Documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act suggest that the City of Evart and State Senator Michele McManus promoted a land swap between the City and the Michigan DNR without notifying the latter that the deal would also benefit Nestle Corporation, allowing it to move ahead with plans to purchase some of the city's water supply wells, transport, bottle and export the water as a product outside of the Great Lakes Basin.
The February 7, 2005 minutes of the city's council meeting include a resolution approving a land transaction application with DNR that says: "Whereas, the City expects to subsequently transfer all or a portion of the newly acquired DNR property to Nestle Waters North America Inc. while reserving an airway navigation easement to enable the City to make greater use of its airport facilities; and Whereas Nestle is willing to contribute a significant portion of the estimated costs of the construction of the replacement facility for the DNR..."
Oddly enough, in correspondence to DNR, the City Manager and Senator McManus do not mention the Nestle interest.
Posted by Dave at March 21, 2005 11:43 AM