By Steve Waldron
Council Member Mike Rochholz was chosen council president at a February meeting, replacing Keith Gunnett, who resigned in January. Council Member Kathy Mastenbrook was appointed president pro tem, to act as temporary president in Rochholz’s absence.
The Council considered whether to continue several village-sponsored activities due to a lack of participation. They included Citizen of the Year award, for which no nominations were received in 2022 or 2023; the holiday matching gift program initiated during COVID to assist local merchants; and the summer food-truck rallies held in Burch Park which have had declining attendance. The Council will discuss them at a March meeting.
Toni Rafferty of the 2024 Schoolcraft 4th of July Volunteer Committee told the Council that she had received notice from the Schoolcraft school district that its grounds won’t be available for the 2024 fireworks activities as originally planned. And due to planned construction activities at The Dome on US 131, that site will be unavailable as well. At this point, the Committee does not have any alternative sites available to launch fireworks. Rafferty said she will keep the Council notified of any developments.
Village Manager Cheri Lutz told the Council she and Bert Gale of Associated Government Services are in the process of accepting bids for the demolition of the structures on 203 Pine Street. A resident asked if the 5th wheel travel trailer at the property is also now owned by the Village and if it could be sold with proceeds used to offset demolition expenses. The Council will investigate whether that is possible.
The village is going to forgo filling the vacant finance director position and hire the accounting firm of Plante Moran to assist with year-end financial reporting, audit activities, and other accounting activities. The village’s auditor, Doug Wohlberg, supported the move. The village will review costs and benefits of making this a permanent arrangement and of eliminating the full-time finance director position after a trial period. Former director Kristina Lafferty resigned in January.
Police Chief Scott Smith told the Council that after researching sources of firearm replacements for village officers, he had found a source that would accept trade-ins of their current equipment. In doing so, he said he was able to save the Village $4,300 in this budgeted expense.
The Council, considering an ordinance for recovering costs of cleaning up hazardous waste from those responsible, heard from South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority Chief Tracy MacMillan and Board President Tracy Locey.
They said that since the 1990’s, the local fire departments have been working on their abilities to deal with any hazardous waste incident. They continue working with Kalamazoo County resources which support them as needs arise. MacMillan and Locey also said they can ask for resources located in Battle Creek and the Pfizer corporation has made available its scientific resources if needed.
The Authority supports adoption of the cost recovery ordinance. It allows the village to go back to the sources of an incident for the recovery of cleanup costs versus instead of using its general fund. The council will review the proposed ordinance and vote on it at a future meeting.
The council discussed the need to attend meetings of a group studying feasibility of a wastewater treatment facility to serve northern St. Joseph county and southern Kalamazoo County.
Rochholz volunteered to begin attending meetings as a nonvoting associate member to ensure the Village Council stays aware of decisions and actions taken by the South Kalamazoo County/North St. Joseph County Clean Water and Resource Preservation Initiative Study Board.
The study group is investigating the possibility that a facility would lead to improved environmental quality provide infrastructure to support economic development and job growth in the region along the 131-corridor.
The study, still preliminary and labeled as “interim”, was created by six municipalities. It has been published and presented to boards and is posted on websites of Park Township and Lockport Township.
