Managing Growth and Assets

Amanda Nimke Ballard believes managing pressures of development through policy and planning with a focus on protecting existing communities takes vision and an investment in the citizens who have built their lives in those communities.

Every small locality faces the pressures of development.  Managing those pressures through policy and planning focused on protecting existing communities takes vision and investment in the citizens who have built their lives in those communities.

Our township faces unique challenges due to the underused sewer and water district near the City of Chelsea.  Every year we spend money out of our general fund to keep the water system functioning.

These problems stem from a lack of customers in the utility district, where higher density and commercial growth were intended, and infrastructure already exists and is desperately needed.  If we don’t consider this serious issue in all of our policy and planning decisions, we will exacerbate an already difficult situation.

Past officials were careful to set policy and zoning laws to ensure that higher density growth was focused in this utility district to support the infrastructure and keep the rest of the township outside the utility district rural. I will continue to advocate for strategies that focus on preserving our rural character while balancing the needs of our sewer and water district to stabilize water and sewer rates and make the water system self-sustainable.

Supporting local assets is integral to the stability of our township.  Our rural character is is comprised of a balance between managing growth and focusing it where we want and not where we don’t.  Utilizing zoning and policy strategies in addition to initiatives to protect and preserve farmland and natural areas will be strategic tools to maintain that balance.

Forming coalitions with neighboring municipalities is also an important mechanism for managing growth around us and strengthening our assets.  When we work together and collaborate we build more resilient communities.

Our task will be to maximize the growth where infrastructure already exists in our urban district near the City of Chelsea to reach the break-even point for the cost of operations of the water system over the long term.   We must also approach preserving and protecting the rural character of the township with various strategies. This will take vision, long-term planning and clear leadership, and I will continue to be that voice as your Clerk and Board member.

Together, we can move Sylvan forward.