NEW HAVEN EYES ITS COSTLY LEASE Municipal building rent Hea said the strain the lease im- poses on the budget is adding to fi- is $16,500 a month nancial proble ms that he predicted could lead to state in changes aren't made. By Eric D. Lawrence "It's pretty shady," Hea 8aid of Free Press Staff Wlter the deal. "I'm sorry, I'mnot accusing anyone of anything, but we're really Officials in the northern Macomb suffering for it now. Trustee Jennifer Podgurski and other offlcials hlred an attorney to examine the County village New Haven have Carl Rashid Jr., the Detroit attor. municipal building lease. She said the building is fine, but the rentistoo high. hired an attorney to investigate a ney hired to investigate the lease, contract that locks the village into a he expects to present his find- cost at$3,7 million. "Even after 25 years of paying $198,000-a-year lease for 25 years. ings to village officials in a few The lease was signed by Winkle rent, we will still not own this bulld- A contract signed in 2005 re- weeks. He said the lease appears to and former Village President Ken ing," she said. "We finally have a quires the village of 4,642 people to be one-sided Sims. council who's got some guts to actu- pay $16,500 monthly on the munici- "I would definitely say it's defi- In 2006, Sims lost arecall election ally look at the contract. pal building on Main Street. nitely unusual," Rashid said along with his sister, Clerk Ruth Winkle said he would continue to The village also is responsible for The 30-page lease does offer the Sims, and two trustees. Concerns assist and cooperate with the taxes that Trustee Jennifer option of the property it about the arrangement to build the rent administration in exploring op- Podgurski said average about describes as an 18,702-square-foot municipal reached with- tions to purchase the building. He $90,000 per year. reached for A bond proposal was presented tion oustedinarecallsaddled the vil. twice what officials say the building comment. lage with such a long-term commit- currently is worth. Podgurski said the rent is far too to the voters and approved by 83% ment that appears to favor the land- Chesterfield Township developer high and an appropriate purchas on Feb. 27, 2007," Winkle said. "De lord. Walter Winkle, who built and owns price would be less than half of what spite the voter approval, the admin- "How could this have been done? the building, said an e-malled thelease says. And the lease does not istration chose to bypass the pur- How could it be so one-sided?" Hea statement that the purchase price appear to present any real options chase of the building and continue said. "Every month when I have to was validated by two independent for the community to end the agree- with the long-term lease agree- sign the $16,500 check, I Just cringe," appraisals that set the replacement ment early