Watervliet City Manager candidate turns down offer; Watervliet Commission
hires two of its own as temps for vacant manager and treasurer posts
By Annette Christie
Watervliet City Mayor Dave Brinker confirmed at the Tuesday, November 15 City Commission meeting that the candidate that was offered the City Manager job has declined. Commissioners had offered the City Manager job to Daniel Antosik and were awaiting his response. It is uncertain when the answer from Antosik came.
Brinker said that with that new information, the City Commission now had some things to decide on. The Mayor has had conversations with Personnel Committee Chairperson Barb Schofield on how to move forward and with that the Commission began talking about it. Brinker suggested that they look to the Michigan Municipal League. Schofield suggested they could look to the Michigan Township Association also. Commissioner Dan Hummel said he would like to try using a person or a company to perform a search, but specified that they would be paid only if they successfully find a candidate. Brinker noted that they could look to the Michigan Municipal League for help in locating interim or temporary help also. Schofield wanted to assure the City Commission that when they got the first round of applications, the three they interviewed were the only ones that met the qualifications. Schofield confirmed that she looked over all the applications. Brinker asked Schofield and the Personnel Committee to head up the renewed search to fill the position.
With the recent resignation of Prue Kiekenapp as treasurer Brinker asked the Commission to consider hiring Commissioner Deah Muth to work in the position for the next three months. Brinker said he has worked with Muth on the finance end of things at the City and said he thought she would do great at the job. Muth confirmed that she has the time. Brinker reminded the City Commission that this is not a new practice to hire Commissioners in interim positions at City Hall and that it is a legal practice as long as it is temporary. Schofield made the motion to put Muth in the position, for a three month period and it passed unanimously (Muth abstained). They discussed a possible salary of $8,500 which is what Kiekenapp was making. It is a salaried position because the number of hours varies depending on the time of year. Muth said she understands that she can do the interim position but if at the end she wants the job she has to resign as the Commissioner.
Brinker also asked the Commission about the interim time until they fill the City Manager position, given that it may not be until late January or early February. Brinker said that while they have two very capable girls in the office handling the day to day things, he said he would like to have someone who could continue with the list that was prepared for Bill Hodge (the previous Interim Manager).
Brinker said he would like to have Commissioner Melanie Marvin come into City Hall for at least three days a week to first and foremost work on errors in the water billing system. Brinker said that on the last billing, about 20 billings were double what they should be, there have been meter changes that are not reading, and the City has had a lot of bills that went out with only the ready to serve numbers. Brinker said that Marvin could go through the water billing system, get it all current and correct and then train office staff on what to do going forward.
Brinker also noted a recent payroll check/automatic deposit issue that just occurred and needs to be fixed. “My top priorities right now is to straighten those things out,” Brinker said. Schofield has also offered to help out if a decision needs to be made in a timely fashion. The plan is this would be only until they hire a City Manager but Schofield noted that they cannot just walk someone in here and have them do it, they need to know the systems. Marvin said that today she looked over the water accounts, finding a lot of random things that date back six months at least and reminded Commissioners that there is another billing due at the end of December. The City Commission authorized hiring Marvin for up to 24 hours a week at $16.50 an hour. Brinker said he would like to sit down with Marvin and give her a list of the top priorities. Marvin and Hummel abstained from the vote that otherwise passed unanimously.
DDA presentation December 7
Brinker discussed a DDA presentation that will be given on Wednesday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Watervliet Fire Station. The presentation will be given by a group of Western Michigan University graduate students that are working on ideas and financial strategies on what to do with the old paper mill property which is owned by the Berrien County Brownfield Authority.
Brinker told the City Commission that he has been kept informed on the things that the graduate students were doing at WMU, and that he was personally excited about what these kids can do for us. Brinker said, “We will be able to take one of their plans and financially be able to do something.” He then added that one of the things he did not think of right away was that maybe he should have talked to the County about what they were doing. Brinker described it as a Plan B.
Contacted following the meeting Berrien County Administrator Bill Wolf confirmed that the County was not aware of the efforts the DDA was taking in engaging the WMU students. While he would not speak on behalf of the Brownfield Authority or the Board of Commissioners, he said that what we want to see is the property returned to a useful service to the City and the community. While he would not discourage any ideas to put that property to use they would not encourage something that would interfere with the Watervliet County Park that has already been committed to.
Brinker described their work with the WMU students as a Plan B. He would be referring to a plan B from the Five-Year Master Plan that was adopted by the Berrien County Parks and Recreation Commission and the Berrien County Board of Commissioners in 2015. That plan includes acquiring property and the creation of Watervliet County Park. This property is what is known as the paper mill property. It was acquired by the Berrien County Brownfield Authority as a cleanup project from the old paper mill.
This 40-plus acre property is divided by M-140. The east side of the property is described as Phase 1 and has already received a commitment, financial and otherwise by both the County Parks Commission and Board of Commissioners. The Parks Department applied for a grant last year to assist with the development but failed to acquire it. Berrien County did not give up and decided to try again this year with ties to the Paw Paw River Water Trail. This phase includes walking trails, access bridges to the island, parking areas, and launches on the Paw Paw River, among many other things. Phase 2 is on the west side of M-140 and includes an indoor hockey/soccer facility, dog parks, walking trails, etc.
The Tri-City Record reported in September of this year that the County Parks Department had received good news about their $300,000 grant application for Phase 1 and that while the official decision for the award had not been made, the score they received was considerably higher than it was last year. The final award announcements will not come in until the end of November or early December as previously printed.
Police Chief contract renewed for three years
Following a one year contract, Police Chief Tim Sutherland received a renewed three-year contract for the City of Watervliet. Schofield said that there were not a lot of changes to the body of the contract with the exception of some personal time off wording. Schofield said they did agree to pay Sutherland for some hours of vacation and some banked personal time off. He will be rolling over one week of unused vacation time. The contract sets the compensation at $47,500 this year, the 2nd year at $49,000, and the 3rd year at $50,500. An hourly retirement contribution will also be made. Brinker questioned how Sutherland was able to accumulate that many hours and Schofield noted that there has been staff turnover, he has been covering vacant shifts and with when working a holiday he can opt to have it turned into personal time off as opposed to being paid time and a half.
Brinker questioned the termination statement in the contract which states that the Chief must be given three months’ minimum notice, and if he chose to leave he would give them four weeks’ notice. The City Commission unanimously approved his contract.
The next City Commission meeting will be held Tuesday, November 29 at 6:30 p.m. In the month of December only one meeting is planned for December 13 at 6:30 p.m.
City of Coloma to look at burning ordinance to allow for permitted land clearing similar to Township’s law
By Christina Gelder
Bob Howell, a property owner in Coloma, attended the Monday, November 14 Coloma City Commission meeting to find out about the rules for fires in the city limits.
Howell has had trouble recently and in the past with the fire department being called when he is clearing brush and burning it, even if he is attending the fire. His suggestion was that the city put in place some type of permit structure so that if someone calls in the fire department will know it is an approved fire. This type of action could potentially save a lot of money in fire calls.
Township Supervisor Ken Parrigin was also in attendance and confirmed that Coloma Township does have a permit ordinance in place. It was suggested that the city take a look at adopting the same one. There will be a meeting to discuss it before the next commission meeting.
It was clarified that even if a burn permit ordinance is adopted it is still not permissible to burn leaves in the city. Department of Public Works picks up leaves that are raked to the curb.
It was also stated that if someone is burning in the city and any neighbors complain about the smoke the fire must be extinguished. Fires contained in a fire pit are allowed without any permit.
Mayor and commissioners sworn in
City Clerk Martha Darling began the meeting by swearing in the newly elected officials. Mayor Jim Polashak took his oath for another term first followed by Jason Hicks, Nate Clements and Kent Churchill. Commissioner Julia Smith was also sworn in; she has filled the seat vacated by Mike Muenchow.
In other news, it was approved to pay 1/3 of half the amount for the search for a new chief for the North Berrien Fire Rescue Department. The other portion will be paid at a later date. Mayor Polashak says the search is going well. It was also approved to make a payment of $13,079.90 to the fire department to go towards a new vehicle. These funds are being taken from the money collected in a millage for this purpose.
The mayor also assured everyone that while Halloween in the Park was a great success, residential trick or treating will not immediately follow that event next year. He received several calls on that issue because the crowds were very large heading into the community following the event.
Work is progressing on the East St. Joseph Street project and water lines are being hooked up. They are hoping for good enough weather to get the infrastructure completed before winter.
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