The entrance sign for the Lost Creek independent living community in Marquette Township is pictured. (Journal photo by Hannah Jenkins)

MARQUETTE — Lack of prompt snow removal continues to raise safety concerns for residents of Lost Creek, an independent living community in Marquette.

Similar issues pertaining to snow removal and accessibility to dumpsters were presented in a January 2023 Mining Journal story. Representatives of KMG Prestige, Inc., the company overseeing management of Lost Creek, and Community Action Alger-Marquette, which owns the facility, said at the time that the issues would be resolved.

Lorraine Leidholdt, a resident at Lost Creek, expressed frustration over the quality of maintenance and overall living conditions at the community. She has lived there for eight years, arriving around the same time that KMG Prestige was brought on as new management.

Leidholdt said she called an emergency maintenance number on Jan. 13 when a snowstorm hit and did not receive an answer. She then called the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office about an hour later, a deputy sheriff arrived to shovel her and several other residents out.

Leidholt said the Lost Creek maintenance crew did not start snow removal until about an hour after the deputy left.

Kelly Beach, a regional property manager with KMG Prestige, said their office has not been made aware of any such complaints.

“We address all concerns in a timely fashion,” Beach said. “We want (the residents) to be happy.”

Beach estimated that the maintenance crew at Lost Creek put in over 35 hours of work on snow removal over that weekend, stating that most of the cleanup was done on Sunday.

She said that two of the maintenance personnel could not leave their homes on Saturday, but that a third crew member was working on cleanup that day.

Leidholt voiced concerns about the maintenance personnel at the community, stating that the crew has a high turnover rate. She feels that this combined with the resulting lack of training is affecting the quality of living for Lost Creek residents.

“Most of us love our maintenance men,” Leidholdt said. “And last summer, a group quit. And there have been times we’ve had no maintenance.”

Leidholdt said she and her sister, a fellow resident of the community, wrote a three-page letter to the CAAM board of directors last year regarding the lack of accessibility to dumpsters and inadequate snow removal.

They did not receive a response from the board and have been advised to move to an assisted living setting when they have presented such problems in the past.

“It all goes back to management,” Leidholdt said.

Beach said KMG Prestige has received only positive feedback on their snow removal and other maintenance measures.

She said the company meets with Michelle LaJoie, executive director of CAAM, on a monthly basis at a minimum to discuss operations at Lost Creek and they are often in contact with her more frequently.

LaJoie declined to comment on the situation when contacted.

Hannah Jenkins can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is hjenkins@miningjournal.net.