The Pentwater Village Council met on July 14 with one member, Carl Schrumpf, absent. Treasurer Rande Listerman reported the annual audit is in progress and the summer tax bills have been sent to residents.
Multiple calls were received at the village office because the due date on the right side of the tax bill document was different from the due date on the left side of the tax bill. Listerman explained the date on the right side was for the winter taxes and the date on the left side was the summer tax bill due date. She confirmed that Sept. 15 is the valid due date for the current tax bills.
Finance Committee Chair Kathy O’Connor noted in her report that tickets are being issued for non-compliance with the ordinance on outdoor campers. Permits are needed for campers parked on properties in the village, and there is a time limit on the permits.
Council revisited the request from the DPW Director Jeff Gier to take a DPW vehicle home for transportation to and from work to facilitate a swift response to emergency calls. Village Manager Rachel Witherspoon reported on her research for similar policies in other municipalities and for insurance stipulations. She confirmed the village's insurance covers vehicles outside of the village up to a 30-mile radius. Council President Mary Marshall stated the village's policy should exclude any alcohol or marijuana in the vehicle and should make clear the policy is not precedent-setting.
A motion was made to approve Gier’s request with a policy articulating the aforementioned concerns and to add the requirement of an annual review to look at the cost-effectiveness of the policy. The motion was approved with negative votes cast by Don Palmer and Kathy O’Connor.
Under New Business, the council heard a report from Scott Hall of the Fleis & VandenBrink engineering firm, who addressed methods of quality control for the new source of water for the village. Testing of the water from the new well shows the water is safe to drink and poses no health hazards. However, it does have levels of iron and manganese that impact the odor and color (on plumbing fixtures) of the water. There is also no guarantee that there may be a need for water treatment (of arsenic or other chemicals) in the future.
Chemical sequestration is a process that does not remove the iron and manganese but holds them in solution to mitigate the aesthetic impact on the water. This program would cost about $50,000. A filtration plant to remove the iron and manganese and any future minerals that might appear would cost about $1,000,000. Witherspoon reported there are sufficient funds to cover chemical sequestration. A motion to pursue and pay $9,500 for sequestration chemicals carried unanimously.
Gier asserted the best plan for water treatment is filtration and noted that chemical sequestration at this time does not preclude setting up a filtration plant later. It would take about a year to put filtration into effect, and some of the filters in the current filtration plant could be used in the new one. It was noted there currently is no sewer system or other receptacle in which to dispose of materials filtered out of the water.
Witherspoon reported on a zoning issue regarding a property that has been out of compliance for years. Because the property owner has been unresponsive to village personnel, the situation requires the involvement of an attorney. Since a conflict of interest exists for the Village Attorney Brian Monton, Witherspoon asked council for approval to engage an attorney from Bloom and Sluggett. The council gave unanimous approval.
Witherspoon updated council on efforts to sell the old village hall on a commission basis. Hoping to find a suitable commercial realtor, she formulated an RFP (Request for Proposals) to publicize the opportunity. Council suggestions included: 1) shift the wording to an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) in order to get a better understanding of the realtor’s experience and success, 2) be sure to include the Brownfield certification, as it could be an incentive to apply, 3) reserve the right to remove certain features of the building before it is sold, such as the vault and the gym flooring on the second level. Incorporating these ideas, Witherspoon was given unanimous support for publishing the RFQ. Witherspoon hopes to choose a realtor by the August 11 council meeting.
Listerman reported that any project that receives federal funding is required to have a separate audit. The new waterline project requires such an audit. A motion to approve up to $6,000 for this special audit was passed unanimously.
Once more the library’s request for a quitclaim deed was addressed. The library board met with Monton and formulated a document that was acceptable to both parties. The document removed the “reverter clause” and stipulated that the property must always be used to benefit the public. The council voted unanimously to approve the document.
Marshall also reported on the efforts to fill the two vacancies on the planning commission resulting from the resignations of Kyle Jansen and Tim Kelly. Six people applied, and two were selected based on their qualifications. But Marshall said, “I really think it’s important for commissioners to be village residents, and only one selected applicant was.”
She announced the selection of Claudia Ressel-Hodan, who was unanimously approved. Ressel-Hodan will complete the term of Jansen. The search for another planning commissioner to complete Kelly’s term continues.
A short discussion followed regarding the Strategic Plan. Witherspoon reported a high percentage of community members responded, and there were some emerging themes. The council and steering committee will meet July 28 to organize the data in a way that will be helpful for reporting purposes and usage.
Closing comments by council members and residents in attendance included praise for the timely responses and good work of the new DPW staff. “You guys are rockin’ it,” declared O’Connor.
Residents cited safety concerns for the intersection of Longbridge and Monroe where tall vegetation restricts visibility for motorists, and for the speed at which drivers turn the corner where Sixth Street meets Monroe. “Removal of a parking space on the corner was helpful, but perhaps putting a 25 MPH speed limit sign on Sixth Street instead of on Monroe after the turn would be a good idea.”
Dean Gustafson urged the council to consider a water filtration station for the new well because “nothing is more important to a community than safe, clean drinking water.”
Appreciation was expressed for the video Police Chief Laude Hartrum posted on Facebook that explained the Flock Safety camera program currently in use in Pentwater. Witherspoon read a statement regarding the high level of demands placed on village office personnel by a busy workload of large projects, normal daily responsibilities and the number of residents’ complaints that come with the expectation of immediate resolution. “Residents need to recognize that attention to complaints takes time away from tending to regular tasks,” Witherspoon explained. Patience and appreciation will go a long way toward preventing burnout.
