SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
BELDING CITY COUNCIL
Monday, November 24, 2025
7:00 p.m.
A special 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 Monday, November 24 , 2025.
Mayor Jeannine Leary called the meeting to order and led with the Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance.
City Clerk, Janae Ortego took the roll call:
Members present: Shelley Gladding, Bonita Steele, Nikolai Zerkle, Linda Curtis and Jeannine Leary
Members absent: None
Moved by Zerkle, seconded by Steele to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
A. The City Manager discussion was continued from last Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Moved by Zerkle, supported by Curtis to take John Niemela as the Interim City Manager until a new one is selected. Discussion continued with the motion failing 3- 2 by the following roll call vote:
YEAS: Curtis and Zerkle
NAYS: Gladding, Steele and Mayor Leary
Mayor Leary asked for a motion to restart the search for a City Manager. Moved by Steele, seconded by Zerkle to restart the search and post for a City Manager. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
Council members discussed whether to use Pivot, MML or to conduct the search without the assistance of a firm. Moved by Steele to hire MML to conduct the search for a City Manager. Zerkle noted one caveat to the motion is needed, as MML advised him that under the terms of their warranty the motion must name our Facilitator of choice. Steele amended her motion as follows: to hire MML to conduct the search for a City Manager, with Curtis Holt as the Facilitator under the terms of MMLs warranty. Gladding seconded the motion. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
As the current Interim City Manager, Becky Schlienz is approaching both audit and budget season in her regularly assigned duties as Finance Director, the Council recognized that a professional Interim City Manager needs to be hired while the search continues for a permanent City Manager. Moved by Gladding, seconded by Steele to pursue an Interim City Manager from the list on MMLs website as well as John Niemela who is resident and former Belding City Manager. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
The interviews will take place during the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting on December 2nd. As the interviews are for an interim position, each council member will select one interview question from the Clerk’s list of interview questions or come up with their own. Ortego will email the full list of interview questions to council members, keeping them apprised of which questions have been selected. Due to the short time frame to compile the council packet for the next meeting because of the upcoming holiday, responses will be needed within 24 hours of the email being sent.
Bob Brown commented on the cost, background checks and John Niemela.
Rebecca Reinink commented on the process to search for a City Manager.
Sam Mason commented on John Niemela, new ideas and moving forward.
Jorel Davis commented on the expense it is costing the taxpayers to find a City Manager as well as the process to find one.
Steele and Mayor Leary gave closing comments.
Moved by Steele, seconded by Gladding to adjourn the meeting at 7:59 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
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Jeannine Leary, Mayor Janae Ortego, MiPMC
City Clerk