The Village of Schoolcraft recently received an $18,500 grant for playground equipment at Burch Park, 442 N. Grand Street. The equipment will be for toddlers ages 2-4.
Village Manager Cheri Lutz announced the grant at the Village Council’s November 17 meeting. She had applied for the grant in July. The grants were awarded in early November. Funding for the grant comes from the county’s Community Grants program, which had $400,000 available for grants for entities that provide services within the County, according to the county website, kalcounty.gov.
“They had about $400,00 left over from their 2025/26 budget year that they opened up to various agencies in the area,” said Lutz. According to the Kalamazoo County website, the Village was one of 12 entities receiving the grants, out of 61 applications they received. “Final awards reflect a balance of immediate service needs, long-term impact, and alignment with the County’s Strategic Plan,” said the County’s website.
In addition, SOPREMA, an international roofing and waterproofing company with a location in Schoolcraft, has donated $2,000 for the playground equipment.
Lutz is applying for a grant from the Michigan Infrastructure Committee in the amount of approximately $30,000. “That will be used as part of the application fee for the loan we will be applying for water improvements through the USDA,” she said.
At the Council’s September 15 meeting, the Council heard from Paul Bristol, water and environmental loan specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. His job is to help rural communities find ways to pay for infrastructure upgrades. A government entity applies to the USDA and the agency then decides what combination of loans and grants would work best to pay for the project.
At the Village’s October 8 meeting, the Council voted to begin the loan application process through the USDA Rural Development.
The only new business item on the November 17 agenda was appointment of the Council’s president pro-tempore. The General Law Village Act states that a president pro-tem will be appointed every year on November 20 or as close to that date as possible, according to Village Clerk Theresa O’Leary.
The president pro-tem stands in for the Village president when the president is absent. Trustee Kathy Mastenbrook, currently serving as president pro-tem, was reappointed to that position.
The Council then moved into a closed session to discuss the Village Manager’s evaluation.
A written report of the Planning Commission’s October meeting contained in the Council’s meeting packet showed that the site plan and special use permit for Nest Spa, 531 N. Grand Street, was approved “contingent upon confirmation there is no parcel within 100 feet that is zoned residential.”
