Report to Leelanau County Board of Commissioners

Attendance and rapport at meeting of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
GTB meeting held 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 15

Dear colleagues,

This report includes no official action on my part, but I felt it important to inform you of my interaction with the GTB Tribal Council.

We approved at our previous meeting a resolution urging MDOT, our state legislators, and state Attorney General Dana Nessel to work toward lowering the speed limit on M-22 in Peshawbestown from 55 mph to 45 mph. Some time after its approval, I asked the County Clerk’s office to prepare the resolution in a dignified format and to place it on stationery with the official county seal. The intent was to deliver the polished proclamation to Tribal Councillor Brian Napont for delivery to his fellow councillors, or to possibly attend their meeting and deliver the document during public comment.

It was my bad that I didn’t text Mr. Napont until about 8:15 a.m. on the day of the meeting, but he responded positively and actually requested that the agenda be changed and that the resolution be placed at the top. There was no early public comment.

I’m happy to report that the interaction was a show of mutual respect, with all parties expressing a desire to work closer together in the future. As there is an upcoming MAC seminar on joint tribal-county use of opioid lawsuit funds, I mentioned that area for possible further discussions, and both Tribal councillors and administration were very agreeable.

They asked and were pleased to know that the resolution was unanimously approved by this board.

I later requested and received verbal assurance that the Clerk’s office would also send copies of the resolution imprinted with the Leelanau County seal to the MDOT director, Michigan State Sen. Damoose, Rep. Coffia, and AG Nessel.

Here’s hoping Peshawbestown will soon receive federal funding for sidewalks, which the County Board also supported, and slower traffic through the community.

Alan Campbell
District No. 5 Commissioner

Filed Friday, April 17
In preparation for County Board meeting on April 21