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Residents urge sale of city lots and oppose extending commissioner terms at Battle Creek meeting
Summary
During general public comment at the May 5 Battle Creek City Commission meeting, residents urged the city to sell government-owned buildable lots to get them back on the tax rolls and criticized a proposal to extend commissioner terms from two to four years.
During the general public-comment period at the May 5 Battle Creek City Commission meeting, several residents addressed land disposition and governance issues.
A resident who identified herself as Mary urged the commission to sell what she estimated to be about 1,000 city-owned residential lots, describing the parcels as a long-term drain on tax revenue and arguing the city should put buildable lots back into private ownership so they return to the tax rolls. She said some properties were being held indefinitely and urged a more active disposition strategy.
Joe Harris (who identified himself as Joe Harris of Battle Creek) praised commissioners for the difficulty of public service and said public comment must remain a space where citizens can openly discuss public decisions, distinguishing criticism of official actions from personal attacks.
Jerry Steiner (self-identified) offered extended criticism of the commission; the mayor ruled portions of his remarks out of order and ended his allotted speaking time, prompting protest from the speaker. John Kenneffick (who identified himself and gave a street address) urged voters to reject a proposed change to extend commissioner terms from two to four years, saying he hoped the vote would fail and criticizing prior commission spending and tax increases.
The commission received these comments during its public-comment period; no formal action on the subjects raised (lot disposition or term-length changes) was taken during the meeting.
