Three Oaks Village Council approves appontments, 2023 events

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Three Oaks Village Council approves appointments, 2023 events

Members of the Three Oaks Village Council had their first regular meeting with newlyelected council members Jason Niemzyk and Lois Jones Wednesday, Dec. 14.

Niemzyk and Jones were both elected to their seats in November and were sworn in after the election was certified.

In addition to welcoming its two new members, the council appointed Jones as council liaison to the Planning Commission, and councilmember Joe Hinman as village president pro-tem.

The council approved a calendar of village events for 2023, including Flag Day, as well as council and board meeting dates, and official holidays for village employees.

Local business owner Suzanna Bierwirth addressed the council about plans for an Oktoberfest to replace Wurstfest. The event is set for Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, in downtown Three Oaks. Bierwirth said plans include live music, food, familyfriendly activities and a fenced-off section offering locally-brewed beers.

Oktoberfest will be a fundraiser to benefit River Valley Mustangs Foundation, and Bierwirth said leftover food will be donated to those in need.

While planning is still in its early stages, Bierwirth said she was asking for the council’s support now so the group has time to secure musicians and other entertainment.

The council approved the plans.

Village manager Dan Faulkner reported to the council efforts to acquire the village’s administrative building from Berrien County are nearly complete. He said the title commitment and property survey are finished and a closing date will be scheduled.

Earlier in the year, Berrien County offered the building to the village for a nominal fee. After researching costs of ownership and maintenance, the council voted to accept the offer.

The short-term rental committee has met but has not yet determined a fee structure. Village president Richard Smith said a survey will be available on the village’s website and official Facebook page to allow residents to share their opinions about the impact of short-term rentals.

BY THERESE DONNELLY The survey is similar to the one used by the Parks and Recreation Board while developing its five-year plan, which was recently completed. The council approved the 2023-2027 plan at its December meeting. Councilmember Tyler Ream, who is the council liaison to the board, explained the plan is required by both the State of Michigan and the Department of Natural Resources and helps the village qualify for certain grants. In the past, the village has paid outside organizations between $10,000 and $15,000 to develop a plan. This year, the board undertook the task themselves and created a joint plan with Three Oaks Township.

The council also approved an amendment to the Parks and Recreation ordinance, setting yearly elections for the board’s chair and secretary and stating the chair shall be a village resident.

During their November meeting, the councilmembers passed a resolution to apply for a Spark Grant. At the December meeting, the council voted to amend the resolution to include a requested amount.

The Council approved a $1/ hour pay increase for Water and Sewer Department employee Nick Fulbright. Fulbright has completed his probationary period and councilmembers praised his work. Smith said Fulbright is looking to enroll in water management classes in the spring

Additionally, the council approved an employee appreciation bonus for all village employees. Jones said she was glad part-time employees will also receive a “well-deserved” bonus.

Two members of the Planning Commission - Darlene Heemstra and Tom Flint - had terms expire in 2022. While Flint is serving another term, Heemstra decided not to serve again. The council accepted her departure, with several members thanking her for her work. Dyane Thomas Niemzyk was appointed to Heemstra’s vacated seat.

In board reports, Hinman reported the Downtown Development Authority selected Cathi Rogers to manage the 2023 farmers market and a contract is being drafted.

Local Government Meetings

New Buffalo Times

Democracy Requires Transparency

CITY OF NEW BUFFALO JOHN HUMPHREY, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL MARK ROBERTSON, ROGER LIJESKI, JOHN HUMPHREY, BRIAN FLANAGAN, VANCE PRICE 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 FRANK MAGRO, LISA WERNER, HEATHER BLACK, DENISE CHURCHILL, BRADLEY BURNER, VANESSA THUN 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

New Buffalo City Council receives overview of 2022 fiscal year budget

Finances were a key focus at the New Buffalo City Council’s Dec. 19 meeting.

The council received an overview of the 2022 fiscal year budget performed by Gabridge and Company, PLC. Speaking over Zoom, CPA Kevyn Kozumplik told the council the city had received an unmodified opinion, which he said is the highest level of assurance a municipality can receive, with no deficit fund balances or budget deficiencies.

While Kozumplik said the fund balance and general fund had both increased, city treasurer Kate Vyskocil cautioned the council that the increase is in part due to several city projects being delayed due to Covid restrictions. She said much of the fund balance is already earmarked for the projects and the city is seeking grants to complete the funding of some projects. Mayor John Humphrey said costs for the seawall and marina improvement projects have ballooned.

As part of the effort to fund projects, the council approved submitting an application for a Community Facilities Loan from the US Department of Agriculture. City manager Darwin Watson explained the loan program offers low-interest loans with long payment plans to rural communities for public amenities.

The loan the city is applying for has a 40-year term, though Tony McGhee of Abonmarche Engineering said there is no penalty for early payoffs.

Vyskocil said many grants require the city to pay up front for projects, and then receive reimbursement after the work is done, which requires “juggling” to pay costs. The loan could enable the city to pay those upfront costs.

Speaking on behalf of St. Mary of the Lake Parish regarding the recent water rate increases, Glenn Kaminski asked the

BY THERESE DONNELLY council to consider charging for water usage instead of meter size. He said the parish’s bill had gone from an average of $55 to over $2000 even though the school building is no longer in full use. Kaminski said the building is used for a head-start program and WIC supplemental nutrition program. He added the parish relies on donations to operate the building and cannot pass the costs along to the programs

Humphrey said the ready-to-use fee is determined by water meter size and the city has not updated its rates in several years.

Humphrey said in a separate discussion, Kaminski had pointed out the city has the ability to grant exemptions to religious institutions, but the council will need to discuss how to apply such an exemption. Vyskocil pointed out the city will need to identify how it will make up the deficit owed to the Galien River Sanitary District caused by any exemptions. The council agreed to have a workshop on the issue in January after city staff has time to research possible exemptions. There are five churches in the city limits. After the meeting, Humphrey said the council may have to establish a definition on qualifying institutions.

Due to staffing shortages, many city employees have unused paid leave at the end of the year. The council approved a motion to allow employees to roll over those hours until March 31, 2023.

The council approved the renewal of the agreement between the city and New Buffalo Township to provide fire service. The city does not have enough volunteer firefighters to provide adequate coverage and so pays the township $60,000 to provide as necessary.

Council and board meetings have been set with the approval of the 2023 meeting calendar.

After a brief discussion the council approved a $16,500 agreement with Pyrotecnico Fireworks to provide the city’s Independence Day fireworks display. The display will be July 3.

The council approved the reappointment of all three members of the Annual Board of Review. Jack Kennedy, Vanessa Thun and Juli Westergren will all serve another term.

As one of the final steps to resolve a property issue, the council approved the dredging of a boat slip at parcel 11-627155-0042-00-3. The city purchased the boat slip from its private owner when it was discovered the Mayhew Street drain was emptying silt into the slip. Now that the drain has been corrected, the city can dredge the slip and its affected neighbor, and sell it.

“This is the end of the road,” Humphrey said.

The council also had the second reading of an amendment to Chapter 18 of the Code of Ordinances, clarifying the process for street or right-of-way vacations and adding the words “as permitted by law.”

Watson reported the Parks and Harbor Commission has made its recommendations for the five-year recreational plan, which is currently available for public review, and the council will review it at their January meeting before it is submitted to the state in February.

The Pokagon Fund Executive Director Dan Petersen told the Council the Fund has a vacancy on its board of directors. Applications can be found at pokagonfund. org. Scholarship applications are also available at the website, and Petersen said many can be used for vocational training or career advancement.