The last City Council meeting for 2017 was filled with agenda items to address topics which needed to be discussed prior to the end of the year. And who says you can’t have fun in city government? Perhaps the highlight of the evening was each councilmember wearing an “ugly Christmas sweater”. Or an ugly Christmas dress if you’re Councilmember Greg Canfield, who won the unofficial contest.
Agenda Highlights
The first order of business on the agenda was a brief presentation by Peter Haefner of Vredeveld Haefner, LLC. The information he brought before council was a review of the 2016/17 fiscal year, which ended June 30 of this year. He noted there were no significant deficiencies found. Traditionally infrastructure investments depreciate in value, but because enough money was put into the city’s framework throughout the year, the value of that portion of the budget went in a positive direction. Going forward the liability the city must carry for pension and retiree healthcare could hamper how the city looks financially. However, legislation is being discussed on this issue at the state level and it has yet to be determined how municipalities will deal with funding these two-line items.
Councilmembers approved appointing Chris Chamberlain of J&K Steamboat Line, Inc. as an independent consultant with regards to rebuilding the Lowell Showboat. He has been in contact with various manufactures and will work with whoever Lowell selects to build a new boat. He has extensive experience as a showboat captain and designing boats. He will be paid $80/hour not to exceed $24,000 and up to $5,000 in travel reimbursement from Grand Ledge to Lowell and back. His services will include assisting the Rebuild the Showboat Committee and the city with design, construction, assembly, and installation of the new boat, working with the city’s interests in mind through a Memorandum of Understanding. Payment for his work will come out of the $1 million dollar grant secured by Senator Dave Hildebrand.
Another approval of formulating a Memorandum of Understanding will be established between the City of Lowell, Lowell Township, and Vergennes Township regarding the Lowell Area Recreation Authority trails. Currently the city has taken on the burden of cost, equipment use, and man power for maintaining the trails such as snow removal. Going forward the three municipalities will work together to share responsibility.
The City of Lowell will enter into an Additional Service Agreement with SUEZ Water Environmental Services, Inc., who is currently operating and maintaining the wastewater treatment plant. The Agreement would allow SUEZ to clean and repair an oxidation basin. In previous years a contractor was hired to do similar work on another basin on the property because SUEZ wasn’t familiar with the process. Since then they have become knowledgeable and will be able to perform the task faster and at a reduced cost. The basin will be drained, debris removed, and parts of the steel structure will be sand blasted and coated or replaced. Work is scheduled to begin Spring 2018.
Other Topics of Interest
During the City Manager’s Report, Mike Burns laughed, indicating in all of his years in a police department and involvement with city government he has “never seen this before”, referring to the festive sweaters (and one dress) surrounding him.
He turned the microphone over to Chief Bukala for a few minutes to provide an update on information pulled from the radar signs at each end of the historic district. Bukala said 85-95% of drivers are in compliance with the posted 25 mph speed limit in the area. He indicated the concern is not speed but quantity of traffic through the area. Approximately 12,000 vehicles travel east and west between the two signs.
Bukala also reminded residents of the no parking ordinance, which states there is no parking on either side of the road from 2am – 6am each night. Last year the ordinance was reviewed and it was determined it would only be enforced during the cold weather months so snow removal would be made easier. Between Nov. 1 and March 31 tickets, in the amount of $20 each, will be handed out to those not in compliance. A parking permit may be issued on a case by case basis from the police department, according to the Chief, however they will not be handed out on a regular basis.
Two seats on the Planning Commission remain open. Residents interested in serving on the board should contact City Hall with a letter of interest.
Finally, it’s looking like a second public hearing on the topic of medical marijuana will take place prior to the second council meeting in January. It’s anticipated council will make a motion to hold the public hearing on January 15, which will likely be the last unless new information is presented. It’s unclear at this time if any decision regarding medical marijuana dispensaries will be made at the conclusion of the public hearing. We are still looking for opinions from the Lowell community regarding this topic. You are encouraged to send an email to [email protected] with your comments for and against this type of business within city limits. For additional information about the topic and what happened during the first public hearing see our two-part article. The first provides a background on the issue in the state and how the debate came to Lowell. The second lays out what was discussed during the first public hearing just before Thanksgiving.
At the last meeting, councilmembers approved cancelling the second meeting of December, therefore the next meeting will be in January. Coffee with Council will not be held in January.
During council comments those on the board wished everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Meeting Information
The next City Council meeting will take place in Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall on Tuesday, January 2 at 7pm. Meeting minutes and agendas can be found on the city’s website. And meetings can be viewed on the city’s YouTube channel. Or check in with Lowell’s First Look after each meeting for a recap of what happened.
You can also listen to meetings live at WRWW the, Lowell High School’s radio station. Tune in at 92.3 or listen on their webpage during meetings.
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