MONTAGUE — The Montague city council voted 5-1 to approve a special use under the city's zoning ordinance for tattoo parlors and body piercing businesses during its regular meeting Monday.
Council member Paul Schultz was the lone dissenting vote for the move, which was made after Pretty in Polish owner Shannan Myers told the
council tattoo artist Meah Snider would like to bring her Nature's
Canvas Tattoo business to Montague. Snider, who according to her business' Facebook page has been tattooing since late 2023, actually had gone through most of the steps necessary to begin renting space in
Myers' Water Street Spa and Suites building, where Pretty in Polish is located, and had a list of clients ready to book with her before she and Myers found the business required the special use permit.
Myers said Tuesday in a phone interview that a site review has now been scheduled for Monday, June 9, and believes Snider's business will pass that process. As long as that happens, she hopes to begin appointments that week.
"I'm excited," Myers said. "I have quite a few clients who have asked about it. I think it'll be a great addition to the community...Having someone who's young and can bring a fresh look to tattooing in the community will be great."
The Montague city council also had a lengthy discussion about the White Lake Senior Center, though no action was taken on the building itself.
The discussion began because the council voted 5-1 - Laura LaGuire was absent and Lisa Kiel dissented - to transfer matters involving the Senior Center from the facilities subcommittee to the senior millage subcommittee. This was done because of concerns about the building's future and whether Senior Center activities may have to someday move to another facility.
"There are serious problems with the building," council member Paul Schultz said. Schultz added that while he is on the senior millage subcommittee, that was not the reason he wanted this move made, and he was willing to leave that committee to prove it if needed.
Schultz went on to say he fears that the building may not be far from an outside authority telling the city that it isn't usable any longer without extensive - and expensive - repairs. He isn't sure what the correct path forward is, but said he felt it was important the public know that so it could provide informed feedback to the council.
According to Schultz, the senior center building was not given to the city strictly as a senior center, but as a community center; use as a senior center was decided later. Senior center activities could, if deemed necessary, take place at a school or church in the area.
The council voted 6-0 to extend its agreement with the city's social district participants another year and revisit how things are going in May 2026, and also voted 6-0 to reduce the charge for a plastic cup in the district from $1 to 50 cents. The city hopes the latter move increases interest in participating among residents and visitors. While she wasn't present to vote, LaGuire emailed the rest of the city council and city manager Jeff Auch within the last month to register her support for both decisions.
Property owners who are just above the federal poverty line will now be eligible for partial property tax exemptions in Montague after the council voted 6-0 to approve them. Previously, the only exemptions available were full exemptions for those whose income fell under the federal poverty line. Under the new structure, those whose income is up to $1,000 above the line will now receive a 75% exemption, $1,000.01-$2,000 above will receive a 50% exemption, and those $2,000.01-$3,000 above will receive a 25% exemption. Auch said a few different structures were considered, but the one approved is the closest to those used by other nearby municipalities.
After Schultz said he could not support the new Muskegon County hazard mitigation plan as presented, the council agreed to discuss it further before considering approval. The plan has been presented to county municipalities over the last month, but Schultz said there were several items involving Montague that he felt included "bad information" and needed to be addressed before he is willing to give the plan a 'yes' vote.
The council voted 4-2 - Schultz and Bob Hires dissented - to provide up to $1,750 in funding for local students to participate in the Sports and Shorts program this summer. A White Lake Area Community Education program, Sports and Shorts invites children ages 5-12 from several municipalities - Montague and Whitehall, and White River, Dalton, Fruitland and Laketon townships - to participate in recreational activities Mondays-Thursdays from July 7-Aug. 7. The funding will provide for up to five city children to participate; Auch said each of the past two years saw four children from Montague in the program, and so far this year two have registered.
The council presented Montague High School student representative Bailey Tallquist with a certificate commemorating her time in the role. Tallquist stepped into the role last fall and graduated from Montague Friday, May 16. She expressed the hope that a current MHS junior will take up the role next year.
During the city manager's update, Auch reported that renovations to the upstairs part of city hall will begin June 9, with an expected six-week timeline. He said it's possible, depending on where city workers move to accommodate the renovations, that the June city council meeting may move somewhere else as a result.
