Conway: What's new in District 6
Happy June to all of you. We have lots going on in District 6 that I’d like to share.
First off, enough signatures were collected to place the former DPW site’s year round housing initiative on the ballot this November. If it passes, the city would first try to develop year round housing there, but if that doesn’t work, the property would be sold to a developer and the proceeds from the sale would be earmarked for housing. This is a significant step forward in helping to expand our community’s available workforce.
As for county business, many departments have moved to the northside Shirley Roloff building. Though change is always hard, we truly appreciate your patience as we settle in and everyone learns the new layout for the departments. We are excited for the possibilities the new location brings to the county. Also, the commissioners voted to have our meetings broadcasted, so please check out the county website on how to connect.
We are also pursuing the creation of a drug court for substance abuse offenders and are working on grant procurement to make it a reality. The commissioners and administration recently visited Beaver Island to meet with the historical society and Eastern Michigan University field study students who are working on the preservation of the lighthouse property. We enjoyed our visit and are excited about the future possibilities of the lighthouse property.
The annexation of the northside property is still underway and initial meetings regarding the future of the downtown building have taken place (or will be the first week of June) with Michigan State Extension, Networks Northwest and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Some ideas include moving the courts to create a public safety campus where the sheriff’s office is now and transforming the downtown building into a business and housing unit. However, we are fleshing out many alternatives and weighing the cost, as every commissioner agrees that our ultimate decision cannot burden the taxpayer.
As we gear up for our crazy summer months, I hope you are able to take time to enjoy the beauty of this place we call home.
Yours in progress,
Annemarie Conway
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Conway: What's new in District 6
