Grand Blanc View

Challengers oppose city council incumbents in election


 

 

GRAND BLANC — Four candidates are vying for three, four-year terms on the Grand Blanc City Council, while two candidates with face off for a partial, two-year term.

Incumbents John Creasey, Chris Douglas and Julie Nielsen will face competition from newcomer Yvonne Wagner for three, four-years terms on the council. Also, incumbent Christopher Carr is opposed by resident Norm Purdy for a two-year partial term on council.

Here is what the council candidates had to say when asked a series of questions by the Grand Blanc View:

John Creasey
Age: 55
Hometown: The City of Grand
Blanc

Occupation: Teacher, Holly High School, Economics, Government, History

Education: University of Michigan- Flint, BA, Political Science, History, Education Certification. Eastern Michigan University, Marygrove College, graduate studies in Education Leadership.

Family: Married for 34 years to Stephanie Creasey, 22 year old son, John Watson Creasey a Chemistry student at the University of Michigan-Flint.

 

 

Years in public service: Four years as Grand Blanc City Council Member, eight years as a member and chair of the Grand Blanc Community Foundation Advisory Board, 26 years as a public-school teacher, seven years as President of the Holly Education Association.

Do you think the creation of a fire department for the city of Grand Blanc was the best solution to the dissolution of the Grand Blanc Fire Authority?

Given the circumstances that were presented to us at the time, yes. After a couple of years of negotiating in good faith with the Township, passing a bond issue acceptable to the Township, and still more negotiations, the Township decided to dissolve the Community Fire Agreement. We were forced to make quick and informed decisions to come up with a solution that would be in the best interest of our City. With the newly created Township Fire Department there were no guarantees that Station 1 (High Street) would remain open, the City would lose all of its capital investment in the department, and the City would have no control over the service charges for using the Township Fire Department. According to the most recent fire study conducted by a national fire study company, the potential closure of Station 1 would put many City residents, businesses, and City schools at higher risk. By creating our new City Fire Department, we maintained our capital investment, insured that Station 1 would remain open to provide the best service to our citizens, and kept costs within our budget. That same fire study stated, “If station 1 was closed, stations would be needed at the four corners of the City to provide equivalent coverage at the cost of $20 million. In addition, “… Fire Station 1 was perfectly located for the City.” What the City has done within the scope of this year with the creation of our new City Fire Department is nothing short of astounding. Where we are at this juncture usually takes municipalities 2 to 10 years. We have created a Fire Department which is, and will be, well-trained in order to protect our City. It’s an accomplishment that we can all be quite proud of.

What do you think the city should do to attract more businesses to downtown?

The City is attracting many new businesses to the downtown area with the creation of the Grande Chalet Shoppes, the building of Italia Gardens, the RLS Financial building, the new orthodontist’s office, and many others on the near horizon. I’m very excited about the purchase and redevelopment of the former Kmart property. With all of this development occurring, these new businesses will, in turn, cause the creation of new businesses.

What are your priorities if re-elected to city council?

My priority for my next four years is to witness the fruition of all of our City projects and business developments. It is my goal to see the Fire Department continue to improve, the development of the new splash pad/ice rink at Physicians Park (I’m ready to lace up my skates), a continued good relationship and operating agreements with the Township to maintain such community jewels as our community Parks and Recreation Department and McFarlen Public Library, the continuation of the small streets project, creating and implementing a 5-year visionary master plan for our community, continued public safety from the outstanding Grand Blanc City Police Department, safe water, and rebuilding an aging infrastructure for safe sewers and runoff. I want to continue to make the City of Grand Blanc an even better place to raise our kids that is safe, create a thriving local business environment, and make it a place where I plan to retire. I’ve lived here for 55 years because I love this City, our community, and its people.

Chris Douglas
Age: 40
Hometown: Grand Blanc

Occupation: Associate Professor of Economics and Department Chair, University of Michigan-Flint

Education: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Economics, Michigan Technological University. MA and Ph.D. in Economics, Michigan State University

Family: Mary (mother), Craig (Father), John (brother), Katie (sister)

Years in public service: 4

Do you think the creation of a fire department for the city of Grand Blanc was the best solution to the dissolution of the Grand Blanc Fire Authority?

Absolutely, given the reckless and irresponsible decision of the Township Board to dissolve the joint Grand Blanc Fire Department (GBFD) against the City Council’s wishes. In our Dec. 9, 2018 meeting, City Council approved the GBFD’s 2019 budget which fully funded the department. The Township instead withheld funding at their December 13, 2018 meeting (see p. 119 of their agenda) and then dissolved the GBFD. Dissolution means the City would have no voice in the GBFD’s budget or operations, which includes the Township’s plan to move the GBFD out of the main fire station in downtown Grand Blanc. A new fire headquarters was a “future positioning” item of the Township, as seen from their March 27, 2018 agenda (p. 45). This would have been devastating to response times in the City, as Tom Wieczorek or the Center for Public Safety Management showed. The new City Fire Department has been complete success and ensures the main station downtown remains open permanently. The City will have 32 trained firefighters on staff by year’s end. Response times have exceeded the national standard every month. Tom Wieczorek calculated that the cost of the City’s fire department will require no new millage increase.

What do you think the city should do to attract more businesses to downtown?

The city has been successful in attracting business downtown during my term on City Council. Italia Gardens, Rangel Orthodontics, and RLM Financial have constructed new buildings downtown. The Kmart Plaza has been sold and is in the process of being redeveloped. Grand Blanc will soon be a certified “Redevelopment Ready Community” with the State of Michigan, which will unlock further development opportunities. The process of being certified as a RRC began during my term on City Council. The Grand Chalet Shoppes have also attracted new businesses to Grand Blanc. Community events such as the Farmer’s Market, summer food truck festivals, the December Festival of Lights, and Schoolyard Rocks increase foot traffic through the downtown, which helps attract and support businesses. Beatification projects such as the mast-arm projects at City intersections, the fountain in front to the Rite-Aid Plaza, and utility box artwork also increase foot traffic and make Grand Blanc an inviting place to start a business. Once the Iron Belle Trail is completed, people can walk or bike to downtown Grand Blanc from anywhere between Belle Island and Ironwood. I will continue this positive momentum over the next four years, which will continue to attract new businesses downtown.

What are your priorities if re-elected to city council?

A major priority of mine is to continue to fix the city’s roads. During my term on City Council, we have repaired and resurfaced Bush Creek Drive, Holly Road, Kings Colony Road, Kings Pointe Road, Lockmoor Court, and replaced the curbing at Perry Creek. We are on our way to having a plan to fix additional roads over the next four years. Another priority is to attract new businesses downtown, which we have done during my four years on City Council, and continuing to undertake downtown beautification projects such as new mast arms at City intersections, new flowers and landscaping, and public art. Another priority is to make downtown Grand Blanc more walkable and bikeable, which we are well on our way to doing with the construction of the Iron-Belle Trail, a foot and bike trail that spans Belle Isle in Detroit to Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula and runs through downtown Grand Blanc. Another priority is to continue to provide high quality public services, such as police and fire protection, Fall leaf pickup, and prompt snow removal in the Winter while continuing to maintain a healthy fund balance without a millage increase, which we have been successful in doing.

Julie Nielsen
Age: 54
Hometown: Goodrich, but have lived in Grand
Blanc for 23 years

Occupation: Office Manager, NWA, Inc.

Education: B.S. Industrial Engineering, Kettering University

Family: Husband John, Adult kids Cathleen, Eric, and Lauren

Years in public service: 4

Do you think the creation of a fire department for the city of Grand Blanc was the best solution to the dissolution of the Grand Blanc Fire Authority?

Absolutely. It was imperative to the safety of the City residents and business owners to have Station #1 in the center of the city guaranteed to remain open. It was also critical that the City retain its voice in the operations and budgeting of the fire department. Neither of these were possible had the City contracted with the Township rather than starting its own fire department. The City fire study showed that a City fire department was financially feasible with current available funding. Knowing that we would be using the operating model that was effective for the first 72 years of the joint fire department and obtaining data that 85% of municipalities across the country successfully use the same model we would be using was also key. With the agreement of Chief Smith to come out of retirement to start up the department and the willingness of current City employees to be cross trained to respond during the daytime hours, it was clear that this was the right thing to do. The resulting Grand Blanc City Fire Department has exceeded all expectations and I am proud to have supported its development.

What do you think the city should do to attract more businesses to downtown?

The City must continue its efforts to build community, draw visitors, and expose potential businesses to our City with events such as the Food Truck Festivals, Farmers Market, Festival of Lights, and concert series, along with the opportunity for incubation with the Grand Chalet Shoppes. All of these show that the City is a desirable place to do business. Overall vibrancy of the community is also key. Our affordable housing, reasonable taxes, abundant and beautiful parks, excellent schools, current businesses, impressive safety records, and most of all, our people, are our greatest assets. These assets must be advertised to let businesses know that the City is open for business and welcomes businesses that fit into the Master Plan. The City must also continue its beautification efforts so it is visually attractive for businesses.

What are your priorities if elected/re-elected to city council?

Continued public safety is a top priority. I will continue to support the development of the City Fire Department, the continuous improvement of the Police Department, and the prioritization of public works that benefit the City. Repairing local streets is a top priority. I will continue to support local street projects and to search for ways to finance them as good roads are key to property value and overall quality of life in our community. As Chair of the Finance Committee, I will continue to monitor budgeting and expenses by line item to assure the best possible use of tax dollars. Economic development is key to increasing our tax base and providing City residents with a vibrant place to live, work, and raise a family, so I will continue to support projects that bring new businesses in the City. I also will focus on improvement of the City parks as a way to keep the City of Grand Blanc healthy and beautiful.

Yvonne Wagner
Age: 46
Hometown: I grew up in Holly and have lived in
the City of Grand Blanc for 17 years.

Occupation: Senior Staff Accountant at Charter Township of Grand Blanc

Education: Bachelor’s in business: Major in Accounting

Family: I have been married to my husband Patrick for twenty-six years. We have four sons: Michael Joshua, Jonathan, and Matthew.

Years in public service: I have worked at a local municipality for nearly eight years. The last five years have been in the Finance Department. Prior to the Finance Department, I worked in the Treasurer’s Department, and assisted other departments. My experience working at a local government unit has allowed me to gain knowledge that I can apply and use as a City Council member.

Do you think the creation of a fire department for the city of Grand Blanc was the best solution to the dissolution of the Grand Blanc Fire Authority?

Absolutely not! Creating our own City Fire Department is more costly than if we had we signed an agreement and purchased fire services from the township. It has never been a question of whether or not we could create our own Fire Department. We have done it; we have a running on-call department, with a qualified staff, and qualified fire fighters. The question was whether we should create our own Fire Department. For the current fiscal year, there is a budget of $354,000 for the Fire Department. We have already gone over budget, spending just over $397,000 and we still have seven more months to go in our fiscal year that ends May 31, 2020.

This decision was not fiscally responsible when we could have purchased services from the Township for less than $350,000. I do not believe that the full cost was evaluated when the decision was made. It has already cost taxpayers more than what they have planned. I do not understand how it is beneficial for taxpayers to pay more to have an on-call fire department, when we could have paid less to be protected by a full-time, staffed 24/7, fire department.

What do you think the city should do to attract more businesses to downtown?

I believe that parking is a major problem for any future businesses in the downtown area. We need to create a public parking lot that would allow for extra parking. It also would be helpful to add crosswalks to make the downtown area more pedestrian friendly. If we want to attract businesses, their patrons need have a place to park, and they need to be able to walk from business to business safely.

What are your priorities if elected/re-elected to city council?

I believe transparency is very important. It would be extremely helpful to have full agenda packets available online for residents to view prior to the day of the meeting. City Council should desire their residents’ input. In an effort to get the necessary input, we need to let the residents know what will be discussed/reviewed at each of the meetings; including what motions will be made. It should never seem as if there is something to hide.

A great way to provide additional transparency is to record/video all meetings. Allowing residents the option to listen/watch these meeting would be very helpful. This would allow residents that may not be able to attend every meeting to continue to be involved and aware of what is happening. These recordings should be available on the City website or the City Facebook page.

Two-year seat on City Council
Christopher Carr
Age: 60
Hometown: City of Grand Blanc

Occupation: Vice President – Business Banking for Huntington Bank

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from University of Michigan – Flint

Family: Mary Carr (wife), Cameron (Liz) Carr (son), and Courtney Carr (daughter)

Years in public service: Member of City of Grand Blanc DDA (2008 to present); member of City of Grand Blanc Planning Commission (2015 to present); appointed to Grand Blanc City Council (Feb. 2019 to present); served on numerous committees for the City of Grand Blanc, including Strategic Planning, Steering Committee, Chalet Development, Public Safety, and Public Works.

Do you think the creation of a fire department for the city of Grand Blanc was the best solution to the dissolution of the Grand Blanc Fire Authority?

Yes I do, I fully support the decisions made by the City Manager and the City Council. I was appointed to the City Council shortly after the Township gave notice that they wanted to dissolve the Grand Blanc Fire Authority. The City Manager, the Mayor, and City Council immediately looked into what options were available for the City. The notice provided only 90 days to make a decision, so action had to be quick and appropriate. In the end, the Township would not guaranty keeping Station #1 open, which is key for the City in maintaining good response times. In addition, there was no way to control future costs for fire services, especially when the Township indicated their desire to build additional fire stations that would be very expensive. The unfortunate byproduct of starting a new fire department, is the return to a volunteer fire department, which Grand Blanc had up until 2012 (and it operated very well). The City was able to bring Dennis Smith out of retirement, and he and the City staff did what was considered to be the impossible. In the end, the City has a very capable fire department, with competent and experienced fire fighters and results that have shown outstanding response times. The fire department was assembled quickly and efficiently, well beyond everyone’s expectations, including the consultant who works with communities all over the country. The City has a very successful police department and there is no reason the City can’t have a very successful fire department.

What do you think the city should do to attract more businesses to downtown?

The City has to be attractive for individuals to want to bring their businesses to the area. That means being business friendly, making it easier to comply with the City’s ordinances and regulations. The community has to be supportive, showing that they will shop and visit their establishments. The City has to think of ways to attract and develop new businesses. It is not as simple as making a few phone calls and ask to come to our City. A good example of what I am saying is the food truck Fridays.

These have been a huge success and led to a local restauranteur to be inspired to build a restaurant in our community (that would be Italia Gardens). The more activity that is developed like this, the more interest it will create in our community. There is still more that has to be done to fulfill the City’s vision of a walkable downtown area which provides various places for entertainment, shopping, and eateries.

What are your priorities if elected/re-elected to city council?

I have lived in the Grand Blanc area for most of my life, graduating from Grand Blanc High School and later returning to raise my two kids and seeing them graduate from Grand Blanc. I am very passionate to seeing this community grow and prosper. I would love to see the City accomplish the vision that I mentioned earlier. I want to be part of the solution to making Grand Blanc achieve that success in bringing in businesses. I have spent my career working with businesses and I think that I can bring a valuable perspective which can lead to future success. I want to see the empty lots in the City get developed with businesses that will meet the needs of the residents. Additionally, I want to see an improved relationship between the City and the Township. We are one community and we have to be good neighbors to each other. I would like to contribute to making that relationship better.

Norm Purdy
Age: 71
Hometown: Born in Pittsburgh, PA. I moved to
Grand Blanc in 1970

Occupation: Retired; 32 years – General Motors Finance

Education: BBA Ohio University

Family: Married 49 years, two children, seven grandchildren

Years in public service: None, this is my first attempt at seeking an elected position

Do you think the creation of a fire department for the city of Grand Blanc was the best solution to the dissolution of the Grand Blanc Fire Authority?

One fire department should be more efficient than having two. Less efficiency means more cost for both the City and the Township. If the residents are willing to pay these costs, I see no problem with two fire departments assuming both are funded and firefighters trained adequately. I get the sense that we have two fire departments because communications between the City and Township were not effective in resolving disagreements. We should be working together to improve those communication channels, we all live in Grand Blanc, we all cheer for the Grand Blanc Bobcats.

What do you think the city should do to attract more businesses to downtown?

We need to define what kind of businesses we want to have in the downtown area and then have a solid marketing plan so we can attract those kinds of businesses. I see this issue as a major challenge as evidenced by the long empty Kmart building. Businesses have to want to come here and they have to be convinced that they can generate a profit when do they come here. We have the Walmart/Sam’s complex in the north and the Grand Mall/ Kroger’s complex in the south. These are major competition for any business wanting to establish itself. This is an issue where we have to be able to “sell” the City and encourage residents to patronize businesses in the City.

What are your priorities if elected/re-elected to city council?

I think we need to improve communications between the City government and its residents. Now that we can instantly communicate, it seems to be a challenge to keep people informed. At the City Council Meeting, residents are allotted three minutes to have a one-way conversation with the City government. I would like to establish a regular public forum where a less formal two-way conversation can take place. I would also like to encourage resident participation in planning the future of the City. My background is finance, so I look forward to reviewing the City’s finances to determine if I can contribute to the process. I would also work to improve the relationship with the Township by attending some of their meetings. I would also like to work to make sure that City meeting agendas are shared before the meetings, and that the meetings are scheduled at times when residents can attend.

Christopher Carr did not submit a photo of himself.