GH City Council Members Claim they were Not Involved with the Charter Change Initiative
-Their Emails Tell a Different Story
In April 2023, a local citizen named Jacob Welch announced at a Grand Haven City Council meeting that a group of citizens, known as the Board of Light and Power Charter Change Coalition (BLPCCC), was beginning a signature collection campaign for a ballot initiative. The ballot initiative would place the Grand Haven Board of Light and Power (BLP) under the control of the Grand Haven City Council. Emails obtained via FOIA indicate that three members of the Grand Haven City Council and one member of the Board of Light and Power were involved in the planning of this initiative. Keven McLaughlin, Ryan Cummins, Karen Lowe, and Andrea Hendrick were communicating with Field Reichardt and other community members through their personal email accounts regarding the planning of this initiative. This all came to light just before the July 17, 2023, Grand Haven City Council meeting.
During the July 17th meeting, several citizens showed opposition to the proposed charter change and questioned the involvement of city council members.
(12:15) BLP employee Austin Gagnon gave the following public comment.
“Why should the citizens of this community give up their freedom? Because we all know, when a freedom is lost, it’s hard, if not impossible to ever get it back, and that’s exactly what this will do. It revokes citizen’s right to vote, and it eliminates an entire branch of government. We have two. Two branches set-up with checks and balances on one another. Now I would like to believe, as I’m sure you all do as well, that all of our nation’s officials are entirely benevolent, but I think those checks and balances are there for a reason.
That leads me to my next question which is, who is really leading the citizens to give up this freedom and to consolidate power under city council? We’ve been told that the BLPCCC is a true grassroots movement, but as I read in this Tribune article last week ‘Signs of the Times’, according to FOIAed material, the evidence presented suggests that three sitting council members, Cummings, Lowe, and McLaughlin, along with BLP Director Hendrick, have been involved since at least last August. In fact, they have been working behind our backs to propose this charter change. I find it very telling that three sitting council members, and a BLP Director who happens to be a mayoral candidate, are the brain trusts behind this movement. The way I see it, these four have been preaching transparency while sneaking behind voter’s backs to revoke their rights to vote, to eliminate checks and balances, and to consolidate power under themselves. In a time when all we hear about are threats to democracy, why should the citizens trust any one branch of government with unchecked power?”
(2:08:54) Another BLP employee Tammy Ames asked questions.
“Why should citizens vote to relinquish their freedom? Why would voters wish to consolidate power under one body? How can the BLPCCC guarantee the future of utility funds, when the actual language only protects the reserve funds as they exist today? Please note that the operating funds are not protected. How can the BLPCCC guarantee employment when they will not be in control after ratification? How can they guarantee the outcome of controls that are set to expire? How can the BLPCCC guarantee employment for non-contract employees when one of their stated goals is eliminating costs of administrative staff? [] The fact that council members have been colluding behind closed doors to dissolve the BLP may not be illegal, but it is certainly not ethical.”
During the first public comment period former Mayor Geri McCaleb asked, “How could citizens of any community vote to take away their right to vote and give that right to a city council?” Former Mayor McCaleb continued during the second public comment period, (2:13:45) “Who is going to be on that board, and who is going to be representing the citizens of the City of Grand Haven and the rate payers of the Board of Light and Power? [] If this is a grassroots effort, totally grass roots, totally citizen sponsored, then I don’t know why they have to be consulting with city council members.”
Grand Haven City Council Members Cummins and Lowe responded to the public’s concerns of their involvement in the charter change initiative.
(1:48:28) Ryan Cummins,
“The first comment I want to make, so that way folks aren’t accusing me of having any sort of conflict as I vote on this matter. I’m not a member of the Board of Light and Power Charter Change Coalition. Yes, I’ve talked to some folks from that group over several months. I know many of them going back several years. I talk with all kinds of folks all the time about various issues they have concerns with, and answer their questions. I am not a member of their group. I didn’t put together this language. [] This innuendo that is being passed along by community columnists who are posing as journalists in our community; it’s unfortunate that that’s occurring but that’s the truth.”
Perhaps Council Member Cummins forgot the work he was doing behind the scenes?
Karen Lowe had difficulty finding words to address public concerns.
“Alright. I’m just, you know; I guess; I um; I concur with some of your comments, but I guess my question would be, um, you know, what’s the most conservative position, um, we should take, Ron, you know Ron, for instance, I don’t want to be accused; city council of manipulating the language on the ballot, and so, this is a citizen initiated petition; um, and so, I guess I’m still unsure; did, we came up with the original language and we took it from?”
It's interesting that Lowe stated, “We came up with the original language” just before being interrupted by a city employee. She proceeded to address concerns a few minutes later but appeared to continue having difficulty coming up with just the right words.
(1:53:46) “Since we were just talking about the BLPCCC citizen petition, and I appreciate all the comments from all of the BLP staff and people who have come forward. It’s good for us to understand where you are coming from on this. You need to understand that we have no control over the initiatory petition from citizen perspective is out, you know, it’s going on the ballot. We can’t, no person elected to council can stop that. No one currently on council can stop that. That’s just, that’s really just, um, you know, that’s how it is. I appreciate you coming here and talking to us. Um, we do, you know, I guess I’m struggling here, yes, you know we have responded to our, all of our constituents, we try to, I know I do and I’m sure my fellow council members do, but I will repeat what I told the BLPCCC. Um, I told them, there was no support on city council, we could have made a change, we could have made a change to the charter, or proposed a change ourself. We did not. We did not, and I told that to the BLPCCC, or the citizens that were organizing this, and you know, they took that from there, and if meeting with constituents means, and telling them that’s where we’re at, we are unwilling to do that at council, if you’re trying to misconstrue that as an attack on the BLP, it wasn’t at all. It was taking a step back, and I too did not receive, until Field Reichardt came to me with, whenever you came to me, came right before our council meeting to each of us and hand delivered a copy. I did not see this language, so you know, um. [] I think you just don’t understand the nature of the citizen-initiated petition. No one, anyone telling you that if you vote for them, they can stop it, that’s ridiculous, that’s not how our government and our democracy works. It goes to the people now. The people will decide whatever that decision is. And we all have to accept what that decision is. So, I just wanted to be clear.”
Council Member Lowe’s statement seems to contradict the email she received back in August of 2022. Perhaps she forgot?
She also received the following email from Field Reichardt.
The above email is dated November 5, 2022, sent from Field Reichardt to Karen Lowe and likely others (header information not provided in FOIA request) and clearly shows a discussion regarding structuring a charter change. It would be very interesting to see the associated emails in this FOIA chain as well as email header information.
In addition to council members addressing concerns of the public, Field Reichard also made a public comment addressing concerns. He made sure to explain that city council was not involved. Perhaps he too forgot about exchanging emails?
(2:18:47) “There were a group of about eight of us that began to look at the idea of a charter amendment in January; actually in December. We purposely did not include members of the city council in our process because we did not want you guys to get hit. [] The work was done by members of this community. 100% of them residents of this community. [] I want to say that the questioning of your integrity is absolutely inexcusable. Absolutely inexcusable. You were not involved in this. We purposefully left you out of it. [] I just want to make it very, very clear to everyone here, that there was no collusion with members of the council.”
BLP Board Chairman Mike Westbrook noted the unethical behavior,
(2:16:16) “I read the Grand Haven Tribune and there were two former mayors who posted articles this week. Not ‘Community Columnists’ as you said Ryan. [] Both of them pointed out issues with city council acting in an unethical manner, and it’s really being dismissed tonight. [] My understanding is that the correspondence going back, was a quorum; on your personal email. [] An email between three council members on their personal email, regarding CCC business, with the CCC is unethical behavior. [] These aren’t just ‘Community Columnists.’ This isn’t just you guys ‘interacting with the public.’ This is corresponding in a quorum from your personal emails.”
It seems a lot is happening behind the scenes and those involved have poor memories about their desire to “dissolve the entire Board and make the BLP a true city department.” Citizens of Grand Haven, do you believe this is acceptable behavior of elected officials?