After three decades of covering Livingston County public meetings, I can honestly say that until Feb. 7, 2022, I had never witnessed a “Parks and Rec”-worthy moment, especially after Zooming into more than my share of loud, angry meetings full of COVID misinformation these past couple years.
But on Feb. 7 — when the Genoa Township Board received a big round of applause after rejecting a proposed asphalt plant on a 6-1 vote after several hours of public comment — I felt the spirit of Leslie Knope hovering nearby, and she was proud.
For those of you who haven’t seen “Parks and Rec” — the NBC sitcom about public service and public servants — Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, is the always enthusiastic, always over-prepared, and always tenacious leader of the Pawnee, Ind., Parks and Recreation Department who believes desperately in the power of democracy. Here’s a clip from the show:
When I say that Leslie Knope was proud, I don’t mean as much about the outcome of the vote as I do about the effort and heart that went into the campaign, including the ultra-organized, well-informed, on-point, call-to-the-public commentary, and the respect shown throughout the process itself.
After people at various meetings displayed behavior that I once described as that of “tantrumming toddlers,” it was truly heartening to see the smart, organized work that these grass-roots community organizations put into their campaigns against these projects.
And I don’t think I am exaggerating when I say that I believe we have quite possibly witnessed the beginning of a new (and powerful) political force in Livingston County this year.
This emerging coalition — which combined good old grassroots organizing and a methodical, proactive, calm and respectful approach toward elected officials — started in early 2021, and it defeated not one, but two asphalt plants — one in Tyrone Township and one in Genoa Township, both pitched by the same company — as well as a gravel pit proposed for Genoa Township.
I recently called the Genoa Township/asphalt plant battle “Livingston County’s own clash of the titans,” as the new coalition fought against the asphalt plant proposed in Genoa Township on land owned by one of Livingston County’s most politically connected families.
Perhaps realizing the power it has amassed after its successes, the groups are morphing into a county-wide coalition of sorts to serve as a community watchdog.
“There is a true afterglow in mobilizing our township,” said Suzanne LaRotonda Kowalski, one of the anti-Genoa-Township-asphalt-plant organizers. “This has really helped many wake up and come together. It’s refreshing to see the sense of community that has been restored.”
Kowalski, who said she had never done anything quite like working against the Genoa Township asphalt plant proposal before, began reaching out to neighbors who before then were complete strangers to her.
They’re strangers no more, and that’s a big part of the power of the group, which brought together all sorts of people who pitched in their resources, their time, and their various talents in common cause.
“We had people who solely focused on spreading awareness, researching, networking, and everything in between,” Kowalski said.
What the group also had was scientific information, sound advice, and generous assistance from the Sierra Club; the Action to Resist the Plant group in Tyrone Township, which fought an asphalt plant proposal by the same company earlier in 2021; and the Genoa residents who fought the DNR-proposed gravel pit.
“It was completely a group effort,” Kowalski said.
Politics aside
From what I can tell, this new coalition isn’t made up of Republicans or Democrats. It’s something altogether different, a coalition brought to life by people sharing a community concern rather than a desire for political gain.
“With our group, all politics were put aside,” Kowalski said. “We had organized meetings, and we were open to all perspectives and new people to join and help.”
Maybe this is what politics might look like in the future, a bringing together of people aligned not with either major political party, but on a project-by-project basis with the health and welfare of their communities in mind.
Whatever this coalition could become in the future, all I can do is praise its effectiveness in the present. These people mounted three impressive campaigns against three projects, all of which proved victorious in the end.
Going forward, the coalition has a new identity as Fight for Livingston. It’s keeping its Facebook group going, and its website up and running as a central location to serve as a community watch group, keeping residents in the loop and involved.
“We are also looking for representation from each township and city to provide information,” Kowalski said.
• You can check out the group’s Facebook page by clicking here.
• You can check out the group’s website by clicking here.
• If you’d like more information, you can email fightforlivingston@gmail.com.
