(WWJ) Several hundred Harsens Island residents met Sunday night to discuss the ongoing closure of ferry service which transports vehicles to and from the island.
Residents want Governor Gretchen Whitmer to help, asking for the state to get involved the reconstruction of a dock that collapsed last week. The Harsens Island ferry went out of service for vehicle transportation Wednesday after its dock collapsed into the North Channel.
Jim Nuemann lives on Harsens Island, and says he's not sure he'll use the structure when it's back in service later this week.
"I think some people are pretty leery, I know my wife and my kids are pretty skeptical as to whether or not his bandage is going to hold this time after it didn't hold the last two times," Neumann said.
Nuemann says he'll be joining residents to express their frustrations during a Clay Township board meeting tonight and so far, he feels local government leaders have not been responsive.
The township manager, who is the brother of the ferry operator, has been asked to resign, Nuemann said.
"If he can't step up and get this dealt with appropriately, he needs to step aside," he added.
The dock is expected to reopen later this week.
Still questions remain: What went wrong with it?
The Port Huron Times Herald reported that it had reached out the Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Transportation, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, the Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Michigan Public Service Commission. None could confirm an organization that inspects or regulates ferry docks and ramps for structural integrity.
