Lansing Mayor Schor's first State of the City: What he said and didn't say
Sarah LehrLANSING — Mayor Andy Schor has been in office only 37 days. His first State of the City, therefore, spent less time rehashing Lansing's past and more time outlining his plans for the future.
Schor spoke for 35 minutes to an audience of about 200 in the auditorium of Pattengill Academy, a Lansing School District middle school.
Here are some highlights from what he said.
Transparency: Where does the road money go?
Potholes are a frequent complaint from Lansing residents and Schor admitted as much during his speech. He also acknowledged that the roads are not likely to get better under the existing funding structure — it would take an additional $25 million just to maintain roads in their existing condition, according to figures from the city.
Although Schor has not committed to substantially altering that funding apparatus, he did make a campaign promise to better communicate how existing dollars are spent. Schor said Wednesday he would go on a "Road Map Neighborhood Tour" with his new Public Service Director Andy Kilpatrick to speak with residents about streets. He also said the city would add a list of repaired roads to its website, along with information about the cost of those repairs.
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Also on Wednesday, Schor said all revenue from the city's existing road tax will go directly toward street repairs in 2018. Schor's Chief of Staff Samantha Harkins said that is a change from previous years, when a portion of the road millage revenue went to personnel.
No marijuana mention
Lansing's medical marijuana landscape is rapidly shifting, but Schor did not once use the word "marijuana" during his speech.
Lansing City Council approved a medical marijuana ordinance in September to regulate medical marijuana businesses and limit the number of dispensaries to 25 citywide. The city is in the process of shutting down unlicensed dispensaries, but the situation is complicated by an ongoing lawsuit seeking to suspend the 2017 ordinance.
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When interviewed after the address, Schor said the city will enforce its existing marijuana rules. The decision not to mention the topic was due only to having a "limited amount of time," the mayor said.
Michigan voters might decide next November whether to legalize recreational marijuana statewide. Schor has said previously he does not plan to make an endorsement on such a ballot measure.
Tech solutions
The city will debut a MobilePD application next month, which will allow people to report crimes via smartphone, Schor said Wednesday. The police department still will take calls, but Schor described the app, which will be compatible with the existing Lansing Connect platform, as an additional tool.
Additionally, the city will add GPS trackers to its snow plow and salt trucks, so people can check online to see when their streets are plowed.
Among other new programs, Schor announced the city and the Lansing Economic Area Partnership will work with Kiva, an online micro-lending nonprofit organization, to give matching loans to qualifying small businesses.
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Customer service
"Like metrics, customer service isn't sexy, but it's critical," Schor said Wednesday.
Mark Lawrence will start work in the mayor's office later this month as a "citizen advocate." When campaigning, Schor said he would create the new position to improve communication between residents and City Hall.
Lawrence has experience working for the Michigan Legislature, where Schor served until 2018 as a Democratic state representative for the 68th district.
Larry Nassar
The scandal of Larry Nassar, a former Michigan State University osteopath who has been sentenced for serial sexual abuse, has brought national attention to the Lansing area. Toward the end of his address, Schor acknowledged the toll of Nassar's crimes, saying, "We must recognize that the last few weeks and months here have been a trying time for our region and have shed light on the potential for evil that we could all face. And we haven’t experienced this in a vacuum. It has been felt and witnessed throughout the nation and world. My heart goes out to the victims of the heinous crimes perpetrated by Larry Nassar, some of whom I know personally, and we must be ever vigilant to not let anything like that ever happen again."
In response to a question from the Lansing State Journal, Schor declined to say whether he believed the Michigan State University Board of Trustees should step down over the Nassar scandal. Calls have been growing for the trustees to resign since former MSU President Lou Anna Simon resigned Jan. 24 amid public outcry.
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After Simon stepped down, Schor tweeted he believed she made the right decision and referred to himself as a "proud gymnastics dad." Nassar had ties to Twistars gym in Dimondale and worked as a team physician for USA Gymnastics.
Schor declined to say Wednesday whether he supports the appointment of John Engler as interim president. Engler, a former Republican governor, started Monday as Simon's temporary replacement.
The mayor and other officials wore teal ribbons Wednesday to the State of the City to support survivors of sexual abuse.
Contact Sarah Lehr at (517) 377-1056 or slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr.