What started out being described as a win-win situation turned into a lose-lose situation for the Independence Township Board. At the end of their Nov. 18 meeting the township did not have a community garden and instead had a $10,000 bill.
By tying up some loose ends at the meeting, the board officially closed the book on the community garden at the McCord property.
The board approved the judges’ suggestion to close the garden in this location and also chose to reimburse donations to the garden at a total cost of $10,000.
The second motion led to some spirited debate between the board. It was introduced by Clerk Joan McCrary who felt the Clarkston Rotary Club as well as resident Robert Fleming deserved to have their donations reimbursed.
The Rotary donated $4,000 for a well to be put in on the property, while Fleming, owner of Fleming Well Drilling, did the labor for free.
“I felt we should return funds to the different people and organizations who directly gave funds,” McCrary said. “They donated it for the use of the garden and to support the garden so I think they should be reimbursed.”
Judge Dana Fortinberry also spoke at the meeting stating the well is now an asset to the township. The judge agreed with McCrary’s suggestion that the donations should be refunded to the community members who would then decide whether they want to re-donate it to the garden if and when another location is found.
“We do anticipate opening the garden next year in another location,” Fortinberry said.
However, not everybody on the board felt it was the township’s responsibility. While McCrary, Treasurer James Wagner and Trustees Daniel Kelly and Larry Rosso voted for the motion, Supervisor Dale Stuart and Trustee Dan Travis voted against it.
Trustee Dave Wagner was absent from the meeting.
“We are going to burden the taxpayers unnecessarily,” Trustee Daniel Travis said. “At the beginning of this project the judges came here, hat in hand, and assured us there would be no taxpayers spending for the community garden. It just didn’t work out. It was a bad investment. When I am in the stock market and I make a bad investment I lose money.”
Once again area residents attended the meeting to see what the township board would do. While one resident complained a project that was not supposed to cost anything ended up running the township $10,000, resident Tim Smith thanked the board for their cooperation.
The garden, the idea of 52-2 District Court Judges Fortinberry and Michael Batchik, gave nonviolent offenders the choice to work in the garden instead of spending time in jail. The vegetables grown were then donated to the Oakland County foodbank.
After the first year of the program, area neighbors complained about having criminals work in their neighborhood during an emotionally charged board meeting. The following day, the judges wrote a letter to board members suggesting they close the garden on the McCord property.