THRU SEPT 29 2 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • July 3, 2013 Announcing a FREE! Arts New Career Council Hot Spot at 200 S. Grand. 2074 Aurelius Rd., Holt At Veterans Memorial Gardens Amphitheater The New Lansing Campus All Shows Start at 7:00 P.M. Thursday, July 11: Thursday, July 25: Announcing our newest campus, conveniently located in the J & J Sounds Detour heart of downtown Lansing. The remodeled, nine-story building “Little big band” Bluegrass will feature high-tech classrooms, a library, and state-of-the-art Thursday, July 18: Thursday, aug. 1: nursing, technology and science labs. Undergraduate and Joshua Davis Hullabaloo graduate degrees will be offered in business, technology and American roots music Funky pop health, so be sure to stop by and find out how to register for fall classes. And get where the world is going! Made possible with the support of Michigan Council for Arts davenport.edu/lansing | 800-686-1600 & Cultural Affairs and the Arts Council of Greater Lansing. www.holtarts.org Get where the world is going City Pulse • July 3, 2013 www.lansingcitypulse.com 3 –25 how it works . 21 july 1 Visit the website. 2 Choose a restaurant. Experience the best in local cuisine from some of the Capital Area’s most outstanding restaurants. 2013 • 1ST CAPITAL AREA It’s a great way to try something new — and help out the Greater Lansing Food Bank. 3 Make a reservation. Pick a restaurant day — or several — during the week of July 21–25. Then contact the restaurant and tell them you’re coming for Restaurant Week! wee k 4 Special menus! When you arrive at the restaurant ask for the special “Restaurant Week” menu — then enjoy a three-course meal for $25 per person or $25 per couple. Preview menus at www.CARW2013.com. 5 Share your experience! yourself y! Go to our Facebook page . talk Fee d ! Fee d yo nit about your experience . tag your ur commu tweets and instagram pics with #CARW2013. 6 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Greater Lansing Food Bank! 13.com 20 carw 4 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • July 3, 2013 Consequently, county representatives left this meeting confident that we had ample VOL. 12 Soccer saga time to put the six-month lease extension ISSUE 47 This is a guest column by Ingham through our committees, allowing the full County Commissioner Kara Hope. board to vote on it well before July 27. (517) 371-5600 • Fax: (517) 999-6061 • 1905 E. Michigan Ave. • Lansing, MI 48912 • www.lansingcitypulse.com Some time after that May 21 meet- ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: (517) 999-6705 You might already know that Lansing ing, Lansing Economic Area Partnership PAGE CLASSIFIED AD INQUIRIES: (517) 999-5066 Mayor Virg Bernero recently signed a deal President and CEO Bob Trezise convinced or email [email protected] to let a private company run the Kenneth a reportedly reluctant mayor to meet with 6 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER • Berl Schwartz A. Hope Soccer Complex. Maybe you Kevin Mullin, who co-owns Michigan Chill [email protected] • (517) 999-5061 thought, “So what?” After all, outside the SBS Soccer Club. [Editor’s note: The city MANAGING/NEWS EDITOR • Andy Balaskovitz soccer community, did anyone even know has entered into a lease agreement with Column: Uncommon ground [email protected] • (517) 999-5064 that Ingham County ran the facility for the Mid-Michigan Sports Turf LLC. Mullin’s ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR • Allan I. Ross past 15 years? Does anyone outside the soc- wife, Julie Mullin, says she is the owner of [email protected] • (517) 999-5068 PRODUCTION MANAGER • Rachel Harper cer community care who runs the place? Mid-Michigan Sports Turf and that Kevin PAGE [email protected] • (517) 999-5066 Well, you should care. Why? Because a Mullin does not play an operating role in CALENDAR EDITOR • Dana Casadei facility that was constructed, maintained it.] On June 10, the county learned that the 12 [email protected] • (517) 999-5069 and operated with your tax dollars is being city would not renew its lease. The county STAFF WRITERS given — like a big responded with two letters, asking the city to Lawrence Cosentino [email protected] • (517) 999-5063 shiny present — to a grant a six-month extension. And I person- ‘Meet Me at the Fountain’ concerts highlight downtown gem Sam Inglot private enterprise. I ally called and wrote the mayor, asking him [email protected] • (517) 999-5065 can tell you how this to slow the process and to reconsider. The MARKETING/PROMOTIONS COORDINATOR/ happened, but only mayor did not respond to either the county’s PAGE SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT • Rich Tupica the mayor could tell official communications or to my personal [email protected] • (517) 999-6710 you why. letter. ADVERTISING MANAGER • Shelly Olson 22 [email protected] • (517) 999-6705 First, some back- To date, the Ingham County Board of ADVERTISING ground information: Commissioners has not acted to close the Denis Prisk For many years, the Hope Soccer Complex. The county has bud- A taste tour of Leelanau Peninsula's wines [email protected] • (517) 999-6704 Hope City of Lansing used geted funding to operate it through the end Contributors: Justin Bilicki, Bill Castanier, the site of the Hope of 2013. Mary C. Cusack, Amanda Harrell-Seyburn, Tom Soccer Complex as a garbage dump. Using The mayor didn’t engage in much COVER Helma, Terry Link, Kyle Melinn, Shawn Parker, Michigan DNR grant funds, the city and meaningful, direct communication with Dennis Preston, Dylan Sowle, Paul Wozniak, Ute Von Der Heyden, Judy Winter county rehabilitated the property. At least the county, but his staff didn’t hold back ART Delivery drivers: Richard Bridenbaker, Dave Fisher, $2.4 million in state, city and county funds on buzzwords. “Win-win” and “public- Karen Navarra, Noelle Navarra, Brent Robison, Steve Stevens was spent to transform the property into a private partnership” have been used to sell Interns: Sean Bradley, Eric Finkler, Hannah Scott, Ian soccer facility. In 1998, the county agreed to the mayor’s decision to the county Soccer DETROIT ROCK CITY by DENNIS PRESTON Siporin, Jordyn Timpson, Darby Vermeulen, Kali Jo Wolkow lease the property from the city for $1 year- Advisory Board and to me. The problem Editor & Publisher Berl ly. In return, the county agreed to operate with buzzwords is that they’re usually used CITY PULSE ON THE AIR Schwartz the complex, which was later dedicated in to distract from what is really going on. Ken Hope’s name. As required by the grant, Of course, the city picked one winner Andy Schor, state representative, 68th district 7 p.m. Wednesdays the original agreement had a 15-year term, here: Mid-Michigan Sports Turf has won Sam Singh, state representative, 69th district which ends on July 27. and won big. The business will be housed in In late spring, some rumors surfaced a multi-million dollar facility for the next 59 Author Steve Miller about Hope Soccer Complex’s future as months for a mere $1,000 yearly. There is THIS WEEK a county facility. At our first opportunity, no question that the new management will several county commissioners, including raise the facility’s user fees. This means that myself, addressed these rumors during a small soccer groups and groups comprised May 21 meeting with the mayor. At that of folks of modest means might no longer be time, I expressed two things: (1) that Hope able to use the facility. So they can’t possibly Soccer Complex should remain a pub- be the other winners. The taxpayers can’t be lic soccer facility and (2) that the county counted as winners either; they just footed wanted the first opportunity to renew the the bill for this extravagant prize. lease for at least six months. For his part, There are examples of true public-pri- the mayor stated in no uncertain terms vate partnerships — situations where both that the city didn’t want the complex and that, without a lessee, he would close it. See Soccer, Page 5 PUBLIC NOTICES CITY OF LANSING SUMMARY OF ADOPTED ORDINANCE #1183 LANSING CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED ORDINANCE NO. 1183 - AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF LANSING, MICHIGAN, TO REPEAL SECTION 1282.03 OF THE LANSING CODIFIED ORDINANCES AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW SECTION 1282.03 PERMITTING THE GRANT OF A SPECIAL LAND USE ON THE CONDITION THAT THE SPECIAL LAND USE NOT RESULT IN A CHANGE TO THE SITE PLAN SUBMITTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH APPLICATION FOR THE SPECIAL LAND USE. EFFECTIVE DATE: UPON PUBLICATION NOTICE: THE FULL TEXT OF THIS ORDINANCE IS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK, 9TH FLOOR, CITY HALL, LANSING, MICHIGAN. A COPY OF THE FULL TEXT OF THIS ORDINANCE MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE CITY CLERK, 9TH FLOOR CITY HALL, LANSING, MICHIGAN AT A FEE DETERMINED BY CITY COUNCIL. CHRIS SWOPE, LANSING CITY CLERK City Pulse • July 3, 2013 www.lansingcitypulse.com 5 PULSE NEWS & OPINION tion or timeline for the structure. There going well. One year later is also no foreseeable vote from the Schrader agrees with Sinila. While Lansing City Council on whether the Schrader said the company has agreed to It’s been one year since the company deserves a six-year tax abate- the stucco — a type of siding that would C Niowave pole barn controversy ment worth $550,000, which has been hide the metal exterior — neighbors also flared: Negotiations progress, on the table since the ceremony. want “architectural trim” used on the OF THE WEEK but no solution and no tax abate- In early April, Niowave agreed to pay building, which would help break up its ment vote foreseen $101,000 of a proposed $215,000 façade appearance.