GIVING TREE… Share your Christmas Blessings with those less fortunate. Select youngsters’ gift wishes off the tree in the Tri-City Record office at 138 N. Main Street, Watervliet.
Watervliet City Commission/ZBA sets parking requirements for religious organizations
By Annette Christie
The Watervliet City Commission, which, by charter, also serves as the Zoning Board of Appeals met to determine the parking requirements for religious organizations as it is not currently determined by ordinance. Prompted by a land use request to put a church in a current empty building on Main Street, a look at the ordinance determined that it lacked specifications for parking space requirements for such a use.
A meeting was held on December 3, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. for the sole purpose of determining those specifications that will then be forwarded on to the Planning Commission.
Pastor Justin VanFerrari with the Freshwater Community Church told the Commission that Freshwater Community Church does plan to someday create a community center to fit the community’s needs in addition to making their church home here. In his research he stated there are about 30 buildings in the downtown area that in total have approximately 375 downtown public parking spaces available. VanFerrari said that that figure does not include the city hall, fire department, library, or other church parking lots. He noted that in the vision for the downtown area, the City sees over 600 parking spots in their future. They hope to be a part of a boosted downtown area where a need for extra parking spots, because of all the activity, is a good thing, a good problem to have.
Bob Lohr, the contracted Zoning Administrator for the City of Watervliet made it clear that the schedule for parking requirements lists a lot of things, however fraternal or religious institutions are left off. Without knowing when the ordinances were put into effect, it is unknown why the governing body at that time neglected to address it. It specifically lists parking requirements for retail stores, banks, automobile service stations, bowling alleys, restaurants, furniture and appliance stores, and theaters to name just a few.
Commissioner Deah Muth asked if the building in discussion used to be a movie theater, how did they make it work then. Lohr guessed that they either didn’t adhere to the ordinance, or maybe it wasn’t even around then. The requirement for a movie theater is one parking space provided for each four seats; in addition one parking spot had to be provided for each employee.
Several of the Commissioners seemed to lean towards community service uses such as an auditorium. That requirement states that one parking space shall be provided for each three auditorium seats. Adequate space shall also be provided for buses used in connection with the activities of the institution, and all loading and unloading of passengers shall take place upon the premises.
Commissioner Jennifer Helms expressed that her concern was not Sunday but days when the community was up and running. VanFerrari stated that the maximum capacity for the facility was 300 people. They currently have about 100 adults and kids that attend service on Sunday.
The church started in Coloma in 2010. Over the past nine years they have been meeting in the Coloma Middle School building. They are seeking to move into the property at 115 N. Main St. The building has both large and small spaces that will allow for multi-purpose usage. At past public meetings, VanFerrari said that they anticipate about $170,000 in renovations that will be done in phases. Up first would be a new roof, an update to the exterior of the building and then focusing on the smaller side before the larger side. They had hoped to get the roof done before winter sets in.
The Planning Commission has been considering their special land use permit which would allow for the church; however the parking issue was passed on to the Zoning Board of Appeals for consideration.
As the ZBA, the City Commission declared that fraternal and religious institutions must have one parking spot for every three seats in their facility. They will pass that on to the Planning Commission who will then make a recommendation back to the City Commission. Ultimately, the City Commission will either approve or turn down the special land use permit.
Engineering Projects Update
Several employees with Wightman & Associates were on hand at the December 3 Watervliet City Commission meeting to provide a City-wide Asset Management Plan update. The Commission approved the proposal from Wightman & Associates in March to develop the City’s Asset Management Plan, conduct an infiltration analysis, and work toward a USDA Rural Development loan application.
Alan Smaka told the Commission that the South Watervliet Drain project was currently in the hands of the Berrien County Drain Commissioner. It is expected that the project will be bid out in the spring. The estimated $2.5 million project will be funded by the property owners, Watervliet City, Watervliet Township, the Berrien County Road Department, and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
A lengthy discussion was held about the Sanitary System Infiltration and Inflow project. Studies completed thus far show that the City is paying about $90,000 for clean water that is being treated due to inflow and infiltration; however, sewer videos reveal that the actual infiltration that is coming from pipes and manholes is minimal. This puts a lot more pressure on the need to get the in-home audits conducted. City Manager Tyler Dotson confirmed the need to get this portion of the study done, however current workload of the Public Works Department is making it difficult to get this accomplished.
Dotson recommended to the City Commission that they outsource this service. At the same time, they could gather the data needed to assist the City in tackling the lead and copper elimination that is being led at the state level. Dotson said with a completed home audit they can look for sump pumps connected to the sanitary system, roof drains that are connected to the system, and fresh water getting into cracked lines.
With that, they know that they will have to help the residents with creative solutions for other ways to handle the water. They will have to make changes to the ordinances accordingly so this type of action is not allowable. While Dotson recognizes that there will be costs up front to do this, he confirms that they will save in the end. Smaka confirmed that the costs for the outsourced services could be reimbursed by the USDA loan when the City goes after it. The City hopes to complete the USDA application for infrastructure improvements this spring.
As Dotson continues to look at grant funding sources for city-wide improvements, the team at Wightman assisted him with applying for an EPA Grant. The grant, in the amount of $170,000 can be used for identification of ground hazardous or petroleum substances. Having this type of information available will help when the City is trying to attract developers. It requires no matching funds. They should know in the spring if they are awarded the grant or not.
2020 meeting schedule
After some back and forth on the meeting schedule for the City Commission, that body approved their 2020 schedule which shall remain as is currently.
The City Commission had historically met on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month with one being a meeting and one being a workshop. It was determined that Commissioner Bill Whitney, who also serves on the Watervliet Fire Department, had conflicts with that schedule due to his fire department trainings and/or meetings. With that in mind, the City Commission changed their schedule to the first and third Tuesdays.
This continued to cause an issue as the Watervliet Joint Fire Board meetings were held on the third Tuesday and so the second meeting of the month for the City Commission, if needed, was bounced around to try and find a date that would accommodate the majority.
At last month’s meeting Mayor Dave Brinker brought up the subject and suggested that it should go back to the historical calendar, however he since changed his mind. Brinker said at the Tuesday, December 3 meeting that he had had discussions with Whitney and he found a schedule that he thought would work. He recommended that they leave the meeting schedule with the first Tuesday, and the third Tuesday would be reserved if needed. This will eliminate the jumping around of the second meeting. Brinker announced that he was going to try and get the Fire Board to change their meeting to the 3rd Wednesday as he felt that would help to eliminate any future conflicts.
The City Commission also approved the 2020 city employee holiday calendar that will eliminate Veterans Day as a holiday and add the Friday before Labor Day as the replacement. This move will give city employees a four day weekend. Dotson said that changes would be made to the water bill due dates if needed to accommodate the change.
Parks and Recreation plan Public Hearing
As the City Commission is in the process of updating their Parks & Recreation 5-Year Plan with Abonmarche, it is necessary to hold a public hearing for the purpose of soliciting public input on the draft plan. The draft plan is expected to be available on December 6.
The plan must be available for 30 days prior to the public hearing, which can be held during a regular meeting.
With that, the City Commission will hold the public hearing on their 5-Year Parks & Recreation Plan at their Tuesday, January 7, 2020 meeting at 6:00 p.m.
City Assessor Contract renewed
The City of Watervliet currently contracts with Dave Roenicke for assessing services. The current contract expired at the end of October. Dotson and Roenicke had agreed to a continuation of the current contract, following a recent successful audit with the State of Michigan and based on his satisfactory service. Dotson recommended the renewal of the contract.
Roenicke will be paid $14,100 annually for the first year of the contract, followed by $14,400 and $14,700 respectively. For that he shall provide no less than 104 regular hours and 250 property re-assessment hours. His office hours are every other Friday from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. His schedule will be modified to provide more intense assistance during peak periods.
Former Hartford Mayor Ted Johnson passes at 83
By Jon Bisnett On Friday, Nov. 29, the City of Hartford lost its longest seated mayor as Ted Johnson quietly passed away at his home, leaving behind a legacy of public service that speaks to the nature of the husband, father, community leader and the man. Mayor Ted Johnson 1936-2019
This reporter first met a guy known to me as “Mr. Johnson” with a coach’s whistle around his neck some 50 years ago when a barely 30-year-old Ted Johnson coached the 4th grade Watervliet Oilers youth basketball team. He wasn’t any Tom Izzo, nor I a Michael Jordan, but riding herd over a bunch of unruly grade-schoolers to turn them into a team strikes me now as an early example of the pattern of volunteerism and community service that would define Ted’s future years. Moving to Hartford in 1971, it wasn’t long before Ted found a seat on the local Fire Board, leading to Planning Commission, City Commission and first elected to the office of Mayor in 1980. Johnson served through 1985 and then sought the seat again in 1996, serving until 2017. During his time in the first chair of the city, Johnson presided over a myriad of city councils, some certainly more “colorful” than others with his reserved demeanor and generally conservative nature. Several major projects were accomplished under his watch including the reconstruction of City Hall, Wastewater Treatment Plant, Annexation of I-94 property, and city utility extension to Four Winds Casino, along with the advent of the Revenue Sharing Board, also presiding over the 50th Anniversary of Hartford becoming a city. Mayor Ted brought an air of decorum to the chair. You could always count on his “mayor uniform” of a crisp white business shirt and a dapper necktie, even when the dog days of summer might find his commissioners in flip-flops and Bermuda shorts. Ted always appeared like he came straight from his office at Whirlpool. More importantly Johnson understood the job of small-town mayor. He muddled through often mundane tasks that befall a city council, while embracing the opportunities to serve as the city’s PR man. He knew he wasn’t going to change the world, but rather do whatever he could within his power to make Hartford just a little bit better each year. Ted understood the important synergy of the schools, churches, scouts, Lions club along with police, fire and many more groups and businesses that all interact within a small but diverse community. Ted never missed a pancake breakfast at the firehouse. You could always spot him making the rounds at the Strawberry Festival not to mention the local ballpark was an easy walk from his home. With a vast group of grandchildren to follow, he was a regular at many school events. One could also call the Mayor quite a “ladies man” in the best possible way, since he was photographed with literally dozens of Miss Hartford queens over the years. No scandals here, just the stuff of small towns in presenting the honorary Key to the City. Remembrances Senior City Commissioner John Miller remarks, “Mayor Johnson was a dedicated leader and cared deeply about our community and its citizens. He will be missed, but his efforts will sustain us indefinitely.” Current Mayor Rick Hall served as Johnson’s Mayor Pro-Tem for more than a decade and remembers Johnson fondly saying, “We truly lost a great friend… Ted was a great family man always talking about his family and his cat. He was a fair man; always would listen to you and give his advice on the situation…” City Manager Yemi Akinwale worked most closely with Johnson over the years shared these thoughts, “I was deeply saddened by the passing of Mayor Johnson. My deepest sympathy and condolences to his family. He would be sorely missed.” The Mayor was a true public servant, faithfully serving this community for well over 25 years, starting from Planning Commission to other committee assignments. He served with a progressive attitude, always looking for ways to make things better in the community. One of his qualities that I personally admired is that he was a good listener and never forgets anything! He was equipped with a truly amazing memory. As mayor, he led with a steady hand. I never saw him angry about anything, but was always firm on principle. He was the voice of reasoning. He was a consummate gentleman. Hartford mourns his loss and I am proud to have served with him in this community. Many thanks go to his wife Donna for sharing him with the community to serve and gave of himself. Mayor Johnson has proven to be a great leader of his time. May he rest in Peace! Far from what anyone would dub a “career politician”, the legacy of Hartford’s longest seated mayor will be that of dedication, perseverance with gentle spirit and purpose. The Tri-City Record staff extends our thoughts, prayers and sincere condolences to Mayor Johnson’s family, friends and to the citizens of the City of Hartford.
It’s a Hometown Christmas in Watervliet this weekend
Please join us Saturday, Dec. 7 and Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019 to celebrate the holiday magic in Watervliet! There are some great events planned. Best Decorated Cookie Contest On Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. Watervliet is the place for a fun afternoon of decorating cookies, enjoying hot cocoa and Christmas music. This event is being held at Arclight Brewery on Main Street. There will be cookies, frosting and sprinkles provided. Contest will be divided by age groups and there will be a prize for each individual age group! Arclight Brewing Company 5th Annual Chili Cook Off on Saturday Arclight Brewery is offering their 5th annual Chili Cook Off Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019 in celebration of Watervliet’s Hometown Christmas. Prizes will be awarded to the top three contestants and it’s free to enter. Pick up a registration form in the taproom now. Not a cook? Attend and enjoy a free bowl of chili; open to the public at 6:30 p.m. For entertainment Arclight is offering a free show with live music by Big Ben and the Burly Boys starting at 8 p.m. Arclight Brewing Company is located at 544 N. Main St. in Watervliet. Live Mannequins on Main Street Some businesses will have a live mannequin display in their windows facing Main Street Watervliet on Saturday evening from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Stroll down the sidewalks to enjoy these displays and the festive decorations and lights dressing up our Hometown Christmas. Snow Prince & Princess Contest Voting boxes will be at Watervliet Wesco, Cool Tan, B&B Grocery, and Arclight Brewery leading up to the crowning ceremony for the Snow Prince & Snow Princess. A 4 p.m. crowning ceremony takes place this year on Sunday, Dec. 8 at Arclight Brewery for contestants in 6th through 8th grades. Toys for Tots Until the second week of December there will be a drop box at Arclight Brewery for community members to make donations of new unwrapped toys to the Toys for Tots program. Hometown Christmas Parade includes a stop for tree lighting among other events on Sunday There will be a parade downtown starting at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday from Watervliet City Hall and ending at Arclight Brewery. Mr. Mattson and his Watervliet Elementary Choir will lead the parade. Winner of the best entry will receive a $100 award. The parade will make a stop at the city parking lot by Jot Liquor for a formal tree lighting ceremony with Santa. From there Santa will lead the parade to the brewery. Returning to the holiday celebration this year is a pet contest for non-aggressive dogs dressed as reindeer. A grand prize of $25 for the most creative will be awarded at Arclight following the parade. Dogs and their humans should be at the Watervliet Fire Station no later than 5:15 p.m. on Sunday. Live reindeer (the real thing) will be at the brewery from 5-7:30 p.m. A photographer will be at Arclight from 6-8 p.m. to take pictures with Santa for purchase. During the Pictures with Santa from 6-8 will be hot chocolate and cookies for free. For teens and adults, an Ugly Sweater Contest will begin 7:00 p.m. on Sunday with judging to follow. Prizes will be awarded in both teen and adult categories. The Class of 2022 will conduct a fund-raiser on Sunday from 4-8 p.m. selling Wesco Popcorn Buckets for $12. In addition on Sunday from 6-8 p.m. during Watervliet’s Hometown Christmas Celebration Robert Michael Salon will be at Arclight with Holiday Hair and Glitter Tattoos for free.
VFW Post 1137 annual Needy Family Christmas Drive Watervliet VFW Post 1137 located at 8777 Red Arrow Hwy. in Watervliet is accepting donations to their annual Needy Family program to assist families in the Coloma, Hartford and Watervliet area for the Christmas season. Items needed are canned goods, non-perishable food items and monetary gifts. For any questions, please call Corky Openneer at 269-944-9501. Collections are needed in time for a December 22 delivery. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
Watervliet Business Window Decorating Contest In celebration of Watervliet’s Hometown Christmas the organizers are offering a contest to business owners to create a magical Christmas store front using lights, trees and decorations to welcome Santa into town on December 8. Judging will be on Friday, Dec. 6 between 5 and 6 p.m. to accommodate lighted displays. Business owners need to let Bethany know by November 29 if they will be entering, call 269-757-2903. Prizes will be awarded for the top three displays.
Blossomland Learning Center holiday bazaar Berrien Regional Education Service Agency’s (RESA) Blossomland Learning Center Holiday Bazaar in on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Holiday Bazaar will feature an assortment of items including various crafts, ceramic art, baked goods, ornaments and more! There will also be several raffle items as well as light lunch options. The public is invited. Proceeds from the bazaar will benefit Blossomland Learning Center students by providing them with classroom materials, opportunities for social gatherings and community outings. Blossomland Learning Center is located at 711 St. Joseph Avenue in Berrien Springs.
Christmas Carol Hymn Sing Dec. 7 Time to get in the Christmas spirit again! Mark Saturday, Dec. 7 on your calendar! That day, at 6:00 p.m. Watervliet’s Plymouth Congregational Church will host a Christmas carol hymn sing, with guest music provided by Calvary Bible Church choir. In past years they’ve enjoyed great community participation with as many as 99 in attendance, with 17 churches represented. Now it’s time to pick it up again with a Christmas hymn sing at Plymouth. And, of course, they will serve cookies and ice cream afterward as everyone will be in the 2019 Christmas spirit.
Watervliet’s Best Lighted House Contest Dec. 8-21 Watervliet’s Best Lighted House contest is sponsored by the City of Watervliet in coordination with the Hometown Christmas Celebration. It runs December 8-21, 2019. Residents in both the city and township of Watervliet may enter to win! To enter, participants must make ONE post with photo and/or video of their Christmas display on the Watervliet’s Best Lighted House Facebook event page. Then send the street address via Facebook Messenger to Katie Ann Muth so authenticity can be verified. Please do NOT post the address with the photo. Entries can be made anytime between Dec. 8 and Dec. 21. No posts before Dec. 8 will be accepted. Once the entry has been posted, share the event and post with all your Facebook friends. Be sure to “invite” friends and ask them to vote for your house on the event page. The posts with the most “likes” will be eligible to win. At noon on Dec. 21, “Likes” will be counted on the event page ONLY. Prizes for this contest are 1st place: $100 cash; 2nd place: $50 gift card; and 3rd place: $25 cash. To see more information about the prizes and to view the other contestants’ entries, be sure to RSVP on the event page as “going”.
Christmas Eve Service at Plymouth Congregational The public is invited to participate in a Candlelight Christmas Eve service on December 24, at 6:00 p.m., at Plymouth Congregational Church in Watervliet. There will be singing of Advent songs and a short devotional about the true meaning of the Christmas celebration. Everyone is welcome to come. The service usually ends with the singing of the traditional “Silent Night”, a cappella by candlelight.
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