The timestamps are in the VideoNorthfield Forum video description.  To see and use them, click through to the YouTube hosted video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEY7IK36rhg

 

 

00:10 Marta Larson: Introduction

Candidate Opening Statements
02:45 Janet Chick (R)
04:00 Dana Forrester (D)
04:58 David Gordon (D)
06:10 Christine Miles (D)
07:30 Nate Muchow (R)
08:36 Joshua Nelson (R)
09:40 Adam Olney (D)
10:50 Jacqueline Otto (R)

12:20 Larson: Question: What are the three most important duties for this office and why do you say this?
12:45 Adam Olney
14:00 Nate Muchow
15:06 Janet Chick
16:16 Joshua Nelson
17:25 Christine Miles
18:28 Dana Forrester
19:08 Jacki Otto
20:16 David Gordon

21:20 Larson: Question: What should be your role in monitoring and reviewing the performance of department heads?
21:35 Otto
22:44 Nelson
23:26 Chick
24:40 Olney
25:42 Muchow
26:29 Gordon
27:38 Miles
28:49 Forrester

29:50 Larson: Question: What should be your role in monitoring budgets, financial statements, and the line items within to ensure compliance with Township Board priorities?
30:05 Miles
30:30 Gordon
31:25 Muchow
32:22 Olney
33:50 Chick
34:50 Otto
36:08 Nelson
37:12 Forrester

38:02 Larson: Question: Is it relevant for you to be involved in state, county, and/or regional networking opportunities? Where might you be involved and with what organizations?
38:16 Forrester
39:22 Nelson
40:16 Otto
41:30 Olney
42:35 Chick
43:44 Miles
44:44 Gordon
45:52 Muchow

46:55 Larson: Question: How do you view the Township Manager's responsibilities and how would you expect the Manager to interact with you as a Township Board member?
47:04 Muchow
48:10 Otto
49:04 Forrester
49:52 Olney
51:05 Miles
52:12 Nelson
53:02 Gordon
54:23 Chick 

55:28 Larson: Question: What is your position on the need for development in the township and what type of development would you support?
55:40 Gordon
56:46 Chick
57:49 Nelson
58:40 Muchow
59:46 Forrester
01:01:50 Miles
01:01:52 Otto
01:03:04 Olney

01:04:18 Five minute break

01:09:35 Larson: Question: What do you think about the need to have a Township Police Department and specifically, what are your thoughts about the Northfield Township Police Department?
01:09:48 Muchow
01:10:38 Nelson
01:11:27 Otto
01:12:50 Olney
01:14:01 Forrester
01:15:10 Miles
01:16:04 Gordon
01:17:10 Chick

01:18:18 Larson: Question: What is your understanding of sources for getting grants, and the restrictions and requirements that come along with grant funding?
01:18:30 Chick
01:19:25 Gordon
01:20:34 Olney
01:21:52 Muchow: EGLE's huge recent grants for stormwater and wastewater handling were completely ignored, no attempt made to defray the cost of the equalization basin.
01:22:58 Forrester loves grants, got SPARC grant, applied for many covid related grants
01:24:00 Miles
01:24:56 Otto Lied, claiming that the need for an equalization basin was demonstrated by the $575,000, SAW funded Wastewater Treatment plant study - a study which TetraTech will not report before December 2020, at earliest
01:26:02 Nelson

01:27:02 Larson: Question: Do you feel the township should set up a fast track for new businesses coming into the community? And if so, what should be the components of the fast track?
01:27:16 Chick
01:28:20 Muchow
01:29:00 Otto
01:30:10 Miles
01:31:00 Olney
01:32:18 Gordon
01:33:28 Nelson
01:34:45 Forrester I can't say I had a lovely experience. 90 plastic surgeons recommend patients to Lovely Monkey. People from all over the state.

01:35:58 As an individual, what activity have you been involved in to the benefit of all the community?
01:36:08 Forrester. (boat show. trunk or treat. DDA. Trunkapalooza. 6 years publicity for CCS)
01:37:08 Otto
01:38:27 Muchow
01:39:30 Miles
01:40:42 Olney
01:41:54 Nelson
01:42:48 Gordon
01:43:55 Chick

01:45:08 Larson: Question: How should the township interact with other community agencies, such as the schools?
01:45:18 Gordon
01:46:05 Chick
01:46:44 Nelson
01:47:26 Muchow
01:48:30 Forrester
01:49:05 Miles
01:49:50 Otto
01:50:56 Olney

01:52:10 Closing statements
01:52:15 Otto
01:53:24 Olney "130% fund balance allows us to fund everything, infrastructure, retention basin, road repairs..."
01:54:36 Nelson
01:55:45 Muchow
01:56:48 Miles
01:57:48 Gordon
01:58:00 Forrester
01:59:50 Chick

02:00:03 Larson: Summation and Good Night

 

Conservation Popular in Northfield! 

by David Gordon

Yesterday's election results are quite encouraging.
It's great to get positive news for a change.

In 2010, our township voted against the County Preservation millage by the narrowest of margins (50.5% vs. 49.5%), but....

Yesterday we witnessed a major shift toward conservation:

• Conservation Millage - 64% yes 36% no

• Path/Road Millage- 62% yes 38% no

• (Police Millage - 68% yes 32% no)

Conservation and roads are almost as popular as police protection. Over 60% is a Super-Majority.
We are getting smarter!

 

	In Polling Place votes	Absentee ballot votes	Total votes	Percentage of Total votes
Northfield Twp Supervisor (Democrat)			View Precinct Detail
L.J. Walter III	193	674	867	99.77%
Rejected write-ins	0	0	0	0.00%
Unassigned write-ins	0	2	2	0.23%
Northfield Twp Supervisor (Republican)			View Precinct Detail
Kenneth J. Dignan III	410	446	856	60.03%
Tawn Beliger	303	266	569	39.90%
Rejected write-ins	0	0	0	0.00%
Unassigned write-ins	0	1	1	0.07%
Northfield Twp Clerk (Democrat)			View Precinct Detail
Rejected write-ins	0	0	0	0.00%
Unassigned write-ins	6	18	24	100.00%
Northfield Twp Clerk (Republican)			View Precinct Detail
Kathleen Manley	483	496	979	99.19%
Rejected write-ins	0	0	0	0.00%
Unassigned write-ins	1	7	8	0.81%
Northfield Twp Treasurer (Democrat)			View Precinct Detail
Rejected write-ins	0	0	0	0.00%
Unassigned write-ins	5	13	18	100.00%
Northfield Twp Treasurer (Republican)			View Precinct Detail
Lenore M. Zelenock	353	447	800	59.04%
Michele E. Gerkman	311	243	554	40.89%
Rejected write-ins	0	0	0	0.00%
Unassigned write-ins	1	0	1	0.07%
Northfield Twp Trustee (Democrat)			View Precinct Detail
Dana Forrester	158	595	753	26.26%
Christine Miles	156	587	743	25.91%
David J. Gordon	142	555	697	24.30%
Adam Olney	135	538	673	23.47%
Rejected write-ins	0	0	0	0.00%
Unassigned write-ins	0	2	2	0.07%
Northfield Twp Trustee (Republican)			View Precinct Detail
Jacqueline R. Otto	376	438	814	19.36%
Janet M. Chick	330	390	720	17.13%
Nate Muchow	358	327	685	16.29%
Joshua M. Nelson	363	319	682	16.22%
Andrew W. Lakatos	347	303	650	15.46%
Stephen J. Safranek	319	321	640	15.22%
Rejected write-ins	0	0	0	0.00%
Unassigned write-ins	3	10	13	0.31%

 

 

Washtenaw County road and non-motorized path millage

• Yes: 33,292
• No: 12,945
• Precincts counted: 104 partially reported

Washtenaw County conservation district millage

• Yes: 33,239
• No: 12,968
• Precincts counted: 104 partially reported

Northfield Township police millage

• Yes: 1,781
• No: 818
• Precincts counted: 0

 

7th District Representative in Congress 2 Year Term (1) Position 7/7 Counties
		Votes	Percent
Democratic	Driskell, Gretchen D.	61,129	100.00%
	Party Votes:	61,129
Republican	Walberg, Tim	82,176	100.00%
	Party Votes:	82,176
	Total Votes:	143,305

 

"Proud Boy"/Fascist-Adjacent Mike Detmer seems to have lost to Paul Junge in Michigan's 8th Congressional District.  With 282 of 305 precincts reported, Junge is ahead, 29,702 to Detmer's 24,449.  Two other Republicans bring up the rear, but neither of them snapped their selfie with an actual Proud Boy before scooting off to an April Re-Open Protest/Trump rally in Lansing.  Detmer's first reaction on being caught out was to delete his selfie. But after reading the official Proud Boy policy, he undeleted his infamous selfie and then posted the official Proud Boy policy plank online.  This is detailed in WHMI reporter Jon King's linked story, above.  The slighty lower State of Michigan vote counts are below.  - JGN

 

 

August 4th Primary Election results, Washtenaw County Clerk

State of Michigan August 4th, 2020 Primary Election results

MLive's Election report

WHMI Livingston County Election reporting

Livingston Daily Election reporting

Detroit Free Press Michigan Primary Reporting

New York Times: Michigan Primaries 

Politico: 2020 Michigan Primaries

 

 

 

 

 

Watch only the moments you want to watch with our 7/30/2020 Meet the Northfield Township Board Candidates LiveForum pdf

That is a portable, sharable version of the LiveVideo links below.

 

00:00 Start of recording

00:10 Introduction: Marta Larson

03:00 The Candidates introduce themselves

• 03:06 Janet Chick (R)
• 04:43 Ken Dignan (R)
• 05:48 Dana Forrester (D)
• 07:05 David Gordon (D)
• 08:10 Andy Lakatos (Not Present)
• 08:22 Adam Olney (D)
• 10:22 Jacki Otto (R)
• 12:08 Marissa Prizgint (Green)
• 13:18 LJ Walter III (D)
• 14:16 Lenore Zelenock (R)

16:00 Question (1)

Explain the role of the Board position you are running for, including how it differs from the other Board positions and how it differs from Staff.

• 16:45 LJ Walter III (D) Candidate for Superivisor
• 17:47 Ken Dignan (R) Candidate for Superivisor
• 19:20 Lenore Zelenock (R) Candidate for Treasurer
• 20:30 Marissa Prizgint (Green) Candidate for Clerk
• 22:00 Dana Forrester (D) Candidate for Trustee
• 22:42 Janet Chick (R) Candidate for Trustee
• 23:44 David Gordon (D) Candidate for Trustee
• 24:50 Adam Olney (D) Candidate for Trustee
• 26:00 Andrew Lakatos (R) Not Present
• 27:23 Jacki Otto (R) Candidate for Trustee

29:10 Question (2)

What is your plan to attract new businesses to our community and what steps are you planning to take to achieve that?

• 29:20 Jacki Otto (R)
• 31:05 Ken Dignan (R)
• 33:15 LJ Walter III (D)
• 34:39 Janet Chick (R)
• 36:22 Adam Olney (D)
• 38:47 David Gordon (D)
• 41:00 Andrew Lakatos (R) Not Present
• 41:10 Marissa Prizgint (Green)
• 43:20 Lenore Zelenock (R)
• 45:52 Dana Forrester (D)

48:20 Question (3)

How are you going to promote a culture of collaboration, decision making and action on the Board?

• 48:30 Marissa Prizgint (Green)
• 50:07 Dana Forrester (D)
• 50:55 Adam Olney (D)
• 52:45 David Gordon (D)
• 54:58 LJ Walter III (D)
• 56:35 Lenore Zelenock (R)
• 58:25 Ken Dignan (R)
• 01:00:08 Janet Chick (R)
• 01:02:26 Jacki Otto (R)

01:04:52 Question (4)

Do you see health inequity and or poverty occuring in Northfield Township? If so what do you believe should be the role of the Township Board in addressing this?

• 01:05:08 David Gordon (D)
• 01:07:10 Marissa Prizgint (Green)
• 01:09:35 LJ Walter III (D)
• 01:10:25 Adam Olney (D)
• 01:12:39 Jacki Otto (R)
• 01:15:20 Janet Chick (R)
• 01:16:56 Lenore Zelenock (R)
• 01:19:11 Dana Forrester (D)
• 01:20:54 Ken Dignan (R)

01:23:20 Question (5)

How do you intend to bring together the agricultural and main street communities given that they both have valid concerns about how things are handled but a seeming disconnect on the best way to go about that that it's fair to both parts of the community?

• 01:23:43 Adam Olney (D)
• 01:26:05 Jacki Otto (R)
• 01:28:30 LJ Walter III (D)
• 01:30:28 Marissa Prizgint (Green)
• 01:32:28 David Gordon (D)
• 01:35:10 Ken Dignan (R)
• 01:37:21 Dana Forrester (D)
• 01:38:22 Janet Chick (R)
• 01:41:13 Lenore Zelenock (R)

01:42:56 Question (6)

What would you like to leave as your legacy or an impactful mark on the community if you get elected?

• 01:43:28 Ken Dignan (R)
• 01:44:25 Dana Forrester (D)
• 01:45:40 Marissa Prizgint (Green)
• 01:47:00 Janet Chick (R)
• 01:47:43 Lenore Zelenock (R)
• 01:48:42 Jacki Otto (R)
• 01:50:10 LJ Walter III (D)
• 01:50:44 Adam Olney (D)
• 01:51:55 David Gordon (D)

01:53:02 Candidate's Outro (Closing Statements)

• 01:53:18 Lenore Zelenock (R)
• 01:54:16 LJ Walter III (D)
• 01:55:20 Marissa Prizgint (Green)
• 01:56:20 Jacki Otto (R)
• 01:57:57 Adam Olney (D)
• 01:58:50 David Gordon (D)
• 01:59:58 Dana Forrester (D)
• 02:01:01 Ken Dignan (R)
• 02:02:15 Janet Chick (R)

02:03:25 Marta Larson's concluding statement

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Friends:

Northfield Neighbors endorses these two candidates in the Primary:

Treasurer – Lenore Zelenock – Republican https://www.reelectzelenock.com//
Supervisor – Ken Dignan – Republican https://kendignan.com

We are urging our Democratic friends to vote for both Mr. Dignan and Treasurer Zelenock in the Primary for two important reasons. (Remember, you can’t split your ticket.)

1 - All the Democratic candidates in the township are running un-opposed in the primary. They will automatically advance to the November ballot.

2 – Mr. Dignan and Treasurer Zelenock are running against other Republican candidates who have joined with Trustee Tawn Beliger, an extremist who is unfit for office.

You can view Ms. Beliger’s slate at their website: http://www.northfieldfirst.com

Both Mr. Dignan and Treasurer Zelenock are friends to Northfield Neighbors. They support the goals of protecting our quality of life and defending the Township Master Plan, which is the vision of our residents.

Ms. Zelenock has done an excellent job as Treasurer these last four years and we’re delighted she has decided to run for re-election. She is open-minded; her decisions are fact-based, and she reaches out to residents.

We are embarrassed to say Northfield Neighbors endorsed Ms. Beliger in 2016. Our endorsement was based on her promise that she would support farmland preservation. It was a lie and as Trustee, she has betrayed us repeatedly.

Ms. Beliger twice tried to dissolve the newly formed Land Preservation Committee, and has voted against all funding for land preservation. She gives only lip service to preservation, saying it should be support only through private donations. LOL.

Worse still, Ms. Beliger’s lack of ethics is on full display this campaign season. She is promising to “end the corruption” in our township. What corruption? When asked, she refuses to answer. This “bearing false witness” against our community, without providing any evidence, is ugly politics and damaging to our image.

Many civic-minded people work every day to enhance the image of Northfield Township, but Ms. Beliger is willing to diminish their work and tarnish our reputation to get elected.

Her anti-tax stance is so radical that she has repeatedly voted against accepting grant money from the county, state or federal government. Where is the common sense?

She claims to be the defender of “precious tax dollars” and to be an opponent of large government, but she cast the pivotal vote to hire a $100,000/year township manager (expanding our bureaucracy) and then moved to renew his contract - without even a performance review. We find that irresponsible and outrageous.

Ms. Beliger is not someone we want as Supervisor, or serving in any capacity. She should be sent packing along with anyone that has decided to run with her.

Thank you.

Northfield Neighbors

 

===============================================================

Candidate Positions:

 

Ken Dignan, Candidate for Supervisor

1 – Do you support the majority of residents (60+%) surveyed who said that the VanCurler waterfront property should be a “Park Only”?

• While the survey was only a very small sampling of township residents.  I believe it is clear from speaking to residents that ensuring half of the VanCurler property remains a park and how we should approach anything we do. 

2 – Do you support the Master Plan regarding protection of the rural areas from development by opposing sewer line extensions?

• I fully support the Master Plan.  Protection of areas identified in the future land use map as priorities to maintain Agricultural zoning is important.  It is also important when a prospective developer comes to the township to inquire about growth that they are directed to areas that match such growth in the future land use map.

3 – Do you favor Revenue Bonds or General Obligation Bonds for the retention tank and for future sewer plant expansion, and why? 

• I support Revenue Bonds because I believe the users of the system should be the ones responsible for guaranteeing to pay for the system improvements.

4 – Would you favor changing the current Marijuana Ordinance to restrict grow operations to commercial, industrial and RTM districts? 

• I am not in favor of changing current ordinances as they relate to Marijuana.  I believe we have significant tools in place to protect properties that may not be suitable to operate a grow operation.

5 – Link to your campaign website or position page. Got a photo? We’ll print it.

• www.kendignan.com
• www.facebook.com/ElectKenD/

 

LJ Walter III, Candidate for Supervisor

1 – Do you support the majority of residents (60+%) surveyed who said that the VanCurler waterfront property should be a “Park Only”?

•  I support the desires of the community; I do think it's important to survey the question with a large enough sample of our population to receive results that seem representative of the whole community. This property is a big issue and there's no excuse for a small survey on the topic.

2 – Do you support the Master Plan regarding protection of the rural areas from development by opposing sewer line extensions?

•  I support the master plan, but the master plan can be amended as the situation arises. I'm not personally familiar with any pressing sewer line extensions; however, if there arises a pressing need to the township infrastructure, I think it would be the local government's duty to evaluate how to address it.

3 – Do you favor Revenue Bonds or General Obligation Bonds for the retention tank and for future sewer plant expansion, and why? 

• Based on my limited knowledge of bonds, I believe revenue bonds are more appropriate, as I think the customers who use the service should be paying for the improvement. That being said, bonding is not a personal specialty and I would definitely confer with my fellow board members on the matter and come to a conclusion. That being said, I do not believe that this is a current issue up for debate or adjustment.

4 – Would you favor changing the current Marijuana Ordinance to restrict grow operations to commercial, industrial and RTM districts? 

• I would not favor changing this ordinance unless there was a compelling argument to do so.

5 – Link to your campaign website or position page. Got a photo? We’ll print it.

• www.electlj.com

 

David Gordon, Candidate for Trustee

Candidate Questionnaire Answers 10/23/20

1 – Yes, I support the residents’ “Park Only” vote. The Board should listen to us and work on designing a great waterfront park and beach.

• Design a great park and beach first.
• Find and secure outside funding for the park and beach.
• If more funding is needed, ask the residents to chip in.
• Maybe property near the highway could be left for commercial development. If that happens, it certainly will sell for much more after the park is complete.

Two incumbent Trustee candidates have ignored the residents and voted to sell more than half of our park to a developer. The township manager and attorney are still negotiating on their behalf. That is disrespectful, ill-conceived and premature.

2 – I oppose sewer line extensions because it fosters urban sprawl and degrades our quality of life.

• The spirit of the Master Plan is abundantly clear. Development should be directed to those areas with existing infrastructure (within the sewer district), and rural areas should be protected and preserved.
• My record speaks for itself. As a co-founder of Northfield Neighbors, and as a former Trustee and Planning Commissioner, I have fought to protect our community from the negative impacts of urban sprawl.
• l am serving today as Chair of the Township Land Preservation Committee because I believe our farms, wetlands, woodlands and open space must be seen as critical infrastructure needed to safeguard our quality of life - now and in the future.

3 - Revenue bonds are the correct choice for financing projects that receive a revenue stream.

• Sewer customers create a revenue stream with their quarterly payments and that should cover maintenance on the Wastewater Treatment Plant, its sewer lines and pump stations.
• Any expansion should be paid for by developers and the new sewer hookups they generate, not by current sewer customers.
• It was a mistake for the Board to borrow the $5M for the new basin project this month with General Obligation bonds, forcing rural residents on private septic systems to essentially “co-sign” for this loan which doesn’t benefit them at all. The township is limited in how much it can borrow through General Obligation Bonds and has unnecessarily used some of that on this project.
• The Board claims they saved $250,000 by choosing General Obligation bonds instead of Revenue Bonds, so I suggest they spend that savings on the rural community – extra road maintenance would be much appreciated!

4 - I am in favor of marijuana businesses operating in our township; both dispensaries and grow operations.

• Grow operations should be restricted to commercial, industrial or RTM (Retail, Technology & Manufacturing) districts, and not allowed in the agricultural district as is now permitted by our ordinance. This is very important to our rural neighbors.
• Marijuana grow operations are more like manufacturing than agriculture, and don’t belong in rural residential areas.

Links:

• Website -   www.gordon4trustee.com
• Facebook – Gordon for Trustee