To The Members of the Golden Township Board, Planning Commission and Zoning Administrator,

We would like to thank the Planning Commission for the advances that it has made on the turbine ordinance for Golden Twp. It has come a long way from a year ago and we are appreciative.

The workshop Wednesday evening brought up a very disturbing enlightenment that we feel should be addressed immediately. Carl Fuehring, once again felt that it was appropriate to berate Dodie in front of the audience when she raised concerns regarding language being inserted into the ordinance pertaining to tower removal for an inactive period of time. We find it so hard to believe that The Board Members and Planning Commission Members continue to allow one of their peers to act with such disregard to members of the audience.

However, that is not our major concern. In Carl’s lecture, he told Dodie that she did not appreciate the amount of time that he and others have spent in talks with the wind turbine developers negotiating leases.  When asked by another member of the audience if he were negotiating with the developers, he answered yes he was. He also stated that the Planning Commission Chairperson had attended one of the meetings with the developers and land owners considering leases. Carl is absolutely right, we are not concerned about the amount of time he spends as a land owner negotiating a lease to financially benefit himself.  However, we are concerned about the amount of time as a Planning Commission Member and Board Member he spends protecting his constituents.

Is this not a conflict of interest? Have we spent all this time on research and attending  meetings in order to have our valid concerns not taken seriously enough because select members on the commission have potential financial gain based on an ordinance written in favor of turbines being erected in our Township?

The ordinance should NOT be written based on the negotiations between the land owner and the developers. That is absurd!  Not having certain common stipulations in an ordinance because, hopefully, landowners are savvy negotiators with the turbine developers is not the way to protect the citizens or township. Throughout these workshop meetings, it has been painfully obvious and has been stated that the committee is referencing developer’s materials and recommendations. If any of the information we have provided to members through e-mails or website links has even been taken into consideration, it is unbelievable that a 1.5 times height of a turbine would be the recommendation for a safe set back among other items included in, or more importantly, omitted from our ordinance.

It’s disheartening to think that important information provided to the Board and Planning Commission members and the Zoning Administrator could possibly be dismissed because they feel it is “anecdotal” evidence. Many believe each member sitting in these positions is accountable and responsible to the citizens of Golden Twp. for an ordinance written with public health and safety as the number one priority based on ALL information submitted to them, not writing an ordinance based on the needs of the wind turbine developers. If turbines do go up in Golden Twp. and problems arise, there will be no possible excuse for any one of the members to claim ignorance of potential adverse effects when so many of their constituents are educated to the contrary and have provided members with supported, documented, scientific information.

Please inform us of the steps you have taken to resolve the conflict of interest issue prior to the next workshop scheduled for Tues. May 23, 2006 at 7:30 p.m.

Sincerely,
Randy and Dodie Stark
Mears, MI

CC: Edward McNeely, Golden Twp. Atty.