REGULAR MINUTES

PERE MARQUETTE DEPOT

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Approval of Agenda

Council Member Scheid made a motion to approve the agenda as presented, supported by Council Member Feehan.

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

            Ayes:               Council Members Scheid, Davis, Meyers, Feehan and Miller

            Nays:               None

Public Comments

There were no public comments.

Guests

A.        Good Neighbor Award – Belding Labor Day Committee

Mayor Miller presented the committee with the certificate of appreciation.

B.        The Belding Veterans Park

Holly Noble stated they would like to get final approval for the next monument going into the park.  The DNR has given approval or a permit for the building of the next monument on DNR property.  They are now seeking city council approval. 

City Manager Niemela stated when reviewing the processes in the past, it has gone to the Planning Commission twice for approval of locations.  The Planning Commission will hold a site plan review on October 10.  They are seeking permission from this body as the property is owned by the city.  The city council would give them permission.  The Planning Commission will do a site plan review.  The DNR is willing to transfer all the property from Bridge St. to Broas St. within 7 feet of the trail.  The property will be surveyed.  To the south of that will be City of Belding property.  The park will all be on city property then.  The city will give them a slice of property on the end of Broas Street in return.  The paperwork will be done, filed and finished up. That will take about a year to accomplish through their processes.  They have approval from the DNR for this monument.  They will come to the city in the future, and go to the Planning Commission for the site review process.

Ms. Noble stated they have three total monuments planned at this time for the Persian Gulf/Dessert Storm, Afghanistan, and a monument for the conflicts.  Each panel will represent a different conflict.  There are 15 spaces total that can be used to include any future conflicts.  The helicopter would be a fourth piece.  She asked if they could do anything prior to Planning Commission approval, like move dirt? 

City Manager Niemela stated they will hold the site plan review, and then they will sign off on that.  They can move dirt and install forms until that point, but cannot install concrete until October 11.

Council Member Scheid made a motion to grant permission to expand the Belding Veterans Park and proceed to the Planning Commission for site plan review, supported by Council Member Feehan. 

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

            Ayes:               Council Members Scheid, Davis, Meyers, Feehan and Miller

            Nays:               None

Consent Agenda

Reports by Council Liaisons

Council Member Scheid did not have a report.

Council Member Davis stated there is a ZBA meeting on October 16 at 6 p.m. at the depot.

Council Member Meyers stated the Rec Board is meeting on October 14 at 6:30 p.m. at city hall. The Housing Commission met on September 19.  The staff and financial reports were presented.  They are working jointly between the Belding Housing Commission and Greenville Housing Commission on future resource sharing and staffing.  The office entry repair is almost complete.  The audit is being done for the year ending June, 2019.  The administrative staff attended training for RAD.  The property surveys were approved by the city council at the last meeting. 

Council Member Feehan did not have a report. 

Mayor Miller stated the Library Board meeting was held on September 23.  They are working on the landscaping.  They are putting in additional shelving and bench seating will be installed in the adult fiction section.  They are working on the director’s evaluation.  They made $1,187 on the Friends Book sale.  On October 9 at 6 p.m. there will be a soup supper.  The Friends of the Library will have a murder mystery/dessert event at the Belrockton on October 30.  The Planning Commission will meet on October 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the depot.    

Unfinished Business

There was no unfinished business.

New Business

Public Comments

There were no public comments.

City Manager Comments

City Manager Niemela stated at the Planning Commission meeting on October 10 they will look at the zoning ordinance for industrial zoned districts and what is and what is not permitted.  This is a result of the incident at KMI.  The city council will have the first read at the next council meeting.  The paving program is just about complete for this construction season.  There are two to three blocks on James and one block on Mary to complete.  He is looking at funding as it may be $12,000 more to complete James up to Center.  He is trying to find additional money to complete this construction period.  The governor signed the state budgets.  There was additional money in the transportation budget above the Act 51 funding.  That could easily generate $12,000 for that project.  At the staff meeting, they talked about communications between police, fire and DPW, as well as through Central Dispatch.  There was better communication with all our departments before we switched from our own dispatch.  There is a lack of communication with DPW.  With the storms, the city doesn’t have the best system.  They have to go through a process to communicate.  The challenge is the radio systems the city has, the frequencies available, and how it works with Central Dispatch.  They talked about additional radios internally between departments.  Central Dispatch does call DPW for some things.  At the next staff meeting, the Labor Day Committee will have a wrap up and planning for the next year.  On November 4, the director of Central Dispatch will be at the staff meeting to see if communication can be improved.      

Council Member Meyers stated the neighbors thought they could get right on the street after the paving on James Street. 

City Manager Niemela stated that is usually by the end of the day after it is rolled.

Council Member Meyers stated the lady lacks mobility, so she had to sit in the car for three hours.  She wanted to know why there was not communication so she could plan.  She would have cancelled her trip.

City Manager Niemela stated they accommodated three people getting out, and they drove on the grass.  He wasn’t there for the lady.  Possibly they could have done that.  They will have to keep an eye on that.  It would have been hard for her to walk from a distance.

Council Member Davis asked how long dispatch has been gone?

Council Member Feehan stated he believes it was around 2004.

City Manager Niemela stated he just heard of it.  The city was advised they would have the same kind of communication as before, and that did not occur. 

Council Member Davis asked if he had made any headway on the planner?

City Manager Niemela stated it is not completed.  He has two people to talk to. He should have someone by the Planning Commission meeting. 

Mayor Miller asked if he had any feedback from the seminar?

City Manager Niemela stated they are making hard copies available to attendees next week.  He will download the links or get the presentations to council.  One session dealt with responding to emergency issues that come up.  It had parallels and was educational.  Council can review the information.   

Council Member Meyers asked for an update on brush pickup. 

City Manager Niemela stated they are still working on that.  They are getting close to having it picked up.    

Council Comments

Council Member Feehan had no comments.

Council Member Scheid thanked everyone for coming.  He thanked the Labor Day Committee and Veterans Park.  People notice things happening around town.  They were real impressed with the Veterans Park.  They can’t wait for Jenny’s bazaar.  There were a lot of good comments on Labor Day. He thanked them.

Council Member Davis thanked the Veterans Park and Labor Day representatives for everything they are doing, have done, and what they will do in the future.  He thanked everyone for coming out. 

Council Member Meyers stated every week there are so many people to thank across the community.  It is appreciated by a lot of people.  A lot of people are excited about being in Belding.

Mayor Miller stated it is great to see a few more people in here every week.  City council went to Metron for a tour.  It was enlightening.  They are a big part of our community.  125 people work there.  The facility is tough because it is associated with memory loss.  They made drastic changes.  It was a nice presentation.  They want to be an active part of our community.  Council is available to go to visit businesses.  He thanked the Labor Day Committee and the Beatnik Bazaar.  There is now a process to sign up for the sign.  He appreciates the Veterans Park.

Adjournment

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

Ayes:               Council Members Scheid, Davis, Meyers, Feehan and Miller

            Nays:               None

The Mayor adjourned the meeting at 7:45 p.m.