Hidy hoe everyone Any friends among public servants that have an agenda more important than my Constitutional Rights?
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Considering all the conflict of interest from self serving public servants within the Boardman River Dams Committee constantly reminding the few opposing them that the beauty of the process is, it’s ok for a self serving agenda driven group of public servants to Lie, Misinform and Mislead the public they are suppose to be serving and knowingly abuse their job titles and authority to do so.  Sure a good public servant would much rather consider it, a timely and clever misdirection of the populous considered to be for the greater good.  BUT !!!
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After witnessing the clans attack on Mr. Peterson at the last BRDC meeting any questions about the clans agenda have now been answered.  His offer was honest and genuine, trying to help the community, offering a share of the revenue from power generation back to the County.  The clans claim to be neutral while force feeding us their opinion, preaching their agenda and offering bias studies, untruths, compromised conclusions and rubber stamping surveys to back up thier clams.  This is unacceptable business practice and would be shot down at a glance in the private sector.
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At every meeting you can hear these words “How can we get the public more involved” yet someone comes forward under the guidelines within the committees own parameters to form a new sub committee, and you ignore your very own rules and regulations pushing them away. The very public told to get involved, told to volunteer, told “If you don’t like something then join a committee” Yet someone comes forward volunteering their expertise and they are pushed away with Bias . Told no other team members are needed.  The BRDC has rejected with Bias formal public attempts for additional team members and/or a new sub committee.  Understanding a newly formed sub committee to inform anyone contrary to the clans agenda would be undermining their very own existence it is no wonder the clan acted like they have.
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To all you people that know so much about the Boardman River, offering fabricating studies.  To all you people praying on confabulated technicalities, To all you people knowingly offering compromised studies and rubber stamping data previously compiled for completely different surveys, To all you people spreading half truths and misleading the public, To those wearing blinders or turning your heads, looking away from the atrocities regarding the fishery, the wildlife, the public trust, the public riparian rights, private riparian rights, private property rights, CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.  There is only one thing left to say.  I hope the truth is exposed.  I hope the Commissioners of Grand Traverse County see through the smoke screen of confabulated technicalities half truths and lies and really do something good for the community

Ladies and gentleman I would like to bring to your attention that a very reputable Civil Engineer brought forward two feasible and prudent options that are less than 50,000 dollars to repair the Emergency Spillway. The Cheapest Solution one of which would cost nothing until such a rain event loomed is.
1.) leave it alone, He explained because of the magnitude of probability that this rain event would never happen is so great and given the time to act because of the ability to forecast such a storm, that simply implementing an Emergency action plan that would have an Excavator available to take a section of the road out opening up the original as built Emergency Spillway that is presently bisected by the Cass road approach to the Dam.
2.)Estimated at 50,000 dollars is.  Put a simple dip in the road with 5% slope 2 foot deep on one side 40 ft wide and a 5&#xsl;ope two foot high on the other. Basically Reestablishing the original emergency spillway thus directing the flow of storm-water to the basin on the north side of the road instead of directing it into the basin along the south side of the road completely nullifying the possibility of danger Mr. Pawloski has explained as the reason for catastrophic dam failure.

Dear Concerned:  What are your concerns?
1.) I wish I could thank the BRDC for creating a forum in which people really concerned have a uncensored unbiased way to expose the ugly one-sided face of this process.
Only 4 years and nearly a million into it your committees already you have only six alternatives for “the public” to consider.  Like we get to vote on it LOL. 
Not surprisingly these alternatives were conceived without your expert studies completed.  How do you narrow it down to six alternatives without the studies completed?
If anything is obvious, it is obvious the Boardman Pond cannot sustain a way of life evolved here for over one hundred years.  Obviously but not surprisingly, an important part of the Feasibility study sure to remain unfinished and unattended to.
2.)Mr. Concerned your right about being concerned here. The BRDC being overseen by the County and City and now being asked to be paid for largely by the County and City taxes. I’m also foreseeing costs expected to grow leaps and bounds with legal issues just beginning.  I’m concerned.
3.)Tireless efforts?  When people get paid for doing a real job they don’t stand around and pat each other on the back talking about how tireless the project is at some wasting valuable time that the public has for input. 
4.)Mrs.Concerned your right again.... Being one concerned I wish some of the more vocal bloggers would actively participate too.  Unfortunately like mentioned in the previous letter.  Five of the property owners on the pond have past away and the rest either have real jobs and cannot make the pizza parties or are trying to sell their homes, With their wills broken, forced to leave it all behind and try to forget about it.  Others “The Public” missed the little two inch by two inch article hidden in the classified ads informing everyone about these meeting.
Everyone with a magnifying glass.
5.)I keep hearing this,"True Pioneers” ,"Ground Breaking process” I hope you Bloggers go and Goggle Dam Removal.  This isn’t the first dam being removed or wanted to be removed and the process it seems is a hole lot different than what is happening out here.  Steps are actually taken to protect the wetlands, wildlife, fisheries and the sand and sediment travel especially when there are public trusts and Reserves involved, seems there are laws concerning these situations already.  The Experts studies, by rule of thumb are usually completed before unheededly destroying everything for miles thru a river valley
6.)Poorly placed accusations?  As facts unfold “people are working tirelessly” that these alleged accusations will be proven, Or at the very least someone representing the county will learn how to read a plat map or the simple words in a Chain of Title or Deeds.  My point is you should not have to hire a group of lawyers to acquire a home or piece of property the simple words in a Title or Deed or Plat Map filed in the Michigan Dept. of Treasury should be good enough.  I have yet to see any Tittles or Deeds showing as to how the county comes to the conclusion the exposed property belongs to them.
7.)Nay-Sayers?  You must mean everyone that doesn’t agree with the agenda driven grant sucking clan wasting Federal, City and County tax money on worthless information already compiled and hiring lawyers offering opinions on issues with clear and unclouded precedence.  Shame on your Experts BRDC and shame on the County, City and the TC Light&Power;for forming such a bias and one sided group, Without first maintaining the capability of producing electricity and accepting that the dam is a valuable part of flood control, Proven now by the nearly 10 foot rise in the ponds water level during the last rain and melt off.  We were told it was normal run off.  If it were normal run off then why didn’t the water behind the Brown Bridge Dam rise? Why didn’t Sabin Ponds level Rise? or the level of the river thru town?  It is my unprofessional opinion Brown Bridge was opened to lesson the effects there and Boardman Ponds Dam was closed to lesson the effect on Sabin and all thru town.  Meanwhile the water rose nearly 10 feet out here with no warning overnight.  Over night that’s nearly 10 FEET with NO WARNING. That is dangerous and perhaps killed another generation of numerous different species living or hibernating in and around the Valley. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the water level was up nearly 10 feet considering it was only another 2 or 3 feet to reach the original theatrical three foot emergency draw-down level.
I want to thank all the people truly concerned about the wastefulness and the ecosystem devastated by this backward process the BRDC has overseen without intervention. 
Mr. or Mrs. Master or Miss. Concerned your agenda is showing thru as anonymous and horribly neutral as you try to be. This is only my unprofessional opinion but while you cry foul about poor accusations and delusional participates you show no evidence to concur with your accusations against them.  All the while claiming to be concerned and hiding behind the absents of your signature.  That’s courage.

Thank you Boardman River Dams Committee for everything you’ve done and are doing.  If the BRDC wasn’t around, this entire process would be overseen by the County and City, and there would be no blog site for people to “vent.” In addition, thank you for securing funding from all over the Country to pay for this study.  If it wasn’t for your tireless efforts, the engineering and feasibility study would be paid for out of Traverse City and Grand Traverse County residents pockets.  Regardless of your opinion about what should happen with the dams, the study had to occur, and was agreed to four years ago during numerous public County, City, and TC Light and Power meetings.  Thank you for creating a process that is truly open and community driven.  I only wish some of the more vocal bloggers would actively participate, there is nothing stopping them except their own delusions that the process wasn’t created for them.  On the contrary, the process was created for everybody regardless of their opinion.  Thank you BRDC for having the courage to continue this ground-breaking process while a few vocal people and sometimes the media try to cut you down.  You are true pioneers.  Thank you BRDC for getting information out regarding the dams process.  There are some out there that have accused you of “destroying wildlife” during the Boardman Pond drawdown.  These accusations are poorly placed because it is not your job to determine whether or not a drawdown was appropriate, it was the experts.  And you publicized and documented the drawdown graciously.  Thank you for giving anyone who has the courage to participate in this process the opportunity to do so.  Thank you for allowing all the nay-sayers of this process to voice their concerns.  Thank you for all you do!!

Why is all this money being spent on the Boardman River Dams study?  The last time I checked There was a elective form of office, County and City Commissioners, when confronted with a monumental decision there has been known to be a public vote, like when they decided to build the dam, and when they decided to set the land aside to be part of a Natural -Educational Reserve.  Especially when it concerns relinquishing millions in assets and wastefully spending millions more on worthless studies, opinions, and fueling propaganda groups.  Who knows how much more money will be spent on easily foreseen disputes only to be determined by the Courts and our honorable judicial system.
The BRDC or Boardman River Dams Committee is nothing but a propaganda organ.  It has no power to decide anything.  It’s soul purpose besides unheededly wasting taxpayers money, is to search the waters for opposition to their agenda and exercise their right, Because it’s their game and they make the rules and as the game goes on and on and on they change the rules to neutralize the opposition that haven’t just died or faded away.  Fact is, 5 property owners on the pond have past away since the BRDC has been formed and I’ll promise you this as long as I’m still breathing I wont be fading away.
This outrageous though well thought well executed posse of self proclaimed “Community-driven” Self appointed Political heads and wannabes that form these committees to misinform the public, misusing public tax money and wasting Federal grant money.  Your tax money.  They have to be stopped from spending the
1.6 million dollars projected to be wasted on this theatrical. 
What is there to show for it?  The County Administrator Said himself that this would not cost the tax payers anything?  Well where did the 1.6 million come from? privet donations? No your pocket! 
It should be interesting to see just how they will argue that it was an emergency when absolutely no emergency measures or protocol were implemented. 
There is an Emergency Action Plan specifically for the Boardman Dams.  If an emergency ever existed the Emergency Action Plan for the Boardman Dams mentions precisely what actions are to be taken if a simple plumbing problem or 200 yr rain event or ever loomed.  It could be observed for days maybe weeks giving ample time to act drawing down the pond in little more than a day equaling the 17 ft draw down.  Only everything after the event would be restored Waterfowl habitat, Fishery and and all wetlands would not have to be destroyed.
How much will it cost tax payers when we include the Attorney General the Assistant Attorney and the rest of the offices that will be included in this Permit appeal? Rightfully appealed because there was no danger or emergency.  A 2 inch pipe leak in a corner right next to a 4 foot round drain in the floor?  If you know anything about a Hydro Electric Dams they are nearly impossible to flood, everything is designed to drain. 
How much will it cost tax payers to defend whether or not wetlands were destroyed?  There is no question approximately 40 acres of wetlands have been drained and left for dead.
How much money in damages to privet properties from erosion and sediment transfer have occurred?  Two of my friends on the pond have 17ft steep rocky unstable banks and along the shoreline a 5ft drop straight down to the water.  You can’t even get down to the rivers edge!
A large part of this 1.6 million has gone to a feasibility study which now it seams is not even admissible as evidence?
How much money is being spent on an environmental study that cannot be referred to as factual evidence?  Seems like a waste of money.  What is the since of paying to put together all these surveys and all these studies that are not admissible?  That’s alot of money for something that has been surveyed,studied and published already.  That’s right nearly all of the surveys and studies have been completed and published in different reports already.  The question here is why didn’t the BRDC just use the available studies?  Studies that are admissible if factual evidence is needed.
How much money was spent on a lawyer’s opinion? and as facts unfold this opinion might be dismissed and not allowed at the appeals hearing, his opinion was that the County owns the exposed bottomlands.  There is a trail of deeds referred to as law and registered with the State of Michigan’s Department of Treasury.  Documents signed not just by everyone who held a title in Grand Traverse County, but Judges as well as the Michigan Sec. of Treasurer.  These documents added to cases upon cases of rulings create a clear and unclouded presidents as to what the outcome will be for the exposed bottomlands if the water does not return to the pre draw down level.  A clear misrepresentation from a law firm for it’s alleged client the property owners.  You need only to follow the money on this one, who hired the law firm in question? The public? 
The forum that really counts...at this time?  The State Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules.  Our day in that court is coming, I only prey for fairness. I know, in order for this to be fair the Administrative Law Judge may have to pie the face of a few of his own.  A few that are sworn in to uphold these laws. In this case a few that have manipulated and twisted the laws and rules to best fit they’re agenda. Whichever it may be.
A New Bridge?  The Hammond Hartman being Our County Administrators Dream or claim to fame if you will.
A New Sewage Treatment Facility on Hoch Rd. Why not? After our new Sewage disposal facility Disaster, Why not Dump it all in to the river further out of town.  Out of sight out of mind…Right!
The open rivers act?  Sure why not let all the evasive species migrate up river. The pond is already home to Zebra mussels and Eurasian Milfoil to name a couple.
Don’t miss the biggest theatrical in town.  Everyone come and see...The Emergency on Boardman Pond

Happy New Year
Bruce Carpenter

It has been said the western worlds technologies boom can be traced directly to the invention of electricity, in specific the generation of electricity by harnessing the power of water.  A never - ending source of power generating electricity for centuries into the future.  The engineers of the Hover Dam estimate, it ( the Hoover Dam) will be operating for another 2000 years. Engineers of the Boardman Dam could never have foreseen the planning of its demise before the concrete is fully cured?. Could someone please help me understand what type of power generation is likely to replace Hydro?.  Burning Coal?, How about Nuclear?,or imagine Wasting Natural Gas to make it ?. What are we doing? Our children would slap us if they understood what we are doing....Which is the worse of evils.....  Surly you would love a coal burning plant built in your back yard or better yet we have open-space on the bay to build a new one or perhaps living in the fear of a nuclear plant out your backdoor?  People what are we saying?

Is it the County road commissions responcibility to bring the Cass rd approach into compliance with the DEQ’s new found calculations?The inconvenience and dangers this Frenetic and Unheeded project has cast upon visitors, property owners and riparian users, putting innocent lives in danger instead of spending a few dollars that should have been spent years ago.  When the issue of Cass road as it approaches the Dam possibly compromising the third spillway the Emergency Spillway.  As facts unfold the Owner of the Dam is in no way responsible for damages to the road in the event of a flood inundating the emergency spillway.  Could someone please tell me why the Road commission would not be responsible to engineer a Cass Rd. approach to the Boardman Dam that would not compromise the Emergency spillway, Ultimately this is what it is about their road is in danger in case of such a rain event.  Have we been mislead here as well?  by the County telling us they would have to fund the project?