City Council - Regular Meeting

We'll call the meeting to order and rise for the pledge of allegiance. I aliance 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. Susie, how about attendance? Council member Rickma here. Council member Burl Barkus here. Council member Jim Salsfield here. Council member Eric Barkcus here. And council or Mayor D'Vor

here. A motion to approve the consent agenda tonight. Mike and I did move the um renewals and the street closures into the consent agenda. I'll make that motion. I'll make that motion. Okay, I'll second. Any discussion or changes? S. Council member Salme. Yes. Council member Eric Vargas. Yes. Council member Burough Barkcus. Yes. Council member Ritzoff. Yes. And Mayor Gore. Yes. Uh public comment for our agenda items tonight.

Dennis Kemp 1700 Faith Drive L. Um I want to comment on the budget agenda item. I know we had a lot of discussion at the last meeting about sewer and water. I'd like to make maybe a slight deviation from some of the comments. I know the road program is supplemented by the general fund currently. I know act 51 has increased or will increase over the next uh 3, four, five years. So if you don't lose progress on the streets, I'm suggesting that the act 51 uh increase go towards streets and it could include utilities under but go towards streets and any general fund money that's used for the street go to sewer and water for debt service or whatever you need to use it for. Um, this uh this allows you to keep making progress on the streets, but allows any any general fund money that's not attached to something else to go to sewer and water. That's going to become uh an increasing liability for the uh for the city. I think anything that can be applied to that uh without u without seriously damaging uh other programs should be applied to it and that includes uh some of the uh some of the other funds that maybe aren't as attached to specific items as u as other taxes are. All I have Thank you so half my time left. All right, DLF on 904 Riverside Drive. Uh, first question. Um, back a couple of months or more ago when we uh the the data center was a hot topic and hopefully it's dead for good now. But anyway, but if it comes up again and if that happens to go through by some miracle or whatever, um, I thought I thought you guys decided that we would not provide water and sewer all the way

out there for them if that happened. Is that correct? It's not. So, that could still happen.

Well, just so you know, I think that's wrong. Flat out wrong. Okay. So, that number one. Number two, uh, Riverside Drive. I'm going to suggest something concerning Riverside Drive that's probably going to maybe freak a lot of you out. I say let's go back and open it up totally like it was forever until the barricade show up. showed up and then at for a period of time set a time limit and monitor the traffic and the speed and see what the results are. So open it back up as normal like it always was and keep track of the traffic and the speed and see what happens. And then if you feel something needs to be done then maybe the next step might be a couple of stop signs and see how that works. And if you feel you need to go another step, maybe then some small speed bumps might be appropriate. But I think going back and taking it small steps, baby steps at a time to solve the problem of the traffic and the speed. And also, it wouldn't hurt to have a police officer up there once in a while monitoring the speed because it used to be that way, but you know, before it got closed up, I hadn't seen a police officer monitoring speed up there in forever. So I, you know, again, I know it sounds maybe crazy to you guys, but I say let's go back to square one and kind of start over and take baby steps instead of the barricade. The barricade I thought was a giant step. And I again, I'm totally against that still, but uh something to think about. I would hope maybe you consider it and think about it um and see what happens. Thank you. Thank you.

Tyler Kent 2A J. Um my comments regarding item number 5B, the 2627 budgets and part of that would be our water and sewer. Um I know we just came out of a conversation about raising our water rates 52% over the next 5 years after we've increased it 160% uh to pay for a couple of road upgrades here in town. Um my comment is I'd really like to look at how we can offset these increases as part of that budget conversation using other revenues uh that are available uh and that are packaged with these types of uh water uh upgrades within our uh within our city. That could include uh if we're reconstructing a road or we have water main replacements or things like that, use the the increase in Act 51 funding that we've just gotten for the city, which I looked on the um uh MD website for that. It's about $290,000 per year increase where we currently have about 600,000 give or take, not excluding some of the other uh marijuana funding coming in. That wouldn't solve everything, but it just reduces the burden that the rateayers in the city have to pay for uh at the expense of some of these upgrades currently and in the past. Um I'd also like to look at um I want to say I support our blue and support the police, but if we need to um know if we need to look at expanding our police force, we just entered into an agreement with Kent County uh Sheriff's Department for uh more enhanced surveillance. I'd like to see how kind of that plays out before we start adding more people to help offset uh uh where we're spending money. Again, doesn't solve everything, but it just reduces the rate that the city residents have to pay for. And um I I hope we look at reducing that for the for our residents here. Thank you.

Thank you. Anybody else 810 Riverside? Um, and I do really appreciate you guys um, taking the time to try and find the right solution for Riverside. Um, and Burl, I was not a I I walked through there a fair amount. I had never seen a semi there, but if you have, then I have to say. So, if that's a frequent thing, you obviously need a place out. Otherwise, um, I know that even probably up to a 40 foot box truck could make that turn around there. Um, and that would just keep things, I'd say, cleaner. Um, but if that's really if you really need do need to do um semi- traffic occasionally, then then I get it. Um, so thanks again. And um is there a different process or was this even the right group to bring up potentially increasing the speed limit on on Hudson there once you get north of the light or how how does a better conversation happen with that?

That's a county road so the conversation would probably have to start there. Okay. Yeah. All right. Thank you very much. Yes. Thank you. Come on up.

My name is Annette Ritzmont. I live at 525 North Hudson Street. Well, I appreciate divergent thinking. Um, you know, we have looked at this, we've t talked about this issue on Riverside for seems to me like a long time now. And from my perspective and the perspective of 22 out of the 23 residents that are the most directly impacted by the traffic design on that road, we all agree that what has happened now has corrected the issues that we had the speed, the volume of traffic with very little cost to the city. And I think that's a key consideration is the cost. Also the visual purity of the road so that we don't have the visual noise of the stop signs and um and what they produce. So anyway, parents with little kids like it, people with bus stops like it. Um people that live along the road, an overwhelming majority of people support this. So, I hope that the board um city council will vote in favor of keeping the road channeled at Elm Street. Thank you.

Thank you. Anybody else?

Uh Steve Doyle, 706 Riverside Drive. Uh again, I think when the barrier first went in, it uh really overnight uh solved the volume of traffic and the speed of traffic. Traffic counts were done. Uh 4,000 cars per week were, you know, going down Riverside Drive with 65% of them going over the speed limit. So, anything uh any other solution or stop signs or or speed bumps without the barrier, you're going to introduce about 4,000 cars per week, you know, traveling over the speed limit. And actually the latest count uh on Riverside Drive uh that first couple blocks in the business spot where they have to turn at Elm, there was 6600 cars uh traveling uh that were diverted at at Elm Street. So, the count might even be worse, but any anything other than the barrier, you will we we will start to see, you know, around 4,000 cars. Whether there's stop signs or whether there are speed bumps, speed bump studies from my stud, from what I've looked at, may reduce the traffic by about 20%. And stop signs really, the traffic volume may just be the same. So very in favor of a barrier and I'm sure an very aesthetically nice way could can be done there. What's there now or it's temporary. They weren't meant to look nice. So um so anyway that's I I I really encourage you to you know if you stick with the barrier that's great. Thank you.

Thank you. Anybody else? All right, we'll move on then to old business number A, Riverside Drive.

So, we moved the barrier back to Elm Street on March 4th and collected data at that location. Um, in your packet as the updated traffic counts. Um, when we did the uh count at Spring at Spring Street, we put the uh the radar at Spring and Riverside, it was significantly lower than when we placed it at Elm. Um, based on my observations and our general sense, cars were not traveling down spring to turn. Um, they were still continuing to use Elm Street. Um, we then moved the trailer back to Elm and recorded approximately 2,000 car fewer cars for the for the week. This was two weeks ago for the week than when we were than we counted than the time we counted in February. When we counted in February, we had close around 6,000 cars. Um and and this time we came closer to 4,000 cars. We believe the difference is because the trailer was previously capturing vehicles parking in and out of Sabore and that's how we got the 6,000 um cars per per week. So when we moved the trailer for the last week, um with the most recent count, we placed the uh the the trailer much farther away from the car from Sabore and and the uh the the traffic counts came more in line with what we were seeing before, around 4,000 cars a day. Um so Kent County is uh going to be opening bids on the street project tomorrow. And um so at some point we do need to make a decision. And um and so my recommendations are as follows. If you're concerned about safety and reducing the traffic volume on the Riverside, my recommendation is to install a barrier at Riverside and Elm. We would landscape the area, make it look aesthetically appealing to prevent vehicles from crossing the burn. Um, if you are not concerned about traffic volume on Riverside and but you

are concerned about safety issues, I'd recommend installing two speed tables at Riverside, one near Elm and another one somewhere between Suffach and Hunt. And then I have a suggest uh stop sign somewhere near Mercer. um in listening and talking to a lot of different people. Um those to me seem the most suitable for the I mean the other option you could just open it back up. I mean that is that is another option as well. You could do that. Um, and but I think you're going to get people using that road as a as a pass through, not what it Yeah.

you're going to have more traffic and we're going to have the the same concerns. So, I think you I So, we need to make a decision on one of those options. You want to start? You look ready to go. No. All right. Who wants to start? I'll start. Uh, I really think making that barrier permanent, a lot like what's at Lincoln Lake and Elm is that's Elm. Yeah. Is the way to go. And, uh, I think it would do exactly what we needed to do for the Riverside Drive residents, but equally as important. It would continue making the light power to the south a lot safer for parking and pedestrians. So, those are my thoughts. Who else?

I'll speak. Y

um I this I have thrown this around back and forth so many times. I do see it as as Susan mentioned, it is two two different problems. I like both ideas. I'm not a big fan of opening the road wide up. Um I've seen the cars race down that street. My challenge and my my fear is the parking lot safety. That's that is is a huge deal to me and I don't want to see somebody get hit and I have seen people drive down there way too fast and I have seen semiis by the way but um yeah I I this a tough decision so bear with us as we make this decision. We do want to make the best decision. I also do appreciate the fact that having a second northern exit from the downtown is an advantage um to have Riverside open. It is an advantage. So I to be determined what this vote looks like.

So you turned your microphone around.

Yes, I Yes, I did. Um, personally, I think we spent more than enough time talking over this over the last year, year and a half, and I do believe that we should make a a decision tonight to to how we're going to do it. I personally prefer the um barrier at the end. I'd like to see us redesign the Riverside up to Elm Street. How does that look for future to make that easier, accessible or accessible to get out of there if we need to get out of that? So, um, you know, I I do believe Riverside is one of the prettiest roads. As people said before, it is not 100% closed. It is a little convenient. I would also like to see a study then on what we can do to help that traffic flow on Hudson Street out of town. We We need to do something there, too. because you're going to close off that now you got additional cars going up the Hudson and if it means raising the speed five miles an hour then then I guess we need to look at something into that but it needs to be done with safety in mind as well too so that's where I stand on it at this point

okay what about you gentlemen

I'm going to have to abstain so I'm not going to make any comments I know what I want but uh I don't have to abstain I am very concerned about volume and speed on Riverside as someone requested. We are all very concerned about that. But I do want a fair solution for all the residents. This is a unique street. I I can only think of maybe one other street in the entire city that has this same ability to bypass the the corner and go. So this and maybe one other street are unique, but I do want a fair solution that can be implemented on other streets if they reach 4,000 5,000 cars. So a barrier in my mind, it has worked very well. No doubt. I I saw it on the day one to Steve's point. It cut down on the volume and it cut down on the speeds for sure. But I do think that the people that are going to want to bypass the light are going to turn at Elm. Uh especially if we put a speed table right there at Elm. If they come up there quickly and they see the speed table or they can make their continue to make their left turn, I think they're just going to make their left turn. So again, I think we should try one or two speed tables. one right there at home per Mike Burns is coming and try that. I think the majority of the people that are really trying to get out of town are going to turn. The people that want to have a nice uh slow ride and enjoy that street as many of you have told me that you do. Then you can deal with the speed tables and go up the road slowly. I think that's worth trying. Uh the speed tables would be very inexpensive to add now that we're paving and try that for

six months through the summer. If the volume and the speed continues, we can put a barrier back in one day. So that I'm not saying I'm against the barrier. I frankly love it. I mean, I was the one that one of them that first started talking about it, but I'd like to try speed tables and add the barrier back uh if needed. Thank you. Good.

All right. Well, one one item to add. I did forget to mention. So, I am looking in the budget this year for the DDA to consider some traffic safety options in in the downtown area in that triangle area between Maine and Elm and Broadway and and Maine. So, I am looking at that in the budget. So, yeah, it really needs that dumpster needs to be reconfigured too back there.

That's part of what we're going to look at. All right. Well, I'm really I'm really maybe over prioritizing the south of light and power safety. So, I think we just should vote on it. So, for that purpose, I'll make a motion to make the barrier at Riverside and Elm permanent. I'll support. Any other discussion on that? Sue. Council member Eric Barkus.

No. Council member Burl Barkcus.

Yes. Mayor D'vor. Yes. Council member Salo. Yes. Council member Ritzma abstain.

All right, good enough. I want to thank everybody before we move on because what could have been a heated contentious what about me type of scenario never developed. And uh I if all public hearings and public comments were like that, I would maybe do more meetings. So I want to thank everybody Riverside Drive resident or not for reaching out because we can't make decisions if we don't know what's best for the people we're supposed to represent. So uh Mike, how about the brownfield for uh Wolf Flax?

Yes. So, we have a brownfield uh plan um tonight for 1160 West West Main, which is also be known as LOL Flats. Ryan Wheeler is here tonight. He is the developer for the project along with his attorney, Jared Bela. Um they're going to present to you uh what they're what they're looking to uh to do. Um we will need to have a public hearing and uh Jessica can guide you through um what what we need to do if we want to move forward. Okay. Go ahead. Yep. appreciate

uh appreciate the time this evening. I'm Jared Belalco with Warner North Cross address 150 Iowa Grand Rapids. Um here with the development team um I think you guys are familiar with the project uh three building uh infill project 72 units. Um we are seeking your support for the housing tiff program. Um we had a a good um open discussion. I if I may approach and hand out I think I have enough here if you don't mind along tried to address a lot of the the high points. Um this is a program uh it utilizes the brownfield program. It sometimes gets um a little clouded with that. Uh but it was a program um the governor tasked Michigan to to establish a program uh to really jumpst start housing development. Obviously in the current uh environment that we're in with high construction costs and interest rates um rents simply haven't followed. Uh so the they they amended the Brownfield Act in 2023. Really didn't start implementing this program until 2024. Uh I think as of last time I checked uh they've been I think a little shy of 50 uh projects have been approved by Michigan at the state level for this program. Um the program essentially expands the eligible activity pool uh to help address financing gap components um while also targeting uh 80 to 120% area median income. So as part of this project 72 units the development team is proposing to uh income qualify approximately 50% of those units. So about 36 uh this is a combination of one and twobedroom units um and and hold that attainability for a period of 10

years uh to to help reimburse infrastructure costs uh and um address that very median income threshold. Uh the plan before you is about a 23-year plan. Uh it it includes reimbursement of the developer costs. There are administrative fees included in there for the authority. Uh and at the end, if the authority chooses, uh they can capture and fund a local brownfield revolving fund that the city could then use and deploy those dollars into other projects uh in the community. Um it's not mandatory. Uh it is discretionary. Um I understand the property is currently within the DDA. All of this um all of this is based on the premise of the developer making a significant investment uh and being re reimbured over time through the incremental property taxes generated from that investment. So this doesn't take anything away from the taxes being paid there now. It's only based on the increment um based on our our current estimates. I think the taxable value is around $325,000 now. We anticipate following their investment that it would be in the neighborhood of $3 million. So a significant increase. Um and again brownfield captures a portion of that and reimbures over time. Debt millages are not captured. I think in my summary here I think towards the bottom maybe of the second page um that would generate an additional um debt millage uh revenue of about 92,000 over the period of of the property plan. Um I'm throwing a lot at you uh but the development team uh is here. They're excited to get going on the project. Um they're trying to make the numbers work. um here seeking your support um providing infill housing uh and maintaining that attainability for a period of 10 years. Uh so I'll pause

there. Um welcome any questions, anything specific to the the project itself. Again, we have the development team here and appreciate your consideration. Thank you. don't have much to add except for that this has already been before your Bronfield authority which really has the true jurisdiction over it but then it comes to you following a recommendation from them. Um if you approve this tonight then it'll go um back down to the Brownfield Authority level to um negotiate and finalize the development and reimburse the agreement with the developer. We have to open up public hearing first. You do. And is this through the county then? Nope. Local brown. It's even better.

All right. Thank you. Yep. Thank you.

All right. For the purposes of that then at 7:27 I will open the Brownfield 1160 West Main public hearing and welcome any comment. Dennis spent 1700 faith drive low. Um, listening to this description, I'm not um I have to admit I'm not entirely familiar with this proposal, but it sounds like you're building more apartments. I'd like to encourage the city to uh find ways to build um smaller uh smaller housing units. Uh the old thousand foot um thousand square foot ranch houses uh supported a lot of people and I just don't see those being built. I know there's a lot of reasons for that, but I don't know if the site's appropriate for it, but I'd like to find more ways to do that. Thank you.

Thank you. Anybody else? All right. Then we will close the public hearing and we'll do some council comments. Anything. The total value of the property, it's 3 million or is it 6 million? I That's a lot of development for $3 million. Did I hear that correctly? The It says taxable value. So is the the actual value more like that would be the taxable value that is half of the true cash value. Yes. Okay. All right. That makes sense. Good. Yeah. Anything else Mark?

Well, I think that it'd be nice to have other housing, but we don't have area to do that. So, this is about the next best thing. I think I I I'm all in favor of it. I think I know the answer to this, but um percentage of your apartments that will have handicap accessible housing. Correct. Um what kind of percentage or how many units? Uh the code requirement I think is around five. There's one two bedroom and one one bedroom on the ground floor is what's required. Okay. I'd love to see more than that, but I'll let you. Yeah, there's in addition to that there's convertible units, too. Okay. Thank you. And that's per unit, right? So you have three units. So you'll have a total of six handicap units. Yep.

Thank you, Jim. Uh I got nothing. I have one question related to the affordability. So 50% of the units 36. Do you have the breakdown of what that would be between one and two bedrooms? It's program. So we have 25% of the units are two bed and 75% are one bed. So it's a it's a it matches that formula affordable and regular. Okay, cool. All right. Uh, any other questions, comments, concerns?

Um, I do have one for the city is when when and if this when this project gets kicked off the ground and it's built and there's all these units are occupied, the traffic on both roads is going to be tremendous amount of traffic every day. Considering a resident believed, that's home two to three times a day. And if you got two people, you do that by the number of cars. I I just want to make sure that we're ready with uh any law enforcement that we may need or signage up there to make sure that we get that beforehand because Bald Road is already uh pretty hectic with speeders and stuff. So, I just want to make sure we as a city are on top of that beforehand. Has nothing to do with these gentlemen building the complex. It's us maintain it after it's built.

If you recall too, we did do a traffic uh study and barbecue. Yep. There is I there's entrances off Maine and Bose, right? There's an emergency entrance. Emergency. That's the one that we widened in. Okay. All right. Good. Yeah, I'm good. All right. Any other comments, questions, concerns? All right. Then I will entertain a motion to approve the 381 Brownfield for 1160 West Main. I'll make that motion. Mayor, you actually need to close the public hearing, too. I did. Oh, you did? Yeah. I'll second it. That's right. Motion in a second. Any last minute discussion? Super. Council member Burough Barkcus. Yes. Council member Ritzma. Yes. Mayor D'vor.

Yes. Council member Salido. Yes. Council member Eric Barkus. Yes. Congratulations. All right.

L Arts request. Good evening. I'm Janet Tunis, executive director of L Arts at 223 West Maine. You have a memo in your packet with the details of this request. So, I'll keep my remarks brief and focus on a few things I want to make sure are clear. L Arts is requesting permission to use City Hall's hallway spaces, the common areas on both the main and upper levels for the LOL area schools districtwide student art show this May. We are not requesting the use of the council chambers or any meeting rooms and the time frame is flexible flexible with up to seven days open to the public during regular city hall hours. L Arts is acting as a facilitator for this venture coordinating all the details and supporting the art teachers from the elementary, middle, and high school who have been wanting something like this for their students. The primary goal is to showcase student talent and give young artists the experience of sharing their work in a meaning meaningful public setting. There's a secondary benefit worth naming. I believe there's a significant segment of our community that has never been inside city hall. This is a beautiful large facility that belongs to the public and an event like this could introduce community members of all ages to the space and to the local government that serves them. I know the council may need to weigh this request against others you've received in the past for use of this space. We'd encourage you to consider this one differently because it's specifically for students and the city has a unique opportunity to be an entity where the youth are recognized and celebrated. This isn't a commercial display. It isn't promoting a cause or an organization. It's recognizing young people for their hard work and talent in the city where they live. On the practical side, we will take care of the space. We won't disturb any existing

displays. We may temporarily move items away from blank wall areas to create hanging space, but everything will be returned to its original placement. For hanging artwork, we we will use painters tape. We've used it at L Arts for years, and it comes off cleanly without marking the walls. The school district also has a few accordion panels that can be brought in to expand to hold artwork and there will be some three-dimensional pieces on pedestals. So, the installations will spread through the space in a natural way. We plan to keep this first year intentionally modest in scale so we can work out the details and build towards something larger in the future. We'll use clear directional signage and we'll have a volunteer present during open hours to greet visitors and answer questions so that there will be min minimal disruption for city staff and daily operations. The public viewing period would be enough time for families and friends to come through and we're completely flexible on which days work best for the city's schedule. We'd also love to hold one evening reception after business hours so that working parents can attend. We'd keep it simple, cookies and lemonade, and we'll handle all the setup and clean up ourselves. Our goal is to make this easy for the city and the schools and memorable for the students. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

I feel like you already did. I I have one and that has to do with um who determines if something is very controversial. How does that get handled with with the city or a particular group? I just want to make sure that we cover anything like that that may come on up. And who who who has that? Who's that board that's going to oversee that? So, the art teachers themselves, this is K through 12, this is art that they've made in the in the classroom. They're going to be choosing the artwork. Um, I don't personally have any concerns that anything um would be selected that would be controversial in any way.

If there is something like that, I would like to see it go to your attention, Mike, and then you can bring it to whoever you have to and and discuss it, please. Other than that, that's it. I'm in favor of it. Anybody else? I have one question. You mentioned upstairs um and downstairs. Mhm. and it's the Tuesday evening reception. Usually our office is closed at that time. Um, so I don't know about being usually the doors are locked downstairs. The downstairs area I'm assuming there would be display in that hallway. I don't know who to address this to if that's

Yeah, we can give them a key and they they we it's not uncommon. We let other groups come in here when we're not here. So Okay. And downstairs hallway is okay. Okay. If they're if she's going to be here, I'm not concerned about it. Perfect. Okay, I think that's all I had. I just took a whole training. I was going to talk about it later, but I'll do it right now. I just took a whole uh education slashtraining on youth involvement in city government and I think this would be a really really cool time. So, and you answered all my questions. So, anybody else? All right. And I'll look for a motion to approve the LOL Arts uh what do you call it? Art show. Sorry,

I'll make that motion. I'll support. All right. Any other discussion? Sue. Council member Ritzma. Yes. Mayor D'Vor. Yes. Council member Salido. Yes. Council member Eric Varcus. Yes. And council member Burough Park. Yes. Yep. Thanks, J. Thank you. Appreciate it. All right, Michael. How about some budget updates? That's what I just said. I'm sorry. Um, yes. Nobody thinks I know what I'm doing up here, but I've been nailing it for years. Okay.

Jeez. Um, I am starting to prepare the budget uh for the upcoming year. Uh, my plan is to give you a draft budget by April 2nd. um for at least most of the at least the governmental funds for sure. Um there's a lot of work that has to happen between now and then. Um some things I'm looking at to put in the budget. First off, there are a number of building issues that have to be addressed. Uh number one, with this building, all of these wood windows have to be um taken out. um they're they're significantly rotted underneath them and they have to be addressed. Um and so that's going to be a significant project. Um preliminary budget is about $300,000. Um yeah, so um that is uh something that um trying to we have to address. Um, and then also there are a number of uh facilities. Uh, for example, the museum, they need a new uh ADA ramp. It's about $93,000. Um, the parking lot at the uh um at uh Stony Lakeside is in terrible shape that needs to be addressed. We have some other cap we have some other capital requests that I don't know if we're going to have the money for. Um I've had I've had a number I have a number of facility issues that that have to be addressed uh this year. Uh the water plant um we do have to do a line removal um for one of the ditches which is about $200,000. Um in addition to that um we're still looking at um we obviously have the request from the fire authority for the additional staffing which is going to bring about $40,000 to our fire costs. Um, if you if you recall when I came here in

2016, I think our contribution to the fire authority was about $118,000 and now it's way above 300,000. Um, and obviously with the demands uh that are that are occurring that that's going to that's going to uh that's going to be um uh be needed. Also, there is uh there will be work at war road that has to be done. is about $400,000 worth of well of well work. Um and we have all that money except for $15,000. So that's that that's an easy one. Um but there's a lot and then also trying to see if there's a way we can squeeze adding another full-time police officer. We we need more staffing. Um we need as as I've said before, I feel that we need to double the size of the police force. We just don't have the money for it. Um and um so there's a lot of different needs that that that have to happen. Um and then on top of it, we still have road needs and and and this year the only utility project we have is the Riverside water looping. Um so um there's a lot of different projects that were that are going to be coming to you. So, what I will do is I will have a I will have a draft budget for you um to look at that you can comment on um before I submit a final budget um which is the third Monday in April. Um and then um we'll have our budget work session. We probably need to schedule the bud budget work session. I would think maybe that Monday the was it the Monday, April April 27th? Well, 20th is the meeting. That's the day it's due. So I would think maybe April 27th that Monday we have a budget work session.

You talking about during the day or we can do it whenever you want. Okay. It's going to be a tough one for me. Yeah. Whatever you want to do or Tuesday. What about the 28th? I could do Tuesday the 28th. That's I mean if you want to do the 28th I mean figure it's probably be 3 4 hours. We normally Yeah. I was thinking like 5 to 9. If you want to do 28. Does that work for everybody? A Tuesday. That works for me. I just that Monday is going to be I don't it would take a lot of moving parts to get that. Does that work for you guys, Mark? You listen. April 28th. Yeah. 5 to 9. Yeah. Good for me. Works for me. I'll make it work. Good. I'm good early. And that'll be good with staff.

Charlie, I'll be there. My staff will be fine. Okay. Okay. All right. Well, then we will set the budget hearing for April 28th at 5:00. Does that work for everybody? Cool. All right, we'll do that. Any other question? I'm sorry. Were you done? No, that's all I have. I mean, I'm just letting you know what we're looking at. Um, revenue-wise, we're a little bit better off than we were the year before. Um, still trying to piece through a lot of items, so I'm at the beginning parts of it. So, Okay. All right. Any questions for Mike? Mike, could you talk about the stop sign in Marse? It was in my manager report. Oh, okay. Yeah. All right. All right. We will move on then to boarding commission reports here.

The Lara group has cleared the tra trees for the trail. I don't know if you've been to the township park, but you can see where they've been working. So, the trails uh are in progress and that's u after a lot of years of hard work and the MDOT will be awarding that project May 1st and so construction should start this summer. Again, it's about a year project, but you'll see a lot of activity the rest of this year. And we still do need a city representative to help us on the board. So, someone interested in trails and outdoors, please join Perry and I. Thank you. All right, Mark.

I have no board to comments, but we went to uh Capcon last week, and it was very interesting. Uh I want to congratulate Eric for his level one and Mr. mayor for level three. Uh met up with a lot of people that we've had contacts with there before and it's a lot of good uh back and forth. All right.

Uh planning commission. I got to very happy to be there. Uh two things we discussed. The first was the Oaken Ash crematory. Some of you have been here heard a little bit about that. That is going to happen. Did go through their spee land use. Uh the big news on that is no, it will not be the colors of a Happy Marijuana dealer. It will now be a navy, blue, and gold. Very tastefully done. Um if you don't know where it is, that's where Joyology was. So that that did find accomplish the final step to get that going. Uh the other thing we discussed was maximum lot coverage for residential districts. are we're uh we're just reassessing that and figuring out if we're where we should be. Most lots are either 30 or 35% coverage with roofed structures and we're discussing that if that's right or if we need to adjust that somewhat that is to be determined the next meeting. Yep.

Uh I did not attend the low light power meeting as I was at Lancing, but I was told by my reliable sources that they did pass their budget and they also passed to help let let them keep the funding that they get local for um charity what do you call the charity? No, it's the low income energy assistance program that we've got with from called uh low energy outreach. LEO Leo program Yep, that's it.

All right. At Fire Authority, we talked a little bit more about the budget and uh the pancake breakfast, which is one of their big two big fundraisers, is the morning before expo. So, you can eat whatever you want there cuz you'll walk it off at Expo. So, you get a pass. Uh call volume's up again. Training is up again. So, it looks like uh a lot of an increase, but I can attest to the fact that it's long overdue and much needed. So, um budget and monthly reports. Yeah. Okay. Uh managers report. Yes. Um couple items. Uh Monroe and Mars stop sign. Um I have now that the island has been put in at Monroe along with the stop sign at Avery. Um I have asked the engineers uh to look at uh the stop sign at Monroe and Mars. Um the being that it is a federal aid eligible road, we do have to have an engineer's opinion uh in order for us to consider removing the stop sign. So I've asked them to do that. So they are working on that and hope to have that uh in the near future. Um, I would like to present this street plan at the April 6, April 20th council meeting. Um, I was hoping we're going to do it a work session, but it sounds like we're going to extend the water and sewer work session.

Um, we can do the roads on the 20th and the wastewater on the May. We can do that. Yeah. Yeah. Let's just I'd like to get the road plan. Yeah, cuz I mean the road plan,

we can get every street that's hasn't been touched in 50 years, in the next 6 years. Um, with the model that I've put together finance-wise, we can get every street done. Um, unless we have a financial issue that I don't know about. Um but and that is using marijuana funds, the general fund transfer and the additional uh increase to the uh the neighborhood road program. So um I'd like to present that to you um as part of the discussions we've been having. Um so so you see it. Um also uh the Brook Street project. If I I told you before that there was an issue with we had to wait to meet with Eagle to get direction on the bridge. The good news is we will be meeting with them this week. So hopefully we can get some direction and can get moving and then we can get the uh the plan submitted for a great inspection um sometime this summer. Um I don't know if any of you came in on uh city hall when you walked in all the new photos from Bruce Dow. There's about eight or nine photos down there. They look phenomenal. Um, and I was he he hung them up on Friday and looked really good. Um, so I want to thank Bruce for that. Um, did a phenomenal job. Uh, and then also um I'm working um with Little League um probably sometime later this spring in the summer. Um, we'll start talking about they're they're interested in doing an arrangement similar to what Will Youth Football did at Wreck Park. Um, similar to to doing that at Creekide. So, I am going to when the budget's done, I'm going to um re revisit that with them and see what they're looking for to do. So, that's all I have.

That'd be really cool. All right. Any questions on that? All right. How about public comment?