This week was very busy for the County Commission. As I have said before, we do much of our work in committees, and we spent considerable time on several items this week.
In County Services, we started out with about an hour discussing the Land Bank. Treasurer Schertzing presented us with about 130 tax foreclosed properties for the county to acquire. When a property goes into tax foreclosure, the county acquires it and, in our case, decides how that property is disposed of. Some are auctioned off, some are demolished, and some are purchased by the Land Bank to be redeveloped and resold. Some commissioners are concerned that our Land Bank has too many properties as it is and do not want us to take on any further burden. Schertzing explained that many of the properties are bundled and sold at auction, and only some are retained by the Land Bank. And those that are retained are redeveloped and sold to go back on the tax rolls. The Land Bank has been doing an excellent job getting properties back in shape, especially with the current state of the economy leading to so many tax foreclosed properties. This includes both residential and commercial properties. In County Services, the resolution passed 4-2, and in Finance it passed 6-0.
A resolution was put before us that would have the County maintain several City of Lansing parks. The Mayor has apparently requested that the County maintain 25 city parks of 5 acres or less, and 15 parks on the river trail. The language provided by the Mayor’s office, though, was greatly concerning to many of us. We discussed this with our Parks Director. The resolution itself listed several think that the County would do. The primary function would be mowing, with specific conditions listed. These include mowing to a certain height, pick up grass clippings, trimming all vegetation around obstacles (fences, signs, posts, curbs, sidewalks, etc), removal of branches and leaves on trails, snow removal, removal of all litter and trash debris on the lawn, and emptying trash barrels daily. Also listed was signs to be installed by County staff and graffiti removal, but we rejected those two conditions because they would take significantly more manpower and time. It requires that the county do a thorough clean up before the first mowing in the spring, compliance of the Snow Removal Ordinance regarding sidewalks, and other things. In exchange for all this and more, the City will pay the County $236,000. While many Commissioners had some initial doubts, our Parks Director assured us that we could accomplish the needs for this amount. Questions were raised, though, if our actions here would result in layoffs at the city or have other labor implications. We are looking into those questions. We also heard that the Mayor sent this to us without discussing it with Council. Many of us Commissioners are hesitant to get in the middle of another fight between the Mayor and Council (as we did with the zoo), so we wanted to be sure that all parties at the City are aware of this request from the Mayor. We have sent this to our City Attorney for review, and will start negotiations with the appropriate City entities.
In Finance, we had a very active discussion about the Juvenile Justice millage. This is the millage that was approved twice by Ingham County residents. Every year we approve a certain amount of money from the millage to go towards community agencies that assist youths that are at-risk and have not yet gone through the courts (pre-adjudicated). This amount now is $100,000, and Commissioner Nolan expressed that she would like to see more money going towards these prevention efforts when possible. Commissioner Bahar-Cook also discussed the makeup of those that have applied in the past and how they can use the money. The committee had a good discussion of the dollars available, the amount matched by the state through the Child Care fund, and the importance of prevention. We will move forward with the $100,000 amount, but several of us (including me) expressed that we would like to see more for prevention if there are enough agencies applying.
Finally, if you haven’t seen the Lansing State Journal or national news, Register of Deeds Curtis Hertel, Jr filed a personal lawsuit against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for not paying taxes owed. The County Services and Finance committees passed a resolution to have the County enter into an agreement with the Home Defense League to represent the County and file suit to recapture these fees. In essence, we would replace Hertel as the plaintiff in the lawsuit. Hertel is the statewide leader in this effort (once again) and filed the suit himself because time was of the essence. With passage of this resolution, the County will officially take on the lawsuit, as is appropriate. We expect to receive tens of millions of dollars that are owed to the County by Freddie Mac and Fannie May, who chose not to pay the county and state taxes that are owed. Read here for more information!
And for those following my political State House campaign, I sent out an email this week to supporters indicating that we have raised more than $35,000 in 4 months and have received tremendous support from elected and neighborhood leaders. The momentum has been tremendous, and continues to grow. Stay tuned!
That’s it for this week. That is just a snapshot of everything that we have done, but I think it is long enough!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Foreclosure Fraud Attorney's and Symposiums,Wolverine Pipeline Right-of-Way Clearing
This week the County Board of Commissioners had a relatively non-controversial agenda. We passed the resolution for the Register of Deeds and Treasurer that will allow for legal aide attorneys to be used for the foreclosure fraud cases. This will ensure that residents facing fraud will have the resources they need to stay in their home or get back into their homes. In addition, Register of Deeds Curtis Hertel announced a series of 10 symposiums throughout the county for people to attend to learn more and lodge complaints. They are listed below. He also announced a foreclosure fraud hotline for those who are going through foreclosure and suspect foreclosure fraud or property fraud. Residents can call 676-7210, and they are guaranteed to receive a call back within 24 hours.
In public testimony, the Wolverine Pipeline folks announced that they will be doing a series of Right-of-Way (ROW) clearings along the ares of the pipeline. Right-of-ways are between 50 and 100 feet. They are regulated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Administration of the federal government. The pipeline monitored 26 times per year in specific intervals. The company does fly-overs to accomplish this. They displayed the importance of keeping these ROW's clear. Emergency response would be limited if the properties are overgrown with weeds and vegetation. The Wolverine Pipeline was formerly owned by Total petroleum. Wolverine purchased it and slowly reclaimed the rights-of-way. The program now is maintenance only and not reclamation. They said they will contact every land owner before doing any clearing on private property. They have easement rights to do this, but want to let folks know before doing any work. They gave us a variety of materials with pictures and examples. If you are on the pipeline route, then be ready for the clearing to come soon. If you have questions, you can contact Fred Hipshear, Wolverine's Right-of-Way agent, at 269 323-2491 (office), 269 217-5158 (cell), or at rightofway@wplco.com.
That's it. A relatively light agenda. Here is the list of symposiums for foreclosure:
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Cristo Rey Community Center
1717 N. High Street
Lansing, Michigan 48906
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 5:30 p.m.
East Lansing Hannah Center Community Center
Executive Conference Room
819 Abbott Road
East Lansing, Michigan 48823
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Ingham County Fair Ground
Community Hall
Mason Michigan
Thursday, August 25, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Gar Hall
107 E. Bellevue
Leslie, Michigan
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 7:00 p.m.
Eastside Neighborhood
Foster Community Center
200 N. Foster
Room 213
Lansing, Michigan 48912
Tuesday, September 20, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Williamston Community Center
Thursday, October 13, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Webberville
Village of Weberville Cultural Center
115 S. Main
Tuesday, October 25 2011 5:30 p.m.
African American Health Institute
835 West Genesse
Lansing, Michigan 48933
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Okemos High School
Okemos, Michigan
Thursday, November 17, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Grace of Love Church Ministry
2618 S. Waverly Hwy.
Lansing, Michigan 48911
In public testimony, the Wolverine Pipeline folks announced that they will be doing a series of Right-of-Way (ROW) clearings along the ares of the pipeline. Right-of-ways are between 50 and 100 feet. They are regulated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Administration of the federal government. The pipeline monitored 26 times per year in specific intervals. The company does fly-overs to accomplish this. They displayed the importance of keeping these ROW's clear. Emergency response would be limited if the properties are overgrown with weeds and vegetation. The Wolverine Pipeline was formerly owned by Total petroleum. Wolverine purchased it and slowly reclaimed the rights-of-way. The program now is maintenance only and not reclamation. They said they will contact every land owner before doing any clearing on private property. They have easement rights to do this, but want to let folks know before doing any work. They gave us a variety of materials with pictures and examples. If you are on the pipeline route, then be ready for the clearing to come soon. If you have questions, you can contact Fred Hipshear, Wolverine's Right-of-Way agent, at 269 323-2491 (office), 269 217-5158 (cell), or at rightofway@wplco.com.
That's it. A relatively light agenda. Here is the list of symposiums for foreclosure:
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Cristo Rey Community Center
1717 N. High Street
Lansing, Michigan 48906
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 5:30 p.m.
East Lansing Hannah Center Community Center
Executive Conference Room
819 Abbott Road
East Lansing, Michigan 48823
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Ingham County Fair Ground
Community Hall
Mason Michigan
Thursday, August 25, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Gar Hall
107 E. Bellevue
Leslie, Michigan
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 7:00 p.m.
Eastside Neighborhood
Foster Community Center
200 N. Foster
Room 213
Lansing, Michigan 48912
Tuesday, September 20, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Williamston Community Center
Thursday, October 13, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Webberville
Village of Weberville Cultural Center
115 S. Main
Tuesday, October 25 2011 5:30 p.m.
African American Health Institute
835 West Genesse
Lansing, Michigan 48933
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Okemos High School
Okemos, Michigan
Thursday, November 17, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Grace of Love Church Ministry
2618 S. Waverly Hwy.
Lansing, Michigan 48911
Thursday, June 9, 2011
New Drain Project, Foreclosure Fraud, Efficiencies in Register of Deeds Ofc, Fundraiser Update
The County Commission was back in action this week. We had committee meetings, where we do most of the details of our work (as you know if you are a weekly reader).
In County Services and Finance, we took up a resolution pledging full faith and credit of the count for the bonds for the Kalamink Consolidated Drain Drainage
District Bonds. Drain Commissioner Pat Lindemann discussed the project. Webberville village and LeRoy Twp initiated this. The Drain Commissioner held meetings in the affected communities (2 townships and the village). This is a consolidation of two older drains into one. There are 933 parcels in the district and it is 12 ½ miles long. Drain Commissioner Lindemann told us that with 10,250 acres in the drainage district, individual assessments won’t be that large. The Drain Commissioner will replace a culvert, and will also take out 2 old pipes and put in a spanned bridge for 5 homes (that they will pay for) to relieve water backs up and very flooded driveways. There were over 25 potential bidders at a pre-bid meeting (which tool 2 ½ hours to show what needs to be done and bid on). The project will follow prevailing wage and will have a Project Labor Agreement. They are expecting at least 12 bids. After the County Commission approves this resolution, bids will come in (the bid process opens on Wednesday) then there will be a meeting with residents to talk about cost. The drain will be maintenance free for 20 years or more. The County pledges full faith and credit so that the Drain Commissioner can get a lower credit rating and save money.
A second resolution that passed was to contract with Legal Aide of Central Michigan to take Referrals from the Ingham County Register of Deeds and the Ingham County treasurer for foreclosure fraud cases. As reported in previous County Updates, hundreds of fraudulent foreclosure cases have been discovered by Register of Deeds Curtis Hertel, Jr. He is a statewide leader in rooting out these fraudulent foreclosures. He said that there are over 400 MERS (Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems) problematic foreclosures. In fact, all assignments my MERS were recently declared illegal. Hertel is working with County Treasurer Eric Schertzing and they have been doing great work, but there is too much for any one person to do. Legal Aide will be very helpful because they have foreclosure experts and counselors that can supplement what the County is doing. The Register of Deeds and Treasurer are mailing to those individuals that can be found and offering help from legal aide and other resources. We are trying to get these people back into their houses. Not only is this the right thing to do, it will also bring in more money to the county because it keeps people in their homes and keeps the tax base up. Even banks are coming to table to keep people in their homes, and this will help that effort. The only thing that residents can do now is to hire their own attorney. The Register of Deeds is trying to create a 3rd party tribunal in state law, but that hasn't happened yet. The Register of Deeds will also be conducting symposiums across the county soon to address foreclosure, foreclosure fraud, and property fraud. While anyone can get advice from Legal Aide and their are no income restrictions, they are not taking people as clients who can afford their own attorney. If you are in need of advice or assistance, you can contact the Register of Deeds or Legal Aide.
Finally, we considered a resolution to authorize the purchase of a new record management system for the Register of Deeds Office. The current system is not working and we had real problems with the current vendor which just couldn't be bridged. An evaluation committee comprised of staff from the Register of Deeds Office, Purchasing and MIS recommended awarding a contract to Fidlar Acquisition for $555,000 for a new land records management system (which includes five years of support and maintenance). Fidlar has a high degree of knowledge of the various aspects of recording land and vital documents in the State of Michigan – currently 15 other County Register of Deeds clients in Michigan are using Fidlar. In total, Fidlar has 218 county clients throughout 14 states and has been providing technology solutions to Recorder’s offices since 1987. Fidlar has a well-qualified staff consisting of 52 people, 7 of which were added in the past 18 months. Fidlar has agreed to meet all the County’s contractual terms and conditions and procurement policies. Also, MIS will purchase the required computer hardware for the new system from registered County vendors at a not to exceed cost of $25,189. This new contract is expected to bring in about $400,000 additional revenues in next 4 years
to the general fund. The contract will be paid for by the Register of Deeds Automation Fund, and not the General Fund. The contract will be a 4 year contract, and anything new that the company creates we get for free. Register of Deeds Hertel told us that this will improve accuracy and speed of work flow in his office. It will also ensure that the County is complying with state law in dealing with the order in which documents are put on record. It will capture more data on each document to help protect citizens from fraud, and will insure the protection of our online data. Finally, it will allow us to market ourselves against overseas title mills. I commend the Register of Deeds for his proactive work on this to make systems better and more efficient!
For all those following my political campaign, I hope you will join me at my next fundraiser on Monday. You can see the details on my webpage at www.andyschor.com. The campaign has been going really well and the support has been tremendous. I look to keep the momentum going for the next 15 months! Thanks everyone!!!
In County Services and Finance, we took up a resolution pledging full faith and credit of the count for the bonds for the Kalamink Consolidated Drain Drainage
District Bonds. Drain Commissioner Pat Lindemann discussed the project. Webberville village and LeRoy Twp initiated this. The Drain Commissioner held meetings in the affected communities (2 townships and the village). This is a consolidation of two older drains into one. There are 933 parcels in the district and it is 12 ½ miles long. Drain Commissioner Lindemann told us that with 10,250 acres in the drainage district, individual assessments won’t be that large. The Drain Commissioner will replace a culvert, and will also take out 2 old pipes and put in a spanned bridge for 5 homes (that they will pay for) to relieve water backs up and very flooded driveways. There were over 25 potential bidders at a pre-bid meeting (which tool 2 ½ hours to show what needs to be done and bid on). The project will follow prevailing wage and will have a Project Labor Agreement. They are expecting at least 12 bids. After the County Commission approves this resolution, bids will come in (the bid process opens on Wednesday) then there will be a meeting with residents to talk about cost. The drain will be maintenance free for 20 years or more. The County pledges full faith and credit so that the Drain Commissioner can get a lower credit rating and save money.
A second resolution that passed was to contract with Legal Aide of Central Michigan to take Referrals from the Ingham County Register of Deeds and the Ingham County treasurer for foreclosure fraud cases. As reported in previous County Updates, hundreds of fraudulent foreclosure cases have been discovered by Register of Deeds Curtis Hertel, Jr. He is a statewide leader in rooting out these fraudulent foreclosures. He said that there are over 400 MERS (Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems) problematic foreclosures. In fact, all assignments my MERS were recently declared illegal. Hertel is working with County Treasurer Eric Schertzing and they have been doing great work, but there is too much for any one person to do. Legal Aide will be very helpful because they have foreclosure experts and counselors that can supplement what the County is doing. The Register of Deeds and Treasurer are mailing to those individuals that can be found and offering help from legal aide and other resources. We are trying to get these people back into their houses. Not only is this the right thing to do, it will also bring in more money to the county because it keeps people in their homes and keeps the tax base up. Even banks are coming to table to keep people in their homes, and this will help that effort. The only thing that residents can do now is to hire their own attorney. The Register of Deeds is trying to create a 3rd party tribunal in state law, but that hasn't happened yet. The Register of Deeds will also be conducting symposiums across the county soon to address foreclosure, foreclosure fraud, and property fraud. While anyone can get advice from Legal Aide and their are no income restrictions, they are not taking people as clients who can afford their own attorney. If you are in need of advice or assistance, you can contact the Register of Deeds or Legal Aide.
Finally, we considered a resolution to authorize the purchase of a new record management system for the Register of Deeds Office. The current system is not working and we had real problems with the current vendor which just couldn't be bridged. An evaluation committee comprised of staff from the Register of Deeds Office, Purchasing and MIS recommended awarding a contract to Fidlar Acquisition for $555,000 for a new land records management system (which includes five years of support and maintenance). Fidlar has a high degree of knowledge of the various aspects of recording land and vital documents in the State of Michigan – currently 15 other County Register of Deeds clients in Michigan are using Fidlar. In total, Fidlar has 218 county clients throughout 14 states and has been providing technology solutions to Recorder’s offices since 1987. Fidlar has a well-qualified staff consisting of 52 people, 7 of which were added in the past 18 months. Fidlar has agreed to meet all the County’s contractual terms and conditions and procurement policies. Also, MIS will purchase the required computer hardware for the new system from registered County vendors at a not to exceed cost of $25,189. This new contract is expected to bring in about $400,000 additional revenues in next 4 years
to the general fund. The contract will be paid for by the Register of Deeds Automation Fund, and not the General Fund. The contract will be a 4 year contract, and anything new that the company creates we get for free. Register of Deeds Hertel told us that this will improve accuracy and speed of work flow in his office. It will also ensure that the County is complying with state law in dealing with the order in which documents are put on record. It will capture more data on each document to help protect citizens from fraud, and will insure the protection of our online data. Finally, it will allow us to market ourselves against overseas title mills. I commend the Register of Deeds for his proactive work on this to make systems better and more efficient!
For all those following my political campaign, I hope you will join me at my next fundraiser on Monday. You can see the details on my webpage at www.andyschor.com. The campaign has been going really well and the support has been tremendous. I look to keep the momentum going for the next 15 months! Thanks everyone!!!
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