Billing Records Show City Attorney Working to Advance PDIG Agreement

Image: City Attorney Tom Yeadon, courtesy City of East Lansing

Billing records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by citizen-activist Phil Belfy show that City Attorney Tom Yeadon has been working in earnest to prepare a legal agreement between the City of East Lansing and PDIG, the developer that seeks permission to redevelop the blighted corner at Abbot Road and Grand River Avenue.

This comes as a surprise to Councilmember Ruth Beier, who last week suggested City Council pass a resolution to obtain outside expertise to examine PDIG’s financial and legal positions because of the risk many perceive. It now looks as if the development agreement will begin to pass through City board review this week, starting with the Downtown Development Authority on Thursday, then moving on to Council approval.

As ELi has reported, PDIG is strongly connected with Strathmore Development and its principle, Scott Chappelle, which have a troubled history of foreclosure actions, uncompleted projects, contractor liens, etc.

Contacted Saturday, Beier told me, “I am surprised that it is this far along, given the complexity of the project.” Beier added that if her proposed resolution “requiring expert assistance on this historically large project passes, the draft agreement will be reviewed by [outside] financial and legal experts, although the Mayor assures me that that will happen without the resolution.”

Asked what investigations into PDIG have been conducted by City staff, Beier answered, “I have no idea.”

I emailed Mayor Nathan Triplett on Saturday to ask him the same question, and he has not answered. He also has not answered questions about whether he knew that City staff and the City Attorney were working intensively on the development agreement in the last month, and whether he has been part of that work or has any concerns about having the City enter into a legal and financial relationship with PDIG.

I put a subset of the same questions to City Manager George Lahanas on Saturday, and he has also not responded.

Today, East Lansing Citizens Concerned co-chairs Chris Root and Mark Sullivan sent out an urgent email regarding City Council’s meeting tomorrow. It appears from the agenda that City Council may vote at tomorrow’s meeting on whether to advance PDIG’s plans for the corner property.

Root and Sullivan told those on their list, “We have sought for many months to have the City request a rendering of proposals for the Park District that show the new buildings in the context of existing buildings, but this was never done.” It appears possible Council will approve the project without this kind of information and possibly also without outside expert review of this project, which is set to involve over $35,000,000 in tax incentive financing.

Root and Sullivan noted of tomorrow’s meeting that it is a “work session,” which means it will not be broadcast to the public. “[A]ttending in person is the only way to see” what happens at such meetings, and ”Councilmembers often communicate in greater depth at these meetings than at regular, videotaped meetings.”

More and more controversial business has been covered at work sessions in the last year, making it difficult for members of the public who cannot attend in person to see what happens at these Council meetings.

To see the agenda and attachments for tomorrow’s meeting, click here. To get on the East Lansing Citizens Concerned email list, email eastlansingcitizensconcerned@gmail.com. The meeting tomorrow is at 7 pm in the courtroom on the second floor of City Hall and is open to the public.

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