Election 2024: Candidate Q & A – Warner Queeny

Election season is upon us! I’ve sent out a list of questions to all the candidates running for office in Peninsula Township, and I am publishing them here on the Gazette in the order they’re received.

The candidates are listed below. If there is a link on their name, you can click through and read their responses, or view all candidate responses here. If there is no link, that means I haven’t received their responses.

Supervisor: Kelly J. Clark (R), Maura Sanders (R)
Clerk: Rebecca W. Chown (D)
Treasurer: Katie M. Clark (R)
Trustee (4 positions available): Sheila Johnson (unaffiliated), Kate Jerman (R), Mark Luea (R), J.P. Milliken (R), David K. Sanger (R), Fred Swaffer Jr. (R), Julie Alexander (D), Warner Queeny (D), Armen B. Shanafelt (D), Isaiah S. Wunsch (D)

Read on for thoughts from Warner Queeny, who is running for the position of Township Trustee.

About You

What is your name, party affiliation, and what Peninsula Township office are you running for?

Warner Queeny, Democrat, Trustee.

Why are you running for this position, and what qualifications do you bring to the role?

I am running for Township Trustee because I believe the next four years are going to bring tremendous challenges which pose existential risk to our community. I have two young daughters, and I am running to make sure this special place remains special for them and future generations.

I have been working in business, solving very difficult problems for nearly 20 years. I have an MBA from the University of Virginia, have built businesses from the ground up, and have deep experience with fiduciary responsibility, financial planning, and managing the allocation of resources in a way that balances growth with sustainability.

Throughout my career, I’ve guided organizations through turbulent times, working with diverse stakeholders — even when they were at deep impasses. I’m no stranger to managing conflicts and negotiating creative solutions that work for all parties. Our Township is facing a challenging transition as the winery lawsuit concludes, and the future will inevitably bring more change.

As your Trustee, I will listen, mediate, and ensure we reach decisions that secure the best possible outcomes for the entire community.

Have you served on any Peninsula Township committees or boards, and if so, which ones?

I have not. Since moving here full time in 2019, we have had our hands full! We had our first daughter in 2019, and our second in 2023. My wife and I grew businesses abroad from here, which required us to travel a significant amount. In the last nine months, I have devoted more time to give back to the community, and this is where I think I can be most impactful.

How long have you lived on the Old Mission Peninsula?

We bought our home in 2017 while living in India, and moved here permanently in 2019 prior to the birth of our first daughter.

What is your vision for Peninsula Township in 10, 20, 50 years? Do you support maintaining the rural character of the Old Mission Peninsula?

I fully support maintaining the rural character of our peninsula. That said, I understand there are growth related pressures which make that increasingly difficult. As I mentioned earlier, I think there is a way to balance responsible growth while being dedicated to maintaining our peninsula’s natural beauty. I share similar views with other current trustees, that we need to find ways to engage with the public to update our zoning to responsibly meet the needs of the future.

Do you support large scale developments such as “Peninsula Shores,” formerly known as “The 81 on East Bay”?

I support finding ways to meet the needs of our growing peninsula while mitigating as much loss to our rural character as possible. In time, alongside our PDR program and other conservation efforts, I believe opportunities for larger scale developments to exist will be less available, and I see a lot of support for that from the community.

How will you ensure community transparency in Township finances, meetings and decisions?

There is a balance to ensuring there is reasonable and responsible transparency without providing an overwhelming amount of detail. For example, I do not believe most residents care much about exactly how our cash is invested, but I do believe most would care about the high-level uses of their tax dollars. I would want to be able to provide a concise summary of what’s important to residents and make details available, if desired.

I believe the current Township board and administration does a very good job at making these finances transparent. I would want to find a way to make it more accessible and understandable to the public.

How do you plan to make a difference on the Old Mission Peninsula? What are your top priorities?

My primary motivation in running is to ensure the legal saga between the Township and WOMP is resolved in a way that has the least amount of impact on our Township. Throughout my career, I’ve guided organizations through turbulent times, working with diverse stakeholders — even when they were at deep impasses. I’m no stranger to managing conflicts and negotiating creative solutions that work for all parties.

I will listen, mediate, and ensure we reach decisions that secure the best possible outcomes for the entire community.

Citizen Engagement

How can Peninsula Township encourage citizens to become more involved in Township issues, attend meetings, etc.?

I love receiving the Township newsletter from our Clerk. It does a fantastic job at providing the right level of detail to the entire community. That said, I don’t know if enough residents are aware of just how serious the WOMP lawsuit is, and how it could directly impact them.

In my experience, the Township’s doors are always open (except on Friday!), and the people inside are more than willing to have a serious conversation about any questions or concerns you have. As a small but growing Township, I would aim to maintain this level of openness.

Peninsula Township relies on volunteers to help with public services, such as well-maintained parks and serving on Township committees and boards. How can the Township increase this pool of volunteers?

The current administration has done a really good job at getting people into committees for parks and agriculture, as well as other boards. During last year’s opening of the new playground at Bowers Harbor Park, there was a speech talking about the hard work done for that project to be completed, and I saw a lot of people who wanted to get involved after that (myself included).

To increase our pool of volunteers, I think we need to clearly communicate with people who care about the impact their time has on their community.

Do you support holding periodic town hall meetings where citizens can have back-and-forth discussions with Township officials?

Absolutely. In my experience, discourse is at the foundation of building a strong community, and this would be a great way to improve that.

Do you support an open-door policy at the Township where walk-in visits are allowed?

Yes. I have had many experiences where I’ve had questions (big and small), and have been greeted with a smile and a helpful response. I would hate to see this go away.

Township Administration

The Township has experienced a high level of turnover in the Planning department during the past decade. How can the Township improve staff retention?

To be blunt – we need to pay our Township employees a fair and decent wage. The hours, stresses and demands of these jobs are significant, and from what I know, they are typically underpaid. If we value the services these people are providing for our Township, we need to fairly compensate them for their time.

Which parts of the Township budget do you believe could be cut or eliminated?

Cutting or eliminating parts of a budget are serious decisions, ones that need to be thoroughly analyzed and discussed with stakeholders. I don’t have enough of an understanding of where our budget stands today to take an educated position on where we can reduce our budget.

Will you adhere to due process, or will you make decisions based on circumstances and relationships?

Due process is a prerequisite for good governance, and I would adhere to it. I recognize this can potentially slow things down, but maintaining solid governance is key for responsible growth.

Do you support or oppose moving to a charter township and why?

I support educating the electorate on the costs and benefits of moving to a charter township, and would then support a referendum on the matter.

Regarding hours at the Township office, do you support moving back to a five-day work week of seven-hour days, 9 to 5 or 8 to 4, with an hour off for lunch?

I like the current schedule. It provides an hour prior to offices opening up, four days each week, for residents to stop by and get their business done. The four-day work week is also a benefit for the Township staff, and removing that would most likely cause other issues.

Would you support lowering application permit fees, dropping the cash requirement for escrow funds, and allowing a bond in lieu of cash at applicant’s choosing?

This isn’t a subject I have much experience in. However, when we renovated our home in 2019, I remember going through the permitting process and thinking how reasonable those fees were. I am sure there are areas where we can optimize our fees, but I do not currently have a strong opinion on this.

Master Plan, Ordinance and Enforcement

How will you address residents/applicants who refuse to follow the ordinance? How will enforcement take place?

My understanding is the Township is currently extremely reasonable in giving people ways to remedy any ordinance violations, which I think reflects our Township’s community values. That said, ordinances are on the books for a reason, and they should be enforced appropriately.

In areas where the Township’s operational budget is already strained, how can the Township address more resident complaints, allegations of non-compliance, and public nuisance issues?

I think finding ways to be more efficient in how we handle complaints is challenging, but potentially doable with better technology and tools. I have also found that often the best way to reduce complaints and other issues is to be proactive, so finding ways to engage the community on issues prior to them happening could go a long way.

Have you read the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, and do you understand the procedures for adopting a Master Plan and amending a zoning ordinance?

I have not read the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, but I do broadly understand how it gives our Township the authority to establish and enforce zoning laws.

Will you follow the zoning ordinance as written, or will you make exceptions where convenient?

I will follow the zoning ordinance as written.

What elements of the Master Plan do you feel are lacking most?

As a parent of two young daughters, we find ourselves traveling off of the peninsula most weekends to other parts of town for activities. I think there needs to be some balance between limiting the development of our community and providing a vibrant community. Having one place on the peninsula similar to Jacob’s Farm on M-72 could be interesting; having any more than that risks the character of our peninsula.

Wineries and Winery Lawsuit

Had you been on the Township Board during the WOMP v Peninsula Township settlement discussions, how much Township money would you have given up to the wineries?

This is impossible for me to answer; I was not involved in the detailed conversations during the suit, and I think it would be dangerous to hypothesize about what I would have done. That said, it seems to me there have been opportunities to find some sort of equitable agreement throughout this process, and I wish I were able to have participated in some of those decisions.

If Township insurance does not cover all the damages claimed by the wineries in the winery lawsuit, how do you feel about OMP residents having to personally pay for those damages? Overall, what are your thoughts on the winery lawsuit?

I think this is an existential threat to our community for various reasons, and it’s the primary reason I’m running in this election. A large, unfavorable ruling could risk the financial security of our Township. I worry that a Township in that position could find themselves settling against those finances at the cost of giving up what makes this peninsula such a great place to live.

I want to avoid an outcome where in order to satisfy the wineries, we are forced to allow weddings, full-service restaurants, late nights, and the traffic, drunk drivers and other negatives that come from that.

Regarding the Wineries:

• Should they be allowed to have unlimited weddings? No.
• Should they be allowed to operate full-service restaurants? No.
• Should they be allowed to be open until 2 a.m.? No.
• Should they be required to support OMP farmers via collaborations and/or using locally-grown produce? Yes.

OMP Farmers

Do you support ordinances that help OMP farmers thrive, such as food processing kitchens, workshops, cooking classes, farm tours, larger roadside stands and more?

Agritourism has been presented as some sort of lifeline to our farmers, something that will allow them to survive in a changing world. But it doesn’t solve the core issue (how to make farming a viable living and career), and it comes at the cost of a large influx of traffic.

How will you assist young farmers looking to start their business or sustain existing farms for young farmers?

This is a very difficult problem, particularly in an environment where land prices are sky-rocketing and interest rates look to remain high for a while. I currently work for a venture capital firm based in Traverse City, and I work with entrepreneurs looking to get started in Traverse City every day.

I think the opportunity for the Citizens Agricultural Advisory Committee to come up with innovative ways to assist entrepreneurial farmers looking to get started on Old Mission is very promising, and I look forward to seeing how that works.

Do you believe in the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program? Do you believe that a PDR conservation easement should place limitations on the future commercial use of a property?

I strongly support the PDR program, and am so happy that our community strongly supports it as well. As it relates to future commercial use, we will need to maintain the spirit of the program as we move forward, and ensure that the current commercial uses (farming, selling produce, etc.) continue while limiting the expansion of similar but different uses (such as agritourism).

Do you support an OMP farmer’s market and/or a local artists/artisan market?

Potentially. The folks at Seven Hills have done such a fantastic job with their development, and I think we all benefit from their presence. I think there is room for one additional non-winery destination on the peninsula.

Taxes

In your view, what will Township governance look like if the AxMiTax ballot initiative passes?

I think it would represent a tremendous shift in what our Township looks like and how we get the services we all benefit from on a regular basis.

Another candidate mentioned their taxes are up 60 percent over the last 20 years. This represents an average annual increase of ~2.4%, which is just about the same as inflation. I would say that’s a pretty good management of property tax growth.

Do you support a Parks Millage to maintain and improve Township parks?

There has been a tremendous amount of effort and benefit for our parks, and we’ll have to keep those efforts going through grants, donations and volunteers. That said, there are limitations on systems that depend on the generosity of independent citizens. I would support a vote to the public that would propose a millage for parks.

What are your thoughts on the Headlee Rollback?

A Headlee Rollback would restore the operating millage to 1.0 mills, up from its current level of 0.61 mils. While this might seem like a large jump (our millage will jump 64 percent!?), it’s actually much smaller. I believe the average resident pays ~45.3mils/year in taxes; this would bring it closer to 45.9 mils/year (the increase to your tax bill will be closer to 1.3 percent overall).

Given the relatively small increase in our tax bill, with the significant impact it would have on our Township’s budget, I support moving forward to seek voter approval for the rollback.

Other Township Issues

Should there be a public vetting of candidates as to whether they are each in compliance with the Township?

I’m open for anything that brings transparency and increased confidence to the voters.

Do you think Bluff Road should be fixed and re-opened? How would you go about making that happen?

This is going to be a major challenge that we need to address. The Township does not have the financial wherewithal to fix and re-open Bluff Road, so we will need to work with the Grand Traverse County Road Commission on finding an equitable resolution for this.

I also recognize this is going to be a massive financial burden on whomever is responsible for the repairs. Professionally, I have been part of teams who have raised hundreds of millions of dollars to grow our businesses, and I can tell you that it is rarely easy or straightforward. We will need creative funding strategies and hard work to get this work funded.

What is your opinion of short-term rentals on the OMP? Should they be allowed? Do you operate a short-term rental on the OMP?

I do not operate any rentals on our peninsula, short term or otherwise, and I think short-term rentals should not be allowed. The fact of the matter is, we live in a place with a very limited housing supply, and the financial benefits of operating a short-term rental could impact the demand for our housing supply to the point where living here no longer becomes affordable.

What is your opinion on additional residential buildout on the OMP?

From my understanding, the new Master Plan has a plan that supports the buildout for 12,000 Township residents, which seems a bit high to my tastes, but I support the Master Plan. Finding the appropriate places to build residential properties and ensuring they are built according to our zoning ordinances will be key.

How would you address the desire for more commercial activity by some residents and the lack of commercially-zoned property?

I share in the desire for more activities in our neighborhood, but I think there needs to be tremendous restraint in making sure we’re having the right activities, in the right places, at the right amount.

Do you support a non-motorized pathway similar to the TART Trail throughout the Old Mission Peninsula? How would you make that happen when a trail cannot cross farmland due to farming rules and regulations?

I would love this to be a part of our community. I think the Township’s leadership, and our relationship with the community, could find creative ways to make this happen.

Should Peninsula Township seek collaboration with our regional partners such as the Michigan Department of Transportation, Grand Traverse County Road Commission, and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE)?

Yes – these are going to be important partners for us to have in the future as we grow.

Do you support the proposal of a new fire station to replace Fire Station #1 in Mapleton?

Station #1 for sure needs an upgrade to meet the current demands and deliver the working conditions our firefighters and paramedics deserve. That said, I hope we can meet those demands in a way that is financially responsible. There should be some balance between a completely new station and a renovated station that meets our needs.

Would you support a new community center?

I don’t really have a good answer for this. I can say that as a father of two young girls, we frequently use the library – so if we could have more of that, I think we would all benefit.

Final Thoughts

Any other comments you’d like to add?

Thank you for reading these, and thank you for participating in our Township’s discourse. The next four years are going to be transformative for our community, and we need leaders with strong moral compasses, business acumen, and commitment to maintaining and building a vibrant Township. Thank you!

Also Read…

2024 Primary Election Results – Peninsula Township

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