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www.newbuffalotimes.com
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022
Local Government Meetings New Buffalo Times
Democracy Requires Transparency
CITY OF NEW BUFFALO JOHN HUMPHREY, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL LOU O’DONNELL, IV. MARK ROBERTSON, JOHN HUMPHREY, ROGER LIJESKI, BRIAN FLANAGAN City Council meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30PM CITY OF NEW BUFFALO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS to be determined NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP BOARD PETE RAHM, MICHELLE HEIT, JUDY H. ZABICKI, PATTY IAZZETTO, JACK ROGERS Board meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7PM NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION Meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6:30PM NEW BUFFALO AREA SCHOOLS BOARD CHUCK HEIT, PRESIDENT HEATHER BLACK, VICE PRESIDENT JOHN HASKINS, TREASURER LISA WERNER, SECRETARY JOYCE LANTZ, TRUSTEE FRANK MARGRO, TRUSTEE PATRICIA NEWSTON, TRUSTEE CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP BOARD DAVID BUNTE, PAULA DUDIAK, LIZ RETTIG, RICHARD SULLIVAN, BILL MARSKE Chikaming Board meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30PM CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION Meets on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 6:30PM THREE OAKS THREE OAKS TOWNSHIP BOARD Meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 7PM VILLAGE OF THREE OAKS BOARD Meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7PM GRAND BEACH Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7PM MARY ROBERTSON, CLERK DEBORAH LINDLEY, BLAKE O’HALLORAN, JAMES BRACEWELL, PETER DOERR, PAUL LEONARD, JR. MICHIANA VILLAGE OF MICHIANA COUNCIL Meets on the 2nd Friday of each month at 1PM
Recall petitions filed against New Buffalo City Mayor Humphrey, councilmember Flanagan
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n attempt is being waged to remove two members of the New Buffalo City Council before their four-year terms expire. The recall petitions against John Humphrey and Brian Flanagan were filed April 19 in the Berrien County Clerk’s Office by New Buffalo resident Michael J. Davis. Humphrey also serves as mayor, a position the city council elects from the five member governing body. Reasons cited for recalling Humphrey and Flanagan are their votes on Nov. 23 in favor of an ordinance to prohibit new short-term rentals in R1, R2 and R3 zoning districts in the city. Another reason given for recalling Humphrey is he instructed a police officer during a public meeting on March 21 of last year to remove an individual while she was speaking during her allotted time reserved for public comment. A clarity hearing is scheduled at 1 p.m. May 3 in the Berrien County Administrative Building to
BY STAN MADDUX
determine if the language in the petitions is clear. If the language is approved, Berrien County Chief Deputy Clerk Sheila Reitz said the petitions against each of the elected officials will require 219 valid signatures for both of them to be on the ballot of a recall election in November. Humphrey and Flanagan, who were elected to their first terms in November 2020, would face opposition. Humphrey said he likes their chances of surviving a recall election because they defeated their opponents by about a two to one margin. He also said most of the people, except for Davis and a few others behind the recall, do not live in New Buffalo and only residents are eligible to vote. Humphrey also said he campaigned strictly on doing something about the growth in short-term rentals, which apparently reflected the concerns of voters. “Everything I’m doing, in my opinion. Is in the best interests of the people who
live here. It is what it is,” he said. Humphrey also said the ordinance only prevents more short-term rentals in the three residentially zoned districts and short-term rental owners with permits from the city are allowed to continue operating. “There will still be plenty of rentals here. We’re just creating an environment where residents and the rental communities can operate peacefully and respect each other’s quality of life,” he said. The ordinance especially angered people who purchased and started renovating homes into short-term rentals before discovering they couldn’t get a permit for such a use.
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ome long-term owners of shortterm rentals were also highly upset from being forced out of business when late in applying for an operating permit under the new guidelines. The ordinance was in response to growing complaints from residents
One man with courage is a majority. — Thomas Jefferson
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about things like noise during parties at short-term rentals. Humphrey said neighborhoods were t becoming too saturated A with homes once lived in p year round converted into i short-term rentals. A “I think the way it’s set d B up now we’ll have much balance to allow the city to w get some harmony back like C A before,” he said.
Humphrey also said G people opposed to the w ordinance “care only about w themselves” and not the a future of the city, which has c fewer full time residents. g He blamed the population N loss on single-family homes being turned into shorts term rentals and short-term i t rentals contributing to housing prices going beyondC
the reach of young families C wanting to move here. a “We need to create t opportunity for people to be g able to live here,” he said. Humphrey said he also c acted within the rules i governing conduct from u citizens during city council n meetings. t d o p p e B d r
