Belleville City Council tables decision on new water meter system

At the June 17 meeting of the Belleville City Council, representatives from three water meter companies gave brief presentations on their systems.
When asked from the audience by resident John Juriga about what their bids were, city manager Jason Smith said the bids were in the board packet of information. It was not put out for the public at the packed meeting.
Councilwoman Julie Kissel said the bids ranged from the low bid of Ferguson at $590,544.13; to SLC Meter at $612,683.85; and ETNA at $628,006.
Two other bidders, both with bids over $700,000, were not invited to present to the council: Core and Main and EJ Prescott.
DPW Director Tony Bollini said he and city manager Smith had different ideas on what company would be the best for Belleville.
The council tabled a decision on which company to choose until the July 1 meeting.
In other business at the one-hour, 27-minute June 17 meeting, the council:
• Held a brief public hearing on the proposed, 30-page, 2024-25 budget at which nobody spoke, and then unanimously approved the budget. The 2023-24 budget amendments also were approved unanimously;
• Approved a special event request for Redemption Church for an outdoor workship service on July 17 at the Fourth Street Square;
• Heard Smith explain the attorney general asked the city to cut back to five changes to the charter the city wants to put on the November ballot to avoid overloading the ballot. Then, the attorney general said it should be cut back to four and the city did that and it is back in the attorney general’s hands. Smith said it will be back before the council by July 1. The four changes now proposed are: allowing the city to set the times and dates of meetings, eliminating roll-call votes except for spending city funds, setting by resolution the amount of city contracts that have to be voted on (now $500-$5,000), and repealing of civil service. The city could add more changes for the 2025 election;
• Heard the first reading of an amendment to the B-1 business district to add banquet space as a principle permitted use, as recommended by the planning commission. The second reading and adoption is scheduled for the July 1 meeting;
• Approved accounts payable and departmental expenditures over $500 to: BN Heavy Equipment, $4,700 for street sweeper repair – hydraulics; Belle Tire, $717.96 for three tires needed for car 218A and $927.96 for new tires for the DPW vehicle (’21 Ford F250); Mr. Muffler, $660 for vehicle maintenance; Osborne Concrete, $925 for street repair; John D. Osborne Trucking, $843.84 for DPW yard maintenance; and Williams Emergency Vehicle & Equipment, $15,459.19 for fire vehicle equipment/outfitting;
• Heard Smith report the interns are here and they are doing GIS mapping like crazy, Ritter GIS is doing water main mapping, sewers are being jet-cleaned in Harbour Pointe this week and Victoria Commons next week, the Harbour Pointe road project should be complete by Oct. 1, SEMCOG is doing its public safety audit, new Victoria Commons signs are starting to go up and are half done and the city is also doing sidewalks there, the hot-water pressure washer was delivered last week and it will be used to sanitize restrooms in the parks and other tasks, bathroom repairs are planned, and the city received the CDBG contract for Victory Park updates;
• Heard Mayor Ken Voigt report goat day on Saturday was a success but he has plenty of this year’s new t-shirts available. He reminded the public that for a $20 donation to the food closet they get a free goat t-shirt. He said this helps people in the community get the food they need. He said the Cinnamon car show at Victory Park on Father’s Day was “cool” and had lots of people and cars there. He said he and Councilman Jason Beebe attended the 20th-anniversary celebration at the Senior Co-Op and also attended the Victoria Commons Homeowners Association annual meeting. He said he and Councilman Randy Priest attended the Council of Western Wayne meeting;
• Heard Tim Pranger of Victoria Commons report that poison ivy is in Village Park and the paved path is interfering with water drainage;
• Heard 34th District Court judge candidate Teresa Patton introduce herself and announce she would stay until after the meeting to talk to anyone with questions;
• Heard Ray Martin of Victoria Commons thank the mayor and councilman for coming to the Homeowners Association meeting, even though they were invited at the last minute;
• Heard resident John Juriga, an elected member of the Belleville Area District Library Board, invite anyone wanting a cooling place, to come to the 31,000 square feet library on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and during the weekend as well. Smith said city hall is open as a cooling center during business hours, but it would be closed on the Juneteenth holiday;
• Also, heard resident Juriga ask if he could legally dig a water well in his yard to water his yard of flowers and he was told he could. A councilman asked why he didn’t use lake water since his house is on the lake and Juriga said he was a man of moderate means; and
• Heard Tara Edwards of Victoria Commons asked when the retention pond there would get attention. She said there are cattails there and she has small children and can’t see where the edge of the water is. DPW Director Bollini said by fall she should see activity there.