Galesburg City Council members voted unanimously Monday night to reject the sale of oil and mineral rights in a local park.
Savoy Energy based in Traverse City wanted to lease about 22-acres of the park behind city hall. At a public meeting last November, several citizens urged the council not to accept the lease because of environmental concerns. Crystal Lobretto lives along the Kalamazoo River in Galesburg. She says the council made the right decision.
“I think it speaks volumes that we want our cleanliness back. You know we dealt with chaos for years with the Enbridge spill and it was unfortunate.”
Galesburg Mayor Lori West said in November that protecting water quality should be Michigan’s number one priority. Following the decision last night, she said she’s pleased with the impact new council members are making early on. West says she doesn’t expect any more action on Savoy Energy’s request in the near future.