Recall Fever and the Flint Board of Education

Who knew the Flint Board of Education was such a volatile group of elected officials?

Last month, the board passed a resolution to censure one of their own members, David Davenport. Laura Misjak of The Flint Journal reports:

"The resolution states specific instances of misconduct, including leaking information to the media about a closed board meeting, verbally assaulting staff during meetings, publicly criticizing board members and soliciting private information about students as though he was approved by the board to do so.

Of course, Davenport should have expected a little hostility after he initiated the process to recall six of his fellow board members last fall. Melissa Burden of The Flint Journal reports:

Davenport, who was elected to the board in May, wants to recall the six members because he believes they are violating a district policy by allowing Superintendent Linda Thompson to hold her position, while her brother Bashir, sits on the board.

Just to keep things interesting, a Flint resident turned around and filed recall petition language against Davenport last month.

"The petition reads that Davenport should be recalled for “A) inappropriately disclosing to the media details of a closed meeting of the board, B) verbally assaulting and insulting staff at board meetings, C) violating board policy by soliciting of private student information, D) violating board policy by publicly criticizing individual board members and E) publicly making derogatory and defamatory remarks, statements about public officials," according to the Journal.

Not to be outdone, Davenport set out to recall Mayor Dayne Walling for “jeopardizing the safety of the citizens of Flint.”

Melissa Burden, who is clearly on the Flint Recall beat, reports:

Davenport said he filed the petition against Walling in response to him last week pink slipping 80 police and firefighters due to city’s budget problems.

“As a leader of the city, for me to allow money to be top priority over the safety of the citizens of the city is ridiculous,” Davenport said.

Rowe Nears Completion

A worker put the finishing touches on an apartment in the ROWE building downtown. (Photo courtesy of Tim Jaglelo/The Flint Journal)

Speaking of luxury, the ROWE Professional Services Co. building on Saginaw Street is nearly ready for occupancy. Melissa Burden of The Flint Journal reports that "seven of eight luxury loft apartments are rented. Rent starts at about $1,050 a month for the more than 2,000-square-foot apartments that feature 20-foot ceilings, exposed brick walls and walnut floors."

Family Affair

Flint voters aren't shy about recalling mayors, but what about board of education members?

Melissa Burden of The Flint Journal reports:

The Genesee County Election Commission today approved recall petition language for six Flint Board of Education members...Genesee County Elections Director Doreen Fulcher said [board member David] Davenport has 180 days to collect 8,004 valid signatures for each board member. If he gets enough signatures (they can’t be older than 90 days when he turns them in), the recall could go to ballot.

Davenport, who was elected to the board in May and could not immediately be reached for comment, wants to recall the six members because he believes they are violating a district policy by allowing Superintendent Linda Thompson to hold her position, while her brother Bashir, sits on the board.

Tearing Down the Past

Flint is getting a new IRS building. Melissa Burden of The Flint Journal reports:

The U.S. General Services Administration in late July awarded a contract to Elba Road Development LLC of Lapeer for a new IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. That group will construct a 14,470-square-foot, one-story building at 901 N. Saginaw St., said David Wilkinson, a regional spokesman for the GSA.

The IRS and its 44 employees have outgrown its leased office, 815 S. Saginaw St. at Court Street, its home since 1995. The office is one of six such centers across Michigan.

"The IRS really needed more parking and accessibly," said Donald Schaffer, a sales associate for Siegel Realty in Flint Township, who added there is a bus stop near the front of the new site.

But like many Flint building projects — especially when it involves the need for "more parking" — this one has a catch. Two vacant brick buildings that have a lot of potential at 901 and 915 N. Saginaw Street just north of St. Michael's will be demolished.

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The Future of Buick City

After a rousing and, at times, bizarre discussion of environmental degradation and the future of Flint's abandoned factory sites, comes this article by Melissa Burden in The Flint Journal:

Officials have said that an unnamed investor wants to transform the about 220-acre Buick City site into a multimillion dollar rail-to-rail and rail-to-truck intermodal facility, creating up to 600 jobs, plus construction jobs.

"Our hard work may be lost if we don't resolve the brownfield issue," said Tim Herman, chief executive officer of the chamber, which along with other area leaders has spent hundreds of hours on the Buick City project over the past three years.

Herman said at issue is who will have the environmental responsibility going forward on the site. Often times when someone buys an industrial property, the environmental liability transfers to the new owner, Herman said.

"It's not fair to have someone who wants to use this property ... and have him taking on all that environmental responsibility," said Bill Winiarski, chairman of the Genesee County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.

Strangely, there was no mention of how Star Trek episodes might play a role in the redevelopment projects. (You have to read the first post linked above for this hilarious comment to make any sense.)

Signs of Life Downtown

Despite the economy, restaurants are coming to downtown along with the students.

Melissa Burden of The Flint Journal reports:

"Two new restaurants with 75 employees, managed and operated by longtime Genesee County restaurateur George Falaras, are coming to the Community Foundation Building on South Saginaw Street.

"WizeGuys Pizza Inc. and 501 Bar & Grill could be open within 90 days, said Falaras, 55, of Grand Blanc Township.

"That means downtown Flint is getting at least four new restaurants this spring. Full-service restaurant and bar Blackstone's Pub & Grill, 531 S. Saginaw St., should open by April, and Soyla's, a Mexican restaurant, is near opening in the new Wade Trim Building, 555 S. Saginaw St."

Bringing people downtown

More small steps that might add up to real change in Flint:

"Thousands of car buffs and enthusiasts gathering to admire shiny rides and the years of memories they elicit," reports Melissa Burden of The Flint Journal.

"Hundreds of people enjoying a concert, sampling food and drinks on a warm summer day.

"They're part of a grassroots group's vision to pack downtown Flint with a festival or event every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day in 2009, piggybacking off several successful and highly attended downtown events this past summer.

"Steve Casner, owner of Casner Insurance Agency Inc. in Flint Township, and four other people who share a love of cars have been talking for more than a year about bringing more events and festivals downtown. The group -- which includes a physician and a teacher -- would like to see the events bring in 10,000 or more people each weekend."

Thankfully, it does not appear that drag racing will find a spot on the Flint calendar.

Housing swap

Here's yet another example of the creativity — or is it desperation? — inspired by the flagging housing market: Some homebuilders around Genesee County are willing to take your old house off your hands, provided you buy one of their new houses.

Melissa Burden of The Flint Journal reports:

"With home owners struggling to sell their houses in an over-saturated market, some builders are offering a trade instead. Home owners buy a new home built by the construction company, which agrees to buy the old home.

"At least three area builders have such programs -- which builders say are helping them make deals in one of the toughest times the U.S. housing market has weathered.

"'We're seeing more of this,' said Lee Schwartz, executive vice president for government relations for the Michigan Association of Home Builders in Lansing. 'There are a number of companies now, that in order to sell existing housing stock that they have, they are buying the home of their customer. Generally it's a company with good resources behind it.'

"Builders with these programs likely are losing money on buying your house, but make a profit on the sale of the new homes."