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Council discusses asking Lansing charter review commission for voting seat on Board of Water and Light
Summary
Councilors debated whether East Lansing should request a voting representative on Lansing’s Board of Water and Light, agreed to ask the city manager to contact other jurisdictions with nonvoting seats and to monitor the Lansing Charter Review Commission public comment process before next steps.
East Lansing City Councilors on Feb. 11 discussed whether the city should ask the City of Lansing — through the Lansing Charter Review Commission and/or directly — to give East Lansing a voting seat on the Lansing Board of Water and Light (BWL).
Council member Altman argued the city is vulnerable because most East Lansing customers get power from BWL, BWL is not subject to Public Service Commission oversight, and East Lansing lacks voting representation. He said representation would help East Lansing pursue priorities tied to sustainability and resiliency.
Council members recounted history: East Lansing has held a nonvoting seat on the BWL board since the mid-2010s after outages tied to a 2012–13 ice storm prompted recommendations for greater representation; East Lansing’s nonvoting member has varied over time. Council members suggested several next steps before filing a formal request: (1) confirm whether Meridian, Delta or Delhi townships (other jurisdictions with nonvoting seats) share East Lansing’s concerns; (2) review the Charter Review Commission calendar to identify the appropriate time to comment; and (3) coordinate a joint approach with other jurisdictions to increase influence.
Mayor Brookover proposed and the council agreed in principle to ask the city manager to contact other municipalities that hold nonvoting seats on the BWL board to gauge interest in a joint request or letter. Council members also suggested that a mayor or the city manager appear in person before the Lansing Charter Review Commission when the commission accepts comments on the relevant charter sections.
Ending — Next steps Council directed the city manager to reach out to other municipalities with nonvoting seats on the BWL board to gauge their interest in a joint effort; council members said they will monitor the Lansing Charter Review Commission’s public-comment schedule and consider presenting in person when the commission reviews the applicable charter sections.
