GROSSE ILE BRIDGE COMPANY PRESS RELEASE
Wayne County Circuit Court Dismissed Riverview's Lawsuit Against the GIBC
Law Firm of Pentiuk, Couvreur & Kobiljak Leads City's Failed Litigation
Grosse Ile, Michigan, June 17, 2008 - The Grosse Ile Bridge Company (GIBC) announced that Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Prentis Edwards ruled in favor of the GIBC's motion for summary disposition of Riverview's lawsuit during a hearing held in Detroit on June 13.
The City was seeking more than $71,000 for expenses allegedly incurred during the Wayne County Bridge closure periods in 2004 and 2007. Judge Edwards dismissed the case with a strong oral opinion stating that there is no basis in Michigan law for the City's claim.
The law firm of Pentiuk, Couvreur & Kobiljak, which provides legal representation to the City, filed Riverview's lawsuit and argued the case in court. The law firm is co-owned by the Supervisor of Grosse Ile Township. According to the law firm's web site, the Supervisor "serves as the Assistant Attorney for Riverview."
This is the eighth time since 2003 that a Michigan court has ruled against legal action taken in opposition of the GIBC by elected officials in Grosse Ile or Riverview. These legal actions have cost local taxpayers a great deal of money. For example, the Grosse Ile Township Board spent more than $450,000 on its failed attempt to seize ownership of the Toll Bridge through an eminent domain lawsuit. Prior to 2003, neither municipality had ever sued the GIBC.
"I am pleased with the court's ruling, but I continue to be extremely disappointed with the aggressive litigation against the Bridge Company pursued by certain leaders of Grosse Ile and Riverview during the last five years," said GIBC Owner and President Paul Smoke. "For the first 90 years of the company's operations we had excellent relations with local municipalities. Now I can't even get a new fire hydrant approved to protect the bridge and its customers."
The GIBC is a major taxpayer in Riverview although it makes little use of City services. For example, the GIBC does not use Riverview's water, sewer and trash collection services. The GIBC annually pays more than $55,000 in taxes to the City. During just the last 16 years, the GIBC paid $795,991 in taxes to Riverview. The company paid a similar amount of taxes to Grosse Ile Township during this time period.
Riverview has 21 days from the date of the ruling to appeal their lawsuit to the Michigan Court of Appeals. If the City appeals, it is expected that the cost of this litigation to Riverview taxpayers will substantially increase. The GIBC is committed to vigorously defending the 4th generation, family-owned small business against legal attacks by both Riverview and Grosse Ile.
About the Grosse Ile Bridge Company
On May 1, 1912, the Grosse Ile Bridge Company (GIBC) was incorporated as a bridge company and Michigan corporation by founding president Edward W. Voigt who was the great-grandfather of current company owner and president Paul J. Smoke. Between 1912 and 1913, the GIBC financed, designed and constructed the Toll Bridge as the first automobile bridge across the Detroit River between Grosse Ile and the mainland in Riverview (the north end of Monguagon Township at that time).
Since opening the Toll Bridge on November 27, 1913 (Thanksgiving Day), members of the Smoke family have continuously owned, operated and maintained the span to serve Island residents and businesses as well as the entire general public.
Today, the corporate office of the GIBC is located at 8734 Macomb Street on Grosse Ile while the operations office is located in Riverview near the mainland entrance of the Toll Bridge. The GIBC employs more than ten employees and numerous temporary workers who live on Grosse Ile and in other Downriver communities.
The GIBC's funding for operations, maintenance and long-term improvements of the Toll Bridge comes entirely from user fees tolls collected from vehicles crossing the span. No taxpayer funding has ever been used by the GIBC to improve or run the Toll Bridge. In fact, most vehicles owned by Grosse Ile Township (e.g., ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, etc...), Grosse Ile Schools, Riverview, Wayne County, State of Michigan and Federal government agencies are not charged the user fee toll to cross the Toll Bridge. Government-owned vehicles -- the vast majority owned by Grosse Ile Township -- cross the Toll Bridge approximately 1,000 times per month for free.
The GIBC is one of the largest corporate taxpayers in the area. Each year, the GIBC pays more than $58,000 in taxes to Grosse Ile Township while making another payment of more than $55,000 in taxes to Riverview.
The Toll Bridge normally handles approximately one-quarter of the vehicle traffic going to and from Grosse Ile each day. The Wayne County Bridge, located approximately three miles to the south of the Toll Bridge, carries the vast majority of the Island's daily vehicle traffic.
Over the years, the GIBC has received numerous awards from prestigious, national and Michigan-based engineering and infrastructure organizations in recognition of maintaining the Toll Bridge in excellent condition. As the builder, owner and steward of the span, the GIBC looks forward to celebrating the Toll Bridge's 100 years of continuous operation in 2013.
For more information about user fee toll fares, operations and maintenance of the Toll Bridge, view the GIBC's main web site at http://www.grosseilebridge.com. For information on the Township Board's eminent domain litigation against the GIBC as well as facts and answers to frequently asked questions, view the GIBC's Toll Bridge Facts.com web site at http://www.tollbridgefacts.com. The GIBC's web camera of current traffic conditions on Bridge Road at the toll plaza can be viewed at http://www.gibridge.com.
# # #
