Dear Editor:
I’m not surprised at the confusion about possible disincorporation in Sand Lake. This process occurs so rarely. The question is, do you vote for what is known, or take your chances on the great unknowns of disincorporation?
Here are some concerns. First, villagers will lose forty hours per week in police protection. Yes, Sheriff’s Deputies will respond to calls when they are available and when they can get here. Currently, two county cruisers cover eight townships (288 square miles) in northern Kent County. Are police needed? We’ve had an armed robbery, arson, drug busts, stolen vehicles; break-ins and thefts from homes, businesses and vehicles; assaults, domestic calls, bar fights, and destruction of property, along with various vehicle and driving offenses in the village. You decide.
Second, if Nelson Township opts to take over fire protection, they will have about an $18,000 shortfall in revenue, currently paid by villagers. This might be covered by a special assessment to residents. If the department folds, the fire rating for the village will change, resulting in increased homeowners’ insurance premiums.
Third, the County Road Commission will plow village streets, but not alleys for any businesses, nor the municipal parking lots. They will not remove accumulated snow piles from the business district. Those costs are on businesses. Who will plow the village/township hall parking lot, the library parking lot, cemetery roads, service drives to the well house, water tower, and sewer lagoons? Any residents with primary access to homes and garages from alleyways will have to shovel or pay for plowing. Kent County won’t plow sidewalks anywhere or pick up leaves and brush.
Fourth, Nelson Township will have to contract (likely with Kent County DPW) for sewer and water operations and maintenance. Water and sewer rates are currently based on Sand Lake’s DPW labor costs, which are considerably lower than Kent County’s costs. These higher Kent County costs must be covered.
Nobody involved with this irreversible disincorporation issue has all the answers to all the questions. Not the petitioners, not the village, township, nor the lawyers. Can you afford to take chances?
Sincerely,
David R. Dewey
Sand Lake
Why is it that there is only the post script from the village council person and there aren’t any from the opposing side published on this website. Even the one that was a paid ad is on here, yet none of the post scripts that are pro-disincorporation are published.
Hmmmmmm.
Diana, what you see are the most current ones (June). All the post scripts we get go online. While we archive some stories, I’m not sure if everything is archived. We’ll check with our webmaster.
You talk about an ad that was taken out but not posted on the Post’s website. Do you see any ads on the website? Before you go all conspiracy theory, think.
There’s no conspiracy. However, when I posted my blog, the only items published in the post scripts online were the letter above and the ad that was paid for by the “Citizens to save Sand Lake”. Since then, the post has published all of the post scripts. Again, no conspiracy, just an oversight on the part of the post. Which, since I said something, has been corrected.
At the time, we were not archiving the Post Scripts. But since you mentioned wanting to see the previous ones, we had the webmaster upload them.
And, just for clarification to everyone, ads that appear in the paper are not put on the website unless they pay an extra cost to put them on the website.
Yeah and then they cut off the 3 stories about the convicted Council member they know on a first name basis.
Shame on the Post. The conversation was not done, but the lady Censors are protecting their buddy, Ray.
SHAME ON THE POST.
If we were protecting Raymond Huckleberry, we would never have written the story in the first place.
And, as I emailed you, we are stopping comments on those stories until Monday when we can post our guidelines, so that everyone understands what is allowed.