REGULAR MEETING
BELDING CITY COUNCIL
Tuesday, February 20, 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, at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 20, 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, Jeanine Leary, Jorel Davis and Bruce Meyers
Members absent: None
Moved by Davis, seconded by Gladding to approve the agenda as presented.
Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
Consent Agenda
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 81259 to 81326 in the amount of $392,458.90.
Approve Minutes: City Council regularly scheduled meeting – February 6, 2024
Leary reported that she had not had any meetings for the past two weeks. The Museum and Library Boards meet on February 26th.
Davis reported that the Planning Commission was moved to Thursday, February 29th due to the Presidential Primary Election as no clerk would be available.
Gladding reported that the ZBA has not met. The Solid Waste Committee met last Tuesday however she was unable to attend.
Steele commented on the Rec Board’s recent appointment process. She noted that the City Council should be dealing with the appointments/reappointment process rather than putting appointed board/commission members in that position. She further commented that the person who received the recommendation for appointment is very knowledgeable. Steele would like the appointment process added as a topic of discussion for the City Council Work Session scheduled for March 2nd.
Mayor Meyers agreed with Steele about adding the appointment process to the Work Session, although he doesn’t necessarily agree with the City Council picking the interested parties either. The Belding Housing Commission went over routine reports and had the Director’s (Sharon Carlson) performance evaluation. Mayor Meyers added that Carlson is one of the top directors in Michigan. She has lengthy credentials and is a huge asset to the City of Belding. Their next meeting is on March 21st at 6:15 p.m.
A. The City Council presented Cherie Peabody with a Good Neighbor Award.
(on file in the Clerk’s Office)
B. Moved by Gladding, seconded by Davis to appoint Rebecca Reinink to the Recreation Advisory Board with a term to expire on 12-1-26. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
C. Moved by Davis, seconded by Steele to appoint Valerie Conklin as an Alternate to the ZBA with a term to expire 2-1-27. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
D. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to reappoint Kathleen Lehman to the Library Board with a term to expire 12-31-27. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
E. Moved by Leary, seconded by Davis to approve a contract with Fleis & Vandenbrink for engineering services for the Bridge Street Renovation Project to be completed in 2025. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
F. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to approve Resolution 2024-02-05 to purchase, acquire, and construct improvements to the water supply system and to publish a notice of intent to issue revenue bonds. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all. The Resolution is as follows:
City of Belding
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN
RESOLUTION TO PURCHASE, ACQUIRE, AND CONSTRUCT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM AND TO PUBLISH NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE REVENUE BONDS
WHEREAS, the City Council deems it to be in the best interests of the City of Belding (the “City”) to design, purchase, acquire, and construct certain improvements to the City’s Water Supply System, including without limitation, replacement of service lines, including without limitation, the identification and replacement of lead, galvanized, and other water service lines throughout the City to comply with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Lead and Copper Rules, the restoration of streets, sidewalks, rights-of-way, and easements affected by the improvements and related facilities, as well as all work and equipment necessary or incidental to these improvements, and such other Water Supply System improvements the City shall determine to make (the “Improvements”), and to finance the Improvements by the issuance of bonds pursuant to Act 94, Public Acts of Michigan, 1933, as amended (“Act 94”); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 33 of Act 94, it is necessary to publish a Notice of Intent to Issue Bonds for the Improvements; and
WHEREAS, the City may proceed with the Improvements prior to the issuance of the bonds; and
WHEREAS, the City may incur substantial capital expenditures for the Improvements prior to the issuance of the bonds, and desires to be reimbursed for such expenditures from the proceeds of the bonds.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that:
1. The City Council determines to design, purchase, acquire, and construct the Improvements and to pay the cost through the issuance of one or more series of revenue bonds pursuant to Act 94 for the Improvements in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000 (the “Bonds”).
2. A Notice of Intent to issue the Bonds be published in accordance with Section 33 of Act 94, and the Clerk of the City is authorized and directed to publish the Notice of Intent to Issue Bonds in a newspaper of general circulation in the City, which Notice shall be substantially in the form on the attached Exhibit A, with such changes as may be approved by the City Manager of the City.
3. The City may proceed to acquire and construct the Improvements using available funds of the City from the Water Fund, which is a fund for the Water Supply System of the City, and other funds of the City.
4. At such time as the City issues the Bonds for the long-term financing of the Improvements, the City shall be reimbursed for its expenditures for the Improvements out of the proceeds of the Bonds.
5. This Resolution and the expression of intent to seek reimbursement from future proceeds of the Bonds is intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 150 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
6. The firm of Dickinson Wright PLLC is hereby employed as bond counsel to the City to prepare the documents for the issuance of the Bonds for financing acquisition of the Improvements and the officers of the City are authorized to enter into an engagement letter with bond counsel. All resolutions and parts of resolutions insofar as they conflict with the provisions of this Resolution are rescinded.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Belding, Michigan, that the above Resolution be adopted.
THIS RESOLUTION WAS THEREUPON DECLARED ADOPTED THIS 20TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2024.
NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE
WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM REVENUE BONDS
TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF BELDING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the City Council of the City of Belding (the “City”) intends to issue bonds, in one or more series, in an amount of not to exceed $5,000,000 (the “Bonds”).
The Bonds shall be issued to pay the cost to design, purchase, acquire, and construct improvements to the City’s Water Supply System, including without limitation, replacement of service lines, including without limitation, the identification and replacement of lead, galvanized, and other water service lines throughout the City to comply with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Lead and Copper Rules, the restoration of streets, sidewalks, rights-of-way, and easements affected by the improvements and related facilities, as well as all work and equipment necessary or incidental to these improvements, and such other Water Supply System improvements the City shall determine to make, and to pay the costs of issuing the Bonds and capitalized interest, if any.
The Bonds of this issue shall mature within the maximum terms permitted by law with interest on the unpaid balance at a rate not to exceed the maximum rate permitted by law payable over not more than forty (40) years from the date of issuance of the Bonds. The Bonds shall be issued pursuant to Act 94, Public Acts of Michigan, 1933, as amended.
SOURCE OF PAYMENT
The principal of and interest on the Bonds shall be payable from the net revenues derived from the operation of the Water Supply System. In addition, the Bonds may be secured by the full faith and credit of the City as limited by applicable constitutional, statutory, and charter limitations on the taxing power of the City. In addition, the Bonds may be secured by a pledge of the state revenue sharing payments that the City is eligible to receive from the State of Michigan.
RIGHT OF REFERENDUM
The Bonds will be issued without a vote of the electors approving such Bonds, unless, within 45 days from the date of publication of this Notice of Intent, a petition requesting a referendum, signed by not less than 10% or 15,000 of the registered electors residing within the limits of the City, whichever is lesser, shall have been filed with the Clerk of the City or other recording officer of the City requesting a referendum upon the question of the issuance of the Bonds. If such a petition is filed, the Bonds shall not be issued until approved by the vote of a majority of the electors residing within the City qualified to vote and voting thereon at a general or special election.
This Notice is published pursuant to the requirements of Section 33 of Act 94.
G. John Lovell, Acting DPW Foreman gave the 2023 Annual Report for the DPW. Mercedes Rendall, DPW Acting Utilities Foreperson, gave the 2023 Annual Report for the Utilities Division of the DPW. (Full reports for each are on file in the Clerk’s Office).
H. Moved by Leary, seconded by Davis, to reallocate $29,096.00 that was budgeted to purchase a patrol vehicle in the 2023/24 budget year, but was not used, to cover the purchase of the Taser 7s including the necessary equipment and cartridges per recommendation of the Finance Director. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
Jenny Bennett, 1125 Kenwood, congratulated Peabody on receiving the Good Neighbor Award and also commented on increasing the use of technology.
Rebecca Reinink commented on Carlson’s credentials.
Nicholai Zerkle, 1029 Pleasant Street, commented on the American Legion.
Clinton Hewartson commented on increasing the use of technology, perhaps live streaming.
City Manager Jon Stoppels commented on the following topics of interest:
· He applied for and received a $35,000 grant for a new Master Plan with a $15,000 match
· The Museum Board met and are pursuing a professional review of the porches
· There is a WWTP meeting this Thursday
· He will be meeting with an architect tomorrow regarding the new city hall
· He received an email form ICEA regarding new DNR grants. Stoppels, Ryan Wilson from ICEA and Larry Hummel from Fleis & Vandenbrink will be meeting to review them.
Leary extended a comment from one of her friends regarding the recent snow storm and what a great job DPW did.
Davis thanked Lovell and Rendall for their 2023 DPW/Utilities Annual Report, congratulated Peabody for receiving the Good Neighbor Award, thanked Reinink, Conklin and Lehman for their interest in boards/commissions and their appointments and thanked Bennett, Zerkle and Hewartson for their comments.
Gladding congratulated Peabody for receiving the Good Neighbor Award and thanked Jim and Jill Mason for nominating Peabody. She further commented that sometimes things are not as simple as they seem-there may be additional responsibilities with recording or live streaming a meeting such as cataloging the item, FOIA, staff time, training and funding.
Steele commented on the grant for the master plan, equipment reliability and Peabody’s Good Neighbor Award.
Mayor Meyers congratulated Peabody; thanked Reinink, Conklin and Lehman; thanked Reinink for sharing the positive comments regarding Carlson’s position and credentials; thanked Hewartson, Zerkle and Bennett and reminded everyone to go to other meetings to give input before an item gets to city council; and thanked DPW for their reports. He additionally commented on taping or live-streaming meetings. He sees the value in it because we want participation, but he also doesn’t want it to become a deterrent—it depends on the setting. Not everyone will want to be part of a recording or live stream. There are things that need to be looked at before implementation.
Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to adjourn the meeting at 8:16 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
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Bruce Meyers, Mayor Janae Ortego, City Clerk