By Barry Schatz
As a prior-member of the Presque Isle Township Parks & Recreation Committee, many people have approached me over the last several months to ask why so many trees were cut at the Old and New Presque Isle Lighthouses. First I'll tell you what happened in a quick statement, then I'll fill in the blanks.
Presque Isle Township Supervisor, Patrick Pokorski invited a contractor to come to both lighthouse parks and remove trees. He did this without approval from the Presque Isle Board of Trustees. There were no bids from other contractors. There was no written contract with the company that removed the trees.
The trees are as Township assets just the same as any structure owned by the Presque Isle Township. Nobody knows the value of the logs and wood chips removed from township property. The first photo shows the trees cut as viewed from the 1905 House at the New Presque Isle Lighthouse.
The second and third photos show how the driveway was widened on the circle loop at the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse. What was once a charming tunnel of trees one would drive under is now open to the sky.
Here is the rest of the story. In September of 2009, the Presque Isle Township Parks & Recreation Committee and the Presque Isle Museum Society held a joint meeting. (I attended as a Parks committee member) As hosts of the 4th of July picnic and the Labor Day picnic, the museum society have had concerns regarding parking. They suggested some ideas to add additional parking spaces.
It was agreed upon that Supervisor Patrick Pokorski and two members from the Parks & Recreation Committee were to walk the property at the New Lighthouse and determine what areas would be cut. That meeting didn't happen as planned. What SHOULD have happened was the three men would have reported their thoughts back to the next Park & Rec. meeting for further discussion among the entire committee. At that time, the Parks & Recreation committee acted an advisory committee only with no decision making authority. Once we had reached a decision about the best way to go about the parking issue, we would have made a "recommendation" to the Presque Isle Township Board of Trustees and they would make a decision on a project of this size. There would have been discussion on cost, contractors bids, and zoning rules. (As it turned out at later meetings, protocol would have had Parks & Rec reporting to the Township Planning Commission who would then refer it to the Board of Trustees)
This is what DID happen. Pokorski and Parks committee member Clayton Peters determinted what trees should be removed. At the October meeting of the Parks & Recreation Committee, Supervisor Patrick Pokorski advised the members of the committee that the trees at been cut, "at no cost to the township." Supervisor Pokorski appeared quite pleased with himself that he had arranged a deal where the contractor would not charge the township for the tree removal in exchange for the material including logs and brush that had been chipped to be sold.
It was at this October meeting that Supervisor Pokorski also advised us there had been a large amount of trees cut at the Old Lighthouse. The committee was shocked because there had been no discussion at our prior meeting about any tree removal at the Old Lighthouse. The driveway coming into the park had been widened as well as the circle loop up to the lighthouse.
Supervisor Pokorski was not in town when the trees were being cut. He put Clayton Peters in charge of the project. Clayton thought Pokorski had board approval. Clayton told me as he was instructing the loggers on what trees to cut at the New Lighthouse, he was not aware that a second crew was working at the Old Lighthouse.
In addition to the tree removal at the lighthouses, several large trees were removed from private property (Common property owned by the Presque Isle Harbor Association) near the Presque Isle Cemetery. I was not in attendance at any P.I.H.A. meetings where there may have been discussions on the cutting of trees there so I won't comment on that.
NO COST TO THE TOWNSHIP - As I mentioned, Supervisor Patrick Pokorski said the work was done at no cost to the township. I can say there has been a great amount of cost to the township. The contractor left a huge pile of stumps on the Lake Huron shore near the Old Lighthouse. Dumping on that wetland was a D.E.Q.violation so the township had it removed at a cost to the taxpayers of $2,000.00. Repairs in the Spring of 2010 have already exceeded $5,000.00 in taxpayer money to make the parks safe for visitors. A special meeting was held by the Parks & Recreation committee to walk both parks and discuss repairs and restoration. As the Parks & Recreation Committee is now a paid committee (As of January 2010) each member in attendance was paid the traditional meeting fee of $90.00. Further repairs and restoration is needed and the total cost to the taxpayers isn't yet known.
FAILURE TO ADMIT FAULT - What has angered many residents is Supervisor Patrick Pokorski blamed the Parks and Recreation Committee for the tree cutting. In minutes from Board of Trustees meetings, he refers to "The Plan" the Parks & Recreation Committee had. At a Spring Parks & Rec. meeting, I asked Supervisor Pokorski what he meant by "The Plan". Supervisor Pokorski raised his voice and in an angry tone replied that "The tree cutting is done and we're not discussing it anymore. It's a dead issue." I begged to differ as the township hadn't finished paying for the damages.
The only plan the Parks & Recreation Committee has had was to have further discussions about parking and maintenance. It was Supervisor Pokorski who brought in the logging company. The minutes of all the meetings of the Parks & Rec, the Planing Commission, and the Presque Isle Township Board of Trustees are all public record. Nowhere will anybody find and comments on a plan to cut down these trees.
Township residents and visitors have asked what's being done. The Michigan State Police have been contacted (as of June 12, 2010) and a criminal investigation has begun. A petition to recall Presque Isle Township Supervisor Patrick Pokorski will be be filed with the County Clerk in Rogers City.
Patrick Pokorski is currently running for the for a the 106th district of the Michigan House of Representatives.
Unlike other blogs on the web that pertain to this township, I offer my name as a credible witness to all I have written. Tell me what you think folks! Your name will give your comments credibility as well.
I do want to add that this blog of which I own was not meant to be used for political reasons as I have no political agenda. Unfortunately I have heard stories that suggest a skewed reality of the tree cutting exists in the township and I needed to set the record straight. If any prior or current members of the Parks and Recreation Committee or the Board of Trustees finds error in my words, I will be happy to amend this posting.
I do encourage comments and won't delete them unless they are inappropriate in taste and content. If you have questions you would like to ask in person, The Presque Isle Township Parks & Recreation Committee meets the last Monday of each month at the Township Hall at 7:00. The Planning Commission meets the first Monday and the Board of Trustees meets the second Monday of each month.