Belleville DDA to consider VBT’s request for weed-cutting money

At its regular meeting on April 18, the Belleville Downtown Development Authority agreed to consider Van Buren Township’s request for a financial contribution to help cut the brush and trees along parts of two bridges into the city.
DDA Coordinator Carol Thompson and Belleville City Manager Diana Kollmeyer had received a March 29 letter from VBT Director of Public Services Matthew Best which said:
“As part of our spring maintenance program, Van Buren Township has gotten a quote ($3,400) for brush and tree clearing along the west side of the Belleville Road bridge and the north side of the Denton Road bridge … Van Buren, Belleville and the VBT DDA all have a vested interest in this area. The Township is going to move ahead with this work, barring any objection. We are offering the City to be a part of this clean-up effort. The VBT DDA has committed $565 toward this cleanup. A contribution from either the City or the Belleville DDA would make this another great example of how the City and Township are working together to make our community better. We are a few weeks away from the work being done, which gives you time to discuss this. Let me know if you are interested or not in contributing toward this effort…”
Thompson said the township checked with Wayne County and they wouldn’t be able to do any brush-cutting there until late in the season.
DDA chairman Rosemary Loria said they need to check to see how they can do it legally, since it is VBT property.
Thompson said the township wants to do the project sooner rather than later and wants to do it early before the season’s growth begins.
“We want it done,” said Mayor Kerreen Conley, who sits on the DDA. “It would be a win-win.”
“It’s not technically our responsibility, but you see it when you come over the bridge,” Loria said.
Councilman Tom Fielder, who was in the audience, pointed out that just one side of each bridge was to be cut and Belleville’s side wasn’t included.
“Is there a benefit to a joint program?” he asked, noting it was “a reasonable, reasonable price.”
Kollmeyer said the county has a machine that cuts both sides of the barrier along the bridge at once, but the city doesn’t know if or when it’s coming. She said last year the township’s student employment group did some work there, but not all of the cutting.
She said the city gets a lot of calls from people who walk over the Denton bridge into the city and are put into the dangerous roadway because the walkway is overgrown.
The DDA agreed it would be good to include the Hayward’s side of the Denton Road bridge for embankment clearing, but not the Doane’s Landing side of the Belleville Bridge because of the seawall repair work expected there.
Thompson said they may be able to get a price from the contractor (Gonczy’s Property Maintenance) to add the Hayward’s side while he’s there.
DDA Treasurer Sabrina Richardson Williams said while the VBT DDA gave $565, the Belleville DDA is smaller and maybe should give half that.
Thompson said she would get back to Best to discuss this and, “I’ll let you know where we are.”
In other business at the 49-minute meeting, the DDA:
• Heard Thompson report she has ordered 12 “Downtown on the Lake” banners at a cost of $115.58 each to replace those damaged by the wind and weather and to have six extra for street light poles. The DDA had purchased 40 banners in 2009 and the replacements are being made by the same company on the same marine acrylic fabric;
• Heard Thompson report that a DTE audit has been requested on the street lights as spelled out in the new District Maintenance Agreement with the city. Loria said an audit is a good idea since the LED lights the DDA put up to save money isn’t saving money but costing more;
• Heard Councilman Fielder say he just signed about a dozen city checks to DTE for each street light by individual address. Thompson said they are billed by the address of transformers for several street lights in groups. She said DTE can’t tell the city which poles run off which transformers. She said there are 10 to 12 bills each month. Kollmeyer said the city now has a new DTE customer service agent and maybe she’ll be better to deal with than the last one, who retired;
• Discussed Horizon Park lakeside security, with Thompson saying that Police Chief Hal Berriman asked her who was going to monitor any cameras or motion detectors. And, he asked if they would write trespass tickets and how and who would enforce this. Thompson said geese or raccoons could set off sensors and asked if they could look at signage and a re-education about why the city has a handicap kayak/canoe launch. She said the launch is not intended for hanging, swinging, climbing on it. She suggested a YouTube video showing why it is there and a panel in the park kiosk. Also, a “see something, say something” drive could be started. She said, “We need to show that when you don’t have it, you cut out use for a group of people.” Ruth Kissell suggested having teens do a neighborhood watch and tell other teens not to play on it. Thompson suggested this might be a good community project for New Tech, which does project-based education at the high school;
• Heard Kissell say that the residents of Victoria Commons would like to move the fountain from the front pond to a smaller pond and put bubblers in front to keep the algae from growing and keep the smell down. Loria asked them to contact the city and DPW Director Rick Rutherford would go out and look at it and make a recommendation. Williams said the pine trees in the park there are aging and deteriorating and Loria said the DDA wouldn’t be interested in cutting any down unless there was a danger. Fielder said if Victoria Commons would rather have bubblers, that’s what the DDA prefers. “Today we want bubblers; last time they wanted fountains,” Mayor Conley said; and
• Heard Parks & Recreation chairman Jeff Vernon report they unloaded mulch that morning at Victory Park and in the afternoon 64 volunteers arrived to spread it under the play equipment and they were done by 5 p.m. He said Kona Ice and Comcast participated and Gardner’s Choice got the mulch for them. He said kids six to seven-years old were there with rakes. Thompson said they spread 64 cubic yards and it has been 134 cubic yards in the past. She said she and Rutherford will look at the park to see what more is needed and get prices, which they’ll bring to the next meeting. She suggested they get mulch delivered when the city’s summer interns are in place to sp