Setting the Record Straight
Last week, the Leelanau Enterprise ran a front-page article regarding the January 16th Empire Township Planning Committee meeting, during which the Sleeping Bear Gateway Council (SBGC) was invited to present the steps taken by the Council.
The Enterprise carelessly reported on a meeting that its reporter did not attend, making false claims regarding two of the Council’s Board members and actions that were supposedly taken without the knowledge of the School’s representatives. All meetings held with the DNR and our Congressional representatives were conducted with Mr. Misner and Mr. Schanhals in attendance or with their prior knowledge.
SBGC’s Work with Glen Lake Community Schools & the DNR
In July of 2023, at the request of Glen Lake School Superintendent Jason Misner and Board Vice President Rick Schanhals, SBGC was asked to help determine if a portion of the school’s forest property could be used for attainable housing. As with other businesses and organizations in Leelanau County, the School struggles to hire and retain new staff and teachers due to the severe shortage of affordable housing.
Since July of 2023, SBGC has worked with Mr. Misner and Mr. Schanhals solely on the DNR process and policy regarding stewardship of forest school properties in the State of Michigan. After an online meeting with the DNR in October of 2023, it became clear that the only opportunity to possibly use a portion of the property was via a policy change.
SBGC, Mr. Misner, and Mr. Schanhals met with Senator Damoose and Representative Coffia in November and December of 2023 to solicit support in amending Act 451, which establishes the policy guidelines regarding these properties. The two amendments we were seeking would not mandate any change of use but rather allow school districts and municipalities facing severe attainable housing shortages the opportunity to potentially use a small portion (about 40 acres of a 180-acre parcel) of the forest properties for their necessary and essential workers.
After waiting seven months for the amendments to be introduced, the DNR communicated with the legislators’ staff their opposition to any amendments and would encourage the Governor to veto any such amendments to the Act. In a surprising move, in September 2024, the DNR indicated that they could work through administrative actions with no need to amend the Act in an online meeting attended by senior DNR personnel, SBGC, and the School.
With a proposal from the DNR, we were asked by Mr. Misner and Mr. Schanhals to prepare a detailed presentation for the full school board to consider, including a concept of what an eco-friendly development might look like. The Board President canceled our scheduled December 9 presentation and, to date, has not rescheduled.
In summary, we completed the work we were asked to perform on behalf of the School and have not yet presented what the DNR has offered the Board. It is the School Board’s decision on whether to continue to pursue this potential or vote to discontinue any further discussion with the DNR.
And finally, the Leelanau Enterprise should strive to accurately report on important issues that affect our county and communities without slandering volunteers who work tirelessly for their communities and have no financial interest in any outcomes.