More recall petitions rejected, but fight to change Eagle Twp. board isn't over

ST. JOHNS — Four new recall petitions against Eagle Township leaders were rejected by the Clinton County Election Commission on Thursday but two recall petitions are still active and heating up debates over a potential megasite.

The number of rejected petitions filed against Trustee Richard Jones, Treasurer Kathy Oberg and Supervisor Patti Schafer is now five. Oberg and Schafer still face previously-approved recall petitions that are now being appealed.

Thursday's rejected recalls accused Jones, Oberg and Schafer of voting to potentially change Clinton County's comprehensive plan against the wishes of voters who spoke at a March meeting. A second recall effort against Jones, alleging that he slept during a meeting, was also rejected.

Dennis Strahle, a township trustee who supports the recalls, said Thursday the recall drives pertain to a potential megasite and residents' desires to see flat-out opposition over consideration.

George Bedard, who filed some of the petitions, said they were rejected because election officials didn't believe there was not clear enough misbehavior to qualify for a recall.

Bedard said the hearing was stacked against recalls since attorneys were representing at least some of the elected officials.

"We're not lawyers, we're laypeople," he said.

Bedard said the next step for megasite opponents will be to see how an Eagle Township planning commission, which is expected to be in place this summer, gets started and whether a study to evaluate the land use of the potential megasite is completed.

The potential for a multi-billion dollar battery plant or computer chip manufacturer that would span more than 1,000 acres has consumed the township for months. Hundreds of residents have attended meetings with fears of losing farmland to industry, among other concerns.

Previous petitions against Schafer and Oberg have already gotten the first step of approval by the three-member election commission.

Both officials have filed court appeals that have not been resolved. If the petitions survive, supporters of the recall would need to file more than 400 signatures to qualify for the ballot in November, county Clerk Deb Sutherland has said.

Schafer said there is no update on her legal appeal and she declined to comment about the other petitions. Oberg and Jones did not respond to requests for comment.

In a separate Thursday meeting, Clinton County Planning Commission members agreed to restart a community study into the land use of the Eagle Township property that could become a megasite. The property is more than 1,000 acres south of Interstate 96 and north of Abrams Municipal Airport in Grand Ledge.

That study, by Detroit-based engineering firm Giffels Webster, is expected to be finished by the end of August.

Planning Commissioner Peter Psarouthakis said he wanted to know if the planning commission would be under a time pressure to make decisions given that Eagle Township is working to have, by end of summer, its own planning commission to consider local development and land use plans.

Clinton County Administrator/Controller John Fuentes said the planning commission would get the study and could make recommendations based on its findings for the county's Board of Commission to consider. He said there would not be any time pressure for the planning commission to act once the study is finished.

Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: More recall petitions rejected, but fight to change Eagle Twp. board isn't over