Three Oaks Village Council good news on village audit

BY THERSE DONNELLY

The Village of Three Oaks’ most recent audit came back with good news.

Derek Hall, an auditor for the Michigan Department of Treasury’s Community Finance and Engagement Division, told the village council Wednesday, May 10, meeting that, despite disruptions following village treasurer Lois Jones’ retirement and shifts in personnel, the 2022 audit showed the village’s finances are in good shape.

Hall said the only issues involved reconciling bank accounts and correctly categorizing some expenses. Overall, he said the village is in good financial shape with an increase in the general fund from $1.6 million to $1.8 million. The village has paid off one of its two sewer bonds and the Downtown Development Authority was able to capture more revenue than in the 2021 fiscal year.

“You are in line to do whatever you need to do,” Hall told the council regarding planned projects for the sewer and water system and village hall.

After the council accepted the audit, Village Manager Dan Faulkner presented a proposal to compensate Jones for assisting with the audit after her retirement. Jones was elected to the council after her retirement and Faulkner explained a village ordinance prohibits councilmembers from accepting compensation without council approval.

“I know a lot of you do things for the village without pay,” Faulkner told the council.

The council approved the compensation, with Jones abstaining.

The village is in the final stages of purchasing the building at 21 North Elm Street from Berrien County for $1. Village President Dan Faulkner told the council he has received the purchase agreement and closing documents and the council authorized Village President Rich Smith to sign the paperwork.

Interviews are underway for a new village clerk. Council member Becky Thomas said there have been a few strong candidates and more applications are being reviewed.

Returning to a decision tabled at the April meeting, the council approved a quote from Boelke Heating and Air Conditioning for HVAC updates at the village police station.

The quotes from Boelke and Five Star were similar, but council member Jason Niemzyk noted Boelke included patching holes from removing existing duct work.

Council member Joe Hinman was unable to attend the council meeting, so there was no update on the proposed social district. Smith said no public meeting has been scheduled so far.

The council voted to support the Berrien County Trails Master Plan. Falkner said the main priority is pathways along the shoreline, though council member Tyler Ream noted connecting Three Oaks to non-motorized trails is “up there” in the plan.

Rubbish rates will go up on the village taxes as of July 1. The council approved an increase from $156 to $161.40.

Ream reported the Parks and Recreation Board has prepared proposed ordinances for the village parks, including a ban on smoking and vaping and setting all park hours at 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Ream said the current ordinance states parks close at 10 p.m., but does not include an open time, making it hard to enforce.

The proposed ordinances prohibited motorized vehicles except for mobility devices, but police chief Carl Krause noted Watkins Park includes a portion of the snowmobile trail, and vehicles are allowed in Carver Park during events such as the US-12 Garage Sale. Ream said the ordinance could be revised to allow vehicles with permission from the police chief or village manager.

Ream also said a program with the Harbor Country Rotary Club had distributed more than 40 free, native trees.

There has been discussion of neighboring municipalities combining police departments. Krause said there are still a lot of unanswered questions, and a feasibility study needs to be conducted.

Faulkner reported the most recent sewer samples were within state levels and pond discharge will happen soon.

The council heard from two property owners, Vida Giniotis and David Riggenbach, appealing a requirement they install sidewalks at their newly constructed houses on Tulip Street. Giniotis said she had not been notified about the requirement when construction began. She also pointed out no other houses along the block have sidewalks to connect to. Riggenbach said he would be happy to install a sidewalk when the entire block is included. Both asked the council not to attach a certificate of occupancy to the building of sidewalks. During the meeting, Thompson asked about a mention in the police report of a report of a suspicious person at village hall. Krause said a caller had reported a person inside the building after hours, but a responding officer cleared the building and found no evidence of forced entry. He said a figure was captured on security cameras, but was not identified.

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