Show up, Citizen

Dan Kelly's initial foray into local government started with pot! Recreational Marijuana became legal in Michigan in November of 2017 and in July of 2019, Lake Township passed the Prohibition of Marihuana Establishments Ordinance.

Back then, I was managing the family farm and preparing for the transfer of land and equipment assets into my LLCs. In September I attended Lake Township's board meeting and asked why the board felt compelled to prohibit marijuana businesses. The consensus seemed to be that since the majority of voters in Lake Township had opposed recreational marijuana, the board assumed that a prohibition was the will of their constituents. I opined that the Township's remaining farms and orchards were a valuable asset for economic diversity. I pointed out that farmland preservation is a priority for the state of Michigan and that by taking profitable opportunities away from local farmers, Lake Township was working against Michigan's stated goals.

Although I had experimented with cultivating marijuana through Michigan's Medical Marijuana Program, I didn't have a firm plan to grow or sell commercially. My primary objective in speaking to the Township board was to advocate for regional farms and farmers. The board advised me that if I ever did have a plan to grow, they might consider a variance. Lake Township's meeting minutes from September 2019 didn't document the entire conversation, only stating that I would keep Lake Township informed of my (marijuana) plans.

At that time I offered, both verbally and later via email, to assist the Planning Committee as an advocate for both farming and the wilds. I realize now that there's never going to be a formal invitation. Local government is about showing up and making sure our voices are heard and appropriate action taken.

Fast forward to February of 2023, when Lake Township's draft Master Plan was released. I noticed that agriculture had been deleted as a land use category. This seemed strange as the total acreage of working agriculture in Lake Township is comparable to Crystal Downs country club, which is mentioned repeatedly in the Master Plan. There were also several inaccurate statements about the history of the township and no actionable strategies for restoring the natural environment.

I attended the Planning Committee meeting and asked why agriculture was removed. I also offered extensive revisions that addressed the errors and proposed a new approach to the wilds. The Commission eventually agreed to restore the previous Master Plan's mention of agriculture, yay! Unfortunately, the Master Plan passed by the Board still contains factual errors and flaws.

Again, showing up is essential. The Township board is considerate and competent, but there's a lot of business to conduct. Clearly, important ideas and perspectives will fall through the cracks if residents of Lake Township do not consistently share our collective wisdom and insight with our elected officials.