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I was apprehensive about writing this for fear of offending some folks
who certainly do not deserve it, but I thought there were lessons for all
of us to be reminded of. The other night, while working on a cedar chest
that had been particularly difficult and was now late, I put the stain
on and went to bed. A couple days later when the finish had cured, Kathy
was putting on the polish coat and noticed some very obvious sanding lines
in the top. She wasn't sure if she should say anything because it would
mean another delay and we had worked so hard on it. In her own sweet way,
she asked if I had noticed the lines in the top. She could have said, "How
could you miss those bad scratches on the lid?" but she didn't and I was
not defensive. In the light of day they were obvious, so we stripped it
down and did it right. |
With this in mind, I ask all of us who were at the Lake Township Zoning and Board meetings did we "notice the line in the top" in the form of these questions: Does Lake Township have to notify the owners of mineral rights in the Lakes and Rivers Districts of their township that their new Interim Zoning Ordinance does not permit mining? How does this part of the ordinance affect the value of those mineral rights for leasing, royalties, or sale? Is this legal? What rights do the owners of those mineral rights (our State of Michigan is one) have? Many landowners in the Lakes and Rivers districts have royalty agreements for their minerals. If the Township makes those agreements worthless by prohibiting mineral extraction, does the Township |
have to compensate the property owners for the value the Township has taken
away? If these hard questions affect you, I hope you will bring it to the
attention of those who have worked so hard to bring about this ordinance,
for I have faith that when they see things in a different light they will
make it right.
We can all do a little better. We need to look at what we have done when the hour was late, we were tired and in a hurry. Being gentle as we ask our questions is more effective than a confrontational tone. Taking time to do it right saves time and expense in the long run. It's OK to voice our concerns. Have faith that most folks will fix things that they are aware of. Dale Andersen |