A Galesburg City Council meeting drew a crowd on Thursday as officials discussed the potential sale of oil and mineral rights in a local park. Savoy Energy LP, a Traverse City-based company, has requested a non-developmental lease on 22 acres of parkland behind city hall.
No one from the public spoke in favor of the proposal, and several people urged council members to oppose it. One was Kathy Schoen of Climax, who says she’s worried about climate change.
"This just would contribute to it," she said. "I’m opposed to carbon-based fuels. I think we need to start switching to non-carbon sources of energy like wind and solar...so just on the very broad concern of we need to get away from these kind of fuels.”
Lori West is the mayor-elect of Galesburg. She says that as a small city, Galesburg can use all the income it can get.
“But this sort of income does not outweigh or offset the cost of the potential implication and ramifications of oil drilling in our city, and the potential hazards," she said.
West suggested that protecting water quality should be Michigan’s first priority, especially after disasters such as the 2010 Enbridge oil spill in the Kalamazoo River. She added that she’d like to see more transparency from Savoy before making a decision. The Council will likely postpone a vote on the lease until next year, as three members will be giving up their seats following Tuesday’s election.
