Tag: Richard Baird
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As five water PODs close, officials declare city water “improving” despite trust deficits
By Jan Worth-Nelson Flanked by a handful of state officials, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver announced this week that five of the city’s water distribution sites, called “PODS,” will be closed by the end of the summer — two Aug. 11 and three more Sept. 5. The closures reflect the news that the city’s water is…
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Volatile town hall erupts with old wounds as officials try to explain water source decision
By Jan Worth-Nelson Near the end of the two-hour-long town hall Thursday night at the House of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church, a teenage girl, Tiara Lee Darisaw, stepped up to the mic. “I realized that the more and more we speak about Flint, the less and less you guys speak,” she said. “I want to know…
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Flint mayor turns away from KWA pipeline, opts to keep water from Detroit
By Jan Worth-Nelson The City of Flint’s twisted path to the Karegnondi Water Authority pipeline appears to have changed today, with Mayor Karen Weaver announcing the recommendation that the city stay with water from the Great Lakes Water Authority — what has been called “Detroit water” — as its primary source of water instead. In what struck many in the…
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Governor’s spokesman Baird defends end of water credits, highlights ongoing state assistance
By Jan Worth-Nelson Water credits for Flint residents may be ending Feb. 28, but several other key elements of the state’s response will continue, according to Richard Baird, senior advisor to Governor Rick Snyder. Services which will not end, he affirmed, include bottled water availability, operation of the water distribution sites called PODS, lead line…
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State won’t bend on end to water credits, Weaver says, adding tap water still not safe
By Jan Worth-Nelson Note: This story has been corrected to clarify that the proposal to hire Aonie Gilcreast has not yet come before the Flint City Council–Ed. A disagreement on what constitutes acceptable water quality between city officials and Governor Rick Snyder is at the heart of Mayor Karen Weaver’s unsuccessful effort to forestall the end…
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Weaver objects to state’s sudden water credit cutoff, asks “why now?”
By Robert. R. Thomas Mayor Karen Weaver held a press conference this morning in City Hall to address issues surrounding the suspension of state water credits for Flint residents. Referencing a letter she received from Governor Rick Snyder’s office last week, the mayor said she made contact with the governor to set up a meeting with…
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Follow up: state official reacts to local call for more aid, recalls early federal reluctance
By Jan Worth-Nelson Contacted after Flint Mayor Karen Weaver and the city’s congressional delegation called for the State of Michigan to contribute more to the city’s water crisis recovery efforts, Richard Baird, senior advisor to Governor Rick Snyder and “transformation manager,” a familiar face and voice in Flint since early this year, had an answer of…
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Pipe replacements hitting stumbling blocks, water safety guarantees uncertain, city and state officials report
By Robert R. Thomas The Flint city administration’s goal of removing lead service lines paid for by $2 million in state money has been jeopardized by unexpectedly high contractor bids, Steve Branch, Mayor Karen Weaver’s chief of staff, explained to about 70 partners in the Flint Water Recovery Group meeting last week under the dome at…
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