICAN Enterprise ~
1944
1944
~ Greenwood Cemetery Evolution ~
1952
1952
~ Petoskey Gets New Voting Machine in 1956 ~
How many times does the "White Man" Taxpayer have to Pay and Pay and Pay???
1959
1959
~ Telephone Company Beginnings in Petoskey in 1882 ~
~ Resort Township Grange Hall Replaced by Resort Township Hall ~
2232 Resort Pike Road, Petoskey, Michigan
1931 AND 1981–1982
2232 Resort Pike Road, Petoskey, Michigan
1931 AND 1981–1982
All that remains in 2022 of the razed Resort Township are four wood benches.
~ Property Piurchase for 911 Dispatch Center ~
Built on U.S. 131 near Petoskey's Water Tower
1994
Built on U.S. 131 near Petoskey's Water Tower
1994
~ 45th Parallel Cairn ~
Cairn Highway, Elk Lake, Michigan
Cairn Highway, Elk Lake, Michigan
This rock cairn monument includes specific boulders from each of the state of Michigan's 83 counties.
The cairn is located on the 45th parallel on Cairn Highway near Elk Lake, MIchigan.
It is a tribute to Hugh J. Gray, the founder of an early state tourism association.
The cairn is located on the 45th parallel on Cairn Highway near Elk Lake, MIchigan.
It is a tribute to Hugh J. Gray, the founder of an early state tourism association.
Photo Below: OLD Postcard of the 45th Parallel Cairn near Elk Rapids, Michigan...
bears the Emmet County Rock as shown in the photo above.
bears the Emmet County Rock as shown in the photo above.
~ Brownfield Funds ~
~ Poverty ~
~ Commissioner Travel Expenses ~
To view the letter, the travel voucher, and Fax Cover Sheet referenced above,
visit minutes for the Finance Committee in the archives of the Emmet County web page.
visit minutes for the Finance Committee in the archives of the Emmet County web page.
~ Veterans ~
Two years later... following a new slate of ECBOC...
FINALLY
new hours and other welcomed changes for the Veteran's Affairs Office!
FINALLY
new hours and other welcomed changes for the Veteran's Affairs Office!
~ Audio System ~
(in the Emmet County Board of Commissioners' Room)
(in the Emmet County Board of Commissioners' Room)
To: David Boyer <[email protected]>, Keiser MIke <[email protected]>, Kanine Suzanne <[email protected]>, Ahrens Neil <[email protected]>, Koontz Matt <[email protected]>, White David <[email protected]>
All 2023 Emmet County Commissioners, Administrator, Assistant Administrator, and Clerk Kanine to be entered into the next meeting minutes of the ECBOC under “communications."
I do not know how many times I already have made public comments and/or have written about the horrible audio system in the ECBOC room, and the audio recording that then is placed on the county’s web site. The audio has such a loud constant hum that it is almost impossible to endure listening to an entire meeting. It is not a sporadic hum. It is continuous. What a shame. IF the IT department is not capable of fixing the already staff acknowledged problem, then it is probably time to hire an outside source to accommodate fixing this entire audio problem for the public. Please experience listening to the short ECBOC 6 February 2023 meeting, to understand this unbearable problem. https://www.emmetcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/BOC-2023-02-06-RM.mp3
Another issue that has reached “its time” to be addressed is the county’s web site which is very poorly administered, if administration of the web site even is happening. The web site has not had decent oversight since Stacy Cox left, over a year ago. Why hasn’t a competent replacement been hired for the communications department? Look at the web site and see what it states the communications department is supposed to be doing. Does this department actually even exist? Communications - Emmet County
For instance, the county is into its second month of operation for 2023, and the new "Liaisons to Committees" still has commissioners listed on the county’s web page who no longer are on the particular boards, committees or commissions. The main web age has “Featured Services” noted such as the 2018 Annual Report! The Parks and Recreation feature is talking about 2022 events with November and December 2022 events noted. Veteran’s Affairs Committee has not had meeting minutes posted since August of 2021! The county’s web site is the county’s FACE to the public… and, right now, it’s face needs “cleaning up” and vast updating attention!!!
The Emmet County Facebook page had its last posting on 19 September 2022.
Emmet County, Michigan | Petoskey MI | Facebook
In fact, I cannot even find an up-to-date page of NEW commissioners’ e-mail addresses listed on the county’s web site to send THIS e-mail, so I will send this to those addresses I happen to have from the past, and ask that Administrator Boyer please forward this e-mail to the others noted in my salutation… and, also send me the new addresses as well. AND, perhaps get the addresses posted on-line in an obvious accessible place.
These are issues that should have been addressed in the past… Please address these issues NOW!
Thank you.
Karla Buckmaster
All 2023 Emmet County Commissioners, Administrator, Assistant Administrator, and Clerk Kanine to be entered into the next meeting minutes of the ECBOC under “communications."
I do not know how many times I already have made public comments and/or have written about the horrible audio system in the ECBOC room, and the audio recording that then is placed on the county’s web site. The audio has such a loud constant hum that it is almost impossible to endure listening to an entire meeting. It is not a sporadic hum. It is continuous. What a shame. IF the IT department is not capable of fixing the already staff acknowledged problem, then it is probably time to hire an outside source to accommodate fixing this entire audio problem for the public. Please experience listening to the short ECBOC 6 February 2023 meeting, to understand this unbearable problem. https://www.emmetcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/BOC-2023-02-06-RM.mp3
Another issue that has reached “its time” to be addressed is the county’s web site which is very poorly administered, if administration of the web site even is happening. The web site has not had decent oversight since Stacy Cox left, over a year ago. Why hasn’t a competent replacement been hired for the communications department? Look at the web site and see what it states the communications department is supposed to be doing. Does this department actually even exist? Communications - Emmet County
For instance, the county is into its second month of operation for 2023, and the new "Liaisons to Committees" still has commissioners listed on the county’s web page who no longer are on the particular boards, committees or commissions. The main web age has “Featured Services” noted such as the 2018 Annual Report! The Parks and Recreation feature is talking about 2022 events with November and December 2022 events noted. Veteran’s Affairs Committee has not had meeting minutes posted since August of 2021! The county’s web site is the county’s FACE to the public… and, right now, it’s face needs “cleaning up” and vast updating attention!!!
The Emmet County Facebook page had its last posting on 19 September 2022.
Emmet County, Michigan | Petoskey MI | Facebook
In fact, I cannot even find an up-to-date page of NEW commissioners’ e-mail addresses listed on the county’s web site to send THIS e-mail, so I will send this to those addresses I happen to have from the past, and ask that Administrator Boyer please forward this e-mail to the others noted in my salutation… and, also send me the new addresses as well. AND, perhaps get the addresses posted on-line in an obvious accessible place.
These are issues that should have been addressed in the past… Please address these issues NOW!
Thank you.
Karla Buckmaster
While the county web site still lacks oversight; in regard to the above horrible audio system... I wrote the following when the audio system FINALLY was acceptable.
On Mar 24, 2023, at 10:29 PM, Karla J Buckmaster <[email protected]> wrote:
Mr. Boyer, Keiser, and Tatum, and ECBOC,
I just now listened to the audio for the last ECBOC meeting. The previous incessant HUM is now NON-existant!!!!! The sound of your voices was quite good, WHEN you were talking directly into the mics, and especially without a background hum.
So, THANK YOU for seemingly, so far, addressing this sound problem in the commissioners’ meeting room.
I know I have e-mails as far back as 5 July 2019 written to Mr. Calabrese, Mr. Reaves and the commissioners, regarding the horrendous poor/bad sound quality.
I hope the good quality I now can hear on the last 16 March 2023 audio continues!!!!! I am so excited about this, that I could not wait to say a special THANK YOU.
Karla
On Mar 24, 2023, at 10:29 PM, Karla J Buckmaster <[email protected]> wrote:
Mr. Boyer, Keiser, and Tatum, and ECBOC,
I just now listened to the audio for the last ECBOC meeting. The previous incessant HUM is now NON-existant!!!!! The sound of your voices was quite good, WHEN you were talking directly into the mics, and especially without a background hum.
So, THANK YOU for seemingly, so far, addressing this sound problem in the commissioners’ meeting room.
I know I have e-mails as far back as 5 July 2019 written to Mr. Calabrese, Mr. Reaves and the commissioners, regarding the horrendous poor/bad sound quality.
I hope the good quality I now can hear on the last 16 March 2023 audio continues!!!!! I am so excited about this, that I could not wait to say a special THANK YOU.
Karla
~ Asked to Use ARPA Funds to procure a Bus/Van with a Lift ~
16 February 2023
16 February 2023