City Council agrees to go back to monthly utility billings

The Belleville City Council approved going back to monthly utility billing at its regular meeting Sept. 3.
The billings also will include a monthly newsletter to go out with information on leaf collection program, leaf repairs, and other projects.
City manager Jason Smith said the last city manager instituted a bimonthly billing, but for those living paycheck to paycheck it is difficult, so he recommends the monthly billing.
KCI does the city’s utility billing and it gave a quote on an 8.5”x11” piece of paper. Councilwoman Julie Kissel has volunteered to edit the newsletter. Smith said he would write it.
The KCI quote was for processing the newsletter by folding it and putting it in the envelope for $573.77 and adding postage of $600, which is what the city pays now for postage. It does not have a bulk mail designation. The cost of billings now is paid out of the water/sewer department budget.
Smith said they should wait until they have all the new meters installed before beginning and that would be about the first of January. A fall newsletter would announce leaf pickup.
KCI’s quote was approved by the council. Mayor Pro-Tem Kelly Bates was absent and excused from the meeting.
In other business at the one-hour-five-minute meeting, the council:
• Held a public hearing on the Five-Year Parks Plan Refresh without comment. City manager Jason Smith said there was no public input in the 30 days it was out for review. He said it will be sent to the DNR and the city will qualify for park grants;
• Voted to hold a joint meeting at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 2, between the city council, planning commission, and Downtown Development Authority to discuss the master plan;
• Approved in a consent-agenda vote, a Pop-Up Market sponsored by the Belleville Central Business Community from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 19 and Oct. 17 in the Fourth Street Square. This would include some 12 to 15 vendors and farmers that also go to the farmers market, to enhance the Third Thursday special shopping evening. Just two stores now participate in the Third Thursday event;
• Approved in a consent-agenda vote, the Egan’s Pub annual Witches Ball from 7 p.m. to midnight on Oct. 18 on the Fourth Street Square under a tent. About 150 costumed women are expected to attend to celebrate Halloween and raise money for Guiding Harbor;
• Approved on a consent-agenda vote Egan’s Pub annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration from noon to 10 p.m. on March 17, 2025 at the Fourth Street Square where a tent will be erected. About 400 to 500 people are expected throughout the day;
• Took no action on a proposal to repair the rear city hall parking lot where police officers park. The area is prone to flooding, has dips, and fall hazards, Smith said. Smith presented a repair quote from CB Asphalt Paving for grading and putting gravel on the area for $6,500 and for grading and then asphalting for $17,500. Mayor Voigt said he doesn’t know how long it will be before they leave city hall, so paving isn’t a good option. He said he would like to try doing the repair work in house, reminding Smith that anything over $5,000 requires a sealed bid. Smith will look into options;
• Tabled to the next meeting a proposal to install a whole-house generator for the fire department. They had received three quotes: $29,925 from Preventive Maintenance, $42,344 from Allied Building Servicees, and $20,016 from AAA Service Network, plus a gas meter upgrade from DTE, which is about $200. Mayor Voigt said before they make a decision he would like to have the whole cost, plus the DTE part. He said he can’t believe the fire department has not had a generator for so long. He said they have a fire call and electricity is out, they would have to pull out the generator, start it and to open the door to go on a run;
• Approved accounts payable and departmental expenditures more than $500, including to Advanced Underground Inspection of $4,218.75 for sewer inspection and cleaning at Church and Third Street and $5,500.95 for sewer cleaning and TV in Victoria Commons; and to Williams Emergency Vehicles, $15,459.19 for outfitting 2024 police department Tahoe vehicle #225;
• Heard Darlene Slupski, secretary of the Senior Co-Op on Sumpter Road tell of their problem with the lot next door to the co-op owned by Davenport Brothers Construction that had weeds, equipment, bricks, piles of gravel. She said it took three calls to the police department before the lot was mowed. She said they have fears of mice, rats, snakes, and allergies. She presented a petition signed at their meeting asking the city to help. City manager Jason Smith said this situation is on the city’s radar. He said Davenport’s permit to build at that site has now expired and now they have to start over. She was told to give the petition to the city manager;
• Heard Chuck Johnson, who was present with his wife Angie, ask for information on the radioactive waste coming to the hazardous landfill. Mayor Voigt advised them to attend the town hall at Wayne County Community College the next day to get the details. He said he didn’t want to tell them anything that might not be exactly accurate since the landfill isn’t in the city. [The Johnsons had tried to attend a regular Van Buren Township meeting earlier in the day, but found once they got there that it had been cancelled due to lack of an agenda. The Johnsons were leaving on vacation before the WCCC town hall and hoped the city could explain the situation.];
• Heard Carol Caldwell of Harbour Pointe Drive ask why her roadway is not being paved at the subdivision because she has huge holes and rocks thrown into her yard. Mayor Voigt said the city can’t afford to do more than the horseshoe streets planned. City manager Smith said they got a grant for $175,000 and will clean out the street funds available. The total project would be $750,000. Mayor Voigt said all streets in the city are in bad condition because they have been let go year after year. He said her subdivision is the worst and the city’s engineer said the horseshoe is the worst. Caldwell said the engineer needs to be fired. Mayor Voigt said they are trying to do it without raising taxes and there are other streets they are targeting. He asked her to give the city manager her address and the city will address her hole;
• Heard city manager Smith report the Harbour Pointe work will be done by October. He said they will work on one lane at a time to allow access and cure time is five days. Trash carts have been delivered to all of Belle Villa and Priority Waste will pick up empty containers on Sept. 9. He said the alley from Wabash to Henry was torn up today in order to grade it and gravel it and asphalt or pave it with asphalt or cement with leftovers from the other street work. Sidewalk work has started and they are looking at trees. He said he and the mayor will be at the Michigan Municipal League conference on Mackinac Island Sept. 11-13;
• Heard councilman Randy Priest report he was out walking his dog and he almost fell on his face because of a sidewalk that was greatly uneven;
• Heard councilwoman Kissel say the Fourth Street Square clock needs to be fixed. Assistant city manager Steve Jones said he will find out how to fix it. The controls are in the base of the clock, he said. Kissel also said in her volunteer work at city hall, she has found blueprints that the city no longer needs to retain and she will work at giving them back to the homeowners;
• Heard Mayor Voigt say he is encouraged about the city’s new newsletter because the city is not communicating well with its people. He said they will use social media, website, and newsletter as well as the newspaper. He said he has had nothing but good experience with the kids at the high school and “The Dance Team is very cool.” He said the Veteran Banners will be going up and those interested can submit applications to the city’s treasurer’s office to apply for a banner.