Three Oaks Village Council continues to ponder purchase of village administrative offices

Local Government Meetings

New Buffalo Times

Democracy Requires Transparency

CITY OF NEW BUFFALO JOHN HUMPHREY, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL LOU O’DONNELL, IV. MARK ROBERTSON, JOHN HUMPHREY, ROGER LIJESKI, BRIAN FLANAGAN City Council meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30PM CITY OF NEW BUFFALO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS to be determined NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP BOARD PETE RAHM, MICHELLE HEIT, JUDY H. ZABICKI, PATTY IAZZETTO, JACK ROGERS Board meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7PM NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION Meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6:30PM

NEW BUFFALO AREA SCHOOLS BOARD CHUCK HEIT, PRESIDENT HEATHER BLACK, VICE PRESIDENT JOHN HASKINS, TREASURER LISA WERNER, SECRETARY JOYCE LANTZ, TRUSTEE FRANK MARGRO, TRUSTEE PATRICIA NEWSTON, TRUSTEE CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP BOARD DAVID BUNTE, PAULA DUDIAK, LIZ RETTIG, RICHARD SULLIVAN, BILL MARSKE Chikaming Board meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30PM CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION Meets on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 6:30PM THREE OAKS THREE OAKS TOWNSHIP BOARD Meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 7PM VILLAGE OF THREE OAKS BOARD Meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7PM GRAND BEACH Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7PM MARY ROBERTSON, CLERK DEBORAH LINDLEY, BLAKE O’HALLORAN, JAMES BRACEWELL, PETER DOERR, PAUL LEONARD, JR. MICHIANA VILLAGE OF MICHIANA COUNCIL Meets on the 2nd Friday of each month at 1PM

Three Oaks Village Council continues to ponder purchase of village administrative offices

BY THERSE DONNELLY

The Three Oaks Village Council is continuing to consider the proposed purchase of the village administrative offices in the county-owned building at 21 N. Elm Street.

Village Manager Dan Faulkner told the council said closing the afternoon of the market had led to difficulties getting owners to move parked cars. The council approved the purchase of five wooden picnic tables in the amount of $1,250 from Meyer Wood Products. Ream said the purchase was in the parks budget and volunteers at their Wednesday, July 13, meeting that there is no update, as he is waiting for the county’s attorney to draft a purchase agreement for village attorney Charles Hilmer to review.

Councilmember Tyler Ream asked if the village could review its agreement with the School of American Music (SAM) for the use of the former village hall at 14 Maple Street. He said he felt if the village acquires a new building, it should consider getting revenue from the existing property.

Village Clerk Cindy Monihan said the current agreement between the village and SAM does not charge rent, but the school does pay a portion of the utilities in the building it shares with the village police department.

When asked by the council, Hilmer said by not charging market rate rent for the building, the village is not properly utilizing a public property.

Addressing the council, Three Oaks Farmers Market organizer Cathi Rogers said several more vendors have expressed interest in the Thursday market but the lot at Elm and Oak cannot hold more booths. She said possible solutions included the council choosing to keep the market at its current size for the remainder of the year, granting permission to close a portion of Oak Street adjacent to the market to create more booth space or she had worked out an agreement to utilize privately-owned greenspace next to the market.

Rogers said the current lineup of vendors varies but has a wide variety of offerings.

“We have a really good vendor selection,” she told the council.

The council tabled the decision but expressed a preference to utilize the private greenspace, with Ream suggesting possibly extending the space later in the season.

Councilmember Steve Graziano asked Rogers when the public parking lot gets blocked off for the weekly market. Rogers said she puts up the barricades Wednesday evening. Graziano pointed out the council had approved closing the lot starting at 1 p.m. Thursdays and there had been no communication about changing the arrangement. Rogers will stain the tables. The council also approved paying C & A Arborists $300 for a tree study in Dewey Canon Park and Watkins Park. Ream said trees identified as dying or hazardous will be replaced. Department of Public Works staff have trimmed some trees in the park. Ream said the work was done within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ recommended schedule to avoid causing oak wilt. Later in the meeting, Ream reported the Parks and Recreation Board has completed its public survey as part of its updated master plan. He said new amenities identified by the survey include more walking paths and ADA accessibility to paths.

While the evening’s agenda included appointing a member to the Planning Commission, Village President Rich Smith explained that the commission had been unable to have its June meeting and was unable to make a recommendation. The council will revisit the matter at its August meeting.

While discussing the village’s Flag Day Weekend activities, Smith noted someone was selling flags during the parade without permission from organizers or village officials and asked if the village should enforce its peddler license ordinance. Police Chief Carl Krause said it will require research because peddler licenses in some areas are being challenged as unconstitutional. Hilmer added that veterans are able to obtain a state permit that municipalities cannot restrict.

The council did agree that the use of water balloons during the parade was a concern due to potential injury and clean up. Krause said police may be able to enforce a prohibition since throwing balloons from parade floats could be considered throwing a missile from a vehicle, which he said violates a state law.

As part of its budget process, the council will have a special meeting Saturday, Aug. 20, at 9 a.m.

A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal. — Oscar Wilde

City of New Buffalo awarded second place in Michigan Rural Water Association taste test

There’s something in the water in New Buffalo, and the Michigan Rural Water Association agrees. Ream said the purchase was in the parks budget and volunteers At the recent annual water taste test, the organization awarded the City of New Buffalo second place. MRWA Executive Director Tim Neumann presented a plaque at the July 18 City Council meeting. Water Plant Operator Rob Gruener said the recognition is especially significant because New Buffalo has a surface water source, while other municipalities use groundwater, which typically requires less filtration. The council appointed new legal counsel, but postponed appointing a new hearing officer.hile the evening’s agenda included appointing After interviewing firms at a special meeting, the council approved Dickinson Wright as city attorney. City Manager Darwin Watson said the firm is headquartered in Detroit, but has six offices across the state and has represented lakefront communities including Bridgman, St. Joseph and South Haven. asked if the village should enforce its peddler license ordinance. Under the terms of the three-year contract, the city will pay Dickinson Wright $250 per hour. The evening’s agenda included the appointment of a new hearing officer, but Watson said the selected candidate, Randy Hyms, was unable to attend the meeting so the matter was postponed. In an effort to save money and improve efficiency, the council approved a recommendation by Watson to enter a contract with Harvey Consulting to provide zoning administration services. Watson said the services are currently provided by SafeBuilt at a cost of $2100 per month, while Harvey will charge $75 per hour on an as-needed basis. At the request of the city police department, the council approved the purchase of a new all-terrain vehicle in the amount of $24,528.64. Police Chief

BY THERESE DONNELLY Rich Killips explained the current ATV has more than 10,000 miles on it and it has been unusable during necessary repairs. Once the department purchases a new vehicle, he said, the current one may be transferred to the parks department.

Councilmember Mark Robertson asked if parks department work would be any less demanding and Killips explained that the main strain on the vehicle is sand, since the department uses it to respond to calls on the public beach, and loss of use due to repairs and maintenance will be less critical to the parks department than to the police department.

The request specified a Polaris-brand vehicle, but Killips told the council he was willing to look for other brands in the state purchase program that suited the department’s needs. He said he has no brand preference, but continuing to have a Polaris will allow the department to reuse equipment and keep replacement parts on hand.

Trustees for property at 307 S. Clinton Street, owned by the James O. Motycka living trust, requested a partial vacation of the right-of-way in order to allow access to install utilities. Watson said the request would vacate 15 feet for the South Clinton address and the adjacent property at 1119 W Detroit Street, leaving the city with control of the rest.

The council approved the request, with Robertson recusing himself from the discussion and vote.

During its June 28 meeting, the Planning Commission approved a special land use request and a site plan application for a new restaurant at 207 N. Whittaker Street and made a recommendation that the council approve the requests. Owner Ben Holland requested the SPLU in order to offer outdoor seating. Mayor John Humphrey said to his knowledge the restaurant is expected to open in spring of 2023 The request specified a Polaris-brand vehicle, but Killips told the council he was willing to look for other brands in after renovations are complete. Brewster’s Italian Café has requested permission to close off Merchant Street the state purchase between Whittaker program that suited and Bronson streets the department’s Sept. 8 to host a needs. He said he has 30-year anniversary no brand preference, celebration. Before but continuing to have the council approved a Polaris will allow the request, Watson the department to explained the reuse equipment and permission specifies keep replacement that a portion of the parts on hand. street will remain accessible for emergency vehicles.

At a previous meeting, the council discussed but never formally voted on a request for the city to increase its monthly contribution to Pine Grove Cemetery from $2,500 to $3,000. Humphrey noted that the extra funds are necessary for preventative maintenance. He said falling trees had caused “significant damage” to headstones and the increased funds will protect against further damage. The council voted to approve the request. Property owner Thomas Creevey addressed the council to request a tax penalty relief for recorded late payments on his summer taxes. Creevey told the council his payments are made through his bank, which recorded a check was delivered before the Oct. 1 deadline, but the city did not record a payment until Oct. 4.

Watson said investigation showed the bank had mailed the check Sept. 30, but it was not delivered to the city until after Oct. 1. Robertson said he sympathized with Creevey, but the late payment was not the city’s fault. The council denied the request.

The council had a first reading of an amendment to zoning ordinance Chapter 21, reducing the number of Zoning Board of Appeals members from seven to five. The ZBA has had difficulty reaching meeting quorum and the reduced number is intended in part to make quorum easier.

The council also had a second reading of an amendment to Chapter 23 of the Code of Ordinances regarding rental properties. Humphrey said the amendment will only apply to rentals and will enable the city to maintain safety and health standards in a way similar to other municipalities.

Noting “disparity” in contributions from the city and township to the Marquette Greenway project, the council asked Watson to prepare a proposal to contribute additional money through the Pokagon Fund towards the planned non-motorized path from Chicago to Michigan.

There will be a public open house with information on the greenway at city hall Saturday, July 23, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

The city has an opportunity to purchase the parking lot at 116 S. Whittaker Street. The council instructed Watson to speak with the owners to determine a proposed purchase price and details of the potential sale.

Prior to adjournment, Humphrey said an appeal he and councilmember Brian Flanagan filed against the ongoing recall effort had been denied due to a clerical issue, after they did not file required information before the deadline.

Firefighters, retired fire chief honored at Chikaming Board meeting

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Public safety took center stage during the Chikaming Township Board of Trustees’ Thursday, July 14, meeting.

Clerk Paula Dudiak first sworn in the township’s full-time medical first responder, firefighter Brad Miller, who was approved for the position last month.

Fire Chief Allen Weich, along with retired fire chief Mike Davidson, presented a plaque to assistant fire chief David “Mick” Oldenburg, who will be transitioning from full-time to part-time.

Retiring firefighter Terry Germain was also honored with a plaque for his 32 years with the department.

Weich honored Davidson with a surprise plaque – a special tribute from Michigan signed by state Rep. Brad Paquette, state Sen. Kim LaSata, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Weich informed the board on the decision, which was presented to the Public Safety Commission, on code enforcement officer Greg Nelson, who’s a trained firefighter, being utilized by the department in a way to ensure that the township has firefighters around for weekday and daytime calls when volunteer firefighters are working at their day jobs.

Board members approved removing the topic of a zoning ordinance text amendment until amendments are completed by the committee and presented to the board.

The reason for the amendments arose from the issue to allow commercial or non-commercial on Goodwin Avenue in the Union Pier Overlay District. Chikaming Township Supervisor David Bunte said the committee is comprised of board trustee Rich Sullivan, Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Larry Anderson, planners Doug Dow and John Chipman – all of whom worked on the zoning ordinance – and Kelly Largent, zoning administrator.

Sullivan said committee members didn’t want the board to vote yet on a decision with regards to commercial or non-commercial on Goodwin/Red Arrow Highway.

“On behalf of them, they asked us to not take any action on that specific thing because they felt it wouldn’t be fair to the public unless we addressed density, and other issues, we talked about regarding specifically the Union Green project (proposed to be at the corner of Goodwin and Red Arrow),” he said.

Board members approved the drafting of ballot language for a six-year library millage of .35 mills that would be on the November ballot, with the language being approved at next month’s meeting.

Bunte said he met with representatives from New Buffalo Township Library, Bridgman Public Library and Three Oaks Township Library and they said that, should a ballot proposal pass, they were proposing the township shares its tax revenue equally among all three libraries; however, individuals would need to declare a home library due to issues such as systems maintenance and connectivity. They will have access to all three libraries and penal fines will be distributed equally to all three.

Board members approved the following rental registration fines: a $100 late fee on any property renewing a rental license after Feb. 1; a $50 fine for renting without a valid rental license that’s per evening or day of a rental and a $50 fee for those who don’t show up for a scheduled inspection or having to do a second inspection based on not being valid or for rentals that fail to have proper safety measures in place.

Bunte said that short term and long-term rental licenses expire Jan. 15 and renewals are due Feb. 1. Nelson said that 114 licenses have been renewed after Feb. 1 this year, with more still coming in, and the township currently doesn’t have any late fees or any penalties for those who are renting properties and aren’t registered

Board members accepted the Park Board’s decision to revisit holding a joint meeting with the township board in six months, with the reason stated in a recent email being because of the “recent change in the Park Board.”

Janet Schrader said she asked for the special meeting because there was “movement” to start a petition to dissolve the elected park board. She added that she felt that “input” was needed and has since joined the committee seeking signatures for the petition to be put on the ballot to dissolve the elected board.

Schrader said out of 1,240 townships in Michigan, only 12 have elected park boards (with Chikaming being one of them).

“It’s an inefficient, outdated system of doing business,” she said, adding that in the last election, of the seven seats for the elected Park Board, only four of them ran.

Bunte said it isn’t the township board’s “role to either support or be against” the matter.

“If those petitions are collected and we are then forced to put a referendum on the ballot in November, to meet at that point in time would be more appropriate for this board to weigh in what the result of that referendum would be,” he said.