Paul Bertrand

Supervisor

I am 71 years young and retired from the State of Michigan Dept. of Human Services almost six years ago.

Two great children, now with four grandchildren. Truly blessed.

I am from Detroit, a De La Salle Collegiate graduate, and have lived in Lyon Twp. for almost 40 years, Higgins Lake 50, and vacationed here for 65 years at the family cottage in Gerrish.

My work history includes, but is not limited to:

– I was an Engineering company “on-site” inspector for the Markey Twp. Sewer project construction.

– I worked as a sewer and water operation/heavy equipment operator for the village of Roscommon.

– I spent seven years doing Kirtland Warbler field work and administrating tree planting contracts for the very successful DNR and USFS Kirtland Warbler recovery plan.

– 26 years as a Youth Specialist at Shawono Challenge Center – long-term treatment placement for 40 delinquent state youth from 12 to 20 years of age.

– Served 24 years as an AFSCME Local 1327 (over 500 members then) Steward, Chief Steward, Chapter Chair, Contract Negotiator, and Emeritus Consul.

– 12 years as a staff team trainer at Shawono Center.

– 10 years advising and training a 30+ person team on interpersonal skills and group mediation/decision-making.

– 6 years as an ACCT Challenge Course Facilitator, training group communication, dispute resolution, teamwork, problem-solving, decision-making, follow-through, self-esteem, and trust.

– Contributing member of Puppies Behind Bars – they work with prisoners to train puppies as service dogs for wounded veterans, Roscommon Boosters Club, and BSA football.

– Recently completed the Lyon township Septic Inspector training

– Four years in opposition to this dictatorial Lyon Twp. Board!

I have more experience understanding sewer and water and more experience in how to negotiate for mutual benefit inclusively, truly represent people (not my interests), deal with difficult persons, and lead in conflict intervention, mediation, resolution, and environmental work than any of the “special interest” supported candidates on the current board, including my opponent Julie Tatro.

She wants to use your money to make more money for her personal business, Municipal Management Consultants.

Watching this current board pander to lakeside special interest groups for four years (with Julie Tatro as a supervisor the first two years) has been like watching a never-ending movie of the Democratic representative voting process being victimized in a back alley mugging (I have personal experience from Detroit).

This board never represented “We the People”. This board was always “We TELL the People”.

When elected, I will work to pause the overreach police power septic ordinance immediately – it is based on false claims of a well water/lake water health and safety “crisis”.

I will then work with all residents and board members to create and offer a common-sense, nonintrusive point of sale/time of title transfer septic inspection Twp. plan draft (with four years to get an inspection, ONLY if one is not already on file with the Central MI District Health Department). This proposal has a compliance time frame similar to the MI Senate version.

No action is needed, regardless of age, if the inspection shows your system is functioning.

If and when needed, you will only need to replace the tank and field with a standard tank, not a high-performance tank system that could be up to $30,000.

There will be more to discuss, but those are the basics. This plan mimics every other septic ordinance in the Traverse City area and Benzie County.

And they love their lakes too!

I will do my best to ensure residents are allowed to vote on the final version of this common-sense approach, the lake stewardship plan.

I will also work with other board members to form representative resident committees to develop long-range science planning and lake water quality testing that blends with the 20+ years of current EGLE CLMP data. The result will be a significant database (not opinions) for years!

I will also work with the other board members to pull back from the current Lyon Township board’s support of the SAD assessment taxing of its residents for an unfunded, unneeded STEP sewer.

I will create a community coalition of veterans, contractors, building trades students and teachers, Home Depot, and Probate Court youth who need community service hours. We will do community work projects for veterans needing wheelchair home repairs and wheelchair access paths to natural viewing areas. This proposed program is like one of the liaison and foreman jobs I most enjoyed while employed by the State. I will donate $1,500 in seed money, then make sure money is budgeted yearly for this program from my Supervisor’s earmarked, unused benefit package costs.

I will investigate why the current board is trying to foreclose on Amvets Post 13 and halt this proceeding until a higher court can determine the foreclosure’s validity.

I will listen, I will answer, and I will work to ensure that the new board governs for the people (not special interest groups). Our norm will be to seek out opinions, not discount and dismiss them! ALL public meetings will be recorded and posted on a much easier-to-navigate Lyon Township webpage.

I will contact other Township Supervisors in Northern Michigan to share ideas. I am a big supporter of not wasting effort, time, and money trying to reinvent a wheel that has already been well-designed and performing satisfactorily.

I do not need a job, this job, or a benefit package. I need peace of mind that this Town, our Town, will move back toward its Master Plan and away from the special interest group’s domination of the current Town board.

I personally will use the Supervisor’s power to inquire into and review ALL Twp. affairs and make proposals to resolve problem areas. That would include, but not be limited to, budget cuts, property tax relief,  property value estimates, STEP sewer entanglement, well and lake water testing, planning commission board replacement, future direction (follow the Twp. Master Plan, not personal agenda’s) and better support for Fire/EMS and youth recreation activities.

I will make good use of every person who votes for me as Township Supervisor. When elected, I will return the power to the people where it belongs.

Paul Bertrand