City Commission - Regular Meeting

Hey Chris, this is Chad.

Thank you.

Welcome to the City of Battle Creek, Michigan and the Battle Creek City Commission meeting for June 2nd, 2026. It is 7 p.m. We thank you for being here tonight. We thank those people that are at home watching from Access Vision. We also thank Commissioner Simmons, who's abroad. He's also participating through our electronics. We're going to have an invocation, a moment of silence, and then we'll have a Pledge of Allegiance. And I'd like to call upon Commissioner Smith to lead us in the pledge today. So if you can, please stand for a moment of silence and then Commissioner Smith will lead us in the pledge. Commissioner Smith.

Thank You commissioner Smith next time on our agendas roll call madam clerk

Commissioner Katarski-Smith. Here. Commissioner Lacoste. Here. Commissioner Lance. Here. Commissioner Morris. Here. Mayor Behnke. Here. Commissioner Reynolds. Present. Commissioner O'Donnell.

Here.

Vice Mayor Sophia. Here. And Commissioner Simmons.

Here.

Thank you.

And thank you, Madam Clerk. Next item on our agenda is chair noting any added or deleted resolutions.

There were none.

Next item on our agenda is petitions, communications, and reports.

We did receive an email from Mr. Harris regarding the resolution for the stop signs at La Vista.

Thank you very much. Next item on our agenda is a public hearing. Madam Clerk, when you're ready.

This is a public hearing to receive comment on the 2026 annual action plan and proposed use of funds for federal community development block grant and home investment partnership funding for program year 2026.

I'll declare the public hearing open. If you would like to make a public comment on the subject of this public hearing, then please raise your hand and wait for us to acknowledge you to come forward to the podium where you will have three minutes to make your comment. Please state your name and address before making your comment. Any public comments at this time? Are there any public comments? Okay, we're gonna start in row one, two, three, row four, the gentleman in the green shirt, and then Kathy Antea. No, sir, the wrong guy. The guy in front of you, yes. Sorry. Then we'll go to Kathy on tail. Then we'll go to the young man in the green shirt. Thank you.

My name is Jason Milliman. I reside at 30 Sherman Road, Battle Creek, Michigan. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Jason. I'm a person in recovery. Recovery has given me a second chance at life and has allowed me to become someone who can be present for my family, my sons, my community, and the people I serve today. I am proud to be a part as a recovery coach at Recovery Services Unlimited. Every day I have the privilege of working alongside men who are taking courageous steps to rebuild their lives. Recovery is about much more than simply stopping the use of drugs or alcohol. It is about learning how to live, grow, and thrive in a healthy, productive way. Recovery housing has played an important role in my own journey. It provides more than a place to stay. It provides stability, accountability, support, and a sense of belonging during the time when people are at their most vulnerable. Having a safe environment where recovery is encouraged can make all the difference between returning to old behaviors and building a new life. I see that every day. I see that impact every day with the gentleman I serve. Recovery housing gives them the opportunity to focus on employment, reconnect with their family, develop life skills, and build healthy relationships, and establish a strong foundation in recovery. And it creates a community where individuals support one another and work towards common goals. This is why continued investment in recovery housing is so important, especially Tier 2 long-term recovery housing. Sustainable recovery takes time for individuals to gain independence, maintain recovery, and become contributing members of their communities. Recovery housing changes lives. I know because it has changed mine. And I see it every day, changing the lives of others every single day. Thank you for your support and commitment to helping people find hope, healing, and recovery.

Thank you very much for your comments. Kathy?

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, commissioners, staff. Kathy Antea, Park Ridge Drive, Battle Creek. I am here to just make a couple of general comments in regards to the public hearing. First of all, I'm and strong supportive use of the Home ARP funds for assisting the unhoused In particular through the Share Center, the Haven of Rest, Gracious Homes, and Neighborhoods Inc. Battle Creek. I think that's one of the basic needs that we have in our community right now with the number of unhoused folks that we have. And I think it's really important because no one can do anything until they start to get some stable housing. And I think that's really important that we understand we cannot ask people to find a job, to quit opioids, to quit drinking, to quit some of their other activities. to get their mental health needs taken care of until we get them into permanent beds that they can call their own, that they know that they can go to every night. I got lots of stories, but I don't have time for that. Um, second of all, I also want to lift up the use of the funds that built that are building those permanent supportive housing units, particularly the one that's going to be started. Hopefully she's going to be started this fall in 26. Um, I know that we've been talking about it for a little while, but permanent supportive housing is really necessary. If you've been on house for any length of time, there's no way in heck that you are going to be able to manage all of the duties of owning a home. So permanent supportive housing is really the best way to go to help people get and stay in their housing, as opposed to a lot of stories that I have about people who find an apartment, then just can't manage their funds, can't manage how their lives are now stabilized. So permanent supportive housing is a real good option. Bennett for those folks. I also, and thank you for the previous speaker, because I also want to give big kudos for the development of the Recovery House on Capitol Avenue. I think that is just amazing. And that really is a big leg up. And that's a lot of what Gracious Homes kind of does as well. They take people who are coming out of other programs that are trying to make their way into society again and recover themselves. and gracious homes works with women that are in that situation and helps them learn how to manage their own household again i also personally know of at least four homes that have greatly benefited from the minor home repair program People with kids whose furnace has died and they got a replacement furnace in the winter. Just amazing. They were using their stove and electric heaters and all kinds of dicey ways to heat their home. And thanks to that Minor Home Repair Act, they were able to get their furnace repaired and they ended up getting a roof as well later on. And I just want to remind us that every dollar that we spent on housing the unhoused Is money in the bank it saves us money in the long run both for emergency police calls?

Addiction thank you for your comments.

Thank you young man in the green shirt Good evening mayor and commissioners. My name is Tyler. Okay. I reside at 219 Keithley Drive I am a person in long-term recovery And today I have the privilege of serving our community as a peer recovery coach through Recovery Services Unlimited. Recovery housing is something that is deeply personal to me as someone who has walked the path of addiction and recovery. I understand how difficult it can be to rebuild a life after substance use. Recovery is about much more than simply abstaining from drugs and alcohol. It is about creating stability, rebuilding trust, developing healthy routines, securing employment, and learning how to live a productive and meaningful life again. For many people, recovery housing provides the foundation that makes all of those things possible. It offers a safe and supportive environment where individuals can focus on their recovery while working towards independence. Without stable housing, it becomes significantly more difficult to maintain employment attend treatment, build healthy relationships, and sustain long-term recovery. Every day, I work alongside men who are doing everything they can to change their lives. I see individuals who arrive feeling hopeless and uncertain about their future. Through recovery housing, they gain structure, accountability, and support. They find jobs, reconnect with their families, and become active members of the community and begin to believe in themselves again. These are not just housing programs. They're opportunities for transformation. I stand before you today to emphasize the importance of continued investment in recovery housing, especially Tier 2 long-term recovery housing. Sustainable recovery does not happen overnight, and people need time, support, and stability to build a foundation strong enough to maintain their recovery for years to come. Tier 2 housing provides that bridge between early recovery and complete independence. Helping individuals become self-sufficient productive citizens who contribute positively to our community. As someone who has personally experienced recovery and now works every day helping others achieve it, I can confidently say that investments in recovery housing changes lives. They strengthen families, improve community safety, reduce recidivism, and create opportunities for people to become successful members of society. Thank you for your time and your consideration and the continued support of our recovery and our community.

Thank you, Tyler. We have anyone else who would like to speak? David? David, and we'll go to the gentleman behind you. Thanks.

David Moore. I'm glad to see we're getting good programs to help these, these alcoholics and things like that, but they say a lot of it's an illness, a mental illness. They help them to mail help and going to that that's can it be a good i think sometimes our law for a little harsh and sometimes there are little i think they mean well i'm not knocking that down but i think they're harsh a little bit sometimes but they don't understand the people under these drugs and things like that there's a they sit on tv a good many times there's a a middle program and i guess here's getting the programs going i wasn't gonna plan on speaking that i didn't just care about this few minutes ago i just wish a whole lot more i could say about this i heard about these programs a lot more i'd like to say that i think i'm up here and don't say too much but my heart is a lot but wish the best for these programs to help out these drug addictions and things that these My, I talk about it many times, I've talked about. Our money be put toward a good use. And this is a good use right here. This gentleman said right back here a few minutes ago. They appreciate the help. I see them. It would be a great help to fit in the site again. Thank you.

Thank you, David. Yes, sir.

Hi, my name is Wyatt Holmes. I live at 60 Grant Street. I work for Recovery Services Unlimited as both a house manager and a recovery coach. I'm also a graduate of the housing program myself, making this work deeply personal to me. When I stopped using drugs, I realized that sobriety alone was not enough. I still did not know how to rebuild my life. Everything changed when I found the RSU program. For the first time, I was surrounded by people who genuinely cared about my future and were willing to teach me the skills necessary to become a responsible, productive adult. The Sober Living program provides individuals with the opportunity to separate from negative influences, establish healthy routines, and build meaningful relationships with the recovery community. The Tier 2 housing program allows residents to continue building on the foundation they developed in Sober Living while maintaining strong connections to the recovery supports and accountability. In my experience, RSU has developed a proven pathway to success. The organization gives people who may have lost hope another opportunity to become the person they were always capable of being. When barriers that they have held someone back for years begin to come down and you see their confidence, self-worth, and hope return, it is truly remarkable. Watching individuals discover their potential achieve stability, and create better futures for themselves is one of the most rewarding experiences imaginable. As someone whose life was transformed by this program, I believe the Tier 2 Transitional Housing Program is an incredible resource. It gives people something meaningful to work towards while providing a safe, stable, and drug-free environment where they can continue to grow and thrive. It allows individuals to build independence at their own pace while remaining connected to the recovery community and the support systems that they are essential for long-term success. I am living proof that recovery is possible, and I am grateful every day for the opportunity to help others find the same hope, purpose, and stability that RSU helped me find. Thank you.

Thank you, Lyle. Yes, sir.

My name is Darren Clay. I'm a person in recovery. I live at 130 Cherry Street. I'm a house manager and graduate of RSU. Kind of a back story. I've never in my life known, adult life, known what the majority of folks would consider stability. My family drank. My mother, father, aunts, uncles, extended family. I started drinking As best I can recall, around 13. I wanted a family, but in my mind, I could have that and still party like my family did. The inconsistency of that had no place in my thought process. I didn't know. By the age of 15, I was a full-blown alcoholic. I won't share the amounts because I feel like that's glorifying, but normal people don't brag about about this. In my circle, we did. By the time I was 21, I quit one drug for another using opiates as a crutch. I was also a father of three. While I wasn't running around noticeably inebriated after taking the opiates, I very much was, spending the next 20 years, 23 years, trying to quit. Hating every minute of it because of the withdrawal and subsequent unstable atmosphere it created. Chasing, obtaining money, finding what we needed to feel normal consumed most of our time. We moved constantly and struggled to maintain any kind of a base to grow from. Then came meth. Within six months, my wife and I had separated after 23 years together. I lost the only form of stability I ever knew. I was devastated. I had lost my wife and children. I wandered for the next five years, touching on recovery early in that twice, staying at the Clay Street RSU house in the beginning of COVID and leaving shortly after the quarantines. But those brief stints with NAA and Sober Living left a deep impression on me. For four of those five years, I was looking for a glimmer of hope I had seen in recovery, never coming close to what I felt with others who wanted to reach out and help those who couldn't help themselves. People who came from the very place I was but had made it out and were happy with their daily lives. Amazing. They didn't constantly worry about cops or getting taken for everything they had by someone close to them. I had this concept in my brain, knocking things loose, the rest of that four years in addiction. Finally, living in a camper, bathing in a creek, no running water, no electricity, I was arrested. I was only going to do two weeks in jail, but I added up the cost of my life. I'm almost 50 years old, and it just wasn't worth it. I knew there was help right there at the end of my stay in jail. I could be free forever, not looking over my shoulder. but looking forward, making my children and so many others proud and be part of the solution. RSU and the resources in Battle Creek were the entire framework with which I would absolutely not be here. Today, I'm a house manager with stable, gainful employment, working with people I'm proud to work with and for. I don't doubt the motives behind them. Their results shine through. They're not in this to make money because there are much easier ways. At this point in time, I'm a house manager.

Thank you very much for your comments, Aaron. We appreciate that. Are there any other public comments or anyone that would like to speak at our public hearing? Yes, sir.

Good evening. My name is Nathan Butler. I reside at 143 Carlton Drive South. I'm a person in recovery and a peer recovery coach with Recovery Services Unlimited. Recovering housing is much more than a place to live. For the gentlemen we work with every day, it provides stability, accountability, and a safe environment where they can focus on rebuilding their lives. I've seen men go from homelessness, unemployment, and hopelessness to finding jobs, reconnecting with their families, and maintaining long-term recovery. That's why continued investment in recovery housing is so important, especially Tier 2 long-term recovery housing. Recovery takes time, and these programs provide support and structure people need to reach.

Excuse me one second. We have to start the timer, okay?

Okay, thanks Okay, all right, thank you Thank you, thank you guys That's why I continued investment in recovery housing is important especially tier two long-term recovery housing recovery takes time and these programs provide support and structure to people and need to build life skills, achieve independence, and create lasting change. When we invest in recovery housing, we invest in people, families, and stronger communities. Thank you for supporting recovery and helping make long-term success possible to those that we serve.

Thank you very much for your comments, Mr. Butler. Are there any other individuals like to speak at this public hearing? Yes, John.

John Kennefic, 234 South Avenue. In seeing this, I remember a famous book that made the New York Times bestseller list in the late 70s by an author called Robert Ringer. And he made some interesting comments throughout the book, and one of these has to do with what's happening here today. He made the comment, do you want to help the homeless? Then he said, do you want to help people that are hungry? And he says, do you want to help people that are illiterate? He says, there's a way to solve that problem. Don't be homeless, don't be hungry, and don't be illiterate. This money that's being spent for this is from federal tax dollars, the block grant dollars. right now every taxpaying citizen in the united states owes back to the federal government for the national debt and the uninsured debt liability which is part of all of this two and a half million dollars at this moment in climbing there's always a cost there was supposed to be when this country was created a separation between things that are what you would call I'm going to use the correct word here for a moment, not government operations, not charities. The United States government was not built for charities, but yet it's become that way. And because of that, they have wonderful programs and we're still going bankrupt and somebody else has to, including the rest of the citizens, have to pay for this. I did not put any of the people here in the position that they are today and were in the past. They put themselves there. And when they pull themselves up, that's great. But I don't expect my tax dollars to pay for that. We're being overtaxed as it is. And I'll demonstrate that the next time I stand up here. Thank you.

Are there any other individuals that would like to speak at this public hearing? Hearing none, we'll declare the public hearing closed. Next time on our agenda is public comment regarding any remaining agenda item. If you'd like to make public comment regarding any remaining agenda item, please raise your hand and we will acknowledge you to come forward to the podium. You will have four minutes to make your comments. Please state your name and address before beginning your comment and indicate which agenda item you are speaking to. Are there any individuals who would like to speak at public comments? Are there any individuals John?

John Kenefic, 234 South Avenue. First resolution is resolution 403, the tax bond schedule. This is 52 pages that you're going to be approving today. In the 52 pages, the citizens of Battle Creek will be getting 131 cost increases approved today by you. Now, the city clerk has always asked me and says, well, are there any negatives or any decreases? In this case, for this 52 pages, yes, there are six costs that are not increasing. They're a little bit less. But still 131 cost increases. are a lot of cost increases that you're inflicting on the citizens of Battle Creek. Now I'd like to also talk about resolution 404. This is the approval of another millage rate increase against the property taxes of the citizens of Battle Creek, whether they live in a house or they have a business. The approximate increase is $3 per mill. To find out how much cost increase you're going to get, you take whatever the government has assessed you, divide that in half. An example. Let's say the city government has assessed you at your house at $100,000. You divide that in half, which is $50,000. Then you apply this new three mill increase that's going to be approved today times 50,000. Every citizen of Battle Creek that has a home is going to get $150-plus increase if your house is worth $100,000. So when you start talking about increases and how charitable we should be, you sure are taxing the hell out of the citizens of Battle Creek.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Yes, David? I might add to this real quick.

But I've always been up here for a shake for everybody. It only seems like we get these bills passed for the upper class people and get these big projects that's going to be a benefit to the people. And here's these programs for helping the needy and the alcoholics. don't seem to have the money. We always seem to have the money to help the upper class. We're here for everybody. I know I pay taxes. It's a burden for me to pay taxes. I'd be willing to pay taxes if they offered a shake for everybody. I can't say too much right now. Maybe I'm not saying Off the court I might be, but some of his comments tonight just don't seem to understand both sides of the story. And I, again, I feel it should be equalized more for everybody.

Thank you, David. Any other public comments? Yes, ma'am.

Hello, my name is Tulalipay Sarah Edwards, and I'm with the Small Business Administration. And we're currently in Michigan in Calhoun County letting everybody know about our disaster loan program. I just wanted everybody in the community to know that we do have disaster loans available to any homes or businesses that may have been impacted by the straight-line winds that happened on March the 6th. If anyone in the community is interested in communicating with us, yes.

I'm sorry, but your comments are going to have to be at the end of the meeting. We're talking about our agenda right now.

I'm so sorry. Forgive me.

That's all right. That's all right. It's confusing. Are there any other public comments at this time? Are there any other public comments on our agenda? All right. Seeing none, we'll move on to commission comment regarding meeting business.

I move to approve the consent agenda.

Second.

Second.

Moved and supported to approve the consent agenda. Is there any question a commissioner has about the consent agenda? Yes, Vice Mayor Sophia.

Mayor, I would request that Resolution 390 be removed from the consent agenda and placed on resolutions not included on the consent agenda, please.

We will move it over there. Thank you. Are there any other comments by the commission? Seeing none, would you please vote on the consent agenda?

consent agenda has been approved next item on our agenda is resolution 390 madam clerk I'm happy to take care of that since it was moved from the consent agenda that's fine I'm sorry do you want me to take care of that since it was moved from the consent agenda to the regular agenda that's fine

All I was going to do was read the title. That works. Okay. So this is a resolution seeking to make permanent a temporary traffic order number 1742.

So this particular resolution would be.

We've got to have a motion first.

I move to approve resolution 390. Second.

The movement is supported to approve resolution 390. Madam Clerk. I mean, Madam City Manager, I'm very sorry.

Thank you. So this resolution would make permanent the traffic control devices that were placed at the corner of La Vista and Territorial, where it went from a two-way stop to a four-way stop.

Are there any comments by the Commission? We'll go to Vice Mayor first, and then we'll go to Patrick now.

Thank you, Mayor. So I ask for this to be removed from the consent agenda. I understand that there are times during the day when turning east or west off of La Vista onto Territorial can be difficult. Now, let me preface all of this by saying I live just off North Avenue between Battle Creek Central and the hospital. So I think I know a thing or two about turning left and right on to a busy road. And I frequently have to sit there for a period of time before a break in the traffic occurs that allows me to proceed to my destination. That said, I am opposed to this resolution. What this essentially tells me is that because it's difficult and you have to wait, that We're going to put in a four-way stop now when I drive on territorial and granted I'm not necessarily there at peak traffic time, so I May not have the full picture, but when I'm on territorial. I don't necessarily see a whole lot of other cars so Assuming that there is a rush hour I'll give it an hour and a half in the morning an hour and a half at night and so you've got three hours of peak traffic and i know we have some traffic folks here that might tell me i'm wrong but this is based on my perception and what i'd see when i'm in that neighborhood so in order to solve a problem that may be occurring for three hours a day we're going to require an additional twenty one hours a day of people having last night i'd i'd believe that that is not that doesn't improve gas mileage it takes time i have a worse time turning and two territorial from highland and two and two territorial so are we going to say that maybe there should be a sign there as well And what about traffic on Woodrow and Arbor, where there are schools, and so you get people coming and going from off of those streets and on to territorial? Would signs be appropriate for those intersections as well? Now, I get crashes occur because drivers aren't paying attention. Is it really the role of city government to further reinforce inattention to traffic by simply putting up stop signs? And if the answer is yes, then I will be going to DPW with a list of streets that might benefit from an additional look. And so I will be voting against Resolution 390.

Thank you. Commissioner Patrick O'Donnell.

Thank you. Thanks, Mayor. I'm going to be for this resolution, but I would like to have some type of traffic study done to see if it's maintained in the area as a four-way stop. Unfortunately, there's been – I drive as a delivery person, and that is a very tough area to get through. But it's unfortunate that there's been residents over the years that have been injured or actually killed on that corner or just further down on both sides of the road. I'd really like to have more of a traffic study done on trying to reduce the speed in there with some more reductive speeds of 25 miles an hour or something like that to help that. We put a crosswalk in there because of the retirement home down the street from the restaurant there to try to get people's attention, and they still blow through it. Since the four-way stops I've put in, I've intentionally driven my vehicle through there and watching people run the lights. So we do need to have that enforced. I won't be for this. I'm almost tempted to put a traffic light in somewhere there because it's a very, very busy intersection. But I would like to see that maybe the stop sign and some speed limits could remediate some of this. I understand what you're saying, Vice Mayor. And I'm not showing this against you. We did have a person on your street too. I would really like North Avenue to be looked at. We had an unfortunate accident recently where a person passed away at that intersection a couple months ago on your street too. And I'd really like it to be safe there. We tried as best as we could over by the hospital. And again, law enforcement's not putting in those no stop on reds by the hospital. I would really like to see a little more enforcement done because I'm a big traffic safety person. And I also enjoy everybody riding bikes. I'm all for bike riding and be safe. So there's a lot that needs to be done just on North Avenue plus on the territory in the Vista area. So I would ask if the city manager could bring us back a report with the new four-way stop and possibly more suggestions on slowing traffic down. And same with looking into North Avenue because of that recent traffic – And the tragedy of that family, they were just on their way to work. And so I feel sorry for that. So that's where I'm coming from.

Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner Smith and Commissioner LaCasse.

I was just wondering, has there been like a comparative study done on that four-way stop since the light has been there?

Since the four-stop sign, since the four-way stop has been in place? Has there been one? There has not yet. So if you'll recall, the Nassette, The study that necessitated the four-way stop there was a three-year look at the number of crashes. And we had eight, I believe, at that intersection over a three-year period that were angled crashes. And that was what was the impetus for the stop signs there. So the way, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, the way this would work is we had the two-way stop there for a while. And it is a staged approach. So we have to have the two-way stop for a while and then the four-way stop. And then if it necessitates something greater, then we can move to that.

Is there a comparative between when it was just like no stop signs, the two-way stop signs, and then now with the four-way?

No, but it's something I can look at crash. I can ask the full crash data for that for the three months that it's been in place.

Or I guess I'm also curious, you said eight in three years?

Mm-hmm, there were eight in three years.

Is that a comparative, I guess, in the area? Is that high, low? I'm going to go ahead and ask.

Hi, I'm Darren Campbell. I'm the traffic engineer. Um, so, um, yeah, so we had eight crashes, um, from 2023 to 2025. Um, and this decision was, uh, kind of brought about when Gloria Sackage stood here and expressed concern over the intersection. She lives right there. She's had a crash result in a vehicle and up in her front yard. Um, she actually called me last year, um, to look to make this change. We had some construction going on at the time on La Vista, so I opted, in an effort not to confuse the public, that maybe this was a temporary four-way stop to wait until this year. If I had gone ahead with making it a four-way stop last year, The three-year crash history would have actually been 12 crashes, double the necessary number of crashes to justify this change. I don't know if that answers your question.

Well, I'm just curious, like the eight and three years in comparison, I guess, in the area, in that area specifically, is that a lot? Is that a high number for such a small intersection?

Eight and three years is a significant number. Six is the threshold to consider the change. And like I said, from 2022 to 2024, there were 12 crashes there, which is, like I said, double. That's very significant.

Okay. Okay. Thank you.

Commissioner Wilcox.

I just wanted to point out, and Amanda kind of touched on some of this, you know, I know Gloria had asked about the stoplight, and, you know, I just wanted to make the public aware that the department has to kind of go through a progression of steps, you know, from the two-way stop sign to the four-way stop sign, and then, you know, if it warrants it, the light. So we can't just go to a stoplight automatically. The goal is to kind of have the least restrictive form of control that provides appropriate safety and efficiency for the public So that's kind of what we're looking at. I was also concerned. I know Gloria mentioned, you know, a toddler, I believe, almost being hit at that intersection. And if it does, you know, in any way keep the public, I guess, more safe, then I think it warrants it at this point. So I'll be voting in favor of it.

I have one more thing. Go ahead. How does that compare to when we had the temporary one put on territory on 28th Street?

I mean, that intersection was at the same stage it is now. That one was voted down. But at the time, I believe the crash history met the warrant. Six crashes over a three-year period. But, yeah, it just simply got voted down. But, yeah, since then, there have been no crashes. We added a cross traffic does not stop underneath each of the stop signs. And... At La Vista and Territorial, there were two of those in each direction, and despite that, and having two stop signs in each direction of La Vista Boulevard, there were still eight crashes. We were still meeting the threshold for a four-way stop.

Okay. Thank you. Any other commission comments?

Mayor, Commissioner Simmons has requested to speak on this as well.

Commissioner Simmons?

Yes.

Yes. Yes, thank you, Mr. Mayor. So I have been a long advocate for, uh, some form of additional traffic calming, uh, on this stretch of road from basically you from, uh, the light at 20th street, uh, to the light at Capitol Avenue Southwest, uh, as a very long stretch of residential road that, uh, has, really no lens. Obviously there's a speed limit, but we know how people treat long stretches of road without stop signs or stoplights around town in many places. And while I do agree with the Vice Mayor that Dave Kuntz, You know if we do it here, why don't we do it everywhere else, but I think the data for this and I don't know what it is about the layout of this boulevard. Dave Kuntz, That comes in love is the boulevard but it just lends itself more to, and I think the data, at least that i've looked at over the years with us the data. as far as the crashes exceeding the threshold. And I would certainly be willing to have the city take a look at the other intersections that have been brought up. Vice Mayor mentioned the Arbor Street and Highland. Sure, those are difficult as well sometimes to turn off of, especially if you're making a left turn. But if the data does not dictate or compel us to do some kind of traffic hopping devices on those intersections, then it wouldn't be warranted. But this one, again, just my impression over, and I used to live in that neighborhood, I live a little further south now, has always been a problem. And again, just the layout of the way the boulevard, I myself nearly got in an accident a couple of times at this intersection, just other people coming and not. Looking and so I'm supportive of this to break up the flow there on the territorial.

Thank you Thank You Commissioner any other Commission comments See none would you please vote on resolution 390?

Commissioner Simmons, is the vote coming through for you?

It is not, but my vote is yes.

Thank you.

Resolution 390 has been approved. Next item on our agenda is Resolution 403. Madam Clerk, when you're ready.

Section 802.24 of the Codified Ordinance of the City of Battle Creek provides that the City Commission shall, from time to time, by resolution, enact a schedule of fees required to be paid, bonds required to be posted, and insurance required to be carried. This resolution, if approved, would approve amendments to the fee, bond, and insurance schedule for 2026-2027. Move to approve Resolution 403. Second.

It's been moved and supported to approve Resolution 403. Are there any comments by the Commission? Seeing none, would you please vote on Resolution 403? Resolution 403 has been approved. Next item on our agenda is Resolution 404.

IF APPROVED, THIS RESOLUTION WOULD APPROVE THE 2026 MILLAGE RATES AND ADOPT THE GENERAL FUND AND SPECIAL FUNDS BUDGETS FOR THE 2026 THROUGH 2027 FISCAL YEAR.

TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 404. SECOND.

MOVED AND SUPPORTED TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 404. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS BY THE COMMISSION? I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE CITY MANAGER FOR LISTENING TO THE COMMISSION ON A LOT OF THE REQUESTS. I KNOW THERE WERE SEVERAL. I think that this commission made a very good decision in lowering the tax millage rate, and I also feel that using down some of the general fund balance that we had was a prudent move to make also. So thank you very much, city manager. Any other comments by the commission? Seeing none, would you please vote on resolution 404? Resolution 404 has been approved. Next item on the agenda is resolution 405.

The City Commission approved an initial contract of five years with Republic Services at their meeting on December 15, 2020. The initial term of the contract allows for up to a four-year renewal that would run through June of 2030. The initial five-year term will expire at the end of June 2026. If approved, this resolution would establish residential refuse collection rates beginning July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030.

Move to approve Resolution 405. Second.

Moved and supported to approve Resolution 405. Are there any comments by the Commission? Any comments by the Commission? Real quick, I just want to say that I firmly believe that we're getting a pretty good bang for our buck when it comes to garbage collection in Battle Creek. And during the past five years, we spent a lot of ARPA funding that took care of the cost increases when it came to garbage collection and In the future there may be some dialogue that will need to be entertained relative to unlimited garbage pickup in Battle Creek So I applaud the citizens for supporting this program I think it does keep our community clean and it gets garbage out just as quickly as possible and I I think Republic does a pretty good job. The only thing I would offer that they should do is wash their trucks more. Are there any other comments for the Commission? Sena, would you please vote on Resolution 405? Resolution 405 has been approved. Next item on our agenda is Resolution 406.

In 2006, the City Commission considered and approved two resolutions establishing policy on the purchase of military time. The policy permits a maximum purchase request of 12 months and is at the total discretion of the City Commission. The current request from Fire Inspector William Payne falls within the guidelines of the policy.

Move to approve resolution.

Wasn't quite done. Public Act 345 of 1937, as amended, allows a municipality to grant the purchase of military time for retirement purposes. Police Sergeant Nicholas Woolman made a request for purchase of military service credit on April 20, 2026 to purchase 12 months of military time to give him the ability to retire in 2030. And I think where I said Fire Inspector William Payne, I think that's Police Sergeant Nicholas Woolman.

You are correct.

You're set.

Go ahead. Sorry.

Move to approve Resolution 406. Second.

Then we would be supported to approve Resolution 406. Are there any comments by the Commission? Commissioner Lacoste.

I'm just wondering, Amanda, if you can kind of explain this a little bit more. We've had this come up several times, and I had some members of the public asking me a little bit more, or Aaron, whoever can explain that, just about how that works, because they were not understanding it.

Aaron?

So the Act 345 statute governs police and fire pension millage, and it's the means by which we can levy the police and fire pension millage in our community. And I think the statute allows for additional military Service credit purchases, but the rules set in place by this body by the City Commission only allow for up to 12 months so in order to Meet that criteria they have to have been honorably discharged from the military They have to provide their DD 214 as proof of their military service and It's really something that is, I think, only offered by our police and fire pension plan.

Right, so it's for someone that's worked in both sectors, correct? That's like military and then police or fire.

Yes. Someone, yeah, that has served in the military for... At least a year.

Because they can't get both retirements. They have to choose one or the other?

I don't know the answer to that question. I'm not familiar with how the military does their pension stuff. But, yeah, this does make Sergeant Woolman eligible for a full retirement from the Police and Fire Pension Fund.

Gotcha. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Commissioner. Any other Commission comments? Hearing none, would you please vote on resolution 406? Resolution 406 has been approved. Last item on our agenda tonight is resolution 407. Madam Clerk?

IF APPROVED WOULD ADOPT THE 2026 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN AND PROPOSED USE OF FUNDS FOR PROGRAM YEAR 2026 WHICH RUNS FROM JULY 1 OF 2026 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2027 FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,172,453 AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP IN THE AMOUNT OF $238,167.87.

moved to approve resolution 407. Second.

Moved and supported to approve resolution 407 are any comments by the commission? Commissioner Patrick O'Donnell.

Thanks, Mayor. I just wanted to thank everybody for coming out and speaking earlier about this. It's good to hear how these recovery programs can help the community. build up people from being down where they're in the low end, but coming back and showing that they can rise up like the Phoenix that they are and show their true worth to our community and giving back to others to show that there is help on the other side. So thank you.

Thank you very much. Any other comments? Seeing none, would you please vote on Resolution 407? Resolution 407 has been approved. Next item on our agenda is general public comment. If you'd like to make general public comment regarding matters over which the City Commission has control, please raise your hand and wait for us to acknowledge you to come forward to the podium. You'll have three minutes to make your comment. Please state your name and address before beginning your comment. David Moore, please, and then we'll go to Mary Fields.

Give it more. Talk on that. 390. I know about these intersections. I think that's one by the hospital we've been talking about. On that intersection by the hospital, I had a friend who went to church. His name was Gary Lynn. He collided. Some car came bearing through there and hit his motorcycle, and he went flying. I guess he was killed instantly. He was a good member of our church. Those sometimes can be a very dangerous intercession sometimes. I think we're working on it, getting them improved. But they are dangerous, and there has been a lot of people killed on these intercessions here. And I have to comment again on this, how I said earlier, a fair shake to everybody. I think the majority of the people are low class. And it's just the upper class don't seem to understand this problem, in my opinion. And this development plan, we're getting some good ideas that's helping the city. I got confidence, too. And these leaders, I'm a one-party man, of course, but I think that we've got leaders here in the city is well educated on these issues. And their decisions they make, we do have to put our faith in them. And I think that's all I have to say for now, I think. Thank you.

Thank you, David. Mary?

So I'm getting better with my copy machine and the clerk. So I have sent to you a list of the MDOT properties that they own that we are getting them to sell.

And a color-coded map. Yay.

So the map you got sent, I believe it goes like this. This is track A. So there's 22 tracks, 13 are track A. And then, track B's. So, Where we're at now with this project, MDOT has approved the list.

The Lansing team at MDOT has said that they will approve this regional plan to sell these lots.

And they are now going to all the departments at the state of Michigan to see if they want to use these lots and MDOT. And when they're done, they're going to send the list and the map over to survey. And survey will make new legal descriptions. But we're low priority with the survey people. Second priority, but low priority. But we'll get there eventually. Right at the end of the tunnel. And then we go to assessing. And again, we're a low priority, second priority. But we'll get to the end of the tunnel. And then we go to auction. And I can hardly wait. So when we get to assessing, we want to think about how to help MDOT auction off these properties. So that's why I gave you these lists. Because if you look at the map, they're really nice, buildable areas. I mean, these all had homes on them at one time before I'm not condemned them, whatever, abolished them, kicked them out, whatever. And they could have homes again. So that's why I'm talking to you. So look this over. Get acquainted. If you have questions, give me a call, and I'll talk to you later.

Mary, thank you very much. You're welcome. Any other public comment at this time? Yes, Kathy? Oh, yes. Let's go back. I'm sorry.

I'm just happy to be here at the right time. My name is Sarah Edwards, and I'm with the Small Business Administration. I'm just here to let the community know about our disaster loan program. The straight line wins that hit on March the 6th. The Small Business Administration is here to provide loan aid to homeowners, business owners, as well as nonprofits. up to $500,000 for any structural damage for homeowners, $2 million for any businesses that may have been impacted, as well as economic injury disaster loans that a lot of people know it as the PPP. If you needed, if you suffered any slowdown to your business, we also have aid for you for that. If you're interested in the community, you can go to our website, www.sba.gov, backslash disaster. And I'm hoping that I can get the support of city council so that we can get the word out to the community. We send out social media tiles. I'm hoping that you can post it on your social media channels to let everybody know to come visit us at the SBA, www.sba.gov backslash disaster, and fill out a loan to see whether or not you qualify. And if you do, we are here to help you. Thank you.

Thank you very much. We'll make sure we'll get that word out.

Perfect. Thank you so much.

Yep. Kathy.

Okay, I got a whole bunch of stuff, so I'm going to be fast. Many neighbors have been asking me about the compost soil that the city once created and supplied by the city. It was an amazing benefit for many of us residents and also for the community gardens in particular. I would appreciate, we would appreciate very much if the city could communicate to us about that, what's going on, there was some good soil from the water treatment plant that was in the works as well. We'd love to hear that. Next door neighbor is a great way I've been hearing on people that. I'm also here to remind people that the Juneteenth Family Day program, make sure this is upside down, is scheduled for June 19 and 20 this year on Friday. As you might know, the Juneteenth holiday celebrates the freedom of the last enslaved people in the United States of America. And that was done two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. So that's kind of noteworthy. On Friday night we will host the movie Goat at Washington Heights United Methodist Church. It's free. Usually they have popcorn and pizza, something like that at the movie. The family-friendly day-long party starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and it runs till 5 p.m. This free event includes lots of free activities for children, a free hot dog lunch, great musical guests, dozens of merchandise and food vendors, and recognition of community heroes as well. And again, this is June 19 and 20, the Friday and Saturday of Father's Day weekend. I want to thank the city for promoting this event on the A-frame sidewalk billboards that you have downtown and at some of the restaurants. Thank you very much for promoting it there. We do still need volunteers for Juneteenth. If you go to juneteenthbattlecreek.org, I think, or if you Google Juneteenth 2026, there's a way to sign up for volunteers. We, in particular, need people to help with the Kids Corner, the Kids Event Corner. It's a lovely event. We always have a blast. You can take a look at the Helen Montgomery Memorial that's also in Claude Evans Park, which I take personal pride in because a bunch of people have helped keep and develop that monument there. And the city's been very cooperative and has helped us a lot on the park. And then finally, I want to remind folks about the amazing work that's performed at the Share Center. I'm sure you're surprised I'm talking about them today. The Share Center is the only day shelter for unhoused and marginalized people here in the city of Bale Creek. And I can tell you what, with the warm, hot weather, we've been having lots of customers. We depend on volunteers to help us in our mission. You can go to sharecenterbc.org to sign up for volunteers, volunteer for meals. You can come help me with the community garden. I spent about five hours this morning at our community garden there. It's an enrichment activity for our customers who come and help us pull weeds and plant tomatoes and do all kinds of fun in the dirt stuff. Thank you.

Thank you, Kathy. Any other public comment at this time? We'll go to Dean and then Autumn Smith.

Thank you. My name is Dean Warden. 223 Martha. uh... drive battle creek uh... member of uh... neighborhood planning council eleven uh... i have a few thank yous tonight uh... number one uh... thank you to the department of public works mister steve seaman and his uh... all his hard work the baseball diamonds in battle creek have been brought back to life I have not been to every one of them, but I've been to several, and finally they have found a way to develop the resources, the time, and the staff to do some basic maintenance, and now families are enjoying the diamonds more than ever. I see a lot of action at Riverside especially. So thank you very much. Secondly, thank you for the Battle Creek Police Department and the patrols of Riverside School, especially in the evenings when there has been some inappropriate activity going on up there. But I think with the increased patrols, things seem to be much better, much safer. So thank you for that. Third, thank you. The no parking signs that were placed along Golden by Forest Hills Apartments, those no parking signs, like a lot of other things, took a lot of work and a lot of time, but they're now in place, and so we have a great deal more safety in that area. Things are more visible. The tenants' departments are parking in more appropriate places. Children are safer school buses are safer. So thank you for that being in place and hopefully that will stay in place I do have one request beyond a thank yous and that would be for the members of the Commission to consider A request of the Planning Commission to once again visit the need for new construction in residential areas to have lawns installed to plant their own grass or to hire it done. Apparently the Planning Commission, in a vote last week, decided to go in a different direction. And so now we have a lack of opportunity for things such as beautiful Battle Creek. Because we have neighborhoods that are deeply impacted by very poor-looking properties in a nice neighborhood. So if that could be revisited, I would appreciate that it was discussed, a vote was taken. I firmly believe it's best for Battle Creek and the neighborhoods that comprise Battle Creek. And I think unless we resolve that, any new construction is going to present a problem in our neighborhoods. And you'll maybe be hearing from other citizens other than myself when it happens on their front door. So thank you very much.

Thank you, Dean, for your comments. Any other? Autumn Smith.

Good evening, Autumn Smith. I stand before you tonight to address a deeply unsettling matter concerning transparency, accountability, and the treatment of a whistleblower's family by leadership within the Battle Creek Police Department. Recently, the family of a BCPD officer met with Police Chief Shannon Bagley to personally deliver a letter and seek answers regarding issues in the police department. They requested a trusted friend and journalist, myself, to accompany them as a witness. Instead, I was barred from the room while the chief got to have internal affairs as his witness. The family seemed to have left that room feeling demeaned, disregarded, dismissed. What should have been a transparent meeting of leadership seemed to be what looked like interrogation. But the truth cannot be locked behind closed doors. The following are excerpts from the letter that was shared with me by the family. What this letter contains lays bare the systematic rot being hidden from the public and from this very commission. To quote direct words that were said to Chief Bagley from this whistleblower's letter, because of your lack of support and your failure to lead our agency, I have spoken with the FBI. I provided them with approximately half a terabyte of information related to our department's lack of integrity. What I provided them included reports, evidence destructions, audio conversations, fraud, and much, much more. Everything Autumn has been reporting is only a fraction of what I have disclosed to the FBI. Furthermore, they directly challenged the information being fed to this governing body, stating to the chief, Watching you provide false statements to the City Commission about matters we both know are untrue is something I can no longer stand for. You have perpetuated the blue wall of dishonor by your choices and decisions. Finally, the officer emphasized that they are standing up for the good officers afraid of retaliation, noting that since you have failed to lead and to make difficult decisions, choosing popularity from bad officers instead of being a leader, you have left me no other choice than going to the news with our dirty laundry. I believe it is my duty to let the public decide to make their voices heard. Commissioners, an officer has bypassed, again, local administration to hand a half a terabyte of evidence regarding fraud and evidence destruction amongst other crimes to the FBI. When the family asks for accountability, they're met with intimidation. The commission can no longer claim ignorance. The blue wall of dishonor must be dismantled, and it starts with this body demanding an independent investigation into these allegations and the hostile treatment of our citizens by the police department. Thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

Joan Marshall, 355 West Columbia. Good evening. I am the mother of the police officer whose letter had been discussed by Autumn. While I met with Chief Bagley, I came hoping for understanding, honesty, and answers. Instead, I left feeling that he gave vague answers or none at all. Answers to include his denial of his federal benefits, even though the law firm contracted by the city attorney has agreed with the court and my son's attorney to provide this federal benefit. I want to make one thing clear. I personally read my son's letter to Chief Bagley, and I can confirm that the excerpts previously shared publicly came from that letter. In that letter, my son wrote that he had spoken with the FBI and provided approximately half a terabyte of information concerning what he described as a lack of integrity with the department, including reports, evidence of destruction, audio recordings, fraud, and other materials. He also wrote that he could no longer remain silent while watching what he believed were false statements being made to the commission by Chief Bagley and that leadership decisions had contributed to what he described as the blue wall of dishonor. These are not rumors. These are not words made up by someone on the outside. They are the words my son put in writing and I read directly to Chief Bagley. I can also say that the concerns reported by Autumn Smith are consistent with the concerns outlined in my son's letter and that the concerns had been brought directly to department leadership and to this commission time and time again. As a mother, I have been heartbroken to witness. No parent wants to watch their child struggle under the weight of doing what they believe is right. No parent wants to see their family placed in the middle of a controversy simply because they asked questions and sought accountability. I'm asking you tonight not to focus on personalities or politics. Focus on the allegations. Focus on the facts. Focus on the public's right to know the truth. I respectfully ask the Commission to take these matters seriously and ensure that they are reviewed independent, fairly, and transparently. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Are there any other public comments at this time? Yes, John.

Just a little bit of historic notes about the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. Yes, years later, it was put in by Juneteenth, but that was only for men. The Emancipation Proclamation happened in 1920, 50 some odd years later for women. Women were not considered equal until after 1920. Just a little historic note, you weren't equal until that time. Now, what I'm gonna talk about is charities. Your own resolution, 407 says, proposed grants from the community action plan for $1,172,000 and the home improvement plan of $238,000. More charity. Now let's go back to the last commission meeting. Resolution 386. Resolution authorizing city managers sign a 10-year mortgage for the amount of $862,000 for the recovery services limited incorporated for community block grant dollars and collected for the opioid settlement in regards to 614 Northeast Capital. More charity. How long... Has Full Blast operated and you have dumped money from the city treasury? Another charity. How much money did you put into the Kellogg Arena for the last 50 years at the taxpayer expense? More charity. How much money did you put towards the Binder Park golf course, including the $400,000 plus for brand new golf carts from the city treasury? More charity. You guys are very generous. AT THE TAXPAYER EXPENSE. ALL THESE COST INCREASES THAT YOU SEE HERE COME OUT OF THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS OR THE FEDERAL DOLLARS OR STATE DOLLARS. THEY'RE ALL CHARITY. I THINK WE'RE OVERTAXED.

THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE, COMMISSION COMMENTS. COMMISSIONER PATRICK O'DONNELL.

THANK YOU, MAYOR. There's been just a little bit of talk about housing in the area, and I know we got some contracts out there. We're getting some stuff going on where we're actually getting properties available to start putting housing in. I just wanted to address a few things that people have been talking about, like why don't we have little homes built or communities like that, and I just wanted to make sure that people understand that there's code compliance that needs to be done with those. It's not like we can put up Tiny homes, because you have to put in sewer, gutters, things like that, that we're actually doing up in Cliff Street lately and rebuilding the city. So it'll take time to do these things. And I just want to let people know that housing is a priority with us and the commission here. We discuss it and try to find other ways of making it happen. Some of the communities have done tiny homes, tried to put the cart before the horse and had a lot of vacant little mini homes that they had to sell back and lose money on. because they were too aggressive by buying them up front and then had to sell them on pennies on the dollar. So there's, again, we're just taking a more strategic approach to make sure that it happens for everyone to have housing in the area. And also, the building costs, it's not, I had another gentleman approach me, he's like, it's not right, my kids can't buy a home for 50, $60,000. That's true because the building cost alone, just to build a new home, you're looking at $180,000, and that's not counting with permits and other things that go with something like that. So, again, these are things that we take into consideration, like I do at the level of being on planning commission. We're working on these things, so I just wanted to let people know that. Something else that bothered me, and I was out of town during this, but we had a young gentleman named Jack Snyder not too long ago he was carjacked and I really don't think for myself that justice prevailed that the sentence should have been for 18 until he was 18 and he got out early and I'm I'm for stop the violence, but if we can't have fair sentencing to some of these things, how are we going to prevent others from wanting to do the same thing again and say he was too young to do this or stuff like that? So I just wanted to say that, and I feel sorry for the whole Snyder family that they had to go through this whole thing again in the media. We talked about goals for the city but people think that we have a goal we actually have a goal meeting setup on june twenty fifth at four o'clock start setting goals and plans for the future of this city uh... how far out of the that we're looking at how many years ten years to your to your plan with our new city manager leading the way so we can have some goals and and uh... everybody we would like to have you there too here the goals and see how we want to set up My condolences to the Schwartz family. Joe Schwartz passed away last week. I don't know if anybody else wants to talk about that. I just wanted to send my condolences to them. But I want to end on a good note. Another event just before Juneteenth, a great event, June 13th, Cereal Festival downtown. I actually have family that have never been to it, and they're coming in to see this because it's starting to get out there, and everyone's starting to hear about what great Battle Creek's been doing the last few years of

and supporting our downtown and having festivals where we can come together and Enjoy one another and just say I'm proud to live in the city, so thank you mayor for the time Thank You commissioner any other Commission comments commission low-cost I just wanted to talk real quick about the River restoration project I know a lot of people have been concerned about possible flooding you know if we Take down those cement walls for lack of better words, but we're gonna be introducing plant life that will be soaking up that water and kind of take care of a lot of that flooding. So I just wanted to let the public know that because there was a lot of concerns. Also, I wanted to acknowledge Helen Guzzo, our community development managers. Mother-in-law and mother has passed away recently. I wanted to acknowledge that and offer condolences. And then as far as the millage, I just wanted to let everybody know For the annual tax impact for a household whose taxable value is $100,000, the amount is $29.65 to kind of give you a better idea on what that equals out to be.

Thank you, Commissioner. Any other Commission comments? Seeing none, we'll adjourn the meeting. Thank you very much for being here tonight.