Hickory Street bridge in Three Oaks to be repaired

BY THERESE DONNELLY

Extensive repairs to the Hickory Street bridge in the village of Three Oaks will go ahead, it was announced at the Three Oaks Village council’s Wednesday, April 12, meeting.

The bridge, which was originally built in 1980 and has undergone repairs and upgrades throughout the last four decades, is now in need of major work.

In early 2022, engineers from Wightman and Associates reported to the council that the over the Amtrak railway had deteriorated and the bridge’s load limits need to be lowered due to safety concerns.

At that time, Suzannah Deneau, an engineer with Wightman and Associates, told the council the bridge’s box beams had been badly damaged by water.

On Deneau’s advice, the council agreed at the time to team with the City of Niles, City of Watervliet and Village of Baroda to apply for government funding available for major bridge projects. At the April 2023 meeting, Deneau said only Three Oaks had received the sought after funding.

Deneau cautioned the council that the MDOT grant will require the village to “jump through hoops” to meet state requirements and engineers will need to coordinate the work with Amtrak and with AEP, which has power lines running near the bridge. Village manager Dan Faulkner said he has been told AEP was already planning to replace the lines along Hickory Street.

The council approved a plaque to honor Bryan Volstorf, founder of the Apple Cider Century bike ride. The plaque will be unveiled as part of the ride’s 50th anniversary in September. Artistic Bronze quoted a total of $3,500 for the plaque, with BC Welders installing the supporting post for $1,000.

The State of Michigan recently announced Three Oaks will receive $51,841.21 as its share of the Marihuana Regulation Fund. The council discussed possible uses for the money, though no decisions were made.

Council member Tyler Ream, who is the council liaison with the Parks and Recreation Board, said a lot adjacent to Watkins Park is currently for sale. The board voted unanimously to recommend the council make an offer on the land to add to the park. During the council meeting, several members of the public commented on the condition of village sidewalks and Ream said that, while he’s in favor of the park purchase, he agrees the village should address the sidewalk issue.

Parks and Recreation Board member Larry Shawver, who attended the council meeting, said the board did not identify where the money for the purchase would come from, but he personally feels the village should spend the disbursement money on sidewalks. He also said that while researching other community policies, he feels policies where the local municipalities are responsible for sidewalks were more successful than where the burden is on homeowners.

Council member Becky Thomas pointed out the council has been talking about sidewalk repairs since 2018, but no plan has been made.

Avillage ordinance requires homeowners to maintain the sidewalks along their property, but Thomas pointed out some residents cannot afford the costs. She also said in some areas it’s difficult to tell if there’s no sidewalk, or if the sidewalk has been overgrown or deteriorated.

In her committee report, council member Lois Jones said the Planning Commission recommended strictly enforcing the village sidewalk ordinances, as well as making a resolution to require sidewalk installation at new constructions.

Faulkner said the village budget does include money for smaller improvement works and the village can put together a millage for the 2024 ballot to fund repairing or replacing existing sidewalks. Village president Rich Smith added that there will likely be additional marijuana businesses operating in the village by next year’s state distribution, which will give the village additional money that can be put towards the sidewalks.

Dan Coffey, the real estate agent handling the sale, told the council that the property was left to 18 heirs and there have been legal disputes among the beneficiaries regarding the distribution of money. He said they would likely not accept less than the $50,000 asking price. The lot is slightly under a halfacre and is zoned C-1, which will allow for commercial development, or a multifamily development with some commercial use.

The council discussed making a $20,000 offer with a $25,000 counteroffer but no one made the motion.

While no action was made to acquire the park land, the village is closer to acquiring the county building at 21 N. Elm Street that houses the village hall. Faulkner said the Phase I study is complete with no issues. The county administration and board will review the matter. Faulkner said he hopes the transaction will be closed soon.

Another Wightman engineer, Andrew Rudd, gave the council an update on the village’s Administrative Consent Order (ACO) agreement with the State of Michigan for the wastewater management system. Rudd said a long-term sampling and soil sampling are complete and one more report will be submitted after the Public Service Committee could review the soil sampling report at its April 14 meeting.

Part of the ACO is a proposed Wastewater System Improvements Project to meet state regulations and improve treatment capacity.

There will be a public meeting Thursday, April 27, regarding the project plan. Rudd said this meeting required a 15-day notice published in a source that will reach the most people. Rudd said he felt the village’s Facebook page and official website would be the most effective sites due to the timeframe. The council also said they will include a notice in newspapers to reach people accustomed to using them for meeting notices.

After reviewing three bids for a new furnace at the Three Oaks Police Department, the council tabled a decision in order to ask the companies for new quotes that include equipment and installation costs. Police chief Carl Krause said the current furnace had to be shut down due to carbon monoxide concerns and the window air conditioning unit often blows the breakers and creates a security issue.

Lakeshore Recycling received the village’s rubbish and recycling contract again.

Faulkner said Lakeshore was the lowest of three bids. When asked by the council about the recycling program, owner Dave Workman said his company is working to communicate what items are allowed in the recycling bins. He noted his company is charged more for rejected recycling loads. He said stickers on the bins have helped residents identify what can go in the recycling.

The council tabled a decision on revising the village purchasing policy. Faulkner said he had not been able to further research proposed changes. Council member Lois Jones said she felt the current policy is adequate.

Faulkner told the council the Farnham Farm sanitary sewer agreement is nearly complete but the property owners had asked for reimbursement for any future extension to the north or west of the lot.

Faulkner said he and village attorney Charles Hilmer could find no precedent for the request and had sent the proposal back to the owners. The 70-acre property is located on Schwark Road and US 12.

As the village seeks a new clerk after Cindi Moynihan’s resignation, Faulkner recommended the council approve a formal job description for both the clerk and treasurer positions. Theresa Schmaltz remains treasurer, but Faulkner said both positions should have clear duties. He said state auditors have recommended establishing that any payments coming into the village be handled by the treasurer, and any payments going out be handled by the clerk.

The village will post the clerk position on the village website and Facebook page, as well as newspapers and the Michigan Municipal League.

During the meeting, Smith reminded those in attendance that he encourages the public to attend meetings and stay involved, but reminded everyone the village does not regularly address Facebook posts.

Three members of the Downtown Development Authority had their terms end in April 2023. Faulkner told the council that member Carolyn Drier had decided not to seek reappointment, but Suzanna Bierwirth and Ron Zarantenello both are interested in serving another term. Additionally, Janet Schuttler has resigned. The council approved the reappointment of Bierwirth and Zarantenello, and appointed Julie Shaffer to Drier’s seat and Bryan Volstorf to fulfill Schuttler’s remaining term through April 2024.

In March, the council approved Ordinance 228, which set a cap on the number of short-term rental permits based on the number of improved lots in the district. The number of properties that received permits before the ordinance was adopted exceeds that cap. While existing permits will be honored, the council said no new applications will be approved until the number of permits drops below the cap. At the April meeting, Jones questioned why there was no waiting list for new applications. Hilmer said a list would create “an untenable burden” on village staff, who would have to keep track of who was still interested in a permit by the time one becomes available.

Council member Joe Hinman reported the DDA is working to identify boundaries and participants for a proposed social district, which would allow visitors to take beverages between participating establishments in the district.

Ream said the Parks and Recreation Board is working on setting clear park rules, but they are waiting until the DDA has completed its social district plan.

The board is also establishing a program to allow the public to sponsor trees and benches.

The council voted to accept the Planning Commission’s annual report. Jones said the Commission made seven recommendations for the council to consider and are still going over the master plan.

Marco Chavarry told the council there are plans for a vintage car show during the Spring Stroll. The downtown event will include extended shopping hours. Chavarry said there are also possible plans for live music and a free yoga class.

Chavarry also thanked the council for their support of local events and praised volunteers who participated in the recent clean-up day.

Faulkner told the council that Precision Ink and Stitch will create uniform shirts for Public Works employees.

The council ended the meeting with a closed session to discuss Faulkner’s manager contract.

New Buffalo Area Schools Board Of Education Seeking New Member

The New Buffalo Area Schools

Board of Education is seeking qualified candidates to fill the vacancy of Patricia Newton, who resigned effective April 10.

Interested people must submit a letter expressing interest in the Board position and their qualifications for the position to the Office of the Superintendent, P. O. Box 280, 1112 E. Clay Street, New Buffalo, MI 49117 no later than noon Friday, April 28.

The board shall interview all interested candidates to ascertain their qualifications on Monday, May 8. If you have any questions concerning the role of the Board of Education and the responsibilities of a board member, contact Dr. Michael R. Lindley, superintendent of schools at 269-460-6013 or email mlindley@nbas.org.

— STAFF REPORTS