City Council - Regular Meeting

I call to order this meeting of the Escanaba City Council, August 6th, 2026. Mr. Dominguez, please call roll. Council Member Morton.

Here.

Council Member Beauchamp. Here. Council Member Dubourg. Here. Council Member Flah. Here. Mayor Allen. Here. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God,

At this time seeking approval and or corrections to the minutes of the special meeting of July 13th, 2026.

So moved.

Second. All in favor? Aye. At this time seeking approval and or corrections to the minutes of the regular meeting of July 16th, 2026. So moved. Second. All in favor? Aye. time seeking approval and or corrections to the minutes of the special meeting of July 23rd, 2026. So moved. Second. All in favor? Aye. Thank you. At this time seeking approval and or adjustments to the current agenda as written.

Mr. Mayor, just a recommendation or motion to make a couple adjustments. If we could look at moving NB9 and NB10 after general public comment and move announcements to right after brief public comment up at the top.

Support? Discussion? All in favor? Aye. Thank you. At this time, is there any conflict of interest needed to be declared by members of council pertaining to items on the agenda? Hearing none. At this time, we will hear brief public comment pertaining to items on the agenda. If you wish to make public comment, please approach the podium, state your name, place of residence, keep your comments to three minutes or less. Hearing none, we will move on to announcements. Do we have any other announcements to make? Then we move on to the very important announcement. If you would join me up in front, Mr. Flowers. How long have you been here? 34 years. This week. This week? 34 years. Everything, the time, the effort, the care, the heart.

Thank you. And we wish you the best in your retirement.

We currently have no public hearings on the docket and no unfinished business to attend to. Moving on to new business, item number one, approval of Delta County Historical Society Agreement. City Manager.

Administration is seeking City Council approval of the annual funding agreement with the Delta County Historical Society. This is in the budget.

Motion to approve. Support.

Discussion. Mr. May, please call the roll. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. The business item number two, approval of Boniface Art Center Agreement. City Manager.

Administration is seeking City Council approval of the annual funding agreement with the William Boniface Fine Arts Center, and this is also in the budget.

Move approval.

Support.

Discussion. Mr. Dominguez, please call roll. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. New business item number three, approval Resolution 26-11, USDA Community Facilities Grant. City Manager.

Administration is requesting City Council approval of Resolution 26-11, approving the grant application, purchase of the fire truck, and naming the city controller as the authorized representative for all the grant documents. This grant runs through the Rural Development Department, and this is a requirement of the grant, is to have this resolution.

Motion to approve Resolution 2-6-11.

Support.

Discussion?

Mr. DeMay, please call roll. Yes. Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. New business item number four, approval. Memorial statue donation. Public Works.

Administration is seeking City Council approval to accept a donated Veterans Memorial bronze statue valued at $61,500 in Ludington Park near the existing Veterans Memorial. Kent might have more information, but basically somebody had reached out to Public Works wanting to donate this statue of a a retired soldier with a wheelchair to be placed at our current Veterans Memorial, the person had gotten a grant to fund the purchase of the entire monument itself. So part of our policy is that Council needs to approve this.

Well, thank you to the person that reached out for that grant. First of all, we greatly appreciate it. And I'll make a motion to approve. Support.

Discussion. Mr. Domenico, please call roll. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes. Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Kent is here to answer any questions you may have, but these are the courts that were recently paved. They need to have that special surface put on and striping for, you know, it'll be a multi-use court for tennis and pickleball and then for basketball as well.

Move approval.

Support.

Discussion. Mr. Domeni, please call roll. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes. New business item number six, approval tennis and basketball court fencing, Public Works.

Public Works received four quotes and is requesting city council approval to hire Marquette Fence for $19,500 to install approximately 434 linear feet of fencing at Royce Park. Again, this is fencing that will go around the new courts.

So move approval.

SUPPORT.

DISCUSSION. MR. DEMEI, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. MR. FLOCK. YES. MR. BOARD. YES. MR. BOSCHAU. YES. MR. DUBOURT. YES.

MR. HAMILTON. YES. NEW BUSINESS ITEM NUMBER 7, APPROVAL PAVING 26th AVENUE SOUTH FROM 22nd TO 23rd STREET, PUBLIC WORKS.

Public Works is requesting City Council approval to hire Payne and Dolan in the amount of $24,200 to pave 26th Avenue South from 22nd Street to 23rd Street. This particular section of road is in very poor condition. It's been paved numerous, or I'm sorry, it's been patched numerous times and is really in need for a repave.

So move approval.

Support.

Discussion.

Mr. May, please call the roll. Yes. Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes. New business item number eight, approval abate property for property maintenance code violations, public safety.

Code enforcement is requesting city council to authorize the city attorney to file suit in circuit court against Danielle Lang to abate property maintenance code violations for blight occurring on her property located at 520 South 12th Street. Darren Smith is here and can give some more information on the process and how things have gone with this.

you uh this property it's probably one of our handfuls properties we have left that we're looking to abate to clean up this specific one 520 south 12th street began about two years ago uh the backyard grass is currently probably over my head and filled with household garbage bags filled up So starting in, excuse me, 2024, civil infractions started at 50 bucks, $100, 250, up to 500, I believe. Several tickets, nothing was cleaned up. We attempted to do a judicial litigation through district court, come up with some type of agreement to get the property cleaned up. Nothing was cleaned up. There was two dumpsters, a 10-yard dumpster that was completely filled up by the owner. That was a donation, like DHHS donated that dumpster. It only put a dent in the garbage in the backyard, so they brought a 20-yard dumpster. This was probably last month. It was only filled up halfway. The city attorney sent a final notice. It sounds like the property owner at that point is just refusing to pick up a yard at this point and wants the civil process to follow through. So the point that we're at now, the city lawyer would bring a civil suit through circuit court. We had a couple of these in the past with some properties in town, the process would be, Thank you. The hard part about trying to get quotes on this, a lot of people don't want to do the work once they see what it is, so next step would be for us to find somebody that's willing to clean up all the garbage. The circuit court judge, I believe, will give another notice of a certain amount of days for compliance. If they don't meet compliance, then we would go in, charge the owner for the stuff on a special assessment and the taxes, and at least it'll be cleaned up for that time.

You talk about a couple of fines prior to this point. Were any of those fines paid?

To my knowledge, I don't think all the fines were paid. It obviously goes through a different process through district court. A lot of the issues brought forward are financial reasons. That's why the dumpster was brought there. They can't afford the money to bring it to the dumpster. It was a donation. All they had to do was get some help, fill it up free of charge, and that failed the second time as well.

I'm going to make a motion that council authorizes our city attorney to file the suit in civil court against the property owner location of 520 South 12th Street.

Support.

Further discussion on this item? Mr. Domenic, please call roll. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes. Currently have no appointments to make. Moving on to board commissioning committee reports.

I have none.

I have none this week. A brief update from the personnel committee is that tentative agreement has been reached with a candidate for city manager, and that process is pending completion of the rest of our process, which is physical examinations, evaluations, things like that. General public comment at this time. If you wish to make a comment, please approach the podium, state your name, place of residence.

Hi, good evening. Kelly Vankenhoven, City of Escanaba, Delta County Commissioner, District 4. I would just like to remind the citizens and organizations within Delta County that the Delta County Opioid Task Force is currently taking applications. for our grant funds that we have available. Those will be dispersed for October 1. So we are currently accepting those applications. We would highly recommend any type of law enforcement, court agency, school, family drug court anything like that apply we have received zero applications we have this money that is willing and ready to be dispersed a hundred thousand and you can apply for up to thirty thousand dollars for your grant you can go to the seeking motion to go into recess motion to go into recess before we go into closed session for five minutes support all in favor aye aye

I'M GOING TO MAKE A CORRECTION TO THAT MOTION GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION AS WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO ANOTHER CLOSED SESSION UNDER A DIFFERENT ARTICLE. I'M GOING TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION UNDER MCL15.268 IN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT IDENTIFIES A NEGOTIATION FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

SUPPORT. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Wait for him to confirm.

Yes.

COULD MAKE A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION AGAIN I MOVE THAT WE ENTER INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS WITHIN THE CITY'S ATTORNEYS LITIGATION STRATEGY IN THE PENDING LAWSUIT OF CONNOR SOTERMAN VERSUS CITY OF ESCANABA AND COALTIENAN CASE NUMBER 24-25601-NI PURSUANT TO MCL 15.268E AS A DISCUSSION ON THE OPEN RECORD WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR POSITION AND ALSO TO DISCUSS MATERIAL EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE UNDER THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE MCL 15.243I OR 1G AND MCL 15.268H. OR 1G AND MCL 15.268H. SUPPORT. SUPPORT. MR. MAE, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. MR. MAE, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. CUSTOMER DUBOURT?

CUSTOMER DUBOURT? YES. YES. CUSTOMER FLAW? CUSTOMER FLAW? YES. CUSTOMER FLAW? YES. CUSTOMER MOORE? CUSTOMER MOORE? CUSTOMER FLAW? YES. CUSTOMER MOORE? YES.

CUSTOMER BORCHARDT?

CUSTOMER BORCHARDT? CUSTOMER BORCHARDT? YES.

We're live.

Thank you. Seeking a motion from Council on item number nine.

Motion to accept the collective bargaining agreement with Public Works. Support. Discussion. Mr. Denae, please call roll. That's for Dubourg. Yes. That's for Flock.

Yes.

That's for Moore.

Yes. That's for Beauchamp.

Yes. And Ramel. Yes. I will make a motion to hereby move to accept the advice from council in the case of Connor Soderman versus City of Escanaba and Coltieneman, case number 24-25601NI. Support. Discussion?

Mr. Domingue, please call roll. Council Member Dubourg? Yes. Council Member Floss? Yes. Council Member Moore? Yes. Council Member Beauchamp?

Yes.

Mayor Emman? Yes. Seeking motion to adjourn.

Motion to adjourn.