Dear editor,
This is an open letter to all residents of Hadley Township. Most of you know that the government is out of control at the federal and state level, but what you may not know is that it is out of control at our local level.
Although some members of the township board are serving the members of our community, not all are. It is important that the residents know this. At issue is the paving of Brigham and Gregory roads. Residents who live on these roads (plus many other residents) had been attending board meetings for the past four months when it came to light that the supervisor wishes to have these roads paved. He is in the process of having the county road commission ‘test? and ‘evaluate? these roads as a ‘baseline? for future paving projects. The majority of us who live on Brigham and Gregory Roads do not wish to have them paved. This is known because a survey was walked door to door and residents were asked to say yes or no. The supervisor, against the wishes of the neighborhood, is still pursuing this project.
Why should this concern all residents of Hadley Township? Because this project will cost the township funds that could be put to better use. How much will it cost ALL the residents of Hadley? We don’t know, because the supervisor said he did not ask the road commission how much they are charging. Nor did he say he will ask. Could it be that since the supervisor has a home and owns property on Gregory Road, that maybe he has personal stake in developing land he owns and a paved road would make that so much easier to do? But I’d never assume that our supervisor has ulterior motives ? that would be wrong! A comment he made at one of the board meetings indicated that Hadley is transitioning from rural to suburban.
Our supervisor does tell us ? constantly ? the he represents all 5,000 residents of Hadley and that the few (30 ? 100) residents that show up to the township meetings do not count. When he was asked if he knew what the residents wanted, he said ‘No.? A flat out no. It is not likely he will ask the residents of Hadley if they want to pay for road paving on a road that the majority of homeowners do not want paved.
A township meeting was held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20, to discuss awarding the lawn cutting bid, and, at the last minute, an addendum was added to discuss the paving of Brigham and Gregory Roads. One might think the board was trying to sneak one by on the people of Hadley. Fortunately, a few residents found out and were able to attend the meeting.
Mr. Supervisor has added the Farmers Creek Road to the ‘baseline testing? procedure. How much will that cost? Again, we don’t know. Hey, it’s only money! What does it matter? What does matter to the supervisor is the cost of posting the upcoming board meetings in the newspaper (too expensive) and it is too expensive to have an official township website, a website which would have the meeting minutes posted. It is important that as many residents as possible show up to board meetings, which are held on the second Tuesday of the month ? except when they change it ? which has happened two times out of the past four months.
If you can’t make meetings, talk to your neighbors, ask them what they think of the board members ? you might be shocked at what you find out. And remember, elections are coming up.
Maureen Shoemaker
Hadley