The Grand Traverse County Republican Party has arranged a Meet & Greet with Congressman Dan Benishek.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

7pm-8pm

Grand Traverse County

 Governmental Center

Lower Level-Cafeteria

400 Boardman Ave

Traverse City, MI

Today, I wrote the following to the good folks who will be deciding how the county districts will be comprised for the next ten years.  While not entirely engaged in their process, I am still interested to see what becomes of the arrangement, and whether the voter has more say, or less, in how their county is run.

Gentlemen and Ladies,

I have withheld any real comment on this issue because I trust all of those involved in the discussion, and planning of county districts have given sufficient consideration to quite a few issues outside of the political ramifications.

I have one suggestion that ought to be considered before taking a final vote on plans.

No plan should be approved that has fewer commission districts than currently established.

Consider these points:

1. A smaller number of districts creates a more sizable constituency.  The uniqueness of certain parts of the county is less likely to be properly represented.
2. Stretching the responsibilities by adding additional governmental units to each remaining district may affect their ability to represent or interface with those units.
3. For the same reasons a reduction of commissioners would result in committee seats being either left vacant or not properly populated because of either real life, or conflicting schedules within the committee structure.
4. OPEN MEETINGS – A smaller configuration for the board will result in OMA violations, OR reduced effectiveness of the board.

This last point in my view, is probably as important, or more so than the previous three.

Currently, a casual gathering of four commissioners (ie: at the end of a meeting) does not constitute a quorum.  Though sometimes information is exchanged that is beneficial to solving an issue (or issues), it is considered legal. A smaller board would make SOME of these discussions necessarily vacated.

Currently, A phone call or email to discuss different possibilities of a project with another commissioner can be seen as relatively benign if it is understood that it does not result in a chain of communications.  Occasionally, another commissioner might be included for expertise or some history.  A smaller board would reduce the threshold to a point where again, some solutions would not be discussed because to do so would require a potential OMA violation prior to a board meeting.

Ideas are born of discourse.  Communications are necessary, and limiting topical discussion to a few meetings a month by default would be unfortunate.

Jason Gillman
Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners
District 1

cc: JasonGillman.com

One of the more fortunate fishermen.. I don’t even own my own boat, and get to use one owned by my father. I think most boat owners would understand the advantage.

The weather was excellent, a cool breeze blowing off shore, and the pan fish were biting at every cast.  In fact the smallest ones were ravenous to be sure, and the occasional “hooked too bad” non keeper  found its way into the belly of a seagull or duck that always seemed to be close at hand.  Indeed, the ducks at one point grew to such great numbers at our little spot off the rocks at clinch, that we had to be cautious with our casts.

Times like this find me ever so thankful that I am here in one of the nicest spots on earth, in Grand Traverse County Michigan.

Sure am Lucky to be here.

Grapes for Ice wine are something that in the last 10 years has only been harvested 5 times on the peninsula.  It has become a sought after as a very sweet wine as the sugars are more concentrated because of the freezing process.

The Grey Hare Inn of Old Mission Peninsula, is one of many growing spots on the peninsula which grows grapes for ice wine.  It is where this picture was taken.  For more pictures in a very large zip file, Click HERE