Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Are we on? Yes. Okay. Um, it's 6 o'clock. I'd like to welcome everybody tonight to the Village Ohio Parks Commission for SE meeting for September 3rd, 2025 at at council chambers. Call this meeting to order. Please stand for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Roll call, please. Ky here. Pelton here. McKenna here. Hutchkins here. Hamilton here. Taylor here. Moving on to approval of the agenda. I'd entertain a motion to accept or change the tonight's agenda. What change? Either accept or change. Um, I make a motion to accept the agenda for September 3rd, 2025. Second. All in favor say I.

I. Approval of the minutes for August 6, 2025. I make a motion to approve the amend the minutes for August 6, 2025. All in favor say I. I. I.

Motion carried. Public comment not related to the agenda. Members of the public can address the commission. Once recognized by the chairperson, comments are limited to a maximum of four minutes for the items not on the agenda. Commission may extend this time up to an additional four minutes by majority vote for items on the agenda. Comments may be made after the commission discussion. Prior to the commission vote prior to addressing, members of the public shall state their name and address for the record. Anybody here tonight for public comment? Hello everybody. Danny Rasburg, uh 7287 East Holly Road. Um I know that we talked about uh getting uh a few more SISMA grants and I wanted to let you know that things got very busy and I was not able to get those in before the deadline. So unfortunately maybe we can try for next year, but uh the time has passed for that. So sorry. Just wanted to let you guys know.

Thank you. Yep. I think it goes the way of the grant we were looking at before. Good luck. Any other public comment?

Uh Scott Egg 6378 Weatherford Court, Holly Township. Um baseball, this is the last weekend, Sunday. Holly is the uh Kerry Nation. We have our returning champ who's a new one, Mount Clemens, uh, bringing with them Lancing who's only played here once before, and Northville who's here every year. So, um, first games at 11:00 when we had our team from New York here a couple weeks ago, they loved it. They had a blast. It was a long day. It got wet in the beginning. it then it got really hot towards the end. Uh the field was great. Thank you, Brian. Um it's just a little where we if you guys came to the game, we moved. We didn't play on the little field this time. We actually played in front of the flag pole. Um it was a great location except for the fact that you were running downhill to first base and uphill to third base. So, uh, we're g I'll move the field a little bit again for Sunday. I'll probably be out there Saturday setting it up, but please come out next year. I've got some ideas for more events to try to get more people to come in and there's talk of something else, but I'll spring it on you guys later.

Thank you.

Thank you. Any other public comment hearing? None. Seeing none, let's move on to old business budget discussion. Um, we still have to like a standalone circle swing.

What's a standalone circle swing? It was that one that when we looked at the pictures where you know those like the circle swings but it had just two poles where the kids spin on it. No, it would be like a lawn swing. Yeah, they would more like like what we put in at Waterworks. is for adults or kids. For kids.

Whatever. But this will be more geared towards younger children ones. I remember that part. Brian, how much money do we have and when do we got to spend it by June?

I think you're right around the ballpark, though. Is that the entire budget? Our entire budget so that for projects so that doesn't take out maintenance and park maint. No, that's an additional like that's an additional line item in that budget. Yeah. Okay. Okay. We got some time to bring in some thoughts. we know what where we stand moneywise pretty much. So, but those items that he mentioned, those are for sure. We should definitely move forward on those, right?

Yeah. Also, last year we budgeted um $1,800 for Halloween and we didn't use that amount. And this year, I don't believe that we'll I'll I'll bring it up the update on Halloween, but I don't believe that we would need that amount either. I would say it would be less than 500 is what we would need for Halloween because I were able to so far I'm able to procure um sponsors like I was last year for most everything. Do we do anything for

out of our budget? No, we don't. We request the um assistance of the DPW and fire and police and then holidays falls under our um liability insurance. And then we try we've been trying to deliberately plan things where different groups are sponsoring different aspects of holidays. So it's not coming it's not coming out of our budget or taxpayer money. taxpay money. Exactly. Right,

Brian, for the next meeting, you'll have prices for us so we can put this on the agenda for expenditures for equipment and stuff on the next meeting. Okay, we understand that money and then we'll go ahead make our priorities and I'll make a motion to allocate money towards those. get that tied up and get it going. Okay, good. And for Halloween too, if we set aside 500, I think we can keep it under that. Okay. Have you already spent some money for Not yet. No.

Halloween. from last year maybe. Is it money? Well, so some of the sponsorship money may have started coming in. The BFW committed to 250 and so did American Legion committed to 250. I just want to confirm. I did just look up our budget. Yeah, we do have 25K for for project cost.

Thank you. Is administration charging us for special event permit?

I haven't submitted for anything unless somebody else is working on Halloween which I would welcome. about that. 25,000.

Okay. Any other questions of the budget? Let's move on to update on Gansaw Sysma Brian. Do you happen to know if those grants were still available or did they get cancelled like the other state?

I only found out when I went on the website to make sure that I had all the available for the meeting. And there was a little notice on there that said, you know, due to the cuts, everything's cancelled. Couldn't they just It would sting a little bit less if it was already canceled, you know. Um, did we ever get on the schedule for having um the area looked at to see if it was possibly a F? We were going to have Oakland come at free of charge to give us their opinion on whether or not we should pursue that. Was that Oakland County or DNR?

It was Oakland County for free. We have to pay for holiday. That was something they were going to do free of charge for us so that we could still probably try to take advantage of that before the ground freezes. [Laughter]

Well, we have to the grant approval in order to get all of those services. But um if we were to find out that they suspected that that was a f that really changes things for us and would would encourage us to to apply for all kinds of other funding for that area. If they were to come and say it doesn't look like there's anything that survived along those lines, then it' be nice to know especially before we pay to have the opinion.

Exactly right. Yeah. May not be. Okay. Any other questions? Let's move on to general business holidays. Sarah, so holidays is this weekend, Saturday and Sunday. Um there's advertisement that's going to be run in the Tri County Times free of charge for us. They the Tri County Times puts that together as a service for us and then they charge for the advertising that they sell for the article. Um it was already in there last weekend. Okay. I don't I didn't get it, but was in there. Great.

Great. Good to hear. Look it up. We do and we need it more in the center of the side of the park for Sunday. We will not need it this year for Sunday. Okay,

cool. Um so the um the footprint and the schedule of Holly days is very similar to what we did last year with the exception of the cornhole tournament that was last year on Sunday will now be on Saturday and will all be inside the perimeters of the the beer tent. So that hopefully that'll be a little bit more of a draw for that event. Um I could use some help with music in the park for the community play day and for the color run. That was something that was done by somebody that's no longer available to that. Um so if we could if we if anybody has a lead on somebody that could play familyfriendly music for it could be a that would be fine. Um, but from early morning and then we'll restart it again after the parade. Um, in the park, it'll be done at 300 p.m. Uh, that's just a loose end that I'm trying to tie up.

Talking about live music or

just m just speakers just play music for ambiance. Um, it's very likely that we are going to have um on doing the shuttle. Did you get a confirmation? So, we are going to have the shuttle on Saturday. So, we need to get the parking lot signs borrowed from the the DDA still and then those all have to get placed either Friday night or Saturday morning very early. Um, I'm going to need more cones than normal or some way to rope off more areas to keep people from parking because I have to reserve basically that whole back there by the um the gray railroad building. I have to keep that blocked off so people don't park back there to park some vehicles that are bringing in bounce houses and monster trucks and horses, horse trailers. Um could use some help on Friday night with setting up um putting out the garbage cans. Typically DPW brings down the garbage cans and then they have to get placed around. Um we also some assistance with setting out the parking signs. And then um do you know if Tim is going to be on site on holidays early in the morning to receive the stage or do I have to do that?

I'm not sure.

Okay. So, usually the stage arrives around 6:30 or 7 a.m. and then the tents start going up at 7 a.m. and tables get delivered. Then 9:00 a.m. the fire department will be there to fill up the water. And then um the moose has volunteers are going to help with setting up the tables and help with setting up the snow fence. We just want to make sure that they place the stage in the right spot. Um will you mention see if he's willing to do that. If not, I'll plan to be there. It's a super long day. Um, and then if anybody is able to volunteer, you can let me know and let me know what time frames the things that are needed and wanted are um helping out with with setup. And then also, we need help. We need people walking around just maintaining uh trash cans, right? We aren't going to have anybody from DPW emptying trash or just They'll check everything in the morning. Like where do you take the trash?

The dumpster. One of the dumpers. We can bring out ato truck. Is that like what we get delivered for the clean up? Yeah, that's probably not advantageous just because we're going to be so short on space over there. I mean, I guess if that's where

it's just one bag. Or we can even put them at the the northern corner of the park too. Kind of out of the way.

It's going to be really tight because we're also expecting 45 vendors for the market plus the full day plus the emergency vehicles plus monster trucks plus horses. forgot about that. That's why I want to be able to rope off. Would there be another spot to put that little dumpster that wouldn't be so far away? What about by that great building that you said like we have to rope off so people don't park that? Could we put it there? Yeah, but we could also so in the in the park where we're not we're typically aren't going to have the overflowing garbages. Usually it's downtown

because that's where the stuff was until 9. Yeah. Would that would the garbages be picked up and changed out Saturday night before Sunday? Sunday we're have a really big market. Sunday morning.

Okay. Sunday morning, there's going to be a really big market over there, too. Got a lot. I think we have double the vendors on Sunday. All right. Um, I think that's it for my update on play date. How are we doing with the hot dog stand? I know that we're all set for the the arrival of the cart. Should be around by by or before 9:30. And then um I got a call from Monique today from the health department. She's planning to be up by around 10 and she's making one stop before us and Holly at the gathering station.

She said she doesn't need us to have anything cooked up. She just needs to see our set. So I thought that would be okay. She was asking if she could come earlier. And she told her you're running it'll be fine. Next year maybe we're not she knows you're running it this year. Um and

well really my preference is to do early Saturday because we have the family fun night Friday night at the high school that my kids want to go to. And I don't know how late that's gonna go. Yeah. So, we could put out we can put out the parking signs Friday night. We can move out move the trash cans out Friday night. I just was those get dropped off. The trash cans get dropped off Thursday, right? Yeah.

So, anytime for that. We usually spread them out, four of them. um in Crapo Park and then four of them I think go to the beer tent and and then the rest of the garbage cans we use for regular downtown. So is it eight that we get or is it 12 I think they don't put them where they're supposed to go. Correct. They just drop them off. So four I put them in the four corners of Crapo in front of

and then I put and then we need to take four over to Broad Street so we can set them inside the beer tent when that's getting set up. Um and I still have to talk to DA and see if we can borrow those parking signs. I don't expect that that would be problem. I'm sure it says event parking with arrows. So shuttles you have we have them or not. Okay. So then we just need to put those out for the shuttle stops and then for the places where people can park. Can you guys do that or do you need help doing that?

Okay. I can get with with Danny on that. Okay. Thank you. That's all I got. Does anybody have a lead on somebody that might have a good sound system for playing music for play day? The the coalition's kind of in the same boat. We used the same system last year that they did. So, they're they like to play music as people are checking in. Um that is Cassandra. She does that. I'm looking possibly. Let me check. I might know one person that may have a sound system. Let me check with her.

So, the coalition has a speakers and a sound system, but they don't have a playlist or somebody that could like set it up and run it. But they do have a system. So, who's got a playlist? Somebody had it last year. Who did it? You just have to do like a YouTube playlist or something or Spotify. Yep. Just preferably without commercials and phone calls coming in. Right. Exactly. That's really the trick. Yeah. Yeah. Forgot. All right. That's all I've got for holidays. Any other questions for holidays? Let's move on to Halloween.

Okay. So, Halloween is underway. Um, Holly Doughnut Shop graciously wants to donate all of the donuts again this year for the kids. Um, it'll be doughnut holes like it was last year, which worked out really well for the kids. And we're going to we're going to get little small cups for them instead of we we did napkins like we usually do, but they roll right off the napkin. So, that was kind of a pain. So, we're going to do little cups. That might that might increase our expense a bit. Um, but I don't we'll see. Um, fewer crying children.

Wingle Myers has historically donated all of the cider this year. They've asked if we could try to help with finding a sponsor to maybe go halves for them. So, I have to look into that. I haven't gotten into that yet. Um cer is going to be about the same cost according to deals as it was last year, which is they give it to us at a discount for the event. Um the yester year's tractor club is we're on their calendar. They're going to bring us mult tractors like they did last year. And then um the BFW hall in the American Legion, they have graciously approved the sponsorship of that for the kids. Um I still have to talk to the businesses about which ones are participating with passing out candy downtown. And also I need to put together organizing the costume contest and I'm seriously not having the costume contest because it's a lot of work and um I don't have somebody that can do it. Last year I had the person I had do it can't do it this year. Um so

in terms of being judges no or getting like all the little gift bags and stuff.

Yeah. getting getting all the prizes put together and then organizing the costume contest with the entries and getting everybody signed in and then finding judges and getting it judged and then passing out the prizes to the recipients that are supposed to get those prizes. It's a lot more work than you think it ought to be. If it was just like cash prizes, that'd be great, but nobody wants what Usually the prizes are merchandise that's donated from the businesses, not cash. They don't want to give cash usually. Um, a thing that I thought would be maybe a nice substitute was instead of doing a costume contest, doing a costume parade. Come for the costume parade and and have all the kids parade around the park and everybody cheer for them in their costumes. I don't think it would be as um well attended as a costume contest. people really enjoy custom cuts, but it's a lot of work. So, I need help with putting it together.

October 25th. Yeah. So, the Saturday before and that is a short event. It's from 300 p.m. until

our on that is we usually buy napkins, we buy cups for the cider, and we buy uh this year we'll be buying cups for the cider and cups for the doughnut holes. Maybe I'll skip the napkins. And then we buy a couple tablecloths. And then um we do um we pay for the we pay for the DJ for the music, which is not in our budget for days. That's why we don't have somebody It was 250 for the the DJ music which is cheaper than her what she would normally charge. She gives it I think she gives it to us for half rate anyway. So it's pretty inexpensive. Most everything is sponsored and this will be I think the 32nd year for that event. Thank you for doing everything.

Any other comments or questions? Any other comments or questions for Hollywood? Let's move on to closing public comment. Anybody like to speak in closing public comment? You have to say you have to come up here and say your name and your address, please. Richard Pitman, 119 Clarence Street. Do you guys plan on putting Christmas lights at Gunshaw again? Yes.

Can you please do that after Halloween? Because as of last year, I chopped up two of them and had to replace them. Okay. Yeah, that just made heck on me. And then I have to go replace the wire and put it back together. It's the only thing else. They're already starting to install Christmas lights downtown. I don't know when. I don't know. So, I know that's already in motion. Yeah, because when I service the park, it's it's just really big headache. They don't staple them down. They don't do anything. They just lay them on the grass. Thank you.

Okay. Thanks. Any other public comment? Hearing none. Seeing none, moving on to reports. Amber. Um Sarah pretty much already covered everything for holidays. Um again, yep, we're going to have a great holidays parade. Um which will lead into the community play day. And I think that is all that I have for you guys.

Oh, there is just because the um dam is in waterworks that is um we submitted for our closing arguments. So that's where we're at right now with the dam situation. Um we're just figuring out the state the idea is to go with a legal lake level through Oakland County is what we're hoping for. But we also have to wait and see now that it's drawn down. Have the engineers come look at it and see. I don't know if you have any more information on that, Brian. If you'll do that in your closing

it's legal level is about Yeah, we've been cricket spinning our wheels or consultants because the civil engineers meeting Well, we're at reports because it is on here. You want to continue with any reports from staff?

We'll have to put that back in our thing is staff reports. Yes.

Hope the weather's great this weekend. Um, when I was at the Veterans Picnic or Legion picnic, whichever one it was about a month or so ago, the Legion, the BFW, and the Veterans Center are all kind of talking about putting in some sort of a little handicap ramp there where the big pavilion is because they can't get the wheelchairs over that that curve. that goes down into it and also possibly putting some kind of a well putting a portage on down there by one corner of it. I Where are you talking about? At the pavilion at Lakeside Park where they the large pavilion where they try to have all their picnics.

They can't get any handicap people down over that that little curve curve that's on there. So maybe we can put that agenda item to talk about it at the next meeting. The only thing I see is able to service [Laughter]

require water. Um, well, even down closer to the to the pavilion would help, but I guess should it be an agenda item? I'm sure they'd like to come and talk to us about it. Yeah, I mean, yeah, that's one event a year. So, I don't Well, it's not though because all year that whole space would actually not be ADA compliant, which is part of our your master plan is to make all of our parks more easy.

Well, then that's one of the things they brought up is they the three entities, the Veteran Center, the Legion, and the BFW would use that park for more of their events if they could get their people into it. Was engineered to be sunk a sunken platform so that they could turn it into an ice skating rink when they first did it. Right. Right. There is no slope into there. I don't think I know all the way around. Would it be hard to do that? Would it be hard to make like a slope into it? No. I mean, but coming up to it, you have to make sure that's what I mean.

Well, we could though for now at least put a ramp or put a slope into the side of it. We can do some research to see what ideally best. Well, yeah. Would it be nice to have a paved sidewalk and a pave, but I don't I just wondered if it should be an agenda item and these people Tina mostly from the veteran center. I think so. Let us know what she wants. So, if you think so, we should probably put it on a Yeah, I would agree with that. Yeah,

but definitely something that needs to be discussed formally. Also, when they have an event down there, because I noticed a lot of people driving their cars down to the pavilion, right, there's a gate right down through there that's locked. So if they want to make go to their events that are going around and in between rocks and stuff with cars, they can get the gate unlocked and go in from the street. Well, there also needs to be no parking signs on the ends of those regular people having a picnic driving.

Yeah, I've discussed that with Brian before. I live right down the street. Oh my gosh. I mean, it's almost like we had a solution to that.

Do you have anything else to report? No, that's it. Gail? No, I don't. Sarah, I don't have anything else to report.

Okay. My report is Today we received a u a notification from Jane Dessa and u I have to get my readers out for this. Um to the members of of the park commission, I wish to extend my sincere appreciation for the opportunity to serve alongside you and contribute to the stewardship of our parks. It has been a privilege to work with a group so dedicated to preserving green spaces and fostering community well-being. Following the decision not to reappoint me, I am grateful for the trust you placed in me during my short tenure. Through collaboration and shared purpose, we've made meaningful strides in maintaining and improving our parks for all to enjoy. These experiences have broadened my perspective in deepening my commitment to public service. I look forward to seeing the commission continue its vital work and I will remain an enthusiast enthusiastic advocate for our parks and the values they represent with gratitude and bet switches for the future. Uh Jane biased to say a village of Holly resident. Thank you for the comments uh to our board to our organization James and thank you very much and that's all I have to report. I'd like to adjourn the meeting at 6:42 meeting.