REGULAR MEETING
BELDING CITY COUNCIL
Tuesday, July 2, 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, July 2, 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
Moved by Leary, seconded by Davis to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
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 81907 to 81930 in the amount of $1,083,920.96
Approve Mercantile Bank Checks 1569 to 1574 in the amount of $162,946.32
B. Approve Minutes: City Council regularly scheduled meeting – June 18, 2024
City Council Closed Session meeting – June 18, 2024
Reports by Council Liaisons
Leary reported that the Museum Board met on June 25th. Topics of interest included:
· Seeking a Museum Coordinator
· Museum closed from July 30 through the afternoon of August 7 due to polling place set up for the August Election and Gus Macker weekend.
· Elevator fixed
Davis reported on the Planning Commission. Topics of interest included:
· Site Plan Review for B&O Saws expansion was approved
· Discussed the Master Plan
· Special Guest Marie Hodges, Chair to the Belding Area Community Fund discussed collaboration
A. Moved by Davis, seconded by Leary to award the contract for lead service line replacement to Fleis & Vandenbrink via Resolution # 2024-07-18. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all. The Resolution is as follows:
CITY OF BELDING
A RESOLUTION TO TENTATIVELY AWARD
A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Belding, County of Ionia, Michigan, was held in said City on the 2nd day of July, 2024.
The following preamble and resolution were offered by Council Member Davis and seconded by Council Member Leary.
WHEREAS, the City of Belding wishes to construct improvements to its existing water treatment and distribution system; and
WHEREAS, the water system improvements project formally adopted on May 16, 2023 will be funded through the state of Michigan’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program; and
WHEREAS, the City of Belding has sought and received construction bids for the proposed improvements and has received a low bid in the amount of $3,395,324.25 from CL Trucking and Excavating, LLC; and
WHEREAS, the City’s engineer, Fleis & VandenBrink has recommended awarding the contract to the low bidder.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Belding tentatively awards the contract for construction of the proposed water system improvements project to CL Trucking and Excavating, LLC, contingent upon successful financial arrangements with the DWSRF.
THIS RESOLUTION WAS THEREUPON DECLARED ADOPTED THIS 2ND DAY OF JULY, 2024.
B. Moved by Davis, seconded by Gladding to approve a repair contract with C&I Building Maintenance for repairs to the Belrockton in the amount of $39,420. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
C. Moved by Davis, seconded by Gladding to approve the civic events application for a Disc Golf event to be held August 15 -18 at the Smash Park Disc Golf Course in the Lightning Bend Park. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
D. Moved by Gladding, seconded by Steele to approve the civic events application for a Disc Golf event to be held October 19 and 20 at the Smash Park Disc Golf Course in the Lightning Bend Park. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
E. After a lengthy discussion, moved by Steele, seconded by Davis to table the consideration to purchase Dial-A-Ride dispatch software to the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting which will be held on July 17. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
F. John Bitely of Building Belding LLC presented preliminary ideas to develop and build on a number of residential lots located on an unimproved section of Crooks Road. He discussed with the City Council at length, the possibility of establishing a special assessment district in the future to provide road development and utilities. No action was taken at this time.
G. Moved by Leary, seconded by Gladding to approve increasing the Deputy City Clerk’s hours and wages to 25 hours per week at $21.00 per hour. Motion carried 4-1 by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Council Members Steele, Leary, Gladding and Meyers
Nays: Council Member Davis
City Manager Jon Stoppels commented on the following topics of interest:
· C2AE continues to work on a space study for the new city hall. City Council members are welcome to share their visions with C2AE.
· Loan application with USDA for improvements to the new city hall has been started
· Merrick Road improvements will take place later this summer.
· Lightning Bend improvements are complete
· Stoppels and Ortego had an excellent meeting with the DNR about our grant applications
· DPW is fixing the split rail fences
· The two brush piles burns have been completed
· BS&A training continues to take place
· Introduced the new DPW Director, Alex Bannister
Leary commented on the following:
· Welcomed Bannister
· Appreciates everyone for coming
Steele commented on the following:
· Thanked everyone for coming
Gladding commented on the following:
· Thanked everyone for coming
· Welcomed Bannister
· Geese on Water Street
Davis commented on the following:
· C2AEs progress
· BS&A
· Welcomed Bannister
· Thanked everyone for coming
Mayor Meyers commented on the following:
· Thanked Bitely
· Park maintenance in other communities
· C2AE
Mayor Meyers called for a five-minute recess at 9:21 p.m. to move into Closed Session per MCL 15.2689(c) and MCL 15.2689(d) to discuss Fire Department Union Contract Negotiations and consideration for real estate purchase.
Back on the record at 9:27 p.m.
Moved by Davis, seconded by Gladding to enter into Closed Session at 9:27 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
Moved by Leary, seconded by Davis to move out of Closed Session and resume Open Session at 9:58 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
Moved by Leary, seconded by Steele to approve the tentative agreement with the City of Belding Fire Department Union. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
Moved by Steele, seconded by Gladding to accept the terms and amounts discussed and in closed session. Motion carried 3-2 by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Council Members Steele, Gladding and Meyers
Nays: Council Members Leary and Davis
Moved by Steele, seconded by Gladding to adjourn the meeting at 10:02 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
_________________________________________ ___________________________________________
Bruce Meyers, Mayor Janae Ortego, City Clerk