Easy fix drain project turns into 14-year, multi-million dollar saga
Steven Hayward, director of planning and development for Lansing Township, flips through the Groesbeck Park Drain plans. Photo: Katy Barth
By: Katy Barth
What was supposed to be a $300,000 “easy fix” of the Blue Ribbon Drain 14 years ago could become a $15.5 million dollar project for Lansing Township.
Construction is on hold as a court battle looms. The township has sued the county drain commissioner, asking that assessments be redistributed between those within the Groesbeck drainage district, which includes Lansing Township, Lansing and Ingham County.
“The scope of this drain got totally out of control,” said Kathy Rodgers, supervisor of Lansing Township.
Is fire, ambulance consolidation right for city and township?
By Micayla Cummings
Lansing Township and Lansing have discussed the pros and cons of consolidating their fire and ambulance services, but have not yet taken action due to the issue’s complexity.
A recent study, supported by the Michigan Municipal League and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, looked at all of the fire departments in the region and collected data validating the observations they gathered when looking at financial operational response time.
According to the Lansing Township Fire Department call history, ambulance responses more than tripled the amount of fire calls between 2010 and 2012. This data found from the study serves as a financial model that shows why consolidation may be needed and brings all of the services together.
“You can’t do consolidation overnight,” said Trent Atkins, assistant fire chief for Lansing. “Consolidation takes time.”
Waverly Schools fight budget deficit
By Katlyn Vuillemot and Nolly Dakroury
LANSING TOWNSHIP – The Waverly Community School District is cutting programs and hoping for the help of bonds to address a $1.5 million deficit.
The district’s deficit over the past 5 years
Declining enrollment and state funding are the main reasons for the increasing deficit, said Evan Nuffer, the districts director of finance.
The struggling economy is another reason, said Eldon McGraw, the school system’s communication director. Enrollment declines as families move out of the district. Birth rates are lower and parents have the school of choice option, which allows the enrollment of nonresident students as members without having to get the approval of their district of residence.
Lansing Towship seeks loan to clean up brownfield, return jobs to vacant factory site
Editor’s note: For a timeline detailing the history of the property at 2400 W. St. Joseph St., click here.
By Eric Stiem
The property in 1972.
Lansing- After being abandoned more than five years ago, a local brownfield property will become a center for business again.
“There are two tenants that have been identified,” said Lansing Township senior planner Matt Brinkley, “I would say that they are certainties.”
The new businesses, which Brinkley declined to mention, are expected to bring in 200 jobs, Brinkley said.
Passenger traffic increases at Lansing airport
By: Jane Ma
Sun Country plane at Lansing airport.
The Capital Region International Airport has seen an upswing in passenger traffic in the past few years after previous years of continual decline.
The airport hit its peak in passenger traffic with more than 700,000 passengers in 1998 and again in 1999.” Factors that contributed to the increased traffic include the booming national economy and more airlines serving the airport then than there are today, said Robert Selig, the airport’s president and chief executive officer.
Lansing Township grateful for return of Tuition Assistance
By Katlyn Vuillemot
Lansing Charter Township Staff Writer
LANSING CHARTER TOWNSHIP – Some Lansing Township residents are relieved to hear tuition assistance for the military is back after being removed in March due to the federal budget Sequester.
The Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marine Corps suspended tuition assistance because of the government spending cuts.
Recently, Congress voted to protect the assistance from being cut from the military, once again providing service members with $4,500 per year for classes.
A change in preschool education will have an effect on students in Lansing Township.
By: Katy Barth
President Barack Obama has proposed giving a prekindergarten public education for every child in America.
Locally that’s already available.
Waverly Community Schools
“In our case we’re already ahead of the curve in providing these services to our community,” said Eldon McGraw, director of communications for Waverly Community Schools. “We launched a pre-kindergarten through first grade program two years ago in Waverly to address the needs in Waverly.”
The tuition per student is $138 per month and there is a one-time $50 registration fee, McGraw said. The program runs from mid-September until mid-May.
In Michigan, families can qualify for tuition help based on their financial status or the risk factors in the child’s learning developmental skills, said McGraw.