Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 30 years. Their goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever.

As a founding partner of the  Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary has played a significant role in reducing polio cases by 99.9 percent since their first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.

They have helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries. So far, Rotary has contributed more than $1.8 billion toward eradicating the disease worldwide.

Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

 But it's crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.

Those attending this community spaghetti dinner are helping make an impact across and around the globe.

 Livonia is playing a significant role in eradicating polio. Rotary AM and Rotary Noon are leading the fight and for that reason all of Livonia says thank you Rotary.

On June 6 a dozen intrepid citizens opposed to selling off park land, Hines Park specifically, showed up at the Kirksey Recreation Center to attend a meeting between Livonia and Wayne County officials for the purpose of updating Livonia on the progress or process of the

 sale of Newburgh Mill.

The residents were told that the meeting was cancelled and had no idea on when the meeting might be rescheduled.

But in a letter obtained by FridayMusings the meeting was held on June 6, with citizens not told where the meeting was being held, with an additional meeting on June 20th.

 Attending the June 6th meeting according to a memo sent to the City Council by Mayor Dennis Wright was Wright, Dave Varga, Mark Taormina, Brian Meakin and Ted Davis. The meeting included "interviews arranged by Wayne County with prospective developers" of the " approximately 4,000 square foot historic mill building, as well as a horse stable and outbuilding on about 2 acres of land containing roughly 375 feet of frontage on Newburgh Lake."

The proposals presented to the city of Livonia included a "microbrewery, micro-distillery, restaurant/cafe, dental office and wellness spa."  Four of the five proposals of the Newburgh Mill site, part of Hines Park, relied "on supplemental redevelopment of the balance of the property, including a small retail plaza, apartments, townhouses and a senior living

facility."

Mayor Wright told the members of the Livonia City Council in this memo dated that "the County is seeking guidance from the City as to the preferred uses(s) of the property. It was made very clear to the County that any expression of preference from the advisory committee is non-binding. . ."the County Administration is looking to move quickly through the process of engaging a developer with either a purchase agreement or letter of intent. The County indicated that could take up to three months. The County anticipates that its selected developer would begin the entitlement process with the City (rezoning and site plane/waver use) at the same time the County Commission is weighing the offer."

Mayor Wright in acknowledging that their input was limited to feedback on proposed uses did provide a summary and evaluation of the proposals. There was a consensus of those attending the June 6 meeting that supported the reuse of the existing mill a a microbrewery or distillery or cafe while preserving the historic nature of the mill.

This entire process for the Newburgh Mill has been wrapped in secrecy with no opportunity for public input, no chance to hear the proposal. Yes the public will have their two minutes to say something about the proposal at a County Commission hearing in Detroit. Two minutes in public comment after the Commission votes on the proposal to sell Newburgh and Phoenix Mills. 

Livonia had another option had the committee chosen to look at it. That was to oppose the sale of the property by simply

 stating that Livonia would like the property to be maintained as public land. As a result of the finding of the committee Wayne County is now saying that Livonia supports a micro-brewery. That statement shared by Wayne County does not include that "the potential sale of Newburgh Mill is outside the City's jurisdiction."

That last quote is factually correct but once the property is sold there will be limited opportunity by the City to maintain the Mill as public land and as a part of Hines Park.

Wayne County has let this property fall into a state of disrepair despite having received $250 million dollars from the 1/4 mill taxpayers approved years ago. $10 million a year. With this money the County should have and could have kept the building renovated, applied for historic preservation grants, leased the building out themselves while maintaining ownership. 

So now the proposal to purchase is going to the Commission committee and then to the full Board of Commissioners at

 the same time possibly being sent to the City of Livonia to seek rezoning.

Only two County Commissioners are set to vote no. Commissioners Glenn Anderson and Diane Webb. So it is a done deal for Phoenix and Newburgh Mills. All without input from the nearly 13,000 residents who signed petitions asking that they mills be maintained as public land and not sold.

Warren Evans has done a disservice to citizens who wanted to be engaged. 13,000 who wanted to be engaged. Thank you Glenn Anderson and Diane Webb for wanting to open up county government while engaging citizens on the issue of selling off park land. 

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