2010 Sheriff's Marine Patrols Information

The Oakland County Sheriff announced that, due to budget cuts, it must reduce or eliminate Marine Patrols on Oakland County inland lakes this year. The Sheriff's Marine Division has indicated that it will continue to provide a deputy to patrol any lake at a cost of $32 per hour.
You can read some local media articles below.

Many lake residents expressed concern about this decision, and its impact on White Lake. The WLCL and the White Lake Improvement Board (WLIB) explored the possibility that WLIB funds could be used to pay for marine patrols on White Lake this summer. It must first be determined if this expense would be a legally acceptable Lake Board expenditure, and if it is determined to be so, the WLIB would be required to conduct a public hearing to amend the Special Assessment District budget adopted last fall.

In the meantime, we collected public opinion and comments about some possible options in an online poll conducted from 4/09/10 - 5/08/10. While this poll was non-scientific and completely non-binding, it may be helpful as the WLIB and the WLCL examine possible funding. Click here to view the results of this poll.

At it's May 26, 2010 meeting, the WLCL Board voted 12 - 0 to ask the White Lake Improvement Board (WLIB) to proceed with a public hearing to investigate using WLIB funds to provide weekend and holiday Marine Patrols this summer.

On July 14, 2010 the White Lake Improvement Board held a Public Hearing to discuss the proposal from the WLCL to reallocate funds from the current Special Assessment District to pay for Oakland County Sheriff Marine Patrols on White Lake this summer. The Improvement Board voted in favor of the proposal. Click here to view the WLCL presentation slides from this meeting.

On August 25, 2010 the following attended the regular WLCL meeting to discuss the Oakland County budget issues and to participate in further discussions about the Marine Patrols on White Lake:

• Laurie Van Pelt - Oakland County Director of Management and Budget
• Phil Bertolini -Deputy Oakland County Executive
• Lt. Gordon Pizzini - Oakland County Sheriff's Office
• Sgt. Matt Snyder - Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Marine Division
• Jim Runestad - Oakland County Commissioner, District 6
• Mike Kowall - White Lake Township Supervisor
• Eileen Kowall - Michigan State Representative, District 44

Dear (name/address of a government official):

I am a lakefront homeowner on White Lake, in White Lake and Highland Townships. It is a large lake with one public-access boat launch and at least two "illegal" boat launches. This racecourse-shaped lake draws large crowds of non-resident boaters on the weekends. Many of the boaters who do not live on the lake do not understand or obey the lake rules. In the past, we have counted on the Oakland County Marine Division to patrol the lake and enforce the laws, for both the resident and for the non-resident boaters on the lake.

This year Oakland County cut all Sheriff Marine Patrols from its budget. It also made the suggestion that we (the homeowners) pay for this public service ourselves. The White Lake Improvement Board found $6,000 in its weed control budget to pay $32.50 an hour for patrols three days a week this summer. The Board and the White Lake Citizens League held a public hearing regarding this issue. While the majority of the people at the meeting agreed that we need Marine Patrols, they also agreed that money from the Improvement Board funds should not have to be used to pay for the patrols. That money was collected for the purpose of controlling weeds and dredging the lake. It was not intended for other purposes.

White Lake is a public-access lake, and Oakland County is asking the lakefront homeowners to use private funds to pay for a public service. If the homeowners pay for the patrols, then the non-paying public should not be allowed to use our lake. The lakefront homeowners already pay an enormous amount of property tax, far more than non-lakefront homeowners, and now the County is asking us to dip into our pockets to pay for a public service.

I ask that you find money in the next budget cycle to restore Sheriff Marine Patrols for Oakland County Lakes.

Sincerely,

(text provided by Nancy McDaniel)

TO: L. Brooks Patterson, Michael J. Bouchard

Dear Gentlemen:

Attached is a picture of my two grandchildren, Josh and Nicky. When you canceled the Sheriff Boat Patrols earlier this year for all Oakland County Lakes, you not only adversely affected their safety, but also the safety of other children like them, and all who use these lakes for recreation.

I am also attaching the unofficial meeting minutes of a Public Hearing held to allow the use of White Lake Improvement Board (WLIB) funds to contract through Highland Township these patrols. Additionally, I have attached for your information my presentation, as President of the White Lake Citizens League (WLCL), to the WLIB. This reflected the position of the WLCL Board of Directors.

As I saw it, there were two principles at stake at this hearing: one was the safety that the boat patrols provide, and the other was that our Oakland County taxes, and not WLIB funds, should pay for these patrols. As the minutes reflect, the first principle carried the day, and WLIB funds will be used. This was the only choice available for providing for the patrols.

At the hearing I sensed a great deal of anger directed at the Oakland County Government and it's senior officials for canceling the funding for these patrols.

At our next meeting of the WLCL, to be held at 7:00 PM on Aug. 25th at the White Lake Township offices, I expect much of this anger to overflow into this meeting. I also know that a letter writing campaign requesting that Oakland County restore funding for these patrols for next year and subsequent years will be imitated.

I invite you to attend this meeting so that you can explain your decision to cancel funding for these patrols for this year, and to provide your expectations for their funding for subsequent years.  

Sincerely,

Thomas M. De Santis
President, WLCL