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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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A contingent of some of the largest Black churches and representatives of the landlords Association met last Monday to discuss a common problem. Scrappers are putting them nearly out of business.
The churches are having their heating and air conditioning units dismanteled and stripped at the church site. . Insurance companies are threatening to drop their coverage and have raised rates so high the churches are being squeezed financially in order to make the payments. One church lost eight units and with winter coming, they need resolution.
The landlords are having houses stripped and making it at times easier to abandon the houses than to keep repairing them.
Council is holding a hearing on two scrap metal businesses that were found with drain and manhole covers. But they have no control over the scrap metal businesses that are in Genesee Township and other areas that are accepting scrap metal. Some Flint manhole covers have been found in Saginaw.
the churches are looking for solutions. |
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Sat Oct 01, 2011 12:33 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| One prominent lawyer has looked for a legal solution to no avail. |
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Sat Oct 01, 2011 12:35 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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It's not just the black churches. St. Michael's Catholic church at Saginaw & 5thAve. lost outside lights & all the copper & aluminum out of the big air conditioning unit on the roof. They now have security on site when the building is unoccupied.
There are 2 houses on our block where landlords are getting them ready for new tenants. If someone doesn't stay in the houses overnight, everything they do during the day is stripped. I give them a lot of credit for persevering. We have 3 rentals the landlords have walked away from, and 3 where the owners have walked away. One of the rentals was stripped by the landlord!
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see more occupied houses being stripped while the occupants are away. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Sat Oct 01, 2011 1:01 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The airwaves of WFLT were all about the impact of the metal strippers. Something needs to be done!
Nolden was on one show and he said he and Neeley resisted the attempt by Kincaid and others to push back the date on the public hearing about metal scrapping. |
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Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:26 am |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| Also found out that the unit at St. Mike's also provides heat, so it may be quite chilly there on Sunday mornings. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Sun Oct 02, 2011 9:07 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| One church needs $240,000 to replace the units destroyed by the scrappers. |
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Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:24 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Memo from Peter Bade and Crystal Olmstead to the Flint City Council dated 9/1/2011.
"For the reasons set forth below, the Legal department recommends that Council initiate the process to revoke the junk dealer licenses of following two entities: Spooner metals, LLC and J&S Auto Parts, INc. Flint City Code 12-58(b) gives the Council the authority to revoke a licensee's license at any time. Relevant portions of the Code follow:
12-58-CERTAIN PERSONS PROHIBITED FROM BEING LICENSEES; REVOCATION.
(b) Any person, corporation, partnership, co partnershipor firm to whom a license may have been granted
may have his license suspended or revoked by the City Council at any time
that the
City Council may deem or determine that the licensee is not in compliance with
12-56 or has been convicted of any violation of this article
after reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard before such City Council or a hearing panel of the Counccil in accordance with the rules for hearings previously adopted by the Council.
(emphasis added)
(Ord. 426 passed 5-26-41; Am. Ord. 2945, passed 3-11-85; Am. Ord. 3575, passed 6-30-04)
Flint City Code 12-56(b) states in relevant parts as follows:
(b) After receipt of such divisions recommendations. the application shall be submitted to the City Council, accompanied by evidence that the business premises have been inspected within the preceeding six months and
found to be in compliance with all applicable ordinances and licensing requirements.
The City Council, upon determination that the
applicant is of good moral character, and has not been convicted of any recent felony and/or misdemeanor offense related to the person's liklihood to serve the public in a fair, honest and open manner
and that no such person is an officer, partner or owner of a company who may be applying shall grant a license to said applicant.
The sole power to grant licenses hereunder is vested in the City Council. Licenases granted by the City Council shall be issued by the City Clerk.
(Ord. 426, passed 5-26-42; Am.Ord, 1605, passed--; Am. Ord. 2945, passed 3-11-85)." |
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Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:52 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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MEMO continued:
"
1.SPOONER METALS LLC
On June 14, 2011 Spooner Metals, LLC returned forty-five (45) catch basins to the City's utilities department. Spooner security officer Mark Blough (retired Flint Police Sergeant) submitted an official report concerning the incident (attached). According to the report Joseph Arvay (the licensee) walked through the yard and discovered forty (40) City of Flint basins lying in two piles. Arvay claims to have no idea which industrial concern sold these items to Spooner. Arvay claims Spooner's shredder was non-operational for two weeks, during which time Spooner received several large shipments from unknown industrial concerns.
Mr. Arvay's explanation is not credible. Spooner is well aware that local and state laws require it to keep accurate records of what is purchased and from whom it is purchased. Easrlier this year, all city scrap metal dealers received a letter from the City of Flint Police Department reminding them of the obligation to keep accurate records and submit weekly reports. Notwithstanding, Spooner has consistently failed to comply with those requirements.
It is not credible that industrial concerns are stealing City of Flint catch basins. Spooner has submitted no records to substantiate that claim. On the contrary, the City's investigation revealed that Spooner has a reputation for accepting stolen items. It would seem that (45) catch basins would be easily discovered and identifies as City of Flint property, i.e. that it was illegal scrap metal."
(Note- the difference in the number of catch basins, 40 versus 45, was in the original document) |
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Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:12 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Memo continuation #2
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2. J&S AUTO PARTS
J& S is licensed to Jeffrey Spooner. On or about June 14, 2011 the City received an anonymous tip that J&S shipped City of Flint manhole covers to Rifkin Scrap Iron and Metal in Saginaw. Flint Police Lt. Marcus Mahan verified that Rifkin had received a crushed truck that had four (4) City of Flint manhole covers hidden inside it. Rifkin informed Lt. Mahan that it received the materials from J&S." |
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Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:18 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Memo continuation - incident report (it appears that a portion of the report is missing)
"had no luck contacting the Flint Police Department. Mr. Pfeifer then contacted the City of Flint Sewer department and asked if they could send someone out to the Spooners metal Yard to look at several street grates and attempt to identify the grates as belonging to the City of Flint or not. Mr. Pfeifer was advised that someone would be out shortly.
On 6-14-11, at approximately 1251 Hrs. Robert Michael Smith, a foreman fot=r the City of Flint Sewer Department, arrived and talked to mr. Pfeifer and Off. Blough. Mr. Pfeiffer advised Mr.Smith of the above information concerning the street grates and Mr. Smith stated he would look at them. Mr. Smith stated the man hole covers were definitely not the City of Flint's. Mr. Smith stated that 2 of the catch basin grates were definitely the City of Flint's as they had the words City of Flint molded in them. Mr. Smith further stated that the remaining grates looked like the type the City of Flint uses but they were not marked for positive identification. Mr. Smith stated that the City of Flint has been losing about 15 catch basin grates a day and it cost them about $200 each to replace. Mr. Pfeifer then advised mr. Smith that if Mr. Smith believed that the grates belonged to the City of Flint, then Mr. Smith was welcome to them at no charge. Mr. Smith then advised that he would be bavk in a few minutes with several men and a couple of trucks to load up the rates and take them back to the sewer department.
On 06-14-11, at approximately 1345 Hrs., Mr. Smith arrived back at Spooners Metals, along with City of Flint sewer Department employees Brian Webber and Cornell Moore (in an orange City of Flint pick up), and Dave Foreman (in a blue/green City of Flint pick up). Off. Blough took digital photos of the grates as they were loaded into the City of Flint pickups. 39 Catch basin Grates were loaded into the orange pickup and 6 Catch Basin Grates were loaded into the blue/green pickup.
On 06-14-11, at approximately 1438 Hrs., Mr. Smith and his workers left Spooners Metals with the 45 Catch Basin Grates, after first signing scale receipts for each truck. It should be noted that Spooners Metals Scale Master Cory hall, had weighed the City of Flint pickups going into the yard empty and going out of the yard with the catch basins. Mr. Hall generated scale receipt #12759 for the blue/green pickup (empty weight 6280 lbs full weight of 7120 with difference of 840 lbs for 6 grates), and scale receipt #12758 for the orange pickup (empty weight of 7460 lbs and full weight of 12400 lbs with difference of 4,940 lbs for 39 grates)." |
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Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:47 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The churches are meeting with council members but they need to set their sights higher and aim at the state level. The county can help with the Genesee Township level, but there are junk yard outside of Genesee County.
The Genesee Township yards have trucks lining up in the morning to sell Flint's stolen metals. |
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Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:12 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Wilbert (PaPa) Jarret took on First Ward's Delrico Loyd over the theft of metal from New jerusalem that will cost the church upwards of $280,000 to repair. A total of about 8 HVAC units were vandalized.
It seems PaPa took exception to Loyd going to his Pastor and saying Council was working on a deal with the scrap metal yards to prevent the hearing on the removal of the scrap metal licenses today. Loyd allegedly told the Pastor that $10,000 was being paid to use Flint Police as monitors over the operations.
An angry PaPa told Loyd that New Jerusalem was not in his ward and neither was the scrap yard, so why was he involved. PaPa also asked if the $10,000 was a bribe and the community did not appreciate these back room deals. Allegedly even the City Attorney was involved.
Loyd took the mic to say he felt the argument was politically motivated because PaPa was supporting Buchanan. But he refused to discuss the $10,000 although he admitted most of the conversation with the New Jerusalem Pastor.
Tonight is the hearing and it might be highly combustable up in council.
There are some angry that Loyd told church goers that he was instrumental in getting Carpenter Road repaved, but he did a flip-flop when the Road Commission bill came.
Loyd is said to be planning a wedding for next September. |
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Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:45 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Tonight's meeting will be a hot one! The churches are facring tremendous losses at the hands of these metal thieves. Antioch may be hit by up to a $ million as the thieves hit both their church and the annex building.
Woodrow Stanley is researching the applicable state laws and will put them on line to see what can be done.
Watch for more fireworks between some of the church members and 1st Ward Delrico Loyd . The city can levy the $10,000 fine and not take the license. Is the fix in as has been suggested? |
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Mon Oct 17, 2011 1:40 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| Receiving stolen property usually calls for jail time, doesn't it? |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:12 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Thieves target air conditioners at Flint-area churches to steal copper
Published: Saturday, February 04, 2012, 8:00 AM
By David Harris | dharris5@mlive.com
View full sizeRyan Garza/The Flint JournalKingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses Coordinator James Campbell (left) and Elder Lavarne Ross stand next to empty spots where two large air-conditioning units were stolen from behind a tall fence. The thieves who stole the units didn't leave any damage that would affect the attached heating units.
GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Area churches say air conditioning units continue to be ransacked for copper despite calls for the thefts to stop.
Barry Turner, a trustee at New Jerusalem Full Gospel Baptist Church on Saginaw Street in Genesee Township, said thieves caused about $50,000 worth of damage after they broke apart two air conditioners. Church members discovered the damage on Jan. 20.
Thieves are tearing apart the units in order to get the copper inside. They then go to scrap yards to turn it in for cash.
It came less than a month after church and business leaders in the area held a press conference to call for a stop to the thefts. All 11 air conditioners have been broken into during the last year, causing about $175,000 in damage, Turner said.
"It's frustrating and disappointing," said Turner. "I can't imagine why someone would do this to a church."
Genesee Township Police Lt. John Mullaly said there are no suspects in any of the thefts.
New Jerusalem isn't the only church impacted. Members at Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall on Stedron in Flint noticed their air conditioning unit had been broken into about three weeks ago, said Lavarne Ross, an elder at the church.
"We have never had any problems," said Ross. "The (thieves) that got these air conditioners are professional. They knew what they were doing."
Ross said he would like to see police do more with scrappers. The city devoted two officers to scrap metal detail, and the Flint City Council temporarily suspended the license of two scrap metal dealers in the city last summer.
Mullaly said churches in Genesee Township, north Flint and Mt. Morris Township have been hit hard in recent months, particularly when it came to air conditioners. Copper prices remain high, Mullaly said.
Turner said churches used to be sacred, and thieves would stay away.
"In this day and age, (a church) seems to be fair game for any common thief that wants to make a dollar," he said.
Businesses also have been robbed. The Village, a mix of businesses on Saginaw Street near Coldwater in Mt. Morris and Genesee townships, as been hit about five times in the last year, causing $200,000 in damage.
Owner Lela Mcgee-Johnson said when the thefts occur, insurance costs go up. She blames the scrap yards for accepting the materials.
"The real thief is the scrap yards," she said.
Politically Correct February 04, 2012 at 8:39AM
When is Flint going to get the fortitude to stop these types of crime? The people that buy this copper are just as guilty as the thief who stole it. Some half brained nitwit shows up with a truck load of copper and nobody questions it.....duh. They could put a stop to these copper thefts in a week if they wanted to. This is another example of why Flint is nothing but a cesspool of ignorant police and politicians and infested by criminals. Nobody would miss Flint Michigan if it disappeared from the face of the earth except the criminal element and that includes the political criminals.
tmonahan01 February 04, 2012 at 9:08AM
"causing about 175,000 in damages." for 20 bucks worth of copper. The "calls for it to stop" is as big of a joke as the "Ceasefire Flint." The thugs are going to satisfy their needs until we put them in jail. Since there is no jail space and we didn't pass the jail millage so we are getting exactly what we are willing to pay for, nothing. Good luck churches, and community centers, vacant structures, rental units, private homes; none of our stuff is safe in Flint at the moment so stay vigilant and shoot first.
turnFLINTaround February 04, 2012 at 9:28AM
I agree 100% with Politically Correct and tmona... except that the scrappers get more than 20 bucks for what they bring in. If it's fairly clean copper, as in the case of plumbing pipes, it's very lucrative. But yes, I believe that if the city and county wanted to stop it, they could. Do they favor crimes against structures over crimes against people? Could they be afraid of more robberies if thieves couldn't get money for metal? The thieves are scrapping the city one shopping cart or pick-up bed at a time. Maybe it's Walling's plan to downsize the city. Let the scrappers start the demolition process, and then get grant money to tear the houses the rest of the way down. I was in meetings with the Mayor, city prosecutor and attorney, police dept, and sheriff dept. to try to stop this. All to no avail. Some people poo poo what the financial manager is doing. I like what he's saying about opening up the city lock-up and other things related to law enforcement.
spaul1960 February 04, 2012 at 9:33AM
Sad to say but the churches would probably be better off to tape an envelope with $20.00 in it, along with a note asking the the theives to take the money and leave the air condition alone, to the units then keep paying to fix the units.
truckinvan February 04, 2012 at 10:22AM
Spaul1960, sorry to say, but you are wrong. They wouldn't be better off taping $20 to the air conditioner with a note.
The guys who are stealing this copper are drug (probablly meth) addicts. You would have to tape a $20 to the air conditioner every hour on the hour, 24/7/365. Add that up. That is just for one addict. The first hour you missed - they would still take the air conditioner.
And, no, I don't have the answer. I'm not sure there is a good one. This church looked like they had taken precautions of fencing off the units. |
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Sat Feb 04, 2012 11:01 am |
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