December 14, 2009 Council meeting minutes
VILLAGE OF MATTAWAN
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
DECEMBER 14, 2009
MINUTES
1. CALL TO ORDER @ 7:00 pm
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. ATTENDANCE
Present: Kucinich, Kirklin, McLean, Markle, Spulick, Ashbaugh
Absent: Bemer
Motion by Kucinich, support by Markle, to excuse member Bemer. All members voted in favor. Motion carried.
Others present: Superintendent Anthony, Attorney Graham, Craig Schumaker from Fleis, Ruth Goheen and others.
4. WELCOME TO THE PUBLIC
5. ANNOUNCEMENT OF MEETING BEING RECORDED
6. ADDITIONS TO AGENDA
McLean removed item H under new business.
7. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Motion by Kucinich, support by Spulick, to approve the agenda as printed with the deletion. All members voted in favor. Motion carried.
8. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 23, 2009 AND SPECIAL COUNCIL OF DECEMBER 7, 2009.
Motion by Markle, support by Kirklin, to approve the minutes of November 23, 2009 as printed. All members voted in favor. Motion carried.
Motion by Kucinich, support by Ashbaugh, to approve the minutes of the special council minutes of December 7, 2009 as printed. Five members voted in favor, Kirklin abstained. Motion carried.
9. BILLS TO BE APPROVED IN THE AMOUNT OF $75,276.79
Motion by Kucinich, support by Markle, to pay the bills in the amount of $75,276.79. Roll call vote. All members voted in favor. Motion carried.
10. LIMITED PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY AGENDA ITEM
Joe Alexander of Powell Custom Homes stated he wanted to caution the Village about raising this special assessment for the police department. Times are rough right now and you gave employees a raise last year, not to say they didn’t deserve the raise, and all the tax abatements, which are good but we lose revenue from the abatements. Businesses and residents are suffering from this economy right now with job losses and pay cuts. Alexander stated he felt this was not the time for a tax increase.
11. BOARD AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
A. LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 3, 2009-CHAIR MCLEAN
Chair McLean reviewed the Law Enforcement Committee meeting of December 3, 2009, stating the request for Front Avenue to be closed for the human dog sled race had been withdrawn due to liability insurance issues. The committee also recommended to sell the 2002 police vehicle through the sealed bid process.
B. FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 14, 2009 – CHAIR KIRKLIN
Chair Kirklin stated the Finance Committee met earlier in the evening and signed and reviewed the bank statements from August, September and October. The Committee discussed the possibility of raising the special assessment. Committee recommends 2-1 to raise the millage from 3 mills to 4 mills.
12. STAFF REPORTS
A. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT – SUPERINTENDENT ANTHONY
Superintendent Anthony stated they were finished with leaf pick up and have been plowing snow. Anthony attended a MDOT meeting about the round a bouts, and he stated the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony was very well attended this year.
13. OLD BUSINESS
A. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
This item was not discussed.
B. TIRE RECYCLING GRANT
Superintendent Anthony stated he needed a decision on whether to proceed with the grant application. If Council did decide to do this grant we would budget for this in next year’s budget. McLean asked if they are guaranteeing this will work. Anthony stated not at this time, but they have sent engineers to California to see how this process is done. They may guarantee at a later date. Anthony stated the deadline for this grant application is January 8. 2010 and if we do apply and get the grant and we can’t get a guarantee this will work then we don’t have to do the project. Ashbaugh asked if the roads that he has on the list to do are these roads that we would have to do anyway. Anthony stated yes these are all roads that will need to be done in the next couple of years. Anthony stated he did throw 26th Street in there also as it is one of the gravel roads left in the village and it is only 200 feet.
Motion by Markle, support by Kucinich, to authorize Superintendent Anthony to apply for the tire recycling grant to pave some of the village streets. Roll call vote. All members voted in favor.
C. INCREASE OF SPECIAL ASSESSMENT FOR POLICE
The Finance Committee recommended 3-0 to stay with the 3 mills and 2-1 to raise the millage to 4 mills. Attorney Graham stated before you vote on anything you need to hold the public hearing and listen to the people first, then vote. So the process is to publish the public hearing in the paper hold the public hearing and then make your decision. The public notice should read that the Council is considering 3-4 mills for the special assessment for the police.
Motion by Kucinich, support by Markle, to provide notice to the public that the Council is considering to establish 3-4 mills for the police special assessment. Roll call vote. All members voted in favor. Motion carried.
D. APPROVE ENGINEERING BY FLEIS FOR ICE PROJECT
Need approval for Fleis to do the engineering for the ICE project. Council has already approved the $1500 for the application process.
Need approval for the Environmental Review in the amount of $5,000, and CDBG ICE Grant Administration for $18,000, Design Engineering for $60,000 and Construction Administration/Resident Project Representation for $50,000. Total is $133,000.
Motion by Kirklin, support by Markle, to have Fleis & Vandenbrink proceed with the ICE project in the amount of $133,000. Roll call vote. All members voted in favor. Motion carried.
E. MAIN STREET ROUNDABOUT DRIVEWAY ISSUES
Motion by Spulick, support by Markle, to send this issue to closed session. Roll call vote. All members voted in favor. Motion carried.
F. 12TH STREET SEWER
Superintendent Anthony stated he they had changed the relief valve at 12th Street were still getting high hydrogen sulfide readings. There was a shearing issue as the detention time is so long.
McLean asked why they just discovered this problem. Schumaker stated they probably did not check on a regular basis.
McLean asked if this was just a Mattawan problem or were we expected to pay to fix other municipalities problems with the sewer that could have contributed to the problems. Schumaker stated that is a good question and one that they would like to investigate.
Anthony stated that is why he would like to turn this over to Craig Schumaker of Fleis & Vandenbrink to see if they can find a solution so it is not so costly to the Village.
Motion by Markle, support by Kirklin, to turn the 12th sewer problem over to Fleis & Vandenbrink for investigation. Roll call vote. All members voted in favor.
G. MAIN STREET RAILROAD BRIDGE
This was informational only. Superintendent showed Council plans that had been drawn up to repair and update the Main Street railroad bridge.
14. NEW BUSINESS
A. COLE AVENUE WATER MAIN
Superintendent Anthony stated he would like to get moving on this project and would also like to check to see if this is something LDFA monies could pay for. McLean stated this will need to be put on hold until after she get an LDFA meeting scheduled stating she has had a hard time getting enough people for a quorum. She would schedule another meeting soon.
15. COMMUNICATIONS
a. MML Legislative Links for November 23 and December 4, & 8, 2009
b. 1986 Council Agenda brought in by Chris Ballingall
16. COMMENTS FROM VISITORS
Chris Ballingall of 52879 25th Street stated she attended the meeting on the Capital Improvement Plan and noted there was not much stated to do anything with the old DPW building and the Village offices. The old DPW building has been vacant since 2003 and nothing much has been done to maintain the building. She would like to see if we could get the building inspector or someone in to give us an opinion on what kind of shape this building is in. Ballingall also stated is was very hard for the elderly people to hear what was being said in the front of the room and would like to know if we couldn’t get some wireless microphones so people could hear.
Joe Alexander of Powell Custom Homes stated he attended Karl Freed’s retirement party and the open house at Fleis & Vandenbrink. He would like to see the Village do something in honor of all of Freed’s work he has done for the village. Maybe he could be honored at the 50th Anniversary celebration.
17. COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL
Ashbaugh asked about the dump trailer and snow plow that had been stolen from the new DPW building. McLean stated the police are investigating with tapes from MPI’s cameras that cover the entire drive into and out of the DPW building. Goheen stated Officer Herbert was reviewing the tapes and doing the investigation.
Anthony stated the Chief had a good suggestion in that they engrave the Village of Mattawan on all the equipment for easier identification. All the equipment that can be carried off has now been stored inside at the building.
McLean stated in the future we may have to fence in the entire area.
Motion by Ashbaugh, support by Kucinich, to move to closed session at 8:05 PM. All members voted in favor. Motion carried.
Motion by Spulick, support by Kirklin, to move back to open session at 8:43 PM. All members voted in favor. Motion carried.
Motion by Ashbaugh, support by Spulick, to approach MDOT and see if they will help pay for the driveways that need to be moved or changed in order to accommodate the round a bouts. Roll call vote. All members voted in favor. Motion carried.
18. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 PM.
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