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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Terry Bankert
#flint Record snow and cold, but no weather emergency in Genesee County ( mlive ) .....I had a client today forced to have kids in the car stuck for a short time in snow trying to get to care giver so she could get to Court. Unconscionable. Let's make Curtis next election a referendum on this decision. Who is running against him sign me up.
Record snow and cold, but no weather emergency in Genesee County
mlive.com
Genesee County was in the bulls-eye of the winter storm that socked Michigan, recording some of the highest snow totals in the state, but there were no plans
Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com By Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com
on January 06, 2014 at 6:12 PM, updated January 06, 2014 at 6:52 PM
GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Genesee County was in the bulls-eye of the winter storm that socked Michigan, recording some of the highest snow totals in the state, but there were no plans to declare a weather emergency here.
A total of 17.1 inches of snow fell in Flint, the third-highest storm snowfall in recorded history.
Board of Commissioners Chairman Jamie Curtis says he's not planning to shut down county services unless Gov. Rick Snyder issues a state of emergency for all of Michigan. It's a decision that's being questioned by others inside and out of county government.
Officials in Flint, Lansing, Auburn Hills, Saginaw and Shiawassee counties were among those to declare weather emergencies Monday, and Snyder urged drivers to use extra caution -- but didn't declare a statewide emergency.
The National Weather Service was calling for snow showers Monday night, Jan. 6, with a low around 8 below zero. Wind chill values were expected to be as low as 28 below zero as road crews continued to clear blowing snow.
The Michigan State Police have advised people to stay indoors during the cold snap, and to bundle up if they do venture outside.
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, snow showers were predicted, with a high near 4 and wind chill temperatures as low as 28 below zero.
"Our policy is rock solid. It only gets closed if the governor trumps the county and closes the state," Curtis said. "You can't win in a situation like this. We've discussed it endlessly."
With more than 18 inches of snow in parts of the county and freezing temperatures, county offices were open for business, albeit at reduced strength.
Curtis said more than half of employees showed up for work, but the Register of Deeds Office did not open after just two employees reported. Clerk-Register John Gleason called the decision to keep the county open "not even sensible."
"You shouldn't put people on the streets today," Gleason said. "Anybody with any common sense knows this is a state of emergency."
Gleason kept the Clerk's Office open to the public Monday, but said there were only a handful of people who braved the weather to transact business.
County employees such as Stephanie Davis of Flint tried, but couldn't get to work.
"Our subdivision still hasn't been plowed," said Davis, a 10-year employee. "I got stuck at the bottom of my driveway. I had to shovel just to get it back in the driveway.
"I was just stuck -- spinning my wheels," Davis said. "I said, I have to report for work, so I have to at least try ... I was hoping they would cancel because there was no way I could get out."
Some Genesee County communities such as the cities of Swartz Creek and Grand Blanc had their streets cleared by Monday. In Flint, plow crews were a day ahead of where they thought they would be and were aiming to start clearing secondary streets Monday night. That work was expected to take 48 hours.
The county policy on work during inclement weather has been to keep offices open, provided no state of emergency has been declared in Michigan.
After 16.2 inches of snow fell onto Flint, the rubble pile from the Genesee Towers implosion turned into what appears as a mountain of snow on Jan. 6, 2014 in downtown Flint.
Curtis said he consulted with Road Commission Manager-Director John Daly and Sheriff Robert Pickell's office before deciding not to deviate from that policy.
Employees who can't get to work can use vacation, personal or sick time to be paid for the day, and those who have no time accumulated won't be penalized -- they just won't be paid.
"I'm not telling anyone to come to work. You're not forced to come in," Curtis said. "We're here to service the community at whatever capacity (we can)."
The board chairman said citizens should call the office they intend to do business with before driving to Flint to be sure the services they need are available.
He said the county can't afford to pay employees to stay home and said declaring an emergency can also create division among employees who are considered essential and non-essential.
In addition to Gleason, county Treasurer Deb Cherry said she's sympathetic to employees, many of whom struggled to get out of their driveways and through some roads that haven't been plowed.
"I've told (employees) to tell people not to come in" to the county to do business, said Cherry, who was snowbound in her Burton subdivision. "I think the decision is up to Jamie (Curtis), but to me, this is one of those times when people should stay off the roads."
Linden attorney K.C. Baran said in an email to The Flint Journal that he's heard no good explanation for keeping county offices and courts open in such severe weather.
"The roads are treacherous and the city of Flint has issued an advisory telling people not to park on the streets in Flint," Baran said. "Thus, getting to the courts and offices is dangerous for employees and visitors required to attend hearings and meetings.
"Moreover, if there is no parking on the streets of Flint, then visitors who are required to be at county meetings and hearings are unable to find parking. The decision by Genesee County to stay open during this snow emergency is questionable at best and risks the safety of the members of the community and its employees."
Genesee County wasn't alone in making the decision to push on with work on Monday.
Oakland County's Web page said county offices there would remain open "in order to serve our residents."
"We understand that road conditions ... will be hazardous ... Any employee who thinks that he or she cannot or should not travel Monday because of road conditions should call in to their supervisor and may use a personal day," the statement said.
Curtis said he's not shut down county government since he became chairman of the board, something that's opened him to criticism in the past.
After a February 2011 storm, then-Register of Deeds Rose Bogardus closed her office despite Curtis' decision not to declare an emergency.
Bogardus said she had no choice but to close because not enough employees could make it to work. |
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Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:42 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| The City was closed today and will be closed tomorrow. The City 68th District Cort will be closed but the county courts are (at this time) still open. |
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Mon Jan 06, 2014 8:01 pm |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
The City was closed today and will be closed tomorrow. The City 68th District Cort will be closed but the county courts are (at this time) still open.
Heard city offices will be closed to the public, but what is your source for 68th District Court being closed? |
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Mon Jan 06, 2014 8:40 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| media report. I believe it was a journal comment on the county story. But once again I am unable to read the comments to any story. Happened once before when I ran a commentary on the way their readers viewed an issue. The Terry Bankert and Art Busch comments came fro my Facebook page. |
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Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:56 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| Employees o the 67th reported the court was closed today. |
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Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:45 pm |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
media report. I believe it was a journal comment on the county story. But once again I am unable to read the comments to any story. Happened once before when I ran a commentary on the way their readers viewed an issue....
If it's any consolation you're not the only one having a probem reading (or even loading) comments. I wrote FJ email about it, got a response, it was later fixed for awhile, but now having the same problem even loading comments on most articles. |
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Tue Jan 07, 2014 4:10 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Genesee County commissioners taking second look at weather policy
Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com By Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com
on January 08, 2014 at 10:01 AM, updated January 08, 2014 at 10:02 AM
GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- The county's policy of keeping offices open during winter storms without a statewide emergency declaration is getting a second look.
Members of the county Board of Commissioners are planning to meet with Emergency Management and Road Commission officials to review how to respond during dangerous weather in the future.
"I would like to take a look at our policy ... (and) have an open mind ... We owe it to our employees to look at this," said Commissioner Omar Sims, D-Flint.
The county was in the middle of winter storm that socked Michigan this week, including dangerous wind chill temperatures and more than 17 inches of snow.
Board Chairman Jamie Curtis stuck with a policy that says county offices are closed "only if a state of emergency is declared" in the state.
Employees were given the option of reporting for work this week but will have to use vacation, sick or personal days in order to be paid.
Saginaw County was among county offices that closed due to weather earlier this week, and Shiawasssee County went a step further, declaring a local state of emergency.
Declaring a local state of emergency is a formal action that triggers certain powers for municipalities, including the ability to restrict travel and spend money in response to the emergency.
Curtis has said he decided not to deviate from policy after conferring with the office of Sheriff Robert Pickell, which includes local emergency management, and with Road Commission Manager-Director John Daly.
Under the county's current policy, employees who can't get to work due to extreme weather and have no vacation, personal or sick time are not paid. |
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Wed Jan 08, 2014 11:36 am |
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