Fred Roperti's Reflections

Salem First Accomplishments as your Township Supervisor

Accomplishments as Township Supervisor

Managing Growth

ü  Worked to revise Salem’s Growth Management Plan to best reflect our long-range values and needs’

o   The detail of the GMP is what gives it defensibility; the revision added 2/3 to the existing version

ü  Successfully defended multiple lawsuits brought by developers that went to court to test Salem’s Growth Management Plan and Ordinances. Our strong, precise ordinances allowed us to prevail, maintaining our vision how we want to maintain our township.

Keeping Salem a Great Place to Live

ü  Designed and implemented a community park in the Salem Hamlet, completely financed through private donations, no township money used.

ü  Explored many alternatives that will give Salem the best balance of cost and health and safety services (fire and police).

ü  Actively worked with police to resolve individual resident issues – trespassing, noise disturbances

ü  Crafted noise ordinance with input from law enforcement and courts, so that we have an ordinance that provides warnings, tracks repeat occurrences and provides escalating penalties for multiple offenses.

Finances and Budget

ü  Restored township’s income from landfill and gas recovery revenue through successful lawsuit, including recovery of all attorney fees.

ü  Always support seeking simpler, more economical alternatives.

o   Specifically, spent $30,000 to correct a problem when Drain Commission proposed a $1.4 million solution, which would have been assessed to residents. Further, solved a “$400,000” drainage problem for $10,000.

ü  We enjoy a bank balance of $7 million, compared with $2.3 million upon taking office. We’ve built this reserve by keeping expenses down, government small and defending our income.

o   A healthy bank balance is also a key to being able to ensure that development is done on our terms – those that would sue to overturn our development ordinances think twice when there is enough of a “war chest” available to defend our development standards, guaranteeing that we decide what happens within our borders. 

Government

ü  Township still employs just 3 full-time employees; keeping government small is a key to maintaining our open space. Expand government and sprawl is right behind.

Memories of Salem - 1940's - Take Care with Change

June 6 - Hosted a quarterly meeting with State Representative Alma Wheeler Smith and Senator Liz Brater to discuss topics of interest within the District they represent.  There were only two attendees at this meeting which, in addition to discussiontopics such as the State budget, and the affect of high fuel costs, it gave us an opportunity to reflect on the state of the economy and what has gone wrong.  Michigan had a strong economy for years, a lot of it due to the automobile business, but clearly something has changed. 

Now here's an amazing coincidence - I guess you can file it under "it's a small world."   It was about the year 1944 or '45 that Jim Craven, who owned the Morningside Horse Stable on Hubbard Rd in Livonia, bought the property on Five Mile Rd.  He also worked the 80-acre farm we lived on Five Mile Rd (Livonia) since we were not into farming at that time.  My Dad and Jim shared rides to the Ford Rouge Plant where they worked the afternoon shift on the assembly line.  Jim, his wife who sang gospel songs in the church choir, and his daughters handled farm chores including caring for the riding stable and planting/harvesting farm crops.  I can remember that we could hear Mrs. Craven signing gospel songs, her voice ringing out over the land, and above the putt-putt of the two-cylinder John Deere tractor.

State Police Meeting

Met with the Post Commander of the State Police today - very nice lady. I've been meeting with her monthly for several years now...for me it's been invaluable in learning what's going on in our community, and what the future might bring in law enforcement issues, and it's been a great resource for her and the Michigan State Troopers that patrol here, getting to know our community and what we value.

Flag Day 2008

I pulled hay rides for I think the 12th year...as always it was a lot of fun - for the kids and for me.

Every fourth year (ie campaign years) there are a bunch of candidates that have never been around before looking for votes - I'm glad to say that the board members that I'm glad to work with were there and not campaigning, just doing their jobs. I will say that there is a new thing going around - that I've "lost it" and I've "changed" since I've been in office. 

I guess that's a reference to my age, and I can also contribute that my hearing is worse and my hair is thinner - all true...but I can assure one and all that I know exactly what's going on, especially the motivations that are driving the candidates that are encouraging everyone to replace the board.

"No Means No"

I think everyone has wanted to have our way at one time or another in our lives, and have found the answer is "no." And a lot of the time, we find out that the "no" was the best thing that could have happened for us, and if we're being truthful with ourselves, "no" was the best thing for the majority of people.

What I don't understand are people that hear "no," are informed as to why it's "no," can clearly see that what they want would cause the rest of the residents an unfair burden, but pursue their wants regardless, claiming that they aren't being heard. I find it amazing that grown people act like this, and are trying to make a campaign issue out of their personal desires - oh well, I guess that does make me an old codger.

I'd personally love to let someone else handle the 10 hour days, day in and day out, the phone calls at all hours, and the good stuff too. But as a resident, I don't want to see my way of life ruined by selfish desires of others, I don't want to see my property value become nothing when Salem becomes another urban sprawl statistic, and I can't walk away from a tremendous amount of blood, sweat, tears and time (6 years on the Planning Commission, 8 years as Township Supervisor) to see it all for naught.  

See more Salem Flag Day Photos Here