Brandon Haskell

GLPS Board Should Approve EDIC Proposals

By /

Dr. Davenport and Honorable Grand Ledge School Board Members,

I want to thank you for taking the time to read this correspondence and for your leadership during these historic and turbulent times. The majority of you have been responsive and levelheaded through some heated debates over the coronavirus, the former superintendent, diversity and equity, masks, and even a hyper-politicized collegiate level study not taught in K-12 schools. I want to thank you for your service and hope we can continue to rely on your thoughtful and sound leadership.

Some of you may remember that I and a numerous other local elected officials drafted an open letter to you requesting action be taken to remove the former superintendent after his infamous comments on George Floyd’s murder. It somehow feels like that was years ago, considering the year we survived together, but it was not. I cannot speak for everyone, but I do not believe any one of us could have predicted exactly how united and powerful the community would be in not only demanding the former superintendent’s removal, but also carrying the awesome burden of organizing, planning, and advocating for REAL change in the Grand Ledge Public School system.

As you know, the first steps to real change began when the board decided to hear our community and formed the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (EDIC). One of the reasons why I am writing to you today is to encourage you to review and approve of the recommendation made by the EDIC. These recommendations are well thought out and provides a framework that Grand Ledge Public Schools needs. In addition, I fear that any significant denial of the EDIC recommendations would dramatically damage the building, but still tenuous trust between community and district. Members of the EDIC have spent countless hours working on the recommendations before you, and they should be granted your full attention.

Again, I thank you for the opportunity to be heard among all of the other voices, from in and out of district. All of which have specific ideas and opinions. Even though I have only served as an elected official myself for two and half years, I know what it is like to face a small and passionate group that uses fear, insults, and threats to push bad policy. It is intimidating, but I have full confidence that the board will review the EDIC recommendations on come down on the right side of history.

Sincerely,

Brandon Haskell

Father of 2 Comets

2006 GL Comet Grad

County Commissioner

GLPS Board Should Approve EDIC Proposals Read More »

Development in Delta Twp.

By /

New Development and CIAs: 

Recently many local elected officials and I listened to a proposal to develop the land North of Saginaw, West of 69, and East of Broadbent. Some of you may remember this as the old location of “Flower Land”. 

The proposed development is broken down into 3 phases. Phase 2 and 3 rely on the creation of a tax capture authority called a “Corridor improvement Authority” or a CIA. More on that in a minute. 

  • Phase 1: Retail development along Saginaw using existing public infrastructure. 
  • Phase 2: Further retail development and apartments extending Marketplace Dr. and building a new road to connect to Broadbent Rd.
  • Phase 3: Adding more housing further North and connecting Marketplace Dr to Willow Hwy.

Back to the CIA. Phase 1 will continue with or without the proposed tax capture district. According to the developer, phase 2 and 3 will need the approval of the CIA to be possible. A CIA captures taxes off of the increased value of property on developed land and existing developments in the region. 

For example. If the current tax revenue of the region equaled 100 dollars and increased 10 dollars in a year, the CIA would capture a certain percentage of the 10 dollars and put it in a fund to develop the “corridor” further. Its a similar principle to the more common “Downtown Development Authority” that many towns in Eaton County use now. 

The idea would be that the public infrastructure needed to reach the developments made in phase 2 and 3 would be paid for upfront by the developer and then reimbursed over time. Once full reimbursement was met, Eaton and Delta could either dissolve the authority or continue it to spruce up the region. 

As of right now I am cautiously optimistic, but the proposal is likely to dramatically change over time. I hope to see affordable housing as an option as well as guarantees on costs to the county and jobs created.

Development in Delta Twp. Read More »

Scroll to Top