EAST LANSING - Citing negative campaign mailers sent out before the Nov. 3 city council election, East Lansing city council members approved a resolution Tuesday to withdraw from membership in the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Council members backed away from passing a written resolution, but did unanimously pass a verbal resolution which criticized the chamber for conduct that "does not reflect well on our city." The resolution included language softened from an original written draft, including a statement that the city will continue to support individual businesses that are chamber members.
Council member Shanna Draheim said the original draft seemed "small and petty" to her. It asserted that membership provided no "discernible benefit" to the city. City Manager George Lahanas said city staff typically does not attend events as the "focus on business services isn't as relevant" to a local government.
I'm actually someone, politically, that doesn't hold the chamber in the highest regard, but this seems like an overreaction to preceived slight. Anyway, the chamber sees this as war as they should:
Chamber staff issued a statement "questioning the priorities" of the council. The move to drop the Chamber membership was viewed by LRCC officials as a "clear signal that the business community is not welcomed in East Lansing."
Whether East Lansing should or should not keep as close ties to the chamber as they have - and they really didn't need to be a member as a local government - the language and tone of the whole thing seems like petty payback, and for this to be one of the first thing the new council has done is not a good look for East Lansing already seen as a place difficult to do business in.
Regarding the Element building, it was completed in time for students to move in at the beginning of the school year, there's just been nothing on the ground floor.
As for the state of the East Lansing City Council, I'm not sure what to say. That sort of attitude and rhetoric is disappointing to hear and certainly doesn't bode well for future development. I'd be interested to see the mailings in question.
The mailings are no different than what they've done in other metro-area campaigns. They are not the kind ofads I support, but they are part of politics. Most people suck it up because they realize that politics is a dirty game. The chamber does what ever other interest group does when campaign season comes around. It's so weird for someone like me to see the chamber is a victim in anything, but in this the East Lansing city government is playing the most petty and vindictive game. East Lansing better not hope to seek recommendations from the chamber when out-of-town companies coming in looking to relocate businesses in the metro. East Lansing is still in the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), but if they don't think there is some overlap between the interests of the two, they will be sorely surprised.
I really thought Mayor Meadows would be smarter than to play with this dangerous antagonism of the chamber over election politics. Most of the time, as soon as the votes are counted, parties drop what happened the minute before to let bygones be bygones and find a way to cooperate. Not this time.
I can not really comment on the politics of East Lansing, they have always wanted to be separate from Lansing, maybe they will take the Trump route and build a wall.
Not necessarily a development, but something related to it. The East Lansing school board is proposing reopening Red Cedar Elementary, which they closed last June. It should have never been closed for a whole host of reasons, so it's so good to hear a school actually reopening in the metro area, especially a growing section of it.
Nice photos there. I do not usually hear people described as "anti-development", but by golly... I live in the Chesterfield Hills neighborhood, and we have quite an active micro social media on Nextdoor. And it is so predictable, anytime ANY new development in the city is proposed, certain people will hop on the forums to tell us why it's a terrible idea. Frankly I do not get that attitude at all.
Anybody know of something going on near the intersection of Michigan and Highland? Lots of utility flags in the ground, and on both sides of Highland. Couldn't figure out what might involve digging on both sides of the road.
On a related note - bunch of flags and a small bulldozer at Saginaw and Abbot. Feel like I heard a long long time ago the city was going to make the little empty parcel there (which they own, was space for potential future yield lane) into a small park.
Since Michigan and Highland is already developed and well-used, I assume it's simply utility work? I know they were doing some work up at Highland and Grand River, so maybe it's related.
Yeah, I have no idea what it could be. I expect that Gillespie will redevelop the plaza he owns at that corner someday, but not very soon as it looks like he put a decent amount of money into remodeling it when he built Midtown. I can't imagine the other building on that corner going anywhere anytime soon.
Comments
I'm actually someone, politically, that doesn't hold the chamber in the highest regard, but this seems like an overreaction to preceived slight. Anyway, the chamber sees this as war as they should:
Whether East Lansing should or should not keep as close ties to the chamber as they have - and they really didn't need to be a member as a local government - the language and tone of the whole thing seems like petty payback, and for this to be one of the first thing the new council has done is not a good look for East Lansing already seen as a place difficult to do business in.
As for the state of the East Lansing City Council, I'm not sure what to say. That sort of attitude and rhetoric is disappointing to hear and certainly doesn't bode well for future development. I'd be interested to see the mailings in question.
I really thought Mayor Meadows would be smarter than to play with this dangerous antagonism of the chamber over election politics. Most of the time, as soon as the votes are counted, parties drop what happened the minute before to let bygones be bygones and find a way to cooperate. Not this time.