EDITOR:

I am confused. There are four groups tasked with coming up with a development at the old jail site. Last week, the city council was supposed to have an answer to which developer would get the project. At Thursday’s meeting, resident survey’s and committee recommendations would be released and we would finally get something accomplished. Was there a committee recommendation? Were the resident’s opinions taken into account? Not from what I heard. It sounded to me that City Manager Jordan had his own ideas of which developer would be “recommended.” As far as the committee, that was a committee in name only. The resident surveys were not included in any decision. I think if a survey of residents is taken, it should be quite a bit larger than the sampling we got. I could stand at the opening of Meijer, or Walmart, or Elmer’s, and get a better cross-section of the public, as well as a greater number.

So, the council tabled the project(s) again. This idea has been around for a long time. Maybe this will end up like any number of developments; the House of Ludington project, the old Bank Building project, or the project over behind Walmart. To name a few. Or the restructuring of the road bed on Ludington Street. How many even remember that?

We need a decisive council. We need a council to lead.

We should welcome new development. We fight new development. I remember a statement of one of our former council members from years ago; “We don’t want to end up like Traverse City.” No, just keep doing what Escanaba has done for decades, and we will be like Blaney Park.

What was this idea that you could have a committee of three meeting in a hallway? And with council members that were up for re-election? Something is wrong with that.

How many Escanaba residents even know what I am talking about? How many care? Whatever happened to the question of the missing money from this same jail project? Council members are removed by election so the story dies? That was our money. Yesterday’s news? If I were the city council, or City Manager Patrick Jordan, I would think that somebody needs to clear the air. Forget being politically correct. We need transparent not politically correct. I have had many performance reviews in my 60 plus years. I believe that if I were giving this council and manager my review, it would not be a passing grade so far. There is always hope.

Tom Grant

Escanaba