Planning Process

I am working extremely hard on getting our Master Plan & Recreation Plan both updated. These plans are "must-have" documents at a municipal level. Both of the above plans are outdated, and not usable as we approach 2009.

We also are at the beginning stages of developing a Capital Improvement Plan, in which all of the Village roads will be rated, and we can properly assess how and where to spend our road money. No longer will we wait til a road is in such poor shape, that complete reconstruction must take place. Instead, we want to utilize preventive maintenance techniques to extend the life of the road; therefore saving money in the long run.

I certainly realize economic times are tough here in Roscommon, in Michigan, and throughout the nation. And some may question the spending of dollars on the planning process, and is it really worth spending a good amount of money on these projects. How would these plans benefit the average Roscommon citizen?

Well, updated, current plans are necessary to be competitive and to be awarded grant money. When our recreation plan is updated and complete, we can apply for and be very competitive in the grant process to help improve Metro Park & Wallace Park. Possible ideas include new playground equipment, upgrades to the tennis courts, possible basketball courts, etc...

These plans will also give a chance for the public to express its opinion on the likes/dislikes of the Village, its services, and its park facilities. After all, all of us at the Village Hall want to make Roscommon a better place for all residents and visitors. We want to have future goals, consider future land use, and we want everybody to have an opinion and a say into how our community will proceed in the future.

Without set guidelines, goals, and plans, it makes it very difficult to make strides and improvements.

I am always happy to answer questions on any Village issue, including on planning. And keep tuned to this blog, the newspaper, and our Village Newsletter on ways you can be involved and have your opinion known as we proceed. It will take a whole community effort to make these plans a success!


Tom Gromek
Village Manager

MML Conference Report
Mackinac Island, MI
October 1st - 3rd


Highlights

Daniel Gilmartin
Dan emphasized that local officials need to think differently about their communities and think of new and creative directions for the future. Michigan will have to reinvest in its communities and diversify its economy. He also summarized the series of public policy forums conducted throughout the state the previous year. The major thing I took from this session was the need of making your community unique, thinking creatively, and understanding the needs of our future generations so we can benefit from the new generation workforce.

Promoting Active Communities (PAC)
Several speakers from the state level, along with community representatives, spoke of the benefits of physical fitness, and incorporating a healthy lifestyle mission into your community.

Ethics Quandaries
The new ethics handbook, published by the MML, was discussed and real life examples of ethical dilemmas were addressed. This new handbook is free and available to download on MML's website.

Rules for Public Meetings
This session focused on the Open Meetings Act, how to run meetings productively, and things to encourage or avoid regarding public meetings. City attorneys from Troy & Dearborn were extremely helpful in answering questions, and presenting court cases on situations where meetings were not run appropriately.

Mentoring Michigan Kids
Former University of Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr and First Gentleman Daniel Mulhern led a discussion on mentoring our youth. They addressed the different ways individuals and communities can get involved and make a difference in the lives of children who are desperate for a positive mentor in their life.

Community Excellence Awards
Each of the 7 Michigan Regional Award Winners presented their community project. The City of Jackson (Region 2) was the overall winner. Elk Rapids won our region back in May. I have a booklet of the different projects available for everyone to see.




What can be applied to Roscommon?

- We can promote our major community project, the DDA Façade Grant Program, and showcase it at the Region 6 meeting in May. I am currently working on a PowerPoint Presentation providing details about the project, showing before/after photos of the businesses, and emphasizing the positive impact it has had in Roscommon. The 2009 Region 6 Meeting is May 29th in Mackinaw City.

- We can fill out the necessary forms to get registered in the Michigan PAC Program. This will give us an evaluation of where we stack up to the rest of the state. Also, even more basic, the Village can help organize or promote walking/running days and locations throughout the warmer months. Also, encourage more walkability in our downtown area.

- We can help start a mentoring program, raise awareness for any existing local programs, and recognize individuals in our community who are making a difference in the live of others. Any ideas regarding ways we can accomplish this are appreciated.

- We can review the new Ethics Handbook and adopt our own ethics policy. While ethical issues may seem common sense, it is important to have a policy in place which sets certain guidelines for Village employees & council members.

- We can review the Open Meetings Act at a work session, and address any concerns or questions on the rules and proceedings of public meetings.



Tom Gromek
Village Manager

Back from Mackinac!

- Village President Jesse Carlson & I attended the MML Annual Convention on Mackinac Island last week. I will have more information very soon about the conferences sessions, and how what we learned can help the Village of Roscommon!

- Our 1st Budget Workshop is tonight at 7pm at Village Hall.



Tom Gromek
Village Manager

Village Manager's Report - September 22nd

VILLAGE MANAGER REPORT
September 22, 2008

▪ There was a court hearing regarding property belonging to Doug Smith. Judge Baumgartner issued a court order requiring Mr. Smith to final out permits & other requirements on 802 Lake Street & 1100 Tisdale Road within 42 days. Also, Mr. Smith shall be required to allow inspections on those properties by our inspectors.

▪ Janae & I attended a County Commissioners Public Hearing on the County Wide Proposed ORV Route. The map we received is hanging in our council room bulletin board. I also have a copy of the sample ordinance available; however it will most likely be altered in the upcoming weeks. A major issue for the Village is that currently the ordinance would give 50% of a fine to the County Road Commission and 50% to the County Sheriff. If a ticket is issued on Village roads, we should get 50% of the money. In talking with Tim O'Rourke, he agrees, and this issue will get straightened out. Since the road commission does not maintain our Village roads, this is the most sensible solution.

▪ Kathy & I attended a free listening session regarding Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) grants at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on September 16th. I found it to be very informative, and I feel we can be competitive for grant money in the future. One of the major projects we need updated is our Recreation Plan. I will coordinate efforts with RMRA, and we will work on getting a plan in place for the update.

▪ The Michigan Citizen Planner Classroom Series was cancelled due to lack of registered individuals. However, I was offered and accepted the option to participate in their online program, which includes the same materials, audio/video clips, and requires answering a high percentage of the questions right on each section before advancing to further topics. I have 6 months to complete all of the online courses, and I will be given a certificate of completion once all the sessions have been completed successfully.

▪ I spoke with Maureen Daugherty from the Roscommon Transit Authority, informing her that the two parking spaces in front of St. Vincent De Paul were converted to a bus stop. She thought there was a possibility we could receive a bus stop cover/structure. I can write a letter in support of one if the council desires. It is worth noting that by doing this, we could be showing some favoritism to this business, but personally I don't think many other businesses would object, as this bus stop is heavily used by county residents and the business certainly helps out many residents throughout the area.

▪ Andy, our seasonal DPW worker, will be working till the end of September. He did a great job for the Village once again.

Calendar
September 25 - Recycling Meeting - 7pm (Tom)
September 30 - Township Association Meeting (Tom)
October 1-4, MML Annual Conference – Mackinac Island (Jesse & Tom)
October 6 – Budget Workshop #1 - 7pm (Proposed)
October 13 – Council Meeting - 7pm

Village Council Agenda - Sept 22

VILLAGE OF ROSCOMMON
MEETING AGENDA
September 22nd, 2008

1. Call to order, roll call of Council, Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation

2. Approval of the Regular agenda

3. Brief public comment on Regular Agenda items (Two minutes per speaker)

4. Approval of Consent agenda:
Minutes of the September 8, 2008 Regular Meeting, Bills to be paid
and Checks written since last meeting.

5. Manager’s Report

6. Council Member reports

7. Unfinished Business:

Sale of Industrial Park Property
Master Plan
ORV Route
Road Project
Fire Wood Ordinance

8. New Business:

Jim Tucker - Christmas in the Village
Budget Adjustments
Budget Workshop Dates
Porath Bill
Gravel Bids
Road Soft Training
Council Vacancy

9. Public Acknowledgement (Two minutes per speaker)

10. Items for the next agenda:

11. Adjournment

Any Council member shall have the right to submit items for the regular agenda before it is approved.

Firemen's Memorial Festival

Just a reminder that the Firemen's Memorial Festival is this weekend in Roscommon. Go to the official website, "http://www.firemensmemorial.org" for a complete list of events, activities, and directions to the Memorial.

This is your chance to pay tribute to the brave Fire Fighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives while protecting their communities, plus an opportunity to see the beautiful renovations taking place in Roscommon. I am looking forward to my 1st Festival. Beautiful weather is expected all week long.


Tom Gromek
Village Manager

Community Events Facade

Before

After

Check out the work that has already been completed on the Community Events Facade Project. It will be an amazing gem in the middle of our community to display community and area events. I will continue to post the progress until the project is completed, which is expected to be within a couple of weeks.

Tom Gromek
Village Manager

September 11, 2001

Hard to believe it has been 7 years since the 9/11 Tragedy. I remember reading this article by Mitch Albom on the one year anniversary of 9/11, and I think it still hits home 6 years later.

AMERICA's YEAR of LOSS, COURAGE,
UNITY, STRENGTH
September 11, 2002
By Mitch Albom
courtesy of Detroit Free Press

A message to Osama bin Laden on the one-year anniversary of his terror:
You failed.
If you are dead, you failed, because you are not in some blessed place, sitting under the Yum Yum tree. You are in a corner of hell reserved for murderers.
And if you live on, you failed, too. Because you are hidden in some cave in a forsaken corner of the world, forced to recognize the truth: What you sought to weaken, you fortified. What you sought to terrorize, you emboldened.
How does it feel, to have so woefully miscalculated? We are smarter, stronger, more aware and more involved. We treat our neighbors with more patience and our country with more love.

If you sought to destroy our spirit, you failed.
If you sought to destroy our will, you failed.
And if you sought to destroy our institutions, you failed, big time, even on the very day you had the advantage. One of the four planes you stole last Sept. 11 did not even make its mark. It was retaken by passengers who proved there is no need to fear you or your cowardly henchmen. With two words, "Let's roll," that plane was driven into the ground, and instead of taking down a monument, it became one. Its Pennsylvania crash site is an inspirational place.
For us, not for you.
You gave us something to feel good about.
How does it feel?

You failed.
If you planned on demoralizing us, you failed.
If you planned on dividing us, you failed.
If you planned on destabilizing us, we're still here. Our streets, our schools, our government, our freedom. You, on the other hand, lost your sand lot. You lost your real estate. You lost your roof and your umbrella, your shelter from the storm, you lost something all of us can claim, but you no longer can. You lost your home.
You lost your friendly host, the Taliban. You lost caves and training camps and what little infrastructure you had. You scatter with a breeze, leaving maps and tapes and bags and boots as you race for a place to hide, a bug scampering behind the refrigerator. Do you think people are inspired by such flight? Do you think people admire it?

If you sought to command respect, you failed.
And if you sought to affect our patriotism -- well, you couldn't have done much worse. In a single day, thanks to your heinous act, this nation transformed, from a people who saw their country as a place worth enjoying, to a people who saw their country as a place worth saving.
You made us fierce. You made us united. You made us mad, and that's a deadly thing to do.

But if you sought to make us fear you, you failed.
If you sought to make us respect you, you failed.
If you sought to make us listen to you, you failed. Most people don't even bother with the translation of your cryptic messages anymore. We flip channels. We move on. We ignore your hate.
If you sought to win converts, you lost.
If you sought to make things better for your people, you lost.
If you sought to rally Muslims to your warped and pathetic view, you lost more than you can calculate. Life has rarely been worse for those who follow your religion. They are scrutinized, harassed, singled out and picked on. They hate this. But they hate you more for bringing it upon them. You did not gain their allegiance, only their wrath.

If you sought to unnerve us, you lost.
If you sought to undermine us, you lost.
If you sought to put a permanent dent in the American economy, well, look again. The airlines are still flying. Wall Street still functions. Your financial flow, on the other hand, has never been more scrutinized. And while we haven't shut off every faucet, we've shut a few. The world is not your ATM anymore.

How does it feel?
If you dreamed of victory, you failed.
If you dreamed of domination, you failed.
If you dreamed of Muslims on one side, Westerners on the other, you failed.
And if you dreamed of glory and righteousness and, most of all, your god's blessing -- you do not have it. No matter how many times you invoke his name, you do not have it. No god loves you. No god forgives you. No god blesses you. No god condones you.
Today we remember your day of destruction, but not you. Today we honor those who fell, but not you. We suffered that day, we suffered and we grieved, but then we did what we do best. We came back stronger. We came back united. We stood up straight and resolved more than ever that our way of life is precious and true and loving and right.

We buried our dead. We mourned for them. Today, we remember. But tomorrow, the world goes on.

You failed, bin Laden, in every important way. It is one year after your fire in the sky. We've cleaned up our ashes.
The only ones left are yours.

Bus Stop

(click on photo to enlarge)

We teamed up with MDOT to convert two parking spaces (along Lake St. in front of St. Vincent De Paul) to a Bus Stop for the Roscommon County Transportation Authority to use. Since so many county residents utilize the bus system to frequent this store, it made sense to give them a great, permanent drop-off/pick-up location that was convenient for everybody involved. St. Vincent De Paul took this request to the Village Council a couple months ago, the Village contacted MDOT, and MDOT provided the appropriate signs at no cost to the Village or the store. We will explore the possibility of a bus stop enclosure to protect individuals from our unpredictable weather and provide a safe waiting area. Also, some type of striping to further indicate the bus stop area is still something I am interested in pursuing.

Tom Gromek
Village Manager

Q & A

I thought I would submit my own Q & A that will help residents and visitors understand more about my job & Roscommon. Here are a couple questions to start off with, and I will try to address other issues in future posts.


What do you do as Village Manager?

This is a question I get the most, and it is a hard question to answer in one sentence or two. I was appointed by the Village Council, and I serve at their will. I run the day-to-day business of the Village, provide overall direction and am responsible for overseeing our Village Employees. I also provide reports to the Council in regard to ongoing activities within the Village as well as evaluating services and making recommendations for the improvement of operations. I also administrate the policy decisions that the Village Council decides upon. I try to get involved in every Village organization and attend DDA, Planning Commission, ZBA, and the Roscommon County Economic Development Corporation. I also stay in close contact with the Higgins Lake-Roscommon Chamber of Commerce. So while the job is challenging and requires a lot of knowledge on a lot of topics, it is also interesting as I get to work and impact just about every aspect of our community.


What are some of the hot issues in the community?

- Certainly, the economy is front and center. We know we have some vacant buildings and we have had some businesses close down. However, I feel we have some positive momentum currently flowing through the Village. Our Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has implemented a successful Facade Grant Program, which has drastically improved the look and feel of downtown Roscommon. We had a new restaurant open, Matt's Lake Street Grill & Pizzeria, which has been very successful from all accounts. Fred's Bowling is now up and running, and the restaurant is slated to open late September/early October. This will be a major boost to our economy. The group of owners involved has devoted tons of time, energy, and money into this building - both inside and outside. I have been in several times to tour the facility, and discuss future plans. I think everybody will be amazed at the result when it officially opens for business.

- Besides the economy, I think blight and upkeep of property has been front and center once again. I have cracked down on blight this year, and we have issued several tickets and many more letters. We appreciate the cooperation of many of our residents; however we know we still have a lot of work to do to make our community as attractive as possible.

- We are considering a major update of our Master Plan for next year, which will be very exciting and important as Roscommon moves forward. We will be looking for as much community involvement as possible during this process.

- We are in the process of developing a Capital Improvement Plan to better address our Village Roads. We will soon rate our Village Roads and develop a plan for the next few years on how to best spend our Act 51 and Road money based on the conditions of the roads. Gone are the days where we will wait for a road to deteriorate, then completely replace it. We want to be pro-active and use preventive maintenance techniques such as crack sealing, chip sealing, thin-overlays, etc. to extend the life of our roads. This ends up saving much more money in the long run if you keep up what you have, instead of fully reconstructing roads.


Tom Gromek
Village Manager