MAYOR WALLING KEEP LARRY FORD!

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
By Terry Bankert
01/08/2010

KEEP LARRY FORD!

I like the work Larry Ford has done for this community.

You cannot minimize the experience translating into an ability to get the job done that Larry Ford brings to this position.

As City Clerk I sat on the DDA board. We have allowed the downtown interest to under fund and minimize the public body DDA . This has allowed private bodies like Uptown reinvestment to do the publics business.

Walling supports all things UPTOWN REINVESTMENT.

What is becoming apparent is that we must now begin to question the decision making of Rhodes scholar Flint Mayor Dayne Walling.

This is a good case to bring the mayor back to reality, there is a council and a community he should listen to.

I had hoped that Mayor Walling would stop the practice of politics as usual in Flint. Well that is not happening.

I suggest the Flint City Council get some back bone and assert the council ‘s “will” when appropriate. It is appropriate here.

There is a good reason why the final arbitrator of this decision is with the Flint City Council. The Charter gives council the role of setting the vision for Flint allocating the money and representing all of us holding the administration accountable.

But lets talk about Politics as usual in Flint.

This issue , dumping Larry Ford for a Kettering payoff, will break me from blindly supporting the Walling initiatives , will alter relationships and I will take it directly to the mayors door step, critic him directly and put all his initiatives under a microscope no longer will I believe he has a reasonable vision for Flint.

I am just one person , but if a couple of thousand vocal people make the same pledge that’s community power, its loud messy and impolite.

What is an intense community reaction against an elected leaders self serving political decision?

That’s politics as usual in Flint.
Mr. Mayor on this issue it could erupt and head your way. I suggest you compromise.
　
　
THE MYSTIC OF WALLING MELTING AWAY, JUST ANOTHER FLINT POLITICIAN REWARDING HIS FRIENDS AND DOING IT HIS WAY.

The Downtown Development Authority board and other city officials are warring over two candidates under consideration as the authority's next leader.[]

WALLING SAYS , HEY ITS JUST POLITICS!Flint Mayor Dayne Walling wants Caron Wilson, a Kettering University project manager, to replace Larry Ford, who has been serving as interim director since James Rutherford retired. Ford would continue to serve as deputy director, Walling said, though it is unclear whether that would be a permanent position.[]

THE DDA’S REAL LEADERSHIPS WANTS FORDS COMPETENCE, WALLING WANTS POLITICSBut some city council members are questioning Walling's choice, since the DDA board "highly recommended" Ford for the job, they said. The appointment was debated tonight at a council committee meeting with both candidates in attendance. []

THE DDA UNDER FORDS LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN EXCELLENT, EXPIERENCE COUNTS!Walling said the DDA needs new leadership, and he chose the better candidate to move it forward. Others contend that Ford is visible in the community and serves the authority well.[]

THE DDA IS SADDLED BY UPTOWN , TAX DIVERSION AND WALLINGS LACK OF LEADERSHIP"The DDA of 2010 is not the DDA of 1990, 1995 or even 2000," Walling said. "It is saddled with high expectations.[]

WALLING DEFINES STATUS QUO, PEOPLE I DID NOT APPOINT"We cannot let the status quo continue."[]The protocol for appointing a new DDA director begins with the DDA board's personnel committee, which reviews applications and interviews candidates. The personnel committee then nominates two candidates, who in this case were Wilson and Ford.[]

THE COUNCIL CAN SHOW ITS STRENGTH BY REJECTING THIS SELECTIONThe mayor then brings one of those names before city council for approval.[]

BROWN ACCUSES WALLING OF IGNORING THE RULES TO DO IT HIS WAY….HERE WE GO AGAIN…City Clerk Inez Brown, who sits on the DDA board, said it was clear that the board wanted Ford to continue as director and Walling is circumventing the rules for Wilson. []
LARRY FORD"Larry's been the best director that I've worked with," she said. "I cannot speak highly enough of Larry."[]

THESE ARE MY TOYS AND I CAN PLAY WITH THEM ANY WAY I WANTBut Walling said he isn't breaking the rules since he was given two names for consideration.[]

EVEN WHEN THE DDA SAYS IT CANNOT WORK WITH WILSON THE MAYOR WANTS IT HIS WAY.

HOW CAN THE DDA GET ANYTHING DONE IF THE MAYORS LACK OF LEADERSHIP AND CREDIBILITY ON THE DDA IS CALLED INTO QUESTION AS IT IS HERE?"I do not see any way in which I was bound to one name or the other," he said.[]

WILSON WOULD MAKE A GOOD DEPUTYWilson, a Flint native, has worked at Kettering since 1998 in various positions, including student services coordinator and most recently as project manager in the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. She also has worked for the University of Michigan-Flint.[]

WALLING WILL FALL OVER BACKWARDS FOR ANYTHING KETTERING University.Walling said Wilson has the connections and experience to make event management and marketing, among other things, a priority for the DDA.

WANNA BEE CITY ADMINISTRATOR SCOTT KINCAID IS PRACTICING HIS NEW “YES MAN” ROLE WHILE STILL ON THE COUNCIL
Councilman Scott Kincaid said Wilson is "capable and competent."[]

JACKIE POPLAR HAS GOT IT RIGHTBut one community member who addressed the council said Ford works hard for the city. Councilwoman Jackie Poplar said Ford has been known to shovel snow downtown and salt sidewalks early in the morning.[]

LARRY FORD IS MR. FLINT
"You might as well call that man Mr. Flint," resident Dan Hajek said.[]

WE SHOULD ALL ATTEND THIS MEETING , FILL OUT A SPEAKERS SLIP AND SPEAK FOR LARRY FORD.The city council will consider Wilson's nomination at its regular meeting on Monday.[]

GOOD QUESTIONCouncil President Delrico Loyd questioned whether the DDA can afford to have a director and deputy director. Walling said both positions were included in this year's budget. []

LARRY FORD HAS BEEN EMERSED IN ALL THINGS FLINT FOR 30 YEARSSome city council members also were disappointed that neither of the candidates live in the city of Flint. Wilson lives in Flushing, according to her resume []

Posted Here by
Terry Bankert
www.flintfamilylaw.com
　
　
See
[]
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/01/flint_leaders_at_odds_over_app.html

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Relationship disclosure! Is it a good thing?

An ethical question was raised. Do you believe financial disclosure of relationships with products, causes or candidates should be made by internet posters that use their own name or something made up? I do. I have no financial relationship with Lee Gonzales the candidate and the cause. There I showed you mine!
　
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/01/field_grows_in_race_to_replace.html

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The U of M Report to the Land Bank

Adversity to Advantage:
New Vacant Land Uses in Flint

Nathan Geisler, Shana Greenstein, Chuang-Chung Hu, Cisco
Minthorn, Melissa Munsell
Urban and Regional Planning Program, University of Michigan
August 2009


Executive Summary
In the last 40 years, industry, jobs, and people have left Flint, creating a city with thousands of vacant residential lots with a low likelihood of redevelopment.
This project examines how potential new uses might be implemented to use Flint’s increasingly abundant vacant land, focusing on uses only in current residential areas of the city.
The plan addresses potential uses for vacant land in a “focus area,” west of the Buick City industrial stretch in central Flint, which has the highest residential land vacancy rate in the city.
Two smaller pockets of high vacancy east of the Flint River and Buick City
are also included in this focus area.
The uses covered in this plan are: urban agriculture (farming, biofuel crops, tree
nurseries), waste management (deconstruction and composting), natural features enhancements (greenways and trails, expanding green waterfront amenities, and storm water management), and small parks and community gardens.
Stewardship patterns and future vacancy
This plan relied on fieldwork to account for 1) existing stewardship, or the signs that residents are maintaining or beautifying vacant lots, and 2) estimates of future vacancy, by counting the number of dilapidated homes per block that
will soon be demolished to create a new vacant lot.
These counts revealed that:
 The best encouragement for stewardship is the existence of other stewarded lots.
 Future vacancy will reach over 40% per block in many parts of the focus area.
Matching potential uses to Flint’s vacant residential land supply
An examination of the location criteria for potential uses revealed that the uses fall into two broad categories:
 Uses that need large sites (contiguous lots totaling at least one-half acre) and are suitable for highly vacant areas (over 50 percent of lots vacant per block).
 Uses that need small sites (contiguous lots adding up to less than one-half acre) and are suitable for moderately vacant areas (less than 50 percent of lots vacant per block).
This plan examined available vacant land by combining contiguous vacant lots into “sites” and applying use-specific criteria to identify and map optimal locations for each type of use. In addition to the location criteria, implementation
criteria were also identified. The implementation criteria and the number of sites identified for each use are as follows:
Urban farms
 Number of potential sites: 94
 Implementation criteria: Financial viability; strong neighborhood relationships.
Biofuel crops
 Number of potential sites: 281
 Implementation Criteria: Expertise in biofuel crops; demand for product; existence of processing facilities.
Tree nurseries
 Number of potential sites: 56
 Implementation Criteria: Specialized knowledge about growing trees and shrubs.
Deconstruction
 Number of potential sites: 38
 Implementation Criteria: Availability of vacant structures to deconstruct; market for salvaged materials.
Composting
 Number of potential sites: 35
 Implementation Criteria: Supply of organic materials; demand for compost.
Natural features
 Number of potential sites: 100
 Implementation Criteria: Interest in expanding existing trails.
Community gardens and pocket parks
Number of potential sites: 48
 Implementation Criteria: Resident interest.
Key points
The plan details the broad criteria for implementation of each use, identifies opportunities, discusses potential challenges,
and proposes solutions for Flint that have proved successful in other cities. Specific points include:
 Significant urban agriculture already exists in Flint.
 Urban agriculture generally needs social programming or non-profit support to help launch and sustain activities.
 Urban farms benefit most from clustering sites.
 Potential biofuel crop sites face financial feasibility challenges, as this is a mostly untested urban land use with only
early-stage pilot projects to consider for comparison.
 Deconstruction and composting are not currently supported by the city government
 Deconstruction facilities will rely most on private interest and involvement, while the city government can undertake
composting by adapting Flint’s current yard waste collection programs.
 Opportunities to enhance natural features are plentiful along the Flint River, Flint Park Lake and Thread Lake, due
to high rates of vacancy in these areas. Additionally, vacant land along proposed greenway routes can expand
recreational assets in sections of Flint.
 Pocket parks and community gardens are not appropriate in areas of high vacancy where resident upkeep is likely
to be a challenge. Despite the focus area’s high vacancy rates, some blocks are nearly intact and residents can
support parks or gardens to help stabilize physical conditions and home values in neighborhoods.
Recommendations for assembling sites
The Land Bank can promote new vacant land uses through the following approaches:
 Determine target areas: The Land Bank might capitalize on existing neighborhood strengths by focusing new uses
and revitalization efforts in targeted areas.
 Narrow the use focus: Promote uses efficiently and in a manner that reduces the challenge of holding thousands of vacant properties by narrowing the number of uses the Land Bank encourages (example: put resources towards
launching an urban farm cluster on sites in north-central Flint, rather than implementing multiple uses).
 Strategically acquire lots: Obtain lots proactively, through in-kind trades, property swaps, relocation assistance, or the promotion of stricter code enforcement policies in the city. Further, critically examine requests for side lot
transfers – several potential sites were too small because of past transfers of side lots.
 Rank potential properties for acquisition: Assemble the necessary amount of land to promote uses through a
ranking system that shows strategic parcels. This plan maps Land Bank holdings with three contiguous lots and shows the location of recent foreclosure properties and city-owned land that are contiguous with these Land Bank
properties. Acquiring foreclosure properties and city-owned land adjacent to existing Land Bank holdings increases the viability of new uses, by reaching a half-acre size necessary for many of the uses discussed in this
plan.
-
http://www.mlive.com/fljournal/pdfs/Adversity_to_Advantage.pdf

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