Approves two special use exceptions for marijuana establishments
At a standing-room only meeting on Tuesday night, the Three Rivers City Commission heard comments from numerous citizens on the quality and cost of the city’s water supply.
Before the public comment section of the meeting, Chief Scott Boling recognized Sam Smallcombe for his work, and spoke on Smallcombe’s recent promotion from detective sergeant to deputy police chief.
“I just want to take a minute and publicly acknowledge Sam Smallcombe’s promotion to Deputy Chief,” Boling said. “It is well-deserved. Sam has spent over 21 years in the police department and in the community. He’s developed great relationships; he’s a huge asset, and I couldn’t do my job without it, and I just don’t think our department would run efficiently, as it has been. […] I just want to let you know that Sam does a great job, and a lot of people don’t realize the sacrifice it is, not only on the individual but on the family. Unfortunately, Sam and I talk many times in the middle of the night, we talk on holidays. But, he’s there, and he’s there for the community.”
Smallcombe’s family was in attendance and his wife bestowed the ceremonial pin after he was sworn in by the city clerk.
Three Rivers Clean Water Campaign
During the public comment section, 10 concerned citizens spoke on recent testing that found elevated levels of lead in city water, as well as on the high cost of water. Several brought their water bills in hand, and others showed the cost of bottled water on signs. One resident who recently bought a house in Three Rivers wondered why the results of the lead testing had not been mentioned during the process of setting up the water service.
A local landlord said he has vacancies in his properties because tenants don’t want to drink city water. Vernis Mims Jr., who ran for mayor in the November 4 election, advocated for transparency from elected officials. “We just want to know what’s coming, we want to be able to see it, we want to be involved in the process […] We want to know that our elected officials have our best in mind.”
Gene Moreland, a state certified general appraiser, spoke on his communications with the Veterans Affairs (VA) and Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Moreland was prompted to look into the issue when his office in Three Rivers participated in the water testing, which came back with high levels of lead found in its samples. Moreland reported that the VA and FHA are not going to mandate water testing as a part of the home buying process, but Moreland will include in reports a strong recommendation that the VA and FHA complete testing, and inform the buyer of the results prior to closing.
Mayor Tom Lowry responded after public comments, saying the water itself is not the issue, it’s the pipes. “The water that comes out of our wells is very good; it’s the houses that have a lead pipe [that need remediation].” He also pointed out that not every house has lead pipes, particularly if the house is newer.
Lowry estimated a minimum of $5,000 to replace a line containing lead from one house to the main water line, and it is estimated that 1,000 homes in Three Rivers have lead pipes that connect to the water main. He acknowledged the money needed to remediate all lead lines from houses won’t be supplied by water bill income, and that federal and state funding, currently in short supply, will be necessary.
Defending the recent water bill increase, which will be set aside for lead pipe remediation, and citing other communities that are waiting on state and federal funding, Lowry said, “We are being proactive. We’re going to start replacing lead lines as we know them, [even] before we get state and federal funding. That’s proactive. We can’t do everything, but we’re going to start, because we are worried about children and seniors drinking lead-polluted water. We don’t know where every one of them is, but when we find one, we’re going to start replacing those lines. That’s proactive.”
Lowry continued, stating this is a national problem that will collectively cost the country “in the trillions of dollars” to remediate. “What we are experiencing in Three Rivers is nationwide – you need to understand that. You are not alone.” Lowry said the City of Three Rivers was among the first to take advantage of grants to do the initial testing, and there’s still “a long way to go” to finish testing.
The State of Michigan has given an unfunded mandate for communities to remediate all lead pipes within 20 years, and Lowry asked attendees to speak to their representatives about funding. “We’re coming up on the end of year two of a state mandate, and it is 100% an unfunded mandate, and the state reps and senators know that, but they have not put any committee work in [nor given] a penny” to any municipality for lead remediation. “They know it’s an issue, and they keep punting it for the next legislature. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, not just on the 20 years, but on people who are forced to drink the lead water.”
Joe Bippus added that since the 1980s, the city has been doing complete rebuilds when redoing streets, a “more expensive” method which includes replacing everything under the street. He suggested creating visual resources that could show the progress being made in lead pipe replacements, adding, “There are fewer lead lines in the city every year.” Now that the city has participated in testing, which is going to help identify the problem and how big it is, Bippus said, now “we can work on how we’re going to pay for it, how we can speed it up, how we can make sure we’re not paying for it all on the citizen’s back. It’s a process, and we’re working on it.”
Other business
Also on the agenda were special exception use requests from two marijuana businesses looking to set up on U.S.-131. Both motions to accept the special exceptions passed, with Commissioner Pat Dane voting no. Commissioner Carolyn McNary was absent. Dane argued there are already too many marijuana establishments in the city, and Commissioner Chris Abel suggested that the commission put another moratorium in place after these two were approved. Abel also suggested that the tax revenue from such establishments should “go back into the community,” rather than the general fund.
Commissioner Torrey Brown responded, “Whoever has the best business model is going to stay in business, period. So, if 15 people want to start a marijuana establishment, all 15 people won’t be successful. What if that 15th person is the most successful? We can’t deny these people their right to own a business. […] Everybody has a dream in life to have a business, and if it’s legal, let them make their money.”
During commissioner comments, Commissioner Lucas Allen encouraged attendees to get their water tested. Amy Roth, director of the Department of Public Services (DPS), clarified their process for residents requesting water testing: “If it is a known lead service line [where residents received notification from DPS], we are paying for the water testing. If it is not a know lead service line, we are sending them information to contact the EGLE lab [Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy] for testing.”
Lowry added two comments, wondering about banning the use of jake brakes in cars in city limits, and asked the city manager to look into adding electric car chargers in the city.
The next city commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 5 at 6 p.m. at Three Rivers City Hall.
Deborah Haak-Frost is the Caretaker for Community Engagement at GilChrist Retreat Center in Three Rivers, and volunteers with *culture is not optional, a Three Rivers-based community development organization.
