| VILLAGE OF CONSTANTINE
Regular Meeting Minutes
January 21, 2008 , Village Hall
President Weiss called the Regular January 21, 2008 meeting of the Constantine Village Council to order at 7:30PM at the Village Hall.
Present at Roll Call: Trustees Brewer, Brown, Chiddister, Harder, Mathers and Witek, and President Weiss. Also present: Manager Honeysett, Treasurer Strawser, Rental Inspector Lammott and Clerk Strawser. The pledge of allegiance followed Roll Call.
President Weiss asked that the Hoffman House Committee meeting be added to the agenda under VIII/B. Committee and Workshop Assignments.
Motion by Chiddister, Seconded by Witek, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion passed by Roll Call 6 – 1. Voting YES: Trustees Brewer, Brown, Chiddister, Harder, Mathers and Witek. Voting NO: President Weiss.
Trustee Chiddister offered 4 insertions and 2 corrections to the minutes, saying they were to better balance editorial content. Trustee Witek asked why trustees were smorgasboarding their editorial choices. Clerk Strawser said that while the Council could vote to add whatever they wished to the minutes, she questioned recent practice of large non-substantive targeted insertions into the minutes.
Motion by Chiddister, Seconded by Brown, to approve the Regular January 7, 2008 meeting minutes as amended. Motion passed by Roll Call 6 – 1. Voting YES: Trustees Brewer, Brown, Chiddister, Harder, Mathers and President Weiss. Voting NO: Trustee Witek. Page 1, Paragraph 2 – Insert as last sentence: “Rick Strawser agreed with Trustee Chiddister’s assertion that when considering that this budget was created by the previous village manager and implemented by another, the audit reports supports that Village Mgr Honeysett did a good job with adhering to the overall budget spending for the year.” Page 2, Paragraph 2, Line 2 – Delete: Trustee Chiddister, referring to an email sent to the Manager on the subject, said that Ken Herceg (Herceg & Associates) recommends “this and more,” “some $110,000 in parts purchases” in his “ Water System Reliability” study. Page 2, Paragraph 3 – Change: Trustee Witek said that Manager Beavers had budgeted to buy down at least part of the bonds and that he thought it a legal and ethical action. Changed to: Trustee Witek said that Manager Beavers had budgeted to buy down at least part of the bonds and that Trustee Witek thought it a legal and ethical action. Page 2, Paragraph 3 – Insert: Trustee Chiddister said that while that was true, if the money were used to pay down the bonds, the anticipated costs “of the aforementioned expense items” would necessitate securing new loans at higher interest rates, thereby costing the Village more. Page 2, Paragraph 3 – Insert as last sentence: “ Former Sewer Ad hoc committee member Leonard Moyer commented from the audience that investment interest the village is receiving from the bonds is likely greater than the low interest we are paying on the bonds suggesting that paying down the bonds may not be in the village’s financial best interests.” Page 3, Paragraph 3 – Insert as second sentence: “Trustee Witek suggested since 7 am seemed a convenient meeting time for DDA that it would be equally convenient for Hoffman House as it may create a quorum in attendance for DDA. Village President Weiss said they were two separate committees with mostly different members and therefore there was no advantage to have back to back meetings with DDA.”
Trustee Witek asked when RFP’s for a Village auditor would go out. Diana Lammott said they would go out in October, 2008.
Diana Lammott said that the townships would be reimbursing the Village for Fire Department charges. Manager Honeysett said that the majority cost of the homicide investigation was being taken care of by the task force. Manager Honeysett said the DPW accidentally broke the mirror off a citizen’s car, but could not say if it was done by the snowplow or another vehicle. He also said that the Village paid for replacing the broken street entry door to the Incubator apartment.
Motion by Brewer, Seconded by Chiddister, to pay the bills and make the necessary transfers totaling $87,621.20. Motion passed by Roll Call 7 – 0.
Treasurer Strawser asked how all the recent rain effected the sewer, why the number one pump at the Village station has not been taken out for repair, and if other officials were concerned about the water seal information in the December 2007 Pipeline Activity Report. Trustee Chiddister said that he was going to recommend, at some later date, to have a spare pump on hand. Trustee Witek said Three Rivers now shows the Village at 78.3% of its allotted usage. Trustee Chiddister said that he would be shocked if January’s report did not show even higher usage. Trustee Brown said the Sewer Ad Hoc Committee met last week and plan to meet next week “trying to get some things done.”
Manager Honeysett read the list of meetings he attended in December 2007. Manager Honeysett said the new street level Incubator apartment door and additional sealing would reduce heat costs. He also said that he and Dave Allen are in discussion with the bank regarding the Incubator loan and interest rates, having already negotiated a new rate with Tom Myer. Incubator tenants, Hoekstra Roofers, agreed to pay a higher rent than Roofcrafters. Manager Honeysett said the Police Department is looking into a new reporting/record system and software to augment that currently used, at no cost to the Village. Negotiations with Little League officials continue on the lease agreement at Wells Field. Rocket Football would sublet from the Little League.
Manager Honeysett referred to his Manager’s Report – 2007 (year end report). He said the DPW has a 5-year for Village roads and sidewalks, but has yet to submit it. Manager Honeysett said RFP for sleeving of the sewer main would be presented to the Sewer Ad Hoc Committee for their approval at which time the committee will make recommendation to the Council. Delays in preparing the MSHDA buildings resulted in the State granting a six (6) month extension. Manager Honeysett said that receipts are close to the financial limits; one building being “bought outright.” In response to questions, Manager Honeysett said he thought that MSHDA buildings could be rented out to other businesses, but that the job requirements in the MSHDA contracts cannot be met simply by moving jobs from one site to another. Manager Honeysett said that while the FOP and SEIU contracts have been approved by their membership, they have yet to be typed. Council members questioned the contracts’ vacation carry-over proviso; there is a cap of 150% per employment year. The Council thanked Manager Honeysett for the thoroughness of his report.
In response to Trustee Witek’s questions, Manager Honeysett said that Village has always paid for the bioxide used for odor control, while the industry pays for fines levied for BOD’s and suspended solids.
Police Commissioner Brewer gave an overview of the December 2007 Police Report. He reported that Sgt. Sherer has been called to active duty and is being deployed to Kuwait .
DPW Commissioner Harder gave an overview of the December 2007 DPW Report, correcting “picked up laminators” to “picked up luminaries”.
Fire Commissioner Brown read the December 2007 Fire Department Report. He also gave an overview of the 2007 Annual Fire Department Report. It was pointed out that the percentages of calls nearly match the contractual split. There was some question as to how the department collected more money than was billed in 2006. Motion by Mathers, Seconded by Chiddister, to accept and file the Manager’s and Commissioners’ reports as presented. Motion passed by affirmation 7 – 0.
Technical difficulties prompted the moving of the Committee and Workshop Assignments ahead on the agenda.
Clerk Strawser said she had not anticipated presenting Council with a completed, updated committee list as she was still trying to confirm all information. Manager Honeysett said that Trustee Witek had asked for the agenda item. She said that she had given Trustee Witek a copy of her draft list, at his request. She said that she expected to be making contact with all members and asked that everyone cooperate in order to have an accurate record. Trustee Witek said that he had asked for this agenda item saying he was uncertain as to memberships and directives. He asked, for example, if the US-131 Workshop was resolved. Trustee Chiddister said he believed it was since he had given a report in July 2007. Trustee Witek asked how the five (5) council concerns had been resolved and where those written resolutions were, saying he had not seen such. Trustee Chiddister said he had covered them at the August 7, 2007 meeting. Trustee Brown said Jason Latham had referred to the “considerations” being “acted upon at the November meeting”, but that he did not remember any such action and asked where the US-131 Bypass project currently stands and if there has not been closure, the Council needs to “act on this”. President Weiss agreed to Clerk Strawser’s suggestion to do a search to verify the report and update the Council at the next regular meeting.
The Council watched a CD from Kenmark, Inc., featuring leased Christmas decorations. Discussion ensued over citizen opinion favoring our previously used angels, whether citizens or organizations could be involved in the decision in a timely way, whether Kenmark could cost-effectively build new angel replacements and various cost and décor options. DPW Commissioner Harder said that the DPW would prefer not to be responsible for Christmas decorations. Manager Honeysett said he was not promoting either viewpoint, only reminding Council that it was “first come, first choose” at Kenmark. Sue Emrick, member of the Cool Cities Committee said that committee would be willing to look into options.
Trustee Witek made a motion to have any civic group take over sponsorship and recommendation of Village Christmas decorations. Motion died from lack of support.
Motion by Chiddister, Seconded by Brown, to appoint the Cool Cities Committee to investigate and make recommendation at the second regular February Council meeting on Christmas Lighting. Motion passed by affirmation 5-2. Voting YES: Trustees Brewer, Brown, Chiddister, Harder and President Weiss. Voting NO: Trustees Mathers and Witek.
MSHDA Buildings agenda item was covered under the Manager’s Report.
Motion by Brown, Seconded by Mathers, to adopt Resolution 08-01, a resolution of appreciation to the Meek’s Mill Garden Club. Motion passed by affirmation 7 – 0.
RESOLUTION No. 08-01
A RESOLUTION HORNORING THE CONSTANTINE GARDEN CLUB
FOR SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF CONSTANTINE, MICHIGAN
WHEREAS, The Constantine Garden Club was formed in 1978 and has served the community without interruption for the past thirty years, and
WHEREAS, The Constantine Garden Club had fifteen original members, 5 of whom are still actively involved. Those 5 members are Judy Elliott, Norma Moord, Patricia Stears , Virginia Tavernier and Patricia Weiss, and
WHEREAS, The Constantine Garden Club meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Constantine , and
WHEREAS, The Constantine Garden Club’s mission statement is “To provide education, resources and networking of its members to promote the love of gardening, floral design, landscaping design, and civic and environmental responsibility”, and
WHEREAS, Among its myriad activities and accomplishments, the Constantine Garden Club maintains the Washington Street Planter, the Riverview Park planting, landscaping at the Constantine Township Library, the flower baskets on the downtown decorative lights, tree plantings on Arbor Day, landscaping at the Constantine Fire Department, the Governor Barry House, and at Governor Barry’s grave, and the Blue Star Flowers and Memorial at the American Legion Post, and
WHEREAS, The Constantine Garden Club participates in the annual Fourth of July Parade, the Harvest Festival, now
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Constantine Village Council hereby expresses its appreciation to the Constantine Garden Club for its service and dedication to the community along with its sincerest wish for the club to perform at the same high level for at least the next 30 years.
The Constantine Village Council approved this resolution on January 21, 2008 by unanimous vote.
Adjourned meeting at 8:54PM.
Ruth Strawser
Village Clerk
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