REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
BELDING CITY COUNCIL
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
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, June 2, 2026.
Mayor Bonita Steele called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Pastor Chris Moore from Zion Church gave the Invocation.
Mayor Steele led with the Pledge of Allegiance.
City Clerk, Janae Ortego took the roll call:
Members present: Shelley Gladding-Visser, Linda Curtis, Mike Brady, Nikolai Zerkle and Bonita Steele
Members absent: None
Moved by Gladding-Visser, seconded by Brady to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
City Clerk Janae Ortego gave a brief presentation informing the City Council and the public about the upcoming Public Accuracy Test as part of the election process and additionally spoke about how to become an election inspector.
Moved by Gladding-Visser, seconded by Curtis 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 85176 to 85223 in the amount of $102,925.92
Approve Mercantile Bank Checks 1750 to 1758 in the amount of $260,372.58
Approve ACH Payments
B. Approve Minutes: City Council Regular Meeting – May 19, 2026
Gladding-Visser reported that the Planning Commission reviewed additional documents submitted for the Cleveland Cliffs project. As the Planning Commission has not received all the requested information from the developer, the matter was tabled to their next meeting.
New Business
A. After a brief discussion, it was moved by Brady, seconded by Gladding-Visser to approve the Special Event Application filed by Jami Nolette/BYBL for an Adult Softball League. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
B. Moved by Brady, seconded by Gladding Visser to adopt Resolution 2026-06-15 for IM Kids 3rd Meal. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all. The Resolution is as follows:
CITY OF BELDING
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-06-15
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BELDING RECOGNIZING IM KIDS 3RD MEAL AS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION IN BELDING WORKING TO FIGHT MODERN DAY HUNGER BY PROVIDING FOOD-INSECURE CHILDREN WITH FREE, NUTRITIOUS MEALS
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 June 2026.
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Belding hereby recognizes IM KIDS 3RD MEAL as a non-profit organization in the State of Michigan serving the Ionia-Montcalm region, that serves a critical and significant community need; and
WHEREAS, IM KIDS 3RD MEAL ensures that food-insecure children have access to a free, nutritious evening meal on every school day, which is when many families face the greatest challenges to food access. Meals are prepared centrally and distributed through trusted school and community partners, ensuring children receive consistent nutrition in a dignified, safe and reliable manner; and
WHEREAS, IM KIDS 3RD MEAL partners with the Belding Area School District, Ionia Public Schools, Saranac Community Schools, Portland Public Schools, Central Montcalm Public Schools and Family Life Center; preparing approximately 850 meals per school day and serving more than 150,000 meals annually, with approximately 95,000+ of those meals being served to children in the Ionia-Montcalm region; and
WHEREAS, IM KIDS 3RD MEAL emphasizes on food safety, accountability and an efficient use of donated funds through philanthropy, partnerships and in-kind support; IM KIDS 3RD MEAL meals are prepared in a centralized facility, packaged for safe distribution, and have a strong reliance on community and corporate volunteers; and
WHEREAS, IM KIDS 3RD MEAL currently operates from a temporary, shared facility that was not designed to support large-scale food production and long-term growth; presenting ongoing operational, safety and capacity limitations; and
WHEREAS, IM KIDS 3RD MEAL seeks to obtain Appropriations from the Michigan Budget Conference in the coming weeks; pursuing to acquire and renovate a local facility to accommodate a significant number of children in rural West Michigan who experience food insecurity, compounded by limited transportation, work schedules, and reduced access to evening meal options; and
WHEREAS, Consistent access to an evening meal supports student readiness, behavior, and family stability; thus reducing stress on households already facing economic challenges; and
WHEREAS, We, as the City Council of the City of Belding, boldly stand strong with our community partners and request that appropriations in the amount of $500,000 be approved by Michigan Lawmakers to allow IM KIDS 3RD MEAL to secure and renovate a facility for long-term operational stability, and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Belding, that the IM KIDS 3RD MEAL be awarded $500,000 in requested appropriations to help their non-profit organization to provide an essential and dignified service to our community and surrounding communities by investing in our greatest future resource – children.
THIS RESOLUTION WAS THEREUPON ADOPTED THIS 2ND DAY OF JUNE, 2026.
Bob Brown, 759 Jay Street, commented on the following topics of intreest:
· Nominations
· Robert’s Rules of Order
· Music in the Park
· Mowing
· Historical softball tournaments over Labor Day weekend
City Manager Adam Poll commented on the following topics of interest:
· DPW making progress on the streets
· Tiling done on Water Street
· Phase I of Bridge Street completed
· Phase II of Bridge Street (to Kiddville) is starting
· Development project on Crooks Street continues (building 17 homes)
· Met with Developer for Cleveland Cliffs project today re: site plan changes
· Waiting for Taco Bell to Break ground
· Code Enforcement busy
· Waste bags are now available at Dog Park
· Working with Fleis & Vandenbrink regarding Central Riverside Park Improvements
· Water Quality Report coming out soon
· Met with MML regarding municipal insurance
· Music in the Park
· New Construction standards are at EGLE for review
· Budget Amendments next meeting
· Robert’s Rules Order- nominating and seconding oneself is acceptable
· The position of Mayor is a neutral role; Mayor can make motions and second motions as the position has an equal vote, per the City Attorney
Curtis advised that this is Council Member Zerkle’s last in-person meeting for about a year and that refreshments in appreciation of Zerkle’s dedication will be available after the meeting.
Brady commented on the following topics of interest:
· Cement girders at Water Street and Demorest Street
· Parliamentary procedure/Robert’s Rules of Order
· Give respect to get respect
Gladding-Visser commented on the following topics of interest:
· Thanked DPW for their help with Music in the Park
· Gave recognition to DPW, Police and Fire
Mayor Steele commented on the following topics of interest:
· Learned that per the Charter that the Mayor can make motions and second motions
· If she votes no she will give a reason why
· Respect
· Timing Public Comments
· No texting/communications during meeting
· Music in the Park
· Labor Day
Moved by Gladding-Visser, seconded by Curtis to adjourn the meeting at 7:48 p.m. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: Yes – all.
_________________________ __________________________
Bonita Steele, Mayor Janae Ortego, MiPMC
City Clerk