Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • A4

4A WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018 DETROIT FREE PRESS Metro The federal government has planted a on another senior UAW charging him with buying designer clothes, luggage and golf equipment with money that was supposed to help train rank and auto- workers. Keith Mickens, a top labor leader who helped negotiate contracts between the UAW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, is the per- son charged in the growing scandal in which prosecutors allege that FCA executives and union schemed together to enrich themselves. To date, two FCA two la- bor leaders and the wife of a UAW have been charged, and more indictments are in the pipeline. According to a document un- sealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, Mickens was part of a years-long bribery scheme that cheated tens of thousands of Fiat Chrysler autoworkers out of $4.5 million in training funds.

The alleged scheme worked like this: An FCA executive and others siphoned the money from the fund, and then funneled it to themselves and union cials through phony charities. FCA also gave UAW credit cards that were funded by the training center, and encouraged them to pamper themselves with the cards. And they did, prosecutors allege. Mickens, according to charging document, used his National Training Center credit card in 2013 to buy more than $1,000 worth of luggage from a Detroit store. Between 2012 and 2014, he racked up $6,500 in charges on the credit card, buying items including electronics, designer clothing and golf equipment for himself and for other UAW An attorney for Mickens was not readily available for comment.

Also charged in the scheme are Monica Mor- gan, 54, of Harrison Township, the widow of charged in FCA-UAW scandal Union executive spent thousands on luggage, clothes and golf equipment, prosecutors say Tresa Baldas Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK Keith Mickens See FCA-UAW, Page 9A Looking for a safe community to live in Michigan? Oakland County has seven of the top 10 saf- est places to live in the state, according to a re- cently released survey by www.alarms.org, which looked at FBI crime statistics and other factors. It gets better: Of the 25 safest commu- nities in Michigan, 19 of them are in Oakland County, the study says. But the No. 1 spot went to Wayne Grosse Ile Township, located in Downriver. Only one in Macomb County New Balti- more, ranked at 23 made it into the top 25.

The list is compiled by the National Council for Home Safety and Security, a national trade association of licensed alarm installers, con- tractors and other relevant trade groups in the U.S., according to the website. The survey is for communities with popula- tions of more than 10,000 and uses the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics and its own population data and internal re- search in its methodology. The group ranks communities based on the number of reported violent crimes and proper- ty crimes per 1,000 people, with the variables weighted, with violent crimes accounting for 1.5 of the total because of their severity, than property crimes, according to the website. According to the study, Grosse Ile is not only the safest community in Michigan the community which consists of one large and several smaller islands in the Detroit River it is also one of the safest nationwide. No.

1 is Grosse Ile Township, a town of 10,123 that recorded only 2 violent crimes and 15 property crimes in the latest year for which data is Alarms.org said on its web- site. excellent numbers render the town one of the safest in the nation: top overall in communities exceeding 10,000 in population. Next on the list of safe places to live in Michigan is Oakland Township, which the website said is a community of 19,659 that re- corded rates of just 0.31 violent crimes and 2.65 property crimes per 1,000 inhabitants. Six of the communities in the top 10 this year Grosse Ile Township in Wayne County, Oakland and Brandon townships and South Lyon in Oakland County, Hamburg Township in Livingston County and Flushing Township in Genesee County were in the top 10 statewide survey last year. Twelve other communities in Oakland County made it into the top 25, as did East Grand Rapids in Kent County and Green Oak Township in Livingston County.

Seven other communities each in Oakland and Wayne counties made it into the top 50 including Royal Oak, Birmingham and Troy in Oakland County, and Plymouth, Northville and Canton townships in Wayne County. Three other communities in Macomb County made it into the top 50, including Shelby Township, Sterling Heights and St. Clair Shores, according to the survey. Oakland County dominates survey Website also puts Grosse Ile at top of secure places to live Christina Hall Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK See SAFE, Page 8A The future of three City of Detroit municipal golf courses Chandler Park, Rackham and Rouge Park is unclear after the administra- tion announced plans Tuesday to shutter them following a deadlocked City Council vote on a management contract. chief procurement Boysie Jackson, said in an interview with the Free Press that council has a seven-day window to reconsider its vote but once that date passes, the city would have to begin the bid process all over again.

The courses would shut down March 23, Jackson said, because the current con- tract with Oakland Township-based Vargo Golf Detroit expires March 22. Palmer Park, which is another city-owned course, is not im- pacted by the closure. because the city decided late last year to transition Palmer from being an 18-hole golf course into a driving range because of ris- ing costs and a need for nearly $3 million in capital improvements, according to Jackson. A Palmer Park advisory council has been cre- ated to help decide what the city will do with the course in the future. not yet clear whether the closure of the three courses is permanent or how long it may last.

Council President Brenda Jones and Coun- cil members Roy McCalister, Ayers and Gabe Leland voted against the contract. Mem- bers Raquel Andre Spivey, James Tate and Council President Pro Tem Mary voted in favor of the contract. Councilman Scott Benson was absent. Multiple council members could not be reached for comment after the vote. Within the past several months, many council members have raised concerns about how the vendor was being selected and the transparency of the process.

And last year, the City Council and administration tangled over a separate $98,000 consulting contract for seeking ideas to potentially repurpose Chan- dler and Rouge into a residential development, industrial park space and other purposes. know that my colleagues and I have been advocates for an enhanced experience in Detroit and I stand committed to improving and retaining ownership of our Shef- said via text message. am looking for- ward to the administration bringing forward a solution to open our golf courses by The Free Press reported in 2016 that reve- nue from the four courses has dropped in re- cent years. Revenue in 2016 for the golf courses was nearly $42,000, a drop from $104,000 in 2015 and $125,000 in 2014. The funds dropped partially because a portion of revenue went toward settling a $442,000 wa- ter bill for the courses.

Jackson said his led a six-month pro- curement process that ultimately selected Sig- Rackham Golf Course is one of three golf courses which could be forced to close over a City Council impasse. ERIC FREE PRESS COUNCIL DEADLOCK COULD CLOSE DETROIT GOLF COURSES See GOLF, Page 7A Lawmakers concerned over management vendor; there is time to reconsider the vote Katrease Stafford Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK are leagues that are starting up. It have to be this Roy McCalister, Detroit City Council member WASHINGTON A congressional subcom- mittee got an earful Tuesday about the poor state of roads, with the head of a group representing cities and townships across the state pleading for help in them. transportation infrastructure in Mich- igan is as bad as ever Daniel Gilmar- tin, executive director and CEO of the Michi- gan Municipal League, before a U.S. Senate surface transportation subcommittee.

year is a special kind of ugly on Michigan Gilmartin, whose organization represents municipalities before state and federal agen- cies and lawmakers, spoke more generally about the poor state of infrastructure across the U.S. on behalf of the National League of Cities. But in responding to a question from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, the top Demo- crat on the panel, he noted that the roads are especially bad this year.

Gilmartin said he has had to pull the road while driving himself in recent weeks to check his front end after hitting potholes and that a colleague had a piece of con- smash his front grille. Peters, too, said he has encountered horrible roads and seen pictures of potholes so large a man could stand in one. The subcommittee heard from local from across the U.S. on infrastructure with bad roads: Congress gets earful Group begs lawmakers for help in getting them Todd Spangler Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK See ROADS, Page 8A.