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Three Oaks Village Council moving forward on plans for wastewater treatment
Local Government Meetings
New Buffalo Times
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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 VILLAGE OF GRAND BEACH COUNCIL Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7PM MICHIANA VILLAGE OF MICHIANA COUNCIL Meets on the 2nd Friday of each month at 1PM
Three Oaks Village Council moving forward on plans for wastewater treatment
BY THERESE DONNELLY
The Three Oaks Village Council moved forward with wastewater treatment plans at their last meeting of 2021, which took place Wednesday, Dec. 8.
As part of the village’s ongoing improvements company would be able to resolve issues with its landlord soon. The council appointed former village treasurer Lois Jones as interim village treasurer, making her an authorized signer on village bank accounts. to the municipal sewage treatment system, the council heard from engineering firm Wightman and Associates regarding state requirements. The village was asked to make a determination on a series of statements provided by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) regarding the village lagoons. Based on the biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels measured in the lagoons, Wightman recommended a statement that the village currently accepts nondomestic or industrial waste into the system. Strictly domestic waste would have a BOD level of 300 or lower.
The council approved a statement to EGLE acknowledging non-domestic contributions, and stating the village has no plans to disconnect current customers. Instead, there will be action to work with existing customers to identify pre-treatments to reduce the BOD.
Recently awarded marijuana business licenses in the village came up at the meeting. Addressing the council, audience members questioned the village’s decision. John Balich and Nick Sayers spoke to the council, and village manager Dan Faulkner read an email from Dan Menitoff. In prepared statements, the three claimed Exclusive Healing had not provided all the information required for the license application. They also stated Exclusive Healing has pending litigation from its landlord, which they said was not disclosed in the application. After the meeting, Exclusive Healing Vice President Dan Milsk said he did not wish to comment on pending legal matters but he hoped his Following a brief discussion, the council selected Matthew Derby as litigation attorney for the village. Faulkner said the village’s marijuana attorney, Jessica Fette, does not handle litigation. The council approved a statement to EGLE acknowledging non-domestic contributions, and stating the village has no plans to disconnect current customers. Instead, there will be action to work with existing customers to identify pre-treatments to reduce the BOD. Afterwards the council went into closed session to discuss strategy for pending litigation against the village. In previous years, the council has given gift cards to village employees and committee members. However, Faulkner informed the council that the practice conflicts with laws regarding the use of public funds. Instead, the council voted to approve end of year bonuses for village employees. Councilmember Colleen Newquist said she did not think any of the committee members would mind, noting that “no one signs up for a committee to get a gift card.” In a separate motion, the council approved pay increases for some village employees. Faulkner told the council municipalities everywhere are facing a need to offer salaries that meet the cost of living. Under the approved increases, Clay Ackerman will receive $51,460 per year, Nate Smith $23.22 per hour, Alex Keen $19.83 per hour, and Lars Whittenburg $16 per hour. Council meetings in 2022 will again be held on the second Wednesday of each month starting at 7p.m. Prior to adjourning the meeting, village president Rich Smith thanked village employees and emergency responders for the work.
The art of pleasing is the art of deception. — Luc de Clapiers
Due to a growing number of positive Covid-19 cases and close contacts, students and teachers at New Buffalo Area Schools have had remote learning this past week.
“Due to the increasing number of Covid cases impacting NBAS, we will be switching to remote instruction for the upcoming week,” Superintendent Dr. Jeff Leslie said in a letter to parents that was sent Dec. 11.
Students picked up their devices Monday, Dec. 13, and had instruction Tuesday through Friday. Similar to a year ago, meal pickup was also available.
“As you can imagine, the number of close contacts is growing proportionately as well. As the number of cases increases in our area, it is also taking much longer for us to receive PCR results,” the letter stated.
At the New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education meeting Dec. 13, Leslie said that, since Friday, Dec. 10, the district has had “more Covid positive kids than we’ve had up to this point in the entire school year…They’re just coming in fast and furious with the positive PCR tests.”
Since Saturday, he said the district had nine positive PCR tests. Out of those additional PCR tests, the district had about an additional 80-plus close contacts.
“There’s no way we could continue to have in-person learning with how fast all those positive tests were coming in,”
Members of the Chikaming Township Board approved making Bridgman Public Library the township’s home library at their Thursday, Dec. 9, meeting.
Board members approved a motion to assign the Bridgman library as its home library for a one-year period for an amount to be determined.
The township’s current contract with the New Buffalo Township Library, Three Oaks Township Library and Bridgman Library expired this past June and it’s on an annual renewal until there’s a new contract. In the past, the township has committed to $30,900, which is $10,300 per library, on an annual basis in its budget for funding plus penal fines.
At the October meeting, Chikaming Township Supervisor David Bunte said a proposed three-year agreement stated that there would be a library card fee of $25 annually for Chikaming Township residents for use in the New Buffalo Township Library and the Three Oaks Township Library and that Bridgman would remain free of charge. The lump sum of $30,900 would remain.
After the meeting, board member Bill Marske and Rich Sullivan met with representatives of all three libraries.
“The basic thing we got with New Buffalo and Three Oaks is they still feel that they’re not being fair to local residents by not charging more,” Marske said.
Marske said they learned that around 1,800 people, or over half of Chikaming residents, are using the library.
Marske added that the extra $25 fee would only be for the first year and this fee could increase. He added that “they’re pretty much stuck on that $25 and $30 - they want to charge each individual here the same amount of what they charge someone who’s from New Buffalo or Three Oaks.”
Marske said that Bridgman said that they didn’t want to charge anything extra “because they feel they’d be double dipping.”
Sullivan said that they were “won over by Bridgman’s attitude all throughout this – we felt like they wanted us there – they want to be part of our community and are constantly letting us know.”
He added that the library provides a monthly report to the township.
Board members approved the remodel of the office for the Chikaming Township Police Department for an amount not to exceed $50,000, with the department coming back to Bunte with a detailed cost analysis.
Sgt. Brandon Jones said they’re looking to upgrade the office in two phases. The first phase would include removing the existing waiting room and updating the power, internet, and phone lines in the office, updating the carpet with vinyl flooring, and installing LED lights. The estimate that McGuire Construction (which is also remodeling the front office of Township Center) they gave him to do everything would be $35,000. Jones said going with McGuire’s quote would involve “significant cost savings with labor in addition to materials.”
The second phase would involve updating the office furniture and creating “defined working spaces” for each fulltime employee and a defined working space for part-time employees and reserve officers.
Jones said that officers liked the plan from Office Interiors, which included four cubicles for each fulltime employee and a fifth workstation for the part time employees and reserves and a squad desktop.
As a retired licensed carpenter, Sullivan said that he’d be willing to help put together cubicles or knock down walls to cut down costs. He added that members of the community may also be willing to help.
Board members approved creating a three-member ad hoc committee, which would include Public Safety committee members Rich Sullivan and Greg Bunch, as well as the assistance of Lincoln Township Fire Chief Brandon Chiarello, to handle the search for a new fire chief.
Board members adopted a resolution in support of an environmental study being done for a proposed Amtrak rail link in New Buffalo.
Bunte said that currently, one rail line in New Buffalo comes from Chicago and heads east to Detroit. The other line, which goes on an overpass right off Red Arrow Highway, bypasses New Buffalo and heads north to Grand Rapids.
Board members also approved sending a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg regarding their support of the rail link as well as pledging $2,000 toward a future grant opportunity for a matching grant with the rest of the municipalities in the county.
Upon the recommendation of the Planning Commission, board members agreed to hire The Antero Group for the initial design for Sawyer Road.
Board members approved the following lot combinations and divisions and adjustments: a lot combination for 15373 Lakeshore Rd., a lot combination for 12347 Dunes Rd., a boundary line adjustment for 12347 Dunes Rd., and a lot division for 13252 Pleasant St.
BY FRANCESCA SAGALA
