REGULAR MEETING
BELDING CITY COUNCIL
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
Pere Marquette Depot
100 Depot Street
7:00 p.m.
A meeting of the Belding City Council was convened in open and public session at the Pere Marquette Depot, 100 Depot Street, Belding, MI 48809, at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.
Mayor Bruce Meyers called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and gave the Invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
City Clerk, Janae Ortego, took the roll call:
Members present: Shelley Gladding, Bonita Steele, Jeannine Leary, Jorel Davis and Bruce Meyers
Members absent: None
Mayor Meyers noted the following changes to the agenda: New Business: Remove Item I. Social Media Archiving Program and add Item I. Lightning Bend Budget Amendment. Moved by Steele seconded by Gladding to approve the agenda as amended. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
A. Moved by Davis, supported by Steele, to open the Public Hearing at 7:07 p.m. for consideration of an ordinance to amend Appendix B “Zoning” of the City of Belding Code of Ordinances; to amend Section 1.14 to include new definitions; to amend Sections 11.3 and 12.3 to add adult use marihuana retailer or medical marihuana provisioning center as a special land use; to amend Section 17.6 to add a new subsection KK pertaining to special land use design standards related to adult use marihuana retailers or medical marihuana provisioning centers (Ordinance 452-A34). Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes - all.
Bobbi Dulek, 815 Pearl, commented on the proposed Ordinance 452-A34.
Tara Allen, 528 S. Front Street, commented on the proposed Ordinance 452-A34.
John Elms, 1331 State Street, commented on the proposed Ordinance 452-A34.
Clinton Hewartson, 5305 Palmer Road, commented on the proposed Ordinance 452-A34.
Moved by Davis, seconded by Steele to close the Public Hearing at 7:17 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
B. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to open the Public Hearing at 7:18 p.m. for consideration of an ordinance to amend Section 58-262 of the City of Belding Code of Ordinances - Marihuana establishments and marihuana facilities prohibited, to permit not more than 2 adult use marihuana retailers or medical marihuana provisioning centers, subject to compliance with applicable provisions of the City of Belding Zoning Ordinance. (Ordinance 559). Motion caried by the following roll call vote: Yes -all. Hearing no discussion, the Mayor closed the Public Hearing at 7:19 p.m. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to close the Public Hearing at 7:19 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes - all.
C. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to open the Public Hearing at 7:20 p.m. for an Emergency Ordinance to Establish temporary precinct consolidation and relocation (Ordinance 560). Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all. Clerk Ortego clarified that this is an emergency ordinance and will become effective upon publication. Moved by Davis, seconded by Steele, to close the Public Hearing at 7:20 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
Moved by Davis, seconded by Steele to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all. The Consent Agenda is as follows:
A. Approve Independent Bank Checks 80213 to 80262 in the amount of $229,474.99
Approve Independent Bank ACH Notifications
Approve Mercantile Bank Checks 1434 to 1439 in the amount of $406,717.81
B. Approve Minutes:
City Council regularly scheduled meeting minutes – July 18, 2023
Closed session meeting minutes – July 18, 2023
Leary reported that the Library Board did not meet and she was unable to attend the Museum Board meeting.
Davis reported that the Planning Commission meeting was cancelled. Their next meeting is scheduled for August 27th.
Gladding reported that the ZBA will be meeting later this month.
Mayor Meyers reported that the Housing Commission conducted their normal business; paying bills, reports. They discussed a drainage issue at 32 Belhaven. They also welcomed their new president, Jim Mason.
A. Moved by Leary, seconded by Gladding to give second reading and to adopt Ordinance 452-A34 and direct the City Clerk to publish the ordinance as required. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
B. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to give second reading and to adopt Ordinance 559 and direct the City Clerk to publish the ordinance as required. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
C. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to give second reading and to adopt Ordinance 560 and direct the City Clerk to publish the emergency ordinance as required, becoming effective upon publication. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
D. Moved by Davis, seconded by Steele, to appoint Shelley Gladding as the voting delegate and Jeannine Leary as the alternate to represent the city’s interests at the Michigan Municipal League Conference. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
E. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to approve the annual contribution of $5000 to the Ionia County Economic Alliance for the City of Belding membership. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
F. Special Event Applications:
1. Moved by Davis, seconded by Steele to approve the Special Event Application for the B Foundation Glow Run to be held on October 6, 2023. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
2. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to approve the Special Events Application with stipulations, for the Belding Labor Day Celebration to be held on September 1 through September 6, 2023. Motion carried 4 - 1 by the following roll call vote:
Yeas – Leary, Steele, Davis and Meyers
Nays – None
Abstain – Gladding
3. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary, to approve the Special Events Application, with stipulations, for Michigan Disc Golf Empire to be held on August 9 through August 13, 2023. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
G. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to approve the application for a fireworks permit during the Labor Day celebration. Motion carried 4 - 1 by the following roll call vote:
Yeas – Leary, Steele, Davis and Meyers
Nays – None
Abstain - Gladding
H. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to approve the city’s proposed Special Event Application and Fee Schedule. After discussion, council noted a few minor changes to be made to the application: add the current city fee schedule to the application, remove the suggested fees and remove the second line, of number 5 on page 2. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
I. The Lightning Bend project came in $27,000 over budget. Moved by Davis, seconded by Steele to approve a budget amendment up to $30,000 from the General Fund to the CIP fund. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all. Moved by Steele, seconded by Gladding, to award the project to Stein Construction in the amount of $401,927.20. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
Stoppels advised council on the following topics of interest:
· Prepping for Gus Macker this week
· Weed spraying - Stoppels was advised by the State of Michigan and additionally received a written opinion from MDARD advising that the city can spray pre-mixed weed killer without a license.
· Some community service workers were assigned to Belding. A supervisor will be come with the workers. They will be painting the dumpster at the Museum and the shed in the cemetery.
· Street line painting should be done next week.
· Ellis Road has been completed with the exception of some walk ramps.
· A drainage issue was discovered at Belhaven I. The City will use personnel to make the repairs.
· The audit is underway.
· Williams & Works will be doing training for all boards and commissions. Dates are August 30 and 31.
· Stoppels will be performing a tree survey at the cemetery. This is planned to be a multi-year project.
· Gus Macker extended a formal invite to council to attend the opening ceremonies at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Leary commented on voting on dispensaries, the ordinances, and the expectation for businesses to be responsible businesses.
Steele commented on the marihuana proposals and that it is legal.
Gladding commented that she visited a dispensary to understand the process; it helped her decision process. Gladding thanked Stoppels for getting the trainings started. The Planning Commission and the ZBA will need some specialized trainings as well.
Davis thanked Stoppels for getting the training started and commented on specialized trainings for the Planning Commission and ZBA. Davis commented on the marihuana dispensaries and the decision process. He thanked everyone who attended this evening.
Mayor Meyers inquired on the status of the equipment purchases/authorizations from earlier this year. He commented on the decision regarding marihuana facilities, cameras for the Veteran’s Memorial and Central Riverside Parks. City groups are being requested to help fund the purchase. He additionally commented on the treasurer receiving a grant for the unfunded portion of the pensions in Belding, thanked Stoppels for the training, his (Stoppels) work on the cemetery trees, and also thanked Steele for her work and comments with the Rec Board and on Lightning Bend. Mayor Meyers also thanked Stoppels for the update on weed control.
Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to adjourn the meeting at 8:46 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
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Bruce Meyers, Mayor Janae Ortego, City Clerk