What are the Major Issues Impacting the First District?
Roads
You do not need to be a rocket scientist to know the roads in the First District are horrible and have been for decades. Everyone can talk about fixing the roads but talk won’t get it done. While we have seen some progress in the roads in the last few years, much more needs to be done. The First District should not be last place in line when it comes to funding for roads! We can do better!
Medical Care / Funding of Fire & EMS
Part of the beauty of the First District is its location at the tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. It is remote, which is a part of its charm, but with that we find ourselves far from hospitals and emergency services. We need to make sure the First District receives the funding it deserves for our fire departments and EMS coverage. We also need a County Commissioner who will work with the local health department (not against it) to ensure the people of the First District have first rate medical services available at reasonable costs. We need to work closely with the Health Department to make sure regulations are sensible and appropriate for our area.
Development
If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you know that housing prices, especially in Petoskey and Harbor Springs are going through the roof. This makes it nearly impossible for working people to afford to live in the communities they serve. Teachers, nurses, police and fire personnel along with just about everybody else, (except the wealthy) are being priced out of the market.
Many people point northward to the First District saying it is ripe for development.
NOT SO FAST! Some development is good, but over- development along with increased property taxes is not what the people of the First District want or need. We love the open spaces and the natural beauty of the First District, and we don’t want to be pushed aside and priced out of the area we love. Now is the time to put comprehensive Master Plans in place to protect our district from over development and rising taxes.
PFAS/Pellston Airport
The Village of Pellston has been impacted by PFAS (forever chemicals) that contaminates the wells of local residents. The chemicals come from firefighting foam used during training. While this problem is national in scope, it is becoming a serious issue for people living in the First District. PFAS are also a growing problem associated with certain types of fertilizers used in farming. We need to pay close attention to this issue as it is becoming a growing problem that has the potential of threatening the health and safety of farm families and their neighbors.
We may be tempted to brush this off, as we think it doesn’t affect us…until a family member or friend suddenly develops cancer or a debilitating illness. The leadership of Emmet County needs to be on top of this issue, putting best practices in place to keep the people of Emmet County safe.
Line 5
While Line 5 is a State / Federal / International issue, Emmet County, and especially the First District would be ground zero IF there was a failure with Line 5. We must work with State and Federal agencies along with environmental experts from sources such as the University of Michigan and Michigan Technological University to determine the potential impact of the options being considered.
The potential environmental and economic fallout from a Line 5 failure could easily devastate our region. Think of the shorelines of Wilderness State Park, the Straights, and Mackinac Island covered with black sludge. It would have an enormous consequences for tourism and our way of life…FOR GENERATIONS. Cleaning up oil spills in freshwater is much different than in saltwater. Add to that, between 30-40 million people get their drinking water from the Great Lakes.
There is a lot of information / misinformation on Line 5. We need to stay on top of this issue by listening to experts in the field and not just relying on spin that comes from Enbridge Energy. Is the tunnel just a pipe dream, or a pipe bomb waiting to explode? We need to know the unbiased facts. We need to be informed and then to be vocal with our State and Federal representatives, ensuring that whatever happens with Line Five will be in the best interests of Emmet County and the First District.