On June 19, 2023, at the Ferrysburg City Council meeting, Field Reichardt gave a presentation on behalf of the BLPCCC (Board of Light and Power Charter Change Coalition) which is a citizen-led initiative not supported by the Board of Light and Power (BLP). This citizen-led group collected signatures to place a proposal on the November 2023 ballot that, if passed, will place the BLP under the control and direction of the Grand Haven City Council. The BLPCCC, wants to create a new city department to advise the City Council who will oversee the BLP, with members appointed to the advisory board by the Grand Haven City Council.
What’s interesting is that citizen Karen Lowe, citizen Ryan Cummins, and citizen Kevin McLaughlin, who also serve as members of the Grand Haven City Council, as well as citizen Andrea Hendrick, who serves on the Board of Light and Power discussed changing the charter to dissolve the BLP in August 2022.
Additionally, according to Field Reichardt, citizen Ryan Cummins was busy working behind the scenes back in August 2022.
If this initiative passes, voters will no longer elect the technical leaders of the Board of Light and Power. Instead, an advisory board would be appointed by the Grand Haven City Council. Under the current system, if a BLP member resigns or can no longer serve, the City of Grand Haven is responsible for appointing a replacement. This recently happened when Kurt Knoth was appointed to the BLP.
Reichardt presented this proposal at the Ferrysburg City Council meeting. Several city council members voiced concerns over the proposal.
One Ferrysburg City Council member asked questions about the qualifications of the Grand Haven City Council to select technical BLP members.
“How is Grand Haven Council qualified to pick people to serve on the board?”
Field Reichardt responded, “I think they would have to go through a process like they did when they recently appointed Kurt Knoth to serve on the board; where people came in, they made presentations, presented their backgrounds, and so forth, and then the council made a selection. [] They clearly proved when they appointed Mr. Knoth to the board that they went through quite a process, and I think that a responsible council would probably do the same.”
Another Ferrysburg council member expressed concern regarding the loss of influence of the BLP, and that it would become an advisory body rather than a decision-making body. “As an advisory board they can make a recommendation, but at the end of the day it’s up to city council. If they chose to go against that [the recommendation], there is nothing stopping them. [] What assurances do we have as residents of Ferrysburg that the City Council of Grand Haven will act in the best interest of Ferrysburg?”
Reichardt responded, “You will have a representative with a vote on that board. It will have quite a bit of impact.”
It was then reiterated that the voice is non-binding, “but a vote to make a recommendation, not a vote to make a change.”
Reichardt’s statement that Ferrysburg will have a representative on the board is misleading the residents of the City of Ferrysburg to mistakenly believe that the charter change would increase their influence. The truth is that the Board of Light and Power utility is owned by the residents of the City of Grand Haven. The utility serves residents outside the city through contracts known as franchise agreements. If the charter change passes, the franchise agreements would likely be transfered to the city. Customers of the BLP outside the city could potentially take actions to terminate the franchise agreements if they were unhappy with their service.
Reichardt’s response pointed to hearings open to the public. “It’s to make a recommendation to the city, but the city will have very public hearings. The city will also have public hearings, and if people don’t like what recommendations have been, they clearly have the ability to say so.”
If this proposal passes, it would give the Grand Haven City Council the ability to set electric utility rates. Grand Haven City Council is currently facing unprecedented expenses with pension liabilities and environmental clean-up costs associated with Harbor Island. Is it possible that rates could be increased to cover the costs of these expenses? Currently, the BLP has meetings open to the public, but would future meetings of the BLP advisory department be open to the public, or would the public only be able to witness when the advisory body seeks approval from city council? Above, Mr. Reichardt alluded to hearings open to the public, but not department meetings. It seems to me like this proposal would bring less transparency, not more.
Perhaps a Ferrysburg board member said it best. “I have a problem with the Grand Haven City Council making decisions about my utility company. [] I have been a customer for 29 years. I am not unhappy at all, and I know our rates are less than Consumer’s. I don’t see the reason for a change personally.”