Belle Isle is for Detroit

The past couple weeks Belle Isle has been a hot topic around Detroit. Thankfully today during the Neighborhood & Community Services meeting a request was made by Council member JoAnn Watson to bring forward the Belle Isle Master Plan through the administration. Provisions to permit an entrance fee are to be considered with stipulation that revenue collected would be placed directly into maintaining Belle Isle.

The policy of Parks & Recreation has been to distribute 50% of revenue brought in through Belle Isle for itself and 50% would go into Parks & Recreation funds to be used across the city. This is how the contract for the upcoming Orion Music and More Festival has been structured. The festival will be bringing $100,000 in 2013, $100,000 in 2014, and $250,000 in 2015 for two days of concert use of Belle Isle. The contract also has provision for additional revenues from the concert based on thresholds being met for sale of additional materials. A seemingly missed opportunity in the contract

The Belle Isle Giveaway

Today, Tuesday January 24 at 1pm Neighborhood Community Services committee of Detroit City Council meets and on the agenda is the amended Belle Isle Lease proposal. You may have only seen the January 17 version of the lease proposal. You can find the amended version of the lease from January 22 through our public documents. And you may not have seen the confidential analysis done by Research And Development (RAD). These were declassified and released to the public Tuesday during the City Council session.

A lengthy conversation regarding closed versus open meeting was held and security measures appeared to be the stumbling point for opening the 2pm planned closed session. It is anticipated all council members will be at the 2pm meeting and likely the 1pm committee session (click for agenda). Public comments usually take place at the end of committee meetings, whereas on Tuesdays public comments are held first.

PUBLIC HEARING UPDATE
MONDAY JANUARY 28 at 1:00PM

Banner at rally on Belle Isle held September 22, 2012

There is significant public opinion that Belle Isle should remain with the City of Detroit and claims that it is poorly maintained are false allocations. Off season employment is under 5 people taking care of the island, which rises seasonally. This has been presented to council this fall at the time that Free Detroit, Occupy Detroit, We The People of Detroit, and other organizations gathered for an informational rally on Belle Isle.

Citizens are concerned and the Bing administration doesn't seem to be listening. We are asking what is Detroit getting from this lease arrangement? The owner of property should be in the favored position in negotiations. Voice of Detroit created a chart showing the score and it certainly doesn't seem to be favoring the city. The people opposed state this is a land-grab, or giveaway and hundreds of people have appeared when these issues are brought forward. Perhaps the delay of working on the Belle Isle lease agreement until the weather is bitter cold is a plot to keep the public from showing in force.

From Voice Of Detroit article

Please read over the analysis document and the lease agreement as it is evolving through amendments. If you are unable to attend prepare a statement and email it ASAP to the members of the Neighborhood Community Services committee before the meeting, requesting it is read onto the records and discussed during public comments. Email addresses are: councilmembertate@detroitmi.gov, WatsonJ@detroitmi.gov, K-Kenyatta_MB@detroitmi.gov, CouncilPresidentPugh@detroitmi.gov

Points of information to consider:

• The greenhouses on Belle Isle remain operating under the City of Detroit. They have been in disrepair for a number of years. Nearby are the Aquarium (oldest municipally ran aquarium in the world), and Conservatory - both of which would be transferred to Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). The Aquarium has received corporate and foundation grants allowing the roof to be repaired and it has been staffed by volunteers to open it on weekends to the public. It was closed April 3, 2005 until August 18, 2012.
• Roads servicing the park would be transferred to Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Funds to service them would come from the trunkline roads budget. Does this mean these roads will be improved beyond being park service roads?
• Does the State of Michigan have any restrictions on development through the lease agreement? Will we see skyscrapers, condominiums, or other dwellings erected on the island?
• All funds will be paid to State of Michigan with nothing to the City of Detroit. There is a current deal on the table with the City of Detroit for the Orion Music and More Festival scheduled for June 8-9 being arranged through internally know headlining act Metallica. This festival is scheduled to return in 2014 and 2015. Proceeds from that festival are $100,000 in 2013, $100,000 in 2014, and $250,000 in 2015. Park hours are stated to be normal hours 11am-10pm both days of the event. Given the contract is coming through the city, will it remain city revenues or be usurped by the State of Michigan?

Upcoming City Council meetings where a quorum of the whole may be present include: Friday 9:00am (PUBLIC HEARING regarding Reduction in hours), Monday 10:00am (Public Health & Safety), and Tuesday 10:00am (Council Of Whole). We encourage those attending to be onsite waiting at least a half hour in advance.

Belle Isle Public Hearing (CANCELED)

UPDATE: Oct 17 notice was received that this meeting has been CANCELED. 

The powers working on the lease arrangement between the City of Detroit and State of Michigan went back and worked on the contract. We need all concerned people to come together to discuss where things are at this time.

Public Hearing October 18

Evening Community Meeting at 7pm

A special public meeting of Neighborhood and Community Services standing committee will be held. Should sufficient non-voting members of City Council be present, a quorum of City Council will be declared. Click here to read the announcement.

Location: Greater Christ Church, 3544 Iroquois St, Detroit. Church's phone is 313-925-1359.

More information about the meeting call the City Council Clerk at 313-224-3266 or staff of Council Member James Tate (chairperson of NCS commitee). You can call the Free Detroit No Consent hotline at 313-444-0061 and we'll offer what information we know.

A copy of the originally proposed lease [ linked ] created through Mayor Bing and the State of Michigan can be found through this link. Once we have a copy of the revised lease available it will be linked in on this story. The State organizations that would work on Belle Isle are Department of Natural Resources and Michigan Department of Transportation.

Belle Isle Revealed

This video celebrates the beauty of Belle Isle's lesser known natural area throughout the year. It is available through the Detroit Free Press' video library. Things to note:

• Belle Isle was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City's Grand Central Park. Belle Isle is the larger of the two.
• 36 people are assigned to work on Belle Isle, and 31 of those are seasonal staff.

You can view other posts related to Belle Isle using the label link. Each post can have labels assigned that bring you common topics across the site.

City Council TODAY: Belle Isle, Ethics Complaints, and more

Today's City Council sessions will be extremely busy and we would like to make sure you have documentation in advance. A 107 page Supporting Documents package is available through this link. Agendas can be found through these links [Formal Session Agenda | New Business Agenda].

Substantial topics to be addressed included in the Supporting Documents:

• Acquisition and immediate sale of Lafayette Towers
• Zoning ordinance amendments aimed at car sales rooms and surface lots
• DDOT seeks authorization for revised grant funding for the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program (JARC), this will increase funding $1,921,121 ($849,051 from FTA and $1,072,070 from MDOT)
• Cass Apartments to be approved for payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) and increased MSHDA funding.
• RAD presentation of Proposed City Council Rules nad Procedures for Forfeiture of Elective City Office -- please note this clarifies the Board of Ethics and Ethics Complaint process and brings to light the rules do not address a circumstance in which multiple Council Members might be subject to forfeiture proceedings. (see note below)

Note regarding the RAD presentation last mentioned above: Free Detroit No Consent has been instrumental in the filing of over 500 Ethics Complaints which cite multiple city council members need to be investigated for forfeiture of office. A current copy of the Ethics Complaint form which has been used citing violations can be found through this link and by clicking on the graphic box on this post and in the sidebar for the website. 

Belle Isle Lease Session at 1:00 pm

Included in the Supporting Documents package are details for the 1:00pm meeting of City Council with attendance by Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, Governor's Office of Urban & Metropolitan Initiatives, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Department of Transportation, Mayor's Office, Recreation, Budget, Finance and Law Departments. The most recent documents for the lease arrangement are in the supporting documents package. The Belle Isle Lease Proposal as offered last week can be accessed through this link.

Free Detroit No Consent would like to thank the hundreds of citizens that came for the Hands Off Our Island rally on Saturday held at Shed 2 on Belle Isle. Some of the photos from the day can be found in the slideshow below. Live streamed video can be found through this link (note this is not edited footage).

Hands Off Our Island

This Saturday a city-wide rally is being held on Belle Isle starting at noon. Many groups in support and topics to discuss, including the lease of Belle Isle to the State of Michigan. Voters can update their registration information, and be sure to let those whom have been to jail or have not voted in a while, that they can get back into the voting pool. 

Click it for the larger print-ready version

Belle Isle Lease & Aquarium Now Open

A special session for City Council will be held Monday to review the lease as proposed by the Mayor's administration and State of Michigan. You can find a copy of the proposed lease through this link. We would like the encourage the public read the lease proposal, to attend the council session, and take advantage of public comments. You will need to make sure to get a card filled out at the onset of the meeting requesting time for your comment. That period of time offered for card submission will be limited, so make sure you are early to the meeting.

Update: The meeting regarding the lease was originally planned for Monday, September 17 @ 1:00 pm. The State of Michigan has indicated they want more time to prepare.

What: Special City Council Session - Topic: Belle Isle Lease
When: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 (likely to be at 1:00 pm)
Where: Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave, 13th floor, Detroit MI 48226

Belle Isle Aquarium 

The aquarium is re-opening with a volunteer staff keeping hours on Saturdays from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. The aquarium is a historic landmark as the first municipally ran aquarium, and was open August 18, 1904 and closed April 3, 2005. The volunteers working through the Belle Isle Conservancy (formerly Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium) have dedicated innumerable hours of effort working and organizing to bring the aquarium back for public access.

Updated B-I-N-G-NO Information, print & share

Here's the latest update flyers on action from Free Detroit No Consent. Lets go through the details listed and a few items that aren't.

1. Ethics Complaints remain HIGH PRIORITY! If you would like to provide an update to your already filed complaint, simply write an update including your name, contact information, indicating you previously sent in a complaint and send it in. Free Detroit No Consent is working on an update that will assist. 
2. If you need to update your voter information you have until the beginning of October to get the information filed. Check your information through the State of Michigan website, or our Rock The Vote page.
3. The Repeal of Public Act 4 is HIGH PRIORITY! State and City officials have gone on record with opinions that Public Act 72 is alive, this is LAWLESS behavior derived from an attempt to keep the common person suppressed. Public Act 72, the Emergency Financial Manager Law from 1990, was repealed when Public Act 4 was created. Read further (MCL 8.4) that it is Dead Law, and even shows up that way on the State of Michigan website.
4. Lawlessness continues in the Bing administration - contracts for services still are outstanding for legal counsel. Provisions required by the 2012 City Charter still remain to be completed.
5. Community Delegations are one of our next ACTION PLANS, we need people to sign up from across the city to coordinate the WE-COVERY of DETROIT.
6. August 23-26 Occupy Detroit is the host for Occupy The Midwest.
7. August 25 Crusade for America will hold march in Highland Park.
8. August 25 “Embrace Our Families To Rebuild Our Communities” an event to provide school supplies for Detroit students
9. August 25 Kem is holding clean up day at Mack & Third.
10. August 26 Kem holds benefit concert at Cass Park - Look for FREE Detroit NO Consent at the steps of the building at 2727 Second Ave, where we hold weekly meetings.
11. Labor Day weekend follows and there will be more organizing events to attend.
12. ROCKUPY BELLE ISLE on the following weekend September 7-9, we'll be near the Band Shell with ethics complaint forms and more information.
13. VOICES NOT HEARD is held monthly on the 1st Thursday at 6pm at Metropolitan Elks Lodge. The agenda usually has time for discussion between activists and creating forward momentum.

The presences we have around the internet, and via phone are listed

• Phone line is 313-444-0061
• Email is info@FreeDetroit.org
• Text messaging cell - join by texting @freedetroit to 23559
• Facebook page http://facebook.com/FreeDetroitNoConsent
• Twitter profile http://twitter.com/free_detroit
• YouTube profile http://youtube.com/user/FreeOurDetroit

SPEAK OUT this week!

Download and print

We look forward to seeing you at these events and more. Watch our calendar for more activities as we find out about them. If you'd like an event added to the calendar please send an email to admin@freedetroit.org. You can find our page on Facebook at http://facebook.com/FreeDetroitNoConsent