Approval of Agenda

Council Member Jones made a motion to approve the agenda, as amended, to remove the City Manager’s Comments, supported by Council Member Scheid.

The question on the motion was called and the result of the voting is as follows:

            Ayes:               Council Members Feuerstein, Scheid, Lallo, Jones and Gunderson.

            Nays:               None.

Public Comments

Jeff Hunter, 6302 Zahm Rd., extended congratulations on the headhunt on Katherine to get her off the Planning Commission for good. 

Mayor Gunderson stated this section of the agenda was for comments on agenda items only. 

Craig Crebessa, 8079 Storey Rd., wished to speak on the Katherine Henry acceptance of resignation. He would ask for accountability on what took place.  Joe, Jerry and Ron were there and the by-laws were not followed.  Motions were made incorrectly.  The city manager is being sued.  The city manager put together the packet, not the Planning Commission.  It was direct, spiteful and hateful.  There has to be accountability.  They must take action.  He doesn’t know how they can make a decision in six minutes.  They lost a huge asset over the home use permit.  No one else is being singled out.  Mr. Krueger missed the previous meeting.  There was some thought to this before the meeting took place.  The Planning Commission members acted in an unruly manner.

Katherine Henry, 806 Wildlife Trail, stated she would assume this is a simple typo.  Page 34 in the packet, Item D  2014-09-44, the body is identical to  2014-09-43.  Regarding the discussion on amended agenda items E and F on page 38, she is concerned about how things were put in the minutes. Mike Scheid made the motion and just said so moved. It should reflect the discussion more.  Meg’s discussion did not make it into the minutes.  Maybe review the tapes and see what the recollections were.  On Item C on the consent agenda, they should consider what Craig was talking about.  The letter of resignation speaks for itself.  Look at the rules that are or are not followed on the boards.  People won’t want to be on boards if the rules are not followed.

Consent Agenda

Reports by Council Liaisons

Council Member Scheid stated the Housing Commission meets next week. 

Council Member Lallo stated there will be a meeting with the Labor Day Committee tomorrow.  The museum meeting will be held the following week.

Council Member Jones stated the Rec Board met last Monday.  Anyone is welcome to come.  There were one or two observers there for the meeting.  At the skatepark and tennis court area, they expect to have the rules posted on usage by the weekend.  Bikes should stay off the tennis courts.  A sign will be put up.  The Leppinks sign should go up soon for the skatepark.  All 18 holes are done at Smashpark.  There was a small incident with bees.  On Labor Day weekend the beginner tournament was held on Saturday with 23 players, and the pro tournament was held on Sunday with 45-50 golfers.  The Labor Day Committee gave an update.  The city will file for an extension for the Silk City Nature Trail grant.  More work must be done on planning for the retaining wall.  The fishing pier is done that was damaged by floods in the spring.  There was a request by Michigan Adventure Racing, who would like to hold a race from Lightning Bend to Ada Township Park.  Participants may walk, kayak and bicycle.  There would not be any street closures and no large groupings of runners.  It would be held in the spring.  The Devon Morrison Memorial will be held at Demorest Field on September 17 at 4:15 p.m. 

Council Member Feuerstein stated the Planning Commission minutes are in there and it explains what went on.

Mayor Gunderson stated the DDA meeting will be held on October 2, 2014.  There was not a meeting this month.  There is an opening on the Library Board and he encouraged anyone interested to fill out an application.    

Unfinished Business

There was no unfinished business.

New Business

There was no new business.

Public Comments

Mike Henry, 806 Wildlife Trail, stated it is looking more and more like city government.  No one takes the rules or bylaws seriously.  It doesn’t matter if the minutes are correct. He doesn’t see how anyone would volunteer to be a part of this.  He would like to think they would reinstate the ZBA, but doubts that.  The city manager has switched attorneys to a law firm in Kalamazoo.  It is back to the attorney when she was city manager in Cassopolis.  He is sure there is a large expense in doing that.  He asked if it was approved by the city council and was there discussion?  There could be violations there, as well. 

Bob Brown, 747 Jay, stated tomorrow is the dedication for Devon.  They put the stone in this morning. The fields up there are terrible.  He has been there since 1978.  There is a plaque the VFW donated, but they can’t see it because the weeds are so tall.  Tomorrow they expect a lot of people there.  The sidewalks are covered with geese dodo.  “A” field has an 8” trench 4 or 5 feet long.  Frank is not around anymore.  The fields are an embarrassment.  The bases are junk. They should walk up there and look at it.

Council Comments

Council Member Lallo stated the memorial for Devon is tomorrow at 4:15 p.m.  There will be a tree and marker on the far east side of the field.  They put the marker in and Devon’s mom was there.  She wrote a message to Devon in the cement.  It was a year ago today that his body was recovered.  She will try to make it, but she works.  Demorest Field is bad.  The fields are full of grass and dirt.  When you put a lot of money in something, keep it up.  It is a shame for the fields to go to waste.  They should keep it up.

Council Member Jones stated he has known Frank for years and they are personal friends.  It comes back to the issue that the city manager decided by state law the city couldn’t do certain things on the fields as it could endanger other reimbursements from the state.  The fields are a terrible mess.  There was an arrangement for the gator, and a couple guys would be trained to use it.  Frank tries to get up there once in a while.  The lift gate on the gator was damaged and needed repair.  Frank had taken care of it in the past.  He asked what they would do on Demorest Field, let it go or address the issue?  The Greenville fields are not in near that condition.  Little League should pay a fair share but the fields are open to the general public.  They should keep it up or turn it into a sand lot.  They must address the issue.

Council Member Feuerstein stated he was picked out in a Planning Commission meeting and they said he was in violation of Section 2.5 of the code.  If the person had checked they would have found there was no violation.  It was not in his front yard.  He has a general business zoning, not residential.  He moved the boat to quiet things down. 

Council Member Scheid stated the fields do need work and a lot of sprucing up.  He doesn’t think it would take a lot with a plan and group to work on it.  They could come up with equipment to do it.  It is considered one of the city parks and it must stay in good condition. 

Mayor Gunderson stated Demorest Street was repaved from Ellis to Kenwood, and Wilson was paved from Washington to Congress.  There was a comment about the city manager changing lawyers.  MML is the insurance carrier for the city and they chose the attorney for representation. MML uses Plunket and Cooney.  Mr. Callahan is the person that was put in to cover the case, and it had nothing to do with the city manager.  The city has no say as a council on that.

Council Member Lallo asked if the disc golfers use the businesses in town?  They could have signs to attract them to businesses.  Most come in and stop at one point or another.  They should have something, maybe banners

Adjournment

Council Member Scheid moved to adjourn the meeting, supported by Council Member Lallo.

Ayes:               Council Members Feuerstein, Scheid, Lallo, Jones and Gunderson.

            Nays:               None.

The Mayor adjourned the meeting at 7:31 p.m.