Onekama Community Participates in Exploring Village/Township Consolidation

ONEKAMA, MI - Sunday, February 20, 2011 - On February 10, 2011, forty-five members of the Onekama Community, including village and township residents, business owners, and local officials, joined together to identify potential benefits and opportunities as well as potential problems and concerns about uniting the Village of Onekama and Onekama Township into one governmental unit. The February 10 Forum was held as part of an ongoing effort to understand how Onekama community interests feel about a possible joining of the two governments. The Citizens Research Council (CRC) of Michigan is working under contract to research and explore options and implications for joining the two governments.

"We need to understand what village and township residents, area businesses and other Onekama community interests are thinking about a possible uniting of the two governmental jurisdictions into one," said Eric Lupher of the CRC. "Our goal is to provide the community with an objective identification and analysis of the options for governmental consolidation and, in the process, provide fact-based information to respond to questions and concerns expressed by Onekama community interests. All questions and concerns are important and we encourage everyone to make their thoughts and feelings known."

Lupher will lead a presentation on March 23, 2011 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Onekama's Farr Center on the initial results of the CRC's research and analysis and respond to questions and concerns raised by community interests.

Onekama Village President Robert Blackmore and Onekama Township Supervisor David Meister said that community input is vital since both the Village Council and Township Board of Trustees will eventually consider the results of CRC's research and response to community questions in deciding if the local governments should support some form of consolidation. In that event, a vote of the electorate in the Village and Township would be required. Both Meister and Blackmore said they were pleased with the turnout and the thoughtful input of community members on February 10 and encourage everyone to continue to weigh in.

Based on suggestions received on February 10, the opportunity for community input will be extended into May, 2011 when another community meeting will be held to help ensure that area summer residents have opportunities to participate in the project.