Belleville City Council sets annual Holiday Contest

Residents and businesses don’t have to sign up to take part in the annual “Light Up the Town for Christmas in Belleville” holiday decorating contest.
At Monday’s regular meeting of the Belleville City Council, the annual contest was announced.
All those participating have to do is decorate the outside of their house or business with lights and seasonal decorations. Then, have the lights on from 6 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 12 and 13.
The contest judges – members of the city council – will observe all areas of the city and an award will be presented for the best display in each of five areas:
• Victoria Commons;
• Harbour Pointe;
• The two mobile home parks;
• The balance of the city; and
• Businesses.
The winner in each area will be notified on Friday, Dec. 14, and presentations will be made at the City Council meeting on Monday, Dec. 17.
At the end of Monday’s meeting, Mayor Kerreen Conley conferred with council members to assign judging areas.
In other business at Monday’s 13-minute meeting, the council:
• Approved accounts payable of $46,837.64 and the following purchases in excess of $500: to Dick’s Sporting Goods, $899.99 for a police gun safe (cost covered by donations PD received for equipment purchases); to Wise Technologies, $697.50 for computers / network for various departments; to Hennessey Engineers, $991 for library inspections, from Library Escrow; and to Action Mechanical, $1,427.68 for emergency DPW heater repair, from various funds;
• Heard Planning Commissioner Mike Renaud point out the Baypoint street sign that just went up should have an “e” at the end for the proper spelling. Building Official Rick Rutherford said he would look into it;
• Heard Councilman Tom Fielder say Santa came to town on Saturday and Santa will be back at the museum to greet children from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Dec. 8 and 15, with special sessions from 11 a.m. to noon each day for special needs children;
• Heard Mayor Conley thank all who worked on the Winter Fest. She said the ice sculptures were pretty when they first arrived and the BYC float was incredible again this year. She reminded all of Ladies Night Out shopping in downtown Belleville from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6;
• Heard Renaud ask if the city has heard anything from the Great Lakes Water Authority on the damage to the water line on East Huron River Drive. Rutherford said he was at a meeting there earlier that day and he found he has to fill out paperwork. He was told the extra pressure was caused by a DTE outage that tripped the pumps and the pressure variated. He said he saw the GLWA control room for the first time and it was impressive. “I don’t know where we’re going to go on that”;
• While discussing the Tree Contest in Victory Park, heard City Manager Diana Kollmeyer say when the Chamber of Commerce came to get permission, the city asked them to meet with Rutherford and walk the park to find the best place for the display. “They did not do that and placed the trees in the wind tunnel along Huron River Drive. One is already down.” She said next year they will move the display. Rutherford said “stickem” signs were put in front of the trees which looks bad. He said the trees could have complemented the gazebo tree and in that location they could have had electricity. Kollmeyer said this is the first year and, like the scarecrow display, it will be better in upcoming years; and
• Heard Nathaniel Oregon, of the 7th Day Adventist Church on S. Edgemont Street, announce his church is having a stop-smoking clinic Jan. 7-11, a dental/vision clinic on Feb. 24 that still needs volunteers, and a reversing diabetes program after that. Oregon is a member of the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission.
Mayor Pro Tem Jack Loria was absent from the meeting because of his wife’s health.