Week in Review: Structural Failure
“Thank you for all your services."
Week in Review
County Commissioners, Tuesday, January 28
Hillsdale County Senior Services Center Presentation
Hillsdale County Senior Center Director Maggie Monroe, on the kinds of services and programs the Senior Center offers:
“We’re able to offer our Valentine’s Day spa again this year.”
“We’ll be doing an Amish luncheon. . . and Toasted Mud ceramics.”
“We’ll continue with our National Council on Aging Literacy Initiative.”
“The Fitness Center was awarded the 2024 Community Choice award for best fitness center.”
A testimony: “Thank you for all your services. I moved to Michigan from Florida. I wanted to live in Hillsdale County because of your Senior Center.”
Dan LaRue, finance director, on the expansion of Senior Center programs through various funding sources:
“That’s going to allow us to be able to purchase another Meals on Wheels vehicle. Last year we did over 80,000 meals. This year, we’re on track to do over 100,000 meals. . . It’s just becoming more important. We continually try to find ways to increase the funding.”
Courthouse Update
The courthouse renovations have been completed.
800 Megahertz Radio Tower Bond
Via increased property taxes, the County will pay a total of $19 million in principle and interest over ten years for the new Safety Tower.
LifeWays Building Remodel
The Board authorized the spending of no more than $50,000 for the remodeling of the current LifeWays building, 25 Care Drive, which will eventually be the new Courthouse Annex.
Commissioner Ingles: “The reason for this is to try to find out what the cost for this project is going to be. . . It’s expected to be under that number.”
Commissioner Leininger wished to proceed in a different manner with respect to the bid process, resulting in a long discussion about the merits of different types of bidding processes. Leininger’s amended motion passed unanimously.
Road Diet Discussion
Earlier this month members of the public met to discuss the State’s “road diet” plans for transforming Carleton road from two lanes going each direction to one lane each direction, with a center turn lane.
Ingles: “I attended the Hillsdale City meeting that was held at the library at the road diet. . . The study concluded that the road diet will reduce crashes, and that it will improve the bicycle lanes and the pedestrian traffic. There was probably one-hundred people in attendance at that meeting, and there certainly were different opinions that were provided.”
Leininger, opposed: “I think there’s other things they can do to improve pedestrian safety as opposed to narrowing the street. . . You don’t need to rework the roadway; you need to enforce current laws.”
Materials Management Plan
Ingles: “The legislature has created a monster for 83 counties, that only a handful are able to navigate. . . This whole structure is designed for failure.”
Miscellaneous Reports
State Sen. Joe “Babe” Bellino attended the meeting.
Leininger, on a Planning Commission seat opening: “The education representative is supposed to be somebody recommended by the superintendents from the County, so I will probably work with our superintendents to make sure that gets brought up.”
Last meeting, Benzing attempted to cut the Planning Commission altogether due to sparse attendance and difficulty in securing a quorum. It appears that the PC’s (non)meetings are generally scheduled for weekdays at 1:00 PM. Just like the County Commissioner meetings, the PC system appears to be structured to bar anybody with ordinary employment from participating in Our Democracy, in service of the geriatric majority.
Upcoming Events
City Council, Monday, February 3
Airport Hangar Rents
The Council will take up discussion of the airport hangar rental fees.
The Airport Advisory Committee and staff recommend $150 for T-hangars and $800 for Corporate Hangar #1. City Council discussed approving annual escalator to be implemented as well.
JB Office Building, LLC OPRA Resolution Amendment
JB Office Building, LLC, has informed city staff they are still intending to undertake the project, and they are requesting an extension of the completion date to October 1, 2026. The amendment would ensure the State Tax Commission does not revoke the OPRA certificate while the project remains ongoing, as OPRAs are subject to State Tax Commission review after being approved at the local level.
External Links
“Three letters: N.F.W.” Gretchen Whitmer.
“I am excited to endorse Jocelyn Benson for Governor of Minnesota.” George Takei.
“For around the next 12 months, Hillsdale Renaissance will be a duck, gliding quietly over the water but all the while the legs are furiously kicking underwater.” Luke Robson.
“It’s a robot you can ride.” Larry Arnn has purchased a Cybertruck.
“As scholars, writers, and policy experts, we believe that public policy should direct technology toward the flourishing of the family and the human person.” First Things.
“It’s a whole worldview, as articulated by the ebullient ‘Tech Right’ end of the Trumpist coalition, which is as enthusiastically in favour of Promethean progress as it is indifferent to concerns such as small-scale land stewardship or nostalgic paeans to ‘rootedness.’” Mary Harrington.
“This is what the younger NatCons are: New Romantics. Young men looking for meaning, guidance, purpose and use, for a world where they could belong.” Mana Afsari.
The Developmental Mind hates Paladino’s competence, thoroughness, and transparency, his age, agenda, and commitment to ordinary Hillsdalians; is the “beloved” Flynn’s liberal avuncularism (and name-recognition) its best path forward?