Former Clerk Lirones Challenges Grewal in Pittsfield Township Supervisor Primary

For Pittsfield Township voters, the local election takes place in August, not November. Except for one Republican running to be on the parks commission, the entire field is composed of candidates running as Democrats.

On Aug. 4, Pittsfield voters will choose between incumbent Supervisor Mandy Grewal and former clerk Christina Lirones.  We posed questions to Grewal and Lirones. Here are their answers.

Biography

Mandy Grewal

Mandy, and her husband Robert, have lived in Pittsfield for nearly 30 years where they are raising their two children.

Education
Diploma    State & Local Government Leadership    Harvard University    2007
Diploma    Michigan Political Leadership Program    Michigan State University    2007
Ph.D.    Urban Planning    University of Michigan, Ann Arbor    2004
M.A.    Development, Trade & Planning    Eastern Michigan University    1994

Work Experience
Supervisor, Pittsfield Charter Township, November 2008 – Present
County Commissioner, Pittsfield Township, Washtenaw County Commission
Research Associate, New Visions Alliance to End Domestic Violence
Commissioner, Michigan Women’s Commission
Environmental Program Specialist, Great Lakes Commission
 

Volunteer/community organizations:
· Vice-Chair, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG)
· Executive Committee Member & Co-Chair, Public Sector Committee, Ann Arbor SPARK
·  Board of Directors, Huron River Watershed Counci
· Board of Directors, Therapeutic Riding, Inc.
· Local Unit of Government Ambassador, Safe House Center
· Leadership Team, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority Regional Impact, 2010-2014
· Founder & Co-Chair, Reimagine Washtenaw Regional Initiative; 2009 – 2011

Christina Lirones

Age: 59 years. 
Graduate of Saline High and University of Michigan (BFA, cum laude).

Residence: I grew up in Saline, then bought a small historic home in Ann Arbor, where I lived and operated a graphic design business. In 1994, my husband and I found our dream home in Pittsfield: A red brick farmhouse built in 1862, with a big red barn, on a tree lined gravel road. Our daughter grew up here. We are preserving our 40 acre farm through the PA 116 program, and it was Environmentally Verified in 2017.

Family: Married to Stephen Berger. Our daughter Aurelia is in the Saline Area Schools Young Adult Program and is transitioning to her own home across the street from my mother Mary’s house in Saline. My mother was recently described by a friend in Saline as “a community treasure,” a very apt description. Our family roots are deep here. We love the people and the sense of community in this area.

Career/Business:
Owner, Christina Lirones Design (established 1987)
Elected Pittsfield Clerk 2000-2004
Elected Pittsfield Treasurer 2004-2008
Federal Revenue Officer 2010-2015, Full background check, annual ethics & CPE training
Current farm owner/operator and Aurelia’s caregiver, with my husband
 
Government experience:
Pittsfield Township Clerk and Treasurer, part of the leadership team 2000-2008
Chair, Pittsfield Planning Commission, 2000-2008
Attended Pittsfield Board, Planning Commission, and Park Commission meetings before I was elected in 2000, and then served at every Board and Planning Commission meeting to 2008.
Currently, since 2008, I attend and video record every Pittsfield Board, Planning Commission, and Park Commission meeting, as well as a number of the other committees and commissions. I share what I learn with others, and follow up with FOIA requests. I am current on all issues of the Township and prepared to take office and go to work, with the support of Pittsfield’s voters.
Volunteer/community organizations:
Member National Treasury Employees Union
Served as Pittsfield/Ypsi area Board Member, Washtenaw County Farm Bureau 2009-2016
Democratic Precinct Delegate. WCDP Executive Committee.
Helping Aurelia connect to activities through school, Special Olympics, and Methodist Church
Helping others with local issues, and connecting them with others to effect change
Helping people to run for local office, through my PAC Pittsfield Integrity
My twin passions are social and environmental justice. I’m involved with The Committee to Ban Fracking and other environmental groups due to the urgency of climate change
 

Why are you running for the township supervisor?

Grewal

My work at the Great Lakes Commission aimed at protecting our state’s natural resources inspired me to enter the doctoral program for Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. My work on equity (Planning for the Marginalized) and social justice (advocacy for domestic violence & sexual assault survivors) led me into public service. After serving two terms as Washtenaw County Commissioner for Pittsfield Township, where I served as Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the Planning Board, I ran for Supervisor because I wanted to use my planning skills to outline a blueprint of promoting sustainable equity within a suburban context.
 
Since 2009, I have worked hard to deliver on that vision by establishing multi-modal transportation, public transit, the Farmers Market, green infrastructure, community gardens, and neighborhood parks. I have worked to reduce sprawl, expand green spaces, acquire nearly $20 million in federal/state grant funds, and support diverse & affordable housing.
 
As we address social injustices and the Great Pandemic, I will use my experience and strengthen partnerships with all the residents and businesses in our community to lead Pittsfield Township in promoting Respectful, Inclusive, and Sustainable Equity.

Lirones

Generally, the current Supervisor’s vision is out of step with the vision of the residents. By attending all of the Board and Planning Commission meetings, I see how often residents plead with the elected and appointed officials, only to have their pleas ignored.

Specific examples:

1) It took over a year of residents speaking out at meetings to stop the Township leadership’s plan to build Wacker Chemical next to Marsh View Meadows Park, near schools and neighborhoods.

2) The Supervisor and Board threw away a deed restriction at Oak Valley and Ann Arbor Saline Road, and rezoned property to allow dense apartments and building on the berms in front of Meijer, without any notification to neighbors. Neighbors found out later, but nothing could be done.

3) Most recently, the Supervisor and Board threw away a protective easement on huge heritage trees at State Street Crossings, again over the pleas of residents. The heritage trees will be destroyed. The Supervisor had an expensive Carbon Emission study done to justify the destruction of the trees. This report was just received at the Planning Commission. Commissioners agreed it provided no justification, but the easement is gone.

4) Residents were sued for condemnation of land, and two miles of huge trees torn down within the Pittsfield Preserve and west of State on Textile Road, to meet the design demands of one of the many inappropriate grants the Township Supervisor has sought. The Township and Road Commission partnered to build a 55mph commercial truck route and very wide asphalt path on Textile Road. Our dream homes are no longer reality and our tree lined gravel road is broiling hot asphalt, devoid of shade. The Pittsfield Preserve has been deeply damaged by this project.

In every instance, the quality of life of our residents, and our beautiful environment, was erased for the benefit of an out of town developer. In every instance, the action taken was 100% within the control of the Supervisor and Board, and took great effort and great Township expense to achieve.
It’s time to get Pittsfield back on the right track, with environmental and fiscal responsibility, and the quality of life of residents put first and foremost.

When I entered office in 2000 we were in the midst of an infrastructure crisis due to over development. We installed a 5 million gallon water tank on Textile Road and a redundant line to Ypsilanti, to safeguard the public water supply. We purchased the Pittsfield Preserve and withdrew it from the service area to protect the environment and our public water service. We did this while lowering taxes and keeping a 30% reserve fund, while increasing our bond rating.
When I left in 2008, the total millage rate was 5.145 mills. Last year, it was 6.3315, and our local public safety dispatch has been abolished. We are headed in the wrong direction.

I’m running for office to bring transparency and open access to residents. It’s time for officials who come to work every day, who listen to the residents, and who put the residents first.

Why should voters select you?

Grewal

I came to the US nearly 30 years ago with my sister on a one-way ticket from Delhi to Detroit in search of the American Dream. My social justice work in graduate school served as a segue into public service 15 years ago at a time when no one that looked like me or spoke like me was serving our community. I have persevered in my role as your public servant not because it’s been easy but because Pittsfield Township is my adopted home and when you’ve lost one, the value of having the chance to belong to another is priceless. That is why I’ve fully and tirelessly dedicated myself to growing a community in Pittsfield that is diverse, inclusive and sustainable.
 
If re-elected, I will remain staunch in my strong advocacy on behalf of all residents and businesses of Pittsfield Township that has attracted an average of about $10 million in private investment between 2012-2019 and allowed us to levy the same general fund tax today that we did in 2009! I look forward to continue working with and for Pittsfield Township residents to improve the quality of life for all in our community.

Lirones

I will focus our Township’s vision on a more just and sustainable future. My goals will cost little, and will secure a healthy future. I envision a green future & respect for all residents.

• Our guiding principles will be fairness & equity for all. I will meet with & listen to residents. Solutions begin with the people affected
• Establish a Citizen Oversight Committee for Police & Township Administration
• Reinstate the Natural Resources Commission
• Reinstate the Housing Commission
• Seek diverse candidates for Planning Commission & all boards
• Improve & develop neglected areas, instead of green fields
• Honor easements put in place to protect our parks & natural features
• Review the Budget and Audit and prioritize needs over wants Affordability begins with responsible management by the Supervisor
• Fill vacancies in Planning & Utilities. We haven’t had a Township planner for years. Reduce use of consultants
• License marijuana businesses for safe, legal sales & revenue for Pittsfield.

What’s the biggest issue facing the township and how should the township handle it?

Grewal

The problems we face in Pittsfield Township are reflective of the many environmental, fiscal, and social justice challenges all our communities and the nation as a whole face today. As the first immigrant elected to public office in Washtenaw County, over a decade ago, I have learned first-hand what it takes to overcome such challenges. That is the reason I have worked hard, since 2009, to hard-code respect and inclusivity into the DNA of all the work processes and products at Pittsfield Township.

If re-elected, I will work, on behalf of all the residents of Pittsfield Township, to promote environmental preservation, and racial and socio-economic equity in a manner that maintains our low Township taxes, 30% general fund reserve balance, and AA+ bond rating.

Lirones

1) COVID19 endangers our residents and will cause a loss in Township revenue. I will bring a testing site to Pittsfield and coordinate information, cut costs, and seek new revenue sources. The Supervisor has a powerful leadership role in a public health crisis. The recent house party that resulted in 43 new cases of corona virus with 66 potential exposures in the Saline area is now famous nationwide This was preventable. The Township Supervisor should make herself seen publicly, wearing a face mask, and explaining the Governor’s most recent order.
Instead, the one June Zoom Board meeting was cancelled for lack of a quorum, and our Township Supervisor has not been visible publicly for months. Our Senior Center is locked, with no cooling center offered for vulnerable populations at any Township building. This crisis will not end soon. We need a Township Supervisor who will provide leadership and direction to keep our residents, especially schoolchildren and the elderly, safe.

2) Pittsfield has its own Police Department & Fire service, often cited by residents as a reason to move here. We voted to double the public safety millage when the Supervisor said she would lay off police if we did not vote yes. However, training problems must be addressed. We lost our resident Lake Jacobson on US-12, as well as the man who struck her car, due to decisions made by police. Families have lost loved ones, and the Township is facing a $50 million lawsuit. We have work to do.
Our police also need training in racial bias, and anti racist training. We need to hire more People Of Color. An unarmed Black man was shot by a White police officer in 2011. Our first Black Trustee ran for office in 2000 after he was profiled returning to his own home. Racial bias has existed in Pittsfield for many years. Our community and our Police officers will benefit from training, citizen oversight, and policy changes that national leaders are calling for. I will implement these for Police and all Township employees.
In general, we need to pay attention to hiring in all Township departments. Our employees and appointees are overwhelmingly White. We have only one Black member of all appointed Boards and Commissions, despite our multicultural resident population. The LGBTQ community is likewise not represented. Everyone should feel represented and welcome in Pittsfield.

3) Climate change is real. An astonishing number of heritage trees have been torn down under the current administration. PIttsfield is losing is pleasant beauty and cool corridors, and we are losing wildlife as well. We must protect our environment for our own future. I will seek changes to the building code for net zero and passive house construction, eliminate excess fees for solar panel inspection, and preserve our green spaces. New Township buildings will be built to the highest energy conservation and energy generation standards.

What’s something the township does well?

Grewal

The central tenant of my work, since 2009, has been to equitably distribute investment of public funds with the overall aim of celebrating the racial, geographic, business, and demographic diversity of Pittsfield. We’ve done so by supporting local minority businesses, green space preservation, and affordable housing while establishing non-motorized and green infrastructure, transit links, annual events, gateway signs, Farmers Market, community gardens, neighborhood parks – all aimed at bringing our community together to support each other.

This year, Pittsfield Township was ranked as the 8th most diverse suburb to live in the State of Michigan. Our current team, seeking re-election, is the most racially diverse legislative body in Washtenaw County.

If re-elected, I will rely on the strong partnerships we have cultivated with residents and businesses, over the years, to engage in a public discourse about enhancing social justice and environmental preservation initiatives in Pittsfield Township.

Lirones

Our Township is a diverse and welcoming community where residents feel safe, and our park system is large and inviting. People feel welcome here, and it is a wonderful place to live. We have in the past had green buffers and setbacks that provide privacy to residents and provide a less stressful commute.

We have pathways and parks that people use and love. For as long as I have lived in Pittsfield, Township leaders have required developers to install sidewalks and bike paths as part of new construction, at their own expense, and we have grown our path system over decades.

In more recent years, huge swaths of trees were destroyed, sound concrete torn up, residents sued, and grants and Township funds used to install very wide asphalt paths at public expense on Lohr and Textile. Context sensitive, well planned and designed pathways are good, and should be installed. In general, the installation of multimodal pathways is good, when they are done well, and when I held office, the first publicly funded one was made ready for construction on Platt Road, with a context sensitive design that involved the public. The new path the developer is installing on Ann Arbor Saline Road between Maple and Oak Valley will be beneficial to the residents in the new development, and now is the appropriate time to install it, since the trees are already lost.

What other issues will the township face in the coming years, and how should the township face them?

Grewal

Since March, the Great Pandemic has altered the way we all live and work. The long-term impacts of the Pandemic are difficult, even impossible, to predict at this time. However, what is certain is that there will be change and we need leaders – at all levels of government - who will embrace this change to work with their constituents to articulate a vision for a more sustainable and equitable future for our communities.

Having first taken office as Supervisor during the depths of the Great Recession, I am adept as reframing challenges as opportunities for positive change. If re-elected, I will continue to strengthen and build partnerships that have allowed us to acquire nearly $20 million in grant funding, which we’ve invested in building an inter-connected non-motorized network and providing for expansive transit services, green infrastructure, renewable energy, local food access, neighborhood parks, and green space preservation.

Lirones

Our Township buildings and structures, especially in our parks, are in poor repair. We are facing a large expense to tear down and rebuild or refurbish many Township structures. At a recent Park Commission meeting, it was clear that many structures are beyond their useful life. The Senior Center and Public Safety buildings will need major repair or replacement. In addition, our utility infrastructure is aging. Pittsfield had a building boom prior to 2000, and  it resulted in loss of pressure and boil water notices. The tank and redundant line to resolve this cost over $8 million when I was in office. We are in another building boom now, and need to be ready to pay for upgrades. Pipes throughout the Township are aging and need attention.

We do not have a Utilities Director or a Township Planner. It will be important to hire both and refocus spending on needs vs. wants. Ours is a beautiful Township, but we need focused and responsible leadership to maintain it.

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