Goodrich-Approval of a new right turn lane at M-15 and Erie Street and a 4 percent pay hike for village employees drew the ire of several residents at Monday’s village council meeting.
More than 40 residents attended the meeting, many of them contacted by resident Diane Fredricks to express their opposition to the councils decisions.
‘Right now is not the best time to be giving people a raise,? said Fredricks.
The increase means an extra $.62-$2 an hour for the eight village workers, with administrator Jakki Sidge receiving an additional 3 percent contribution to her retirement annually.
Resident Greg Tankersley also came out to voice his disapproval. ‘We’re definitely in a time when … many employees are taking wage freezes and wage cuts,? said Tankersley. ?(The council) see fit to give raises.?
Village council president Ed York fired back at residents saying their concerns should have been expressed at earlier meetings, instead of on the day the agenda items were to be adopted as resolutions.
The process of coming to those decisions ‘has been going on for three months or better,? said York.
‘This thing was pretty much formulated in the direction we wanted to go. There was plenty of time to comment before.?
Fredricks saw things differently.
‘They want us to participate, they want us to attend the meetings… I got the overwhelming impression that most of (the residents in attendance) felt the same way about (the issues),? said Fredricks.
After pleading her case before the council to reconsider the action they were taking, Fredricks said she left the meeting feeling it did not matter if residents showed up or had anything to say about the resolutions.
York said at that particular meeting, the comments from the audience did not hold much sway. Many of the people in attendance were those who had supported the ‘Vacate the Village? movement and may have opposed the council for that reason, York added.
‘Vacate the Village? was a failed attempt to dissolve the village government which began in September 2004. None of the current council members supported the movement.
‘This has got nothing to do with Vacate the Village,? said Fredricks. ‘We weren’t trying to Vacate the Village Monday night, we were trying to hold down costs and represent the village residents.?
Another reason residents were there, said Fredricks, was to oppose the new turn lane at the intersection of M-15 and Erie Street. Funding for the turn lane was approved last month by the Michigan Department of Transportation, who estimated costs of the undertaking to be $76,900. Funding for the project will be 80 percent federally funded, with the remaining 20 percent to be locally funded by taxpayers.
It’s money Tankersley said could be better spent elsewhere.
‘People spoke out against the right hand turn lane….they wouldn’t listen to that, ? said Tankersley, who spoke at Monday’s meeting. ‘It’s a dictatorship run there. My impression was there’s the (council members and) they one hundred percent do what they want to do with no regard for the citizens.?