REGULAR MEETING
BELDING CITY COUNCIL
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
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, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 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 addition to the agenda: Add WWTP Update from Fleis & Vandenbrink prior to the first Public Comment. Moved by Davis, seconded by Steele to approve the amended agenda. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
Corey Turner of Fleis & Vandenbrink gave an update on the progress of the Wastewater Treatment Plant construction. The project is approximately 20% completed. The next steps are to continue to pour clarifier walls, excavate and pour foundations for the Headworks Building and Process Building, finish manhole lining and CIPP work. A handout from Fleis & Vandenbrink containing mainly photos is on file in the Clerk’s Office.
Jenny Bennett, 1125 Kenwood, commented on the WWTP process and the DDA.
Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary 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 81525 to 81597 in the amount of $1,405,797.59
Approve Independent Bank ACH Notifications
B. Approve Minutes: City Council regularly scheduled meeting – April 2, 2024
Gladding reported that the ZBA nor the Solid Waste Committee have met.
Davis reported that the next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for April 23rd.
Leary reported that the Library Board met on March 25th. Upcoming events are a tea, a book sale and a seed sale. The Museum Board met on March 26th. Leary reported that they found a company to wash their windows, several schools will be visiting the Museum and they have a full slate of guest lecturers who will be coming to the Museum.
Steele reported that she did not attend the Recreation Advisory Board Meeting.
Mayor Meyers reported that the Housing Commission will meet on April 25th for a Special Meeting at 6:15 p.m.
The 2024/25 FY Budget Workshop was continued from the prior meeting. The remainder of the proposed Budget was reviewed.
A. Moved by Gladding, seconded by Leary to set a public hearing to receive citizen comments on the proposed 2024/25 Annual Budget for Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at the Pere Marquette Depot, 100 Depot Street. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – All.
B. Currently there are 7 members on the DDA and a minimum of 8 members are required (maximum of 12), therefore it was necessary for the City Council to appoint members. There were five interested applicants. After a lengthy discussion, moved by Davis, seconded by Gladding to appoint all 5 interested applicants to the DDA. Motion carried 4-1 by the following roll call vote:
Yeas: Gladding, Leary, Davis and Steele
Nays: Mayor Meyers
The newly appointed members are as follows:
Jim Mason, Mike Tefft, Nikolai Zerkle, James Hickman and John LaClear.
C. Mayor Meyer proclaimed April 26th as Arbor Day in the City of Belding. Clerk Ortego read the proclamation aloud. The Proclamation is as follows:
WHEREAS, in 1872, J. Sterling Morton proposed to the Nebraska Board of Agriculture that a special day be set aside for the planting of trees; and
WHEREAS, this holiday, called Arbor Day, was first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska, and Arbor Day is now observed throughout the nation and the world; and
WHEREAS, trees reduce the erosion of our precious topsoil by wind and water, cut heating and cooling costs, moderate the temperature, clean the air, produce oxygen and provide habitat for wildlife, and
WHEREAS, trees are a renewable resource giving us paper, wood for our homes, fuel for our fires and countless other wood products; and
WHEREAS, trees in our city increase property values, enhance the economic vitality of business areas, and beautify our community, and
WHEREAS, trees, wherever they are planted, are a source of joy and spiritual renewal; and
WHEREAS, the City of Belding has been recognized as a Tree City USA by The National Arbor Day Foundation for the twenty-first year and desires to continue its tree-planting practices.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bruce Meyers, Mayor of the City of Belding, do hereby proclaim April 26, 2024 as Arbor Day in the City of Belding, and urge all citizens to celebrate Arbor Day and to support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands, and
FURTHER, I urge all citizens to plant trees to gladden the heart and promote the well- being of this and future generations.
Moved by Steele, seconded by Leary to approve the Mayor Proclamation for Arbor Day. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
Jenny Bennett, 1125 Kenwood, commented on the following topics of interest:
· risk of fraud, scams and identity theft
· City payroll processing
Tim Lubitz, Belding Fire Chief, commented on the importance of compliance with house numbers.
City Manager, Jon Stoppels commented on the following topics of interest:
· Improvements to the kitchen/dayroom at the fire department are 99% completed. The fire department staff did all of the work themselves. Members of City Council were invited to come and see the improvements.
· If we qualify, the USDA offers 40-year loans at low interest rates. They would do a case and space needs study. The Police Department needs bullet proof glass, walls, showers, room for hazardous materials and interrogations, etc. Stoppels advised the Council that he could pursue working with the USDA regarding the renovations for the new city hall if they are interested.
· Many politicians understand our challenges and are working on Belding’s behalf regarding sources for funding the WWTP.
· Spring work is beginning at the DPW including weed eradication, road patching and fire hydrant flushing.
· Job posting for a Custodian
· Job posting for a Public Works & Utilities Director
Davis commented on the following:
· thanked everyone for going through the Budget process
· thanked everyone for coming to the meeting
Leary commented on the following:
· WWTP update
· Music by the River
Steele commented on the following:
· thanked Jim Mason for his interest in serving on the DDA as the resident representative of the district.
Gladding commented on the following:
· thanked everyone for coming and listening
· thanked Becky (Schlienz) (City Finance Director) for her work on the Budget
· commended Tim (Lubitz) (Fire Chief) regarding his work on addresses
Mayor Meyers commented on the following:
· thanked Becky and everyone else who worked on the budget
· ZBA variances
· fire department improvements tour
· DDA appointments
· the power of the DDA and ZBA boards
· His “no” vote regarding the DDA appointments was not about the applicants; it was more about the process
· Follow-up and getting boards on track
Moved by Leary, seconded by Gladding to adjourn the meeting at 8:36 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
_________________________________________ ___________________________________________
Bruce Meyers, Mayor Janae Ortego, City Clerk