Dear Editor:
The recent letter from Linda White (Bill Van Riper’s sister) contains so many inaccuracies and things that are just wrong, I had to respond.
I’ve volunteered on several committees in Lima including the first bridge committee in 2010 (when 4 township bridges were closed on the same day. We re-decked two bridges as a result). Ken Unterbrink’s first building committee, a couple of building committees since, and Chair of the current Building Committee
I was involved or present at the board meetings when these events took place, about which Linda White spins – so here are the facts.
- Technology is important. That’s why the town hall renovation and addition project includes the technology to livestream meetings and audio-visual technology to enhance presentations and improve Board member and the audience experience.
- Fiber Optics. Craig Maier never initiated a fiber optics program. Broadband Washtenaw is a county wide project funded with county and Recovery Act funds. Its goal is to provide broadband to every county resident that wants it. By contract, hook-up fees will be reasonable. Work is underway in Lima Township right now to install the fiber optic trunk lines. Residential hook-ups will commence in the 4th quarter or sooner.
- Roads and bridges. Lima has been and is spending more on roads than ever. In the current fiscal year, we have budgeted $295,000 for roads. We are working to make up for years of neglect. We have several bridges that need maintenance. The most critical is the Guenther Road bridge that we are working on with the Road Commission to re-deck next summer.
- Lima property on N. Lima Center Rd. The 16-acre site was purchased in 2018 in an all or nothing deal with the owner’s estate. The township’s sole goal in this transaction was to save Fire Station #2, which the township had sunk a lot of money into, from being lost. I was at the board meeting when this purchase was approved. There was never any mention of any future use of this excess property. This vacant property should be sold to fund other township needs.
- Proposed building of new town hall on the 16-acre site that never happened. Rough plans in 2020 had no credible cost estimates. We know we have spent around $500,000 on the land and road improvements-much of which can be recouped by selling the land. The proposed building was around 5000 sq. ft. You all know what has happened to building costs since 2020. Ballpark building costs are now $400/ sq. ft. That puts the cost at $2,000,000, plus site improvements and with the property’s cost; well over $2,500,000!
- Existing town hall renovation and addition. The latest cost estimate to complete the project is $1,242,544. This is being updated and will go up some due to fire and safety regulations. Funding for this will come from Federal Recovery Act funds ($416,000) and money set aside from past budgets ($701,000) for this purpose. Any additional funding would come from Lima’s reserve fund which would stand at $1,700,000 after the above expenditures.
WHY DO WE NEED THIS PROJECT? Election regulations have changed with the addition of early voting and no-reason absentee ballots, (over 900 requested for the primary.) Those workers sequestered for counting absentees need to be in the precinct. Bathrooms, break rooms, technology is needed. The Township Board has worked on the town hall issue since the Unterbrink era. We now have a good, concrete plan to solve this problem for years to come. This plan has already passed the Planning Commission with a final site plan. We need to proceed! This Board of Trustees is fixing a problem we’ve recognized for years with a solution all residents can be proud of!
Path forward. If you look at Linda White’s wish list, you will see that these “issues” she mentions are either being addressed or solved.
Stay the course with Supervisor Duane Luick to continue making things better for Lima Township.
Bob Spink
Chair of Lima Township Building Committee
