REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
BELDING CITY COUNCIL
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
7:00 p.m.
A meeting of the Belding City Council of the City of Belding, Michigan was convened in open and public session at the Pere Marquette Depot, 100 Depot Street, at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
Mayor Jeannine Leary called the meeting to order and led with the Invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Deputy City Clerk, Tonda Rich took the roll call:
Members present: Shelley Gladding, Bonita Steele, Nikolai Zerkle, Linda Curtis and Jeannine Leary
Councilmember Zerkle requested the following item be added to the agenda: Under New Business, Item D. Interim City Manager Compensation. Moved by Zerkle, supported by Steele, to approve the agenda as amended. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: yes – all.
A. Mayor Leary presented HOG Cannabis Company with a signed tribute from the City of Belding recognizing their one year anniversary in business.
A. Fleis & Vandenbrink gave a presentation updating City Council on the Waste Water Treatment Plant. The F&V representative stated that it has been a very productive winter and that the crews were working on the inside of the buildings and that on-site trainings for the DPW staff will be forthcoming.
A. Approve Independent Bank checks 83021 to 83086 in the amount of $106,772.18.
Approve ACH payments
B. Approve minutes: City Council Special Meeting – January 30, 2025
City Council Regular Meeting – February 4, 2025
Moved by Steele, supported by Gladding, to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: yes – all.
· Steele gave an update on the Library stating that there will be a WWII workshop to be held in the fall; an upcoming board appointment, upcoming projects funded by the Friends of the Library and the rental opportunities of the paintings at the library.
· Mayor Leary stated that the DDA met and Councilmember Curtis spoke of her experience as the DDA Director in Ionia and that more discussion is needed on the proposed DDA bylaws.
A. Moved by Zerkle, supported by Steele, to approve the 3 year employment contract for City Manager Keven Kreiger with an annual base salary of $110,000, which may be increased by a percentage amount determined by the Belding City Council on his one year anniversary (March 3, 2026). Zerkle questioned having a six month review. It was determined that a six month review was already outlined in the contract. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: yes – all.
B. Councilmember Zerkle requested to re-establish a Personnel Board for the purposes of transparency and accountability in the city’s employment policies. As an independent body, the Personnel Board would advise the City Council and City Manager on Personnel Policies, employee grievances and a review panel for employees who wish to appeal disciplinary actions. Zerkle further stated that the Board would be made up of 5 members of the public appointed by City Council.
Former Personnel Board member, Jim Mason, upon the request of Councilmember Steele, gave a brief update on what issues the previous Personnel Board dealt with, which were mainly city policies. Mason stated that the Board disbanded when there was no further business to attend to.
Councilmember Steele stated she believed the matter should be tabled.
Councilmember Gladding stated she did not have a full understanding what the purpose of the Personnel Board was or what they did.
Councilmember Curtis stated that the Council should review the Charter and follow it.
Mayor Leary questioned the purpose of a policy making board.
C. Moved by Steele, supported by Curtis, to approve the purchase of a new breathing air compressor and fill station for the Belding Fire Department. Chief Tim Lubitz stated that he has received five bids ranging from $50,300 to $61,500. Lubitz discussed in detail the system components for the breathing air compressor. Lubitz requested that a budget amendment be made for no more than $54,000 to be added to the Fire Department Fund, in exchange for deducting $30,000 from the 25/26 budget and deducting $24,000 from the 26/27 budget. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: yes – all.
D. Moved by Zerkle, supported by Curtis, to temporarily increase the wage for Janae Ortego while she is acting in the capacity as the Interim City Manager and that the increase be an additional $560 per week based on the additional responsibilities, meetings and being on call 24/7, with this amount being retroactive back to January 1, 2025, including holidays and her one week of vacation, or contingent upon the Human Resource Department providing the City Council with the adopted policy showing the formula that is used in calculating the wage for an Interim City Manager.
Councilmember Gladding stated she supported an additional compensation, but was not sure on the amount of compensation being requested especially based on the formula amount she received from the City Treasurer.
Councilmember Curtis stated that the motion needs to include vacation time and holiday pay.
Councilmember Steele disagreed with including the January 1st holiday and the vacation time. Steele stated that the formula that was used to calculate the wage was a formula the city has been using since the 1970’s and that the City Treasurer has been using this formula.
Mayor Leary shared her concern with the proposed compensation rate and further believes Interim City Manager Ortego should not be paid at the Interim City Manager rate while she was on vacation because she could not be reached. Ortego stated that despite the times when the internet was unstable on her vacation, she was still able to answer texts and she did take phone calls. Leary further stated that the Council erred for not discussing the formula when Ortego was appointed as the Interim City Manager.
Councilmember Zerkle amended his motion to $340 per week for compensation ($45 per hour), retroactive from January 1, 2025, and to include the January 1st holiday and the week of vacation. Motion carried by a roll call vote, with Steele and Leary voting no (3 to 2 vote).
· Thanked the Council for the approval of the Breathing Air Compressor for the Fire Department
· Council workshop scheduled for Saturday, March 29, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
· Walk through tour of the city buildings will have to be planned when the new city manager takes over
· DPW is working two shifts to keep the roads cleared and that the DPW Director has informed her that there are a few large pot holes and those will be addressed when the weather is suitable for his department to fix them
· The 25/26 budget process will be starting soon
· The new Dollar General site has broke ground
· Keven has toured the new city hall
· Thanked Council for the compensation
Moved by Zerkle, supported by Steele, to adjourn the meeting at 8:00 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: yes – all.
Jeannine Leary, Mayor Tonda Rich, Deputy City Clerk