City Council - Regular Meeting

Put me in order, roll call.

Fullerton. Here.

Christensen.

Present.

Chin. Here. Drummond. Here. Here. Newman. Here.

Rodriguez is absent. We have a quorum, Mayor Fullerton.

Haven't heard a word from Mr. Rodriguez. I assume he'll be showing up here shortly. We can have the invocation for tonight.

phone off so it doesn't go off. All right. So again, thank you for having me, Pastor Sean Esterline. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Just a brief verse, Psalm 90, verse 12. It says, so teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Maybe it's the dad in me because I have several daughters, but we're standing at a hinge in the year because the long, loud days of summer are drawing to a close, right? I'll wait for Mm-hmm. Long time no see. Good. She was a little worried. My daughter is one of his students. We've had a couple of busy weeks, and so she hasn't been in class because we've been a little crazy. All right. Continuing, the long, loud days of summer are drawing to a close and the hum of our neighborhoods is going to change to the rush of yellow school buses and ringing bells and backpacks that are crowding the front steps. And so the rhythm of life is going to shift from a somewhat unhurried warmth back to schedules, alarms, the intense focus of a new academic year. And I want to suggest that for those of us gathered in the chamber, the shift is also just as sharp. You all carry the weight of our city's temporal welfare, the roads, the safety, the budgets, its future. And in classical Lutheran theology, at least, that work is not a secular sludge. It's actually a holy vocation, right? We believe that God preserves this community through our hands, using us as masks for his own fatherly care for our neighbors. And as such, our work should always begin with repentance and end with And so Christ, he doesn't demand that we justify ourselves through our legislative victories or our perfect voting records or anything like that. Instead, he shed his blood for our sins, our impatience, our blind spots, and maybe our sharp words. But freely forgiven by the cross of Christ, our hands are now unbound in order to serve our neighbor in truth and love. So as the summer fades and the children of our town are picking up their pencils to learn, I think maybe we all too could work like humble students, be eager to listen, quick to protect the vulnerable, and bound to love the people of this town. May we, as it says, number our days so that we may have a heart of wisdom. Let's bow our heads in prayer, please. Almighty God, merciful Father, we thank you for preserving our city through the changing of the seasons. We thank you for the rest and the bounty of the summer and for the fresh start found in the return of our schools. Please, Lord, grant wisdom and discernment to the city council. Please give us a measure of Solomon's discerning mind and a servant's heart, that every ordinance that we weigh, every decision we make would promote good order, protect the weak, and serve the common good. We especially lift up to you the children, the teachers, and the families of our city as a new school year begins. Please guard their going out and their coming in. Protect our schools, guide our educators, and grant that our young people would grow in wisdom, stature, and safety. Bless our first responders, our city staff, and all of our residents, and please knit our community together in peace, and let your mercy sustain us until our final day. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. I'll stand for the pledge. First thing on the agenda is the approval of minutes from the July 13th, 2026 meeting. Is there a motion?

So moved. Second.

Motion seconded. Is there any corrections or additions? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Now I'll open the floor for public comment. Anybody like to come forward and speak their piece about anything? We better check online to see if anybody happens to be online.

Nope, there's no hands up online.

Okay, we'll close the public comment. Brings us to approval of the agenda.

So moved.

Second. Moved and seconded to approve the agenda as printed. All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed? Motion carries. Brings us to communications and committee reports. I don't have anything particular tonight. So we'll move right into the manager's report.

In addition to what's been published in my report, Ridley is looking to fill vacancies downstairs, utility billing, deputy clerk, along with accounts payables. So we have some interviews set up this week. We're hoping that those are successful and we get those positions filled. Along with succession planning and wastewater and water treatment plant, we have some looming retirements coming up within the next year. Public Works Director Stephanie Whitney would like to do a succession planning. Although we're a little bit behind the eight ball, I think that It's a doable project within the next couple of months of getting someone trained, those replacements trained. And so looking forward to the outcome of the actual plan that she's going to be working on over the next course of six months or so. Beyond that, everything else is in my report. I have nothing further to add.

Questions for the manager? I just have one on the Woodhill Group. Yes. So things are looking better than what we were first told that might be a problem. I mean, is there issues that are coming up or not?

Not so much. You know, most importantly, we're getting a reliable look at the numbers from the last fiscal year to this fiscal year. So our general ledger, which we use to track revenues and expenditures month to month, a lot more reliable than before. You know, it was... tossing that report in the garbage because things were changing as he was moving bills around and making sure that they were being properly recorded along with the interests it was being recorded and reconciling our bills from month to month that was most importantly to What that should be it should have been being done from month to month is that reconciliation of? making sure that everything was accounted for. So the report that I've gotten just as late as last week was that, you know, you can trust the numbers. So now we're moving forward, getting ready for the audit, and that'll be the next task for the Woodhill Group. So we're moving in the right direction there, which gives me some comfort.

So the answer is that we do have the money we thought we had. Yeah, right, sure, in short. Rodriguez, go ahead.

If you could, at some point, could you email us all a, I guess an update to what the fund balance is for the general fund, we usually, get to know kind of what the unassigned funds are in the general fund. And in the last six months, we've approved different things that have been unexpected, maybe emergency or things that came up, and we just decided to pull from the fund balance of the general fund. And so I don't know what that number is right now. So if I could get that number at some point, that'd be great.

Yes, do you all receive revenue and expenditure report on a monthly basis? Has that historically been reported to you by the finance director?

I'm sorry, say again?

Revenue and expenditure report on a monthly basis. In the past, have you all received that?

No, we get the claims and expenditures. I don't think there's revenues in there. Well, actually, I don't know. Those are not received.

No. Okay, just a different format then? Okay. Well, pardon me, I'm probably using a different, same stuff, but different wording, but yeah, I definitely will get that report over to you all.

Yeah, no, I was just gonna say that monthly income and expense reports are required in the charter, but we've never really gotten the revenue side. other than maybe quarterly or not at all. So it'd be good.

What Mr. Rodriguez probably is, I think, alluding to is we have a percentage number contingency funders. Has that went up or down? Is that what you're looking for?

Yeah, I think our standard says that it can't go below 17%, but last I heard, we were at 53%. Outstanding. Outstanding.

I don't think it's that high.

Well, you know, I've been in places where it was, well, going off topic a little bit, but it was like 80%, but yeah, I'll definitely get that report over to you all and make sure you are informed.

Okay.

Any questions on the police department's monthly report? The manager probably can answer them if you have any.

I have questions I'm going to ask them.

Manager? Eventually.

I've been following the police report and watching some trends, and I actually have a conversation I'm working up for the police chief, considering what does that actually look like on a human scale. For instance, violence. I'm trying to figure out, is this one person many times, or many people one time? And there's nothing to really tell us except numbers are up or down, but they don't really tell us is it really numbers of people or is it numbers of incidents. And I would like a little bit of breakdown so I know if we're getting more of a problem or just a problematic individual we're seeing more often. I'd like a little bit of separation there.

The manager could probably transfer that to the chief.

Yes, not a problem.

Mr. Rodriguez. I think the most important thing to the point there is that, you know, if there's anything we as council need to do or if we're doing or not doing to assist in that department, right? So is there a policy change that would help in any of those areas or not? That'd be kind of what my question is. But I look at, Last time I looked at the numbers, it seemed like this is something that kind of happened. You end up with one number spiking 300%, and then over time, it slowly goes back down again, so.

Okay, is there any council reports? You missed the CART meeting, right?

I did.

Did you get any updates?

I just have a general update that's based on the The parks report we just got, I really think we need a conversation of where CART fits into the parks report. And I don't think, well, anyway, that's a big conversation that needs to happen.

And we did have a housing committee brought our city manager up to date. where we were at. We also had the code enforcement folks and the fire chief give us an update of where we were at of transferring the building INSPECTION SERVICES BACK TO THE CITY SO HOPEFULLY THE HEARING WILL TAKE PLACE AND GET APPROVAL FROM THE STATE NOW FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT SO OTHERWISE WE HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER WHAT THREE MONTHS TO GET THAT DONE SO I BRING SOME CALLS IN TO SOME FOLKS AND TO SEE AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD ANYTHING BUT WE'RE WE'RE WAITING

I missed the last TDA meeting. Last I heard, I was pretty sure what they were going to work on at that meeting was some different things for downtown. There's Christmas decoration committee, which John's probably going to be on me real soon if I don't start contributing a little bit more to this committee.

The other thing is the airport meeting.

That's going to be on Friday. I do have a question about that airport meeting. And that is, I'm not sure if it's, If we're still meeting in person at the airport as well. So I don't know if Stephanie can help me with that one or not. Are we still meeting at the airport on Friday as well with a couple people? We'll just be online, but we'll be in person.

Okay, perfect.

Thank you.

Mr. Brumman.

We did not have a parks meeting this month, so nothing to report there at the moment.

How does the three garden look?

IT'S HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE IT'S HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE RELATED TO THE NATURE'S WAY RELATED TO THE NATURE'S WAY OF NOT GIVING US OF NOT GIVING US PRECIPITATION, BUT WE DO HAVE PRECIPITATION, BUT WE DO HAVE THE ARTIFICIAL OPTION THERE. THE ARTIFICIAL OPTION THERE. AND SO OVERALL, YEAH, I THINK AND SO OVERALL, YEAH, I THINK THEY'RE DOING WELL FOR THE FACT THEY'RE DOING WELL FOR THE FACT THAT THEY'RE IN A NEW HOME AND THAT THEY'RE IN A NEW HOME AND THERE'S SO MANY. THERE'S SO MANY. THERE ARE A FEW THAT ARE THERE ARE A FEW THAT ARE STRUGGLING, BUT THAT'S STRUGGLING, BUT THAT'S NATURE'S WAY OF SELECTING. NATURE'S WAY OF SELECTING. SO WE'RE COM

We didn't have a Camp Francis meeting this month, so I have nothing to report.

And Mr. Christensen?

We haven't had a planning meeting since it was last year.

Does that take that? Brings us to the consent agenda. The consent agenda approval of claims and expenditures for $961,793.46. Quite a lot of that is the paving. That's why it's so much higher than normal. And the second one is approval of the fireworks display for Charlotte Frontier Days, 2026. Is there a motion?

Motion. Second.

Moved and second to approve. All those in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Passes unanimously. Brings us to the business agenda. Consideration to approve a contract with Top Notch Tree Service in the amount of 35,000 for the cutting and removal of stumps.

moved to approve second moved and seconded to approve the 35 000 is there a discussion um i just want to make a point that i think that uh if the council as a whole does move forward i think you're making a very wise decision that's one of the best tree services in the area and uh They will be held accountable to the things that they set out to do. And we'll keep our infrastructure intact so that we're not ending up with destroyed pieces and parts of sidewalks and things. That's just not their game.

Okay. Anything else? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Brings us to consideration to approve awarding the Westside Fire Station HVAC controls upgrade to Hopkins Mechanical in the amount of $49,766. So moved. Second. We moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Any questions?

I was kind of just curious, just simply for the sake of discussion, what is the longevity of the upgrade? I MEAN, I JUST, WHAT IS THE SUSPECTION ON HOW LONG THIS WILL BUY US UNTIL THE NEXT TIME WE NEED AN UPGRADE? I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HVAC AND LONGEVITY.

to our understanding, 20 to 25 years. We'll say that the building, when it was built in 2008, the controls were outdated or obsolete the following year, and that was just an unfortunate oversight, and there's nothing that city staff or anybody could do at that time. It's just what happened. Carrier is a good brand, for that matter. It's one of the top three in the nation, and their controls should last a long time and then be able to be upgraded at a smaller scale rather than all at once.

If there's no questions about the difference between the bids, you can certainly explain.

I think it was sufficiently explained in paperwork.

All right, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Carries unanimously. Consider to approve contract with Potter Villa for IT services.

So moved. Second.

Mr. Brummett, seconded by Any discussion?

I know that at the previous meeting that we were talking about this matter, there's some people who thought that they needed to bring up previous occurrences where there were maybe shortcomings of this particular entity. And I think all we can do is just make sure that accountability is there. We're dealing with local businesses not far from City Hall who should be held accountable. And if that is the case, we have any shortcomings in the future, well, then we just need to make sure that they're rectified. But our other options didn't sound like they were real close by, and they could have the same shortcomings. We have an issue that needs to be resolved, and so I don't see any issue with choosing them. That's why I make a motion. Go ahead.

Yes, a couple questions. In terms of the contract, it's a three-year contract. Does the contract provide for yearly performance reviews?

I think it would be a monthly performance reviews, check-ins with the firm and us maintaining lines of communication. So I think we'll be very on top of the services that are provided, making sure that everyone is getting feedback from department heads on the services that are being provided. So meeting with the group, their understanding of we want the best service possible. and that we will be evaluating them on a month-to-month basis. So keeping that term to about three years I think is a good enough start to just see how things go, given that the past relationships and where we want to go now into the future. So yeah, it's built in there and it's understood with the IT firm.

Do you know if the contract allows for an extension after the three years?

We can evaluate that and come back to you maybe a year prior and see if we want to do an extension at that point in time.

And in terms of the deliverables that are spelled out in the contract, do we have a schedule? Because that's a way to, you know, that's what got away from us the last time that we had them is that we really didn't have a schedule and it kept getting delayed, getting delayed. So I'm just wondering if we have a schedule for when things are supposed to be done with them, or can we make sure that we do that at the time that we award the contract?

At the time we award the contract, we were looking at about three to four weeks to get them in here and began working on the upgrades that are needed. So once the contract is approved, I'll be giving them a call tomorrow and letting them know that we're ready to start onboarding them as well.

That's it.

Just wanted to say, I've been trying to figure out the hesitation with Potterville for quite some time, and I think it's just because we've watched them grow from small to big, and I really, I have no qualms about them as supplying the service.

Anybody else? Any questions? Proceed to vote. All those in favor of approving the contract with Potterville say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Passes unanimously. Brings us to consideration to approve the city manager signed the grant with EGLE.

So moved.

Second. Moved and seconded. And that's on the agenda to do it this way because in the past we've messed around and lost contract because we had to wait for a council meeting to get approval so this way I mean it's pretty pretty mundane that we we the city who could get a $50,000 contract to pay for $49,766 worth of stuff would say no, but you do need somebody to look at it and say make sure it doesn't say You know, but I think the city manager would be capable of doing that

And looking at the policy that we have for approving grants before apply, I think we ought to take a look at that and soften that up a little bit to give, because we have lost some because of timing wise, We've had situations where we don't because the schedule for the city council meeting is not in sync with it. And so we just haven't done it because we couldn't get approved. So I think looking at any grant that we are applying for, which doesn't, COST ANYTHING TO THE CITY, YOU KNOW, 100% OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S MINIMAL, UP TO $20,000 OUR LIMIT. WE SHOULD JUST LET THE CITY MANAGER JUST TAKE CARE OF IT AND THEN ANYTHING ABOVE THAT COMES BACK TO US. BUT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT DOWN THE ROAD HERE.

THIS IS MAKING SURE WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME WAY TO SIGN IT.

YEP.

AND IT'S NOT WORTH TAKING A CHANCE TO LOSE IT EITHER.

I feel like this, though, I mean, just for the sake of the record, this has come up once before. We've had discussion where we didn't even want to apply to a grant because of the possibility that we may have a financial commitment, and so therefore we drag our feet. And so this is just a different kind of variation of the similar type of thing. THAT, YEAH, WE'VE GOT TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING BEYOND THIS MEETING THAT KEEPS US FROM BEING ONE OF THOSE STUMBLING BLOCKS WHERE WE LOSE OUT ON OPPORTUNITIES. WE HAD A PERSON WITHIN STAFF TRYING TO WRITE FOR GRANTS, AND THEN WE'RE LIKE, WELL, WHAT IF WE ACTUALLY GET IT? WELL, WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY. WELL, WE FIRST HAVE TO GET IT BEFORE WE DO THAT, AND, YEAH, WE NEED TO FIND THE MONEY IF WE'RE GOING TO GET GIVEN THE MONEY. SO IN THIS CASE, I THINK THIS IS WISE. WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD BEFORE WE LOSE IT.

AND THAT ALL USUALLY IS HANDLED BECAUSE THEY HAD TO ask us for permission to apply for this grant in March, May. So they asked us, and at that time, you know, because it was in the budget anyway. That's what I'm getting good about this is the money was budgeted and the grant came in. But they had to ask us for permission that we would have to match whatever or at that time. So those things can sometimes be handled when we give approval to apply for a grant, which is You know, it's tough, but that's the way we as councils decide to do it, is you gotta come in here and ask for permission to apply. Stephanie's been through it where it's cumbersome, but at the same time, it still has council oversight that way. So I guess there's nothing wrong with it.

Did you have something, Mr. Manager? Yeah, I was going to just add, you know, as we get into the capital improvement planning and we have that in place, you all will be able to see, you know, some projects that we identify from a staff level. You'll see it early on if this is a possible grant project, grant funded project. So you will see that even before we start talking about the budget for the next fiscal year, you will see that laid out as these projects are being identified as possible grant funding projects. So I'm looking forward to when we get started with that capital improvement planning process. And I think it'll help you all at least be prepared for, you know, these grant opportunities even more so.

And this one is a kind of a strange grant when you apply for it in May, it gets awarded in July after your budget. So I think we're very fortunate to take advantage of this one, so. All right, all those in favor of having the city authorize the city manager to sign the grant with EGLE, say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Passes unanimously. Bring this to public comment. Does the public wish to come comment? Good idea. How about online?

Jody is. Let me get her so she can talk. Okay, she should be.

Jody, go ahead. Go ahead.

I love the report from the city manager. That's phenomenal. And the way things are broken down this time, it alleviates that to me. very many questions at all. So that's great, thank you very much. And I just wanted to let you know that I'm still up.

Is that it, Jody? That's our IT issue. That's it?

Okay, thanks for your comment. She said that you did a good job in your report.

Okay, thank you.

You didn't hear that part?

I just had to be really quiet. I'm like, okay.

That was because Mr. Rodriguez has got better hearing than I do.

I didn't hear it either. Or not my hearing aid.

Anybody else online? No. Brings us to mayor and council. We'll start with Mr. Christensen.

Thank you. No, just a couple things. Thanks to everyone who attended tonight. A little lighter than last time around, but hopefully next time we'll get a full house again. Also, if I heard correctly, the process is closed for city council candidates, and I do believe, if I heard properly, we have a candidate who is filed and good to go for every seat.

That is a good thing to hear.

Thanks.

YES, I HAVE RIGHT IN.

NOT TOO MUCH. AGAIN, THANKS FOR EVERYBODY WHO WAS ONLINE AND HERE IN THE AUDIENCE. I WAS WONDERING, THERE'S BEEN COMMENTS ON THE FACEBOOK, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CHARLOTTE ABOUT THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF, YOU KNOW, OFFICES AND STUFF. I DON'T KNOW IF CHIEF FULLER CAN Kind of explain where we're at with the process and what numbers they're calling and they're not getting responses. Is that the county? Is that us as a city? That sort of thing. Figure out this and maybe there's somebody that's got Facebook knowledge that can put a post out there.

Sure, I'm aware of the comments around Facebook, but the name nobody talked to and it sounds like it was taken care of. So I'm guessing that was something to do with the county. And then to give an update as to where we're actually at, CLASSIFICATION OF THE BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICES THAT THE STATE OF MICHIGAN HAS WAS UNDER LOCAL CONTROL IN JANUARY. THAT'S WHAT THE STATE THOUGHT. THEY ACTUALLY KNEW THAT THE COUNTY'S BEEN DOING IT, BUT THE DOCUMENTATION SAYS LOCAL CONTROL, WHICH WOULD BE THE CITY OF SHALOT. SOME POINT IN TIME AROUND APRIL, IT WAS CHANGED TO COUNTY CONTROL. That's why the gentleman from McKenna, Sam, that we've been working with didn't think that we needed to file and go through the whole process within the state and go into the council because we were under local control. However, since that's been changed, we applied to go to that council to make sure that everything's done correctly. Our paperwork needed to be in 60 days. We were like 44 days before the meeting, so we missed out on the July meeting. We've had troubles getting ahold of anybody at the state, but to our understanding, we are on the agenda for the October meeting. So as of right now, October, I've heard stories that if they don't have a quorum, it's out three more months, as Mr. Chin was saying there just a few minutes ago. So hopefully we do not have that issue and that we can continue to move forward. TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT BEHIND ANYTHING THAT WE KNOW OF OR NOT ANSWERING SOMETHING. I'M NOT SURE WHO THEY'RE CALLING, BUT MAKE SURE THAT WE GET MY CELL PHONE PUT OUT THERE THAT IF ANYBODY IS HAVING TROUBLE, THEY CAN CALL THAT DIRECTLY.

YOUR HOUSE STARTED THIS. MY HOUSE, YES.

I WASN'T AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT...

EXCUSE YOU.

YEAH, THAT WAS ALL MY FAULT, TOO. BUT NOT BEING AT THE LAST MEETING AND THEN KIND OF JUST KIND OF CATCHING UP AND EVERYTHING, HERE WE ARE. I DO BELIEVE THIS IS THE 27th, 6th, 7th, 6th, 7th, EITHER ONE, YEP, OF JULY. THERE'S AMPLE TIME FOR YOU. if you choose to, to want to endorse any one of us by your vote when the time comes. And so I feel like that's just your right and your civic duty to do that. And I'm not going to keep you from doing any of that. So anyone who wants to vote, I look forward to your vote in November, whoever you choose to vote for. So yeah, I just wanted to speak that piece because I wasn't able to do that in front of everyone at the last meeting.

I really don't have much. I just wanted to reiterate that Mr. Chinner and I had a nice meeting with Mr. Davis last week, and we're eager to get housing cranking up like we had again. And tomorrow is holding office hours as usual, 10 to noon at Evelyn Bay. That's it. Thank you for coming.

Mr. Chinner. I have nothing.

Mr. Rodgers. Somebody told me they're going to write my name in. Don't do it. I'm not running, I can't be written in. I am dedicated and gonna be here through November, that's the plan. I got a baby due in two weeks. I should be still here, good to go. Things are still going fine, even though my wife's not working at the school these days. But don't write my name in, vote for these guys up here. All right, thanks.

The only thing I had is, I talked to some developers today by chance, and there's a developer, pretty big developer, that's interested in building quite a few affordable houses in Charlotte. So that might be a good thing coming up. The interest is getting out there now, if we don't get a, and he's only telling you part of the story. been a little contentious when it comes to why this happened and how it just happened in the last few months and there's there's more to be found out about the story of why we don't have the building department now but we will eventually and a lot of people still waiting including myself to draw a permit from the city so um It's thrown a wrench in the works, that's all I can say. All right, motion to adjourn.

So moved. Second.

All in favor say aye.