City Council moves toward reopening city to summer events

At the May 4 regular meeting of the Belleville City Council, which was held virtually via Zoom, the council moved toward reopening the city to summer car shows.
Council members voted unanimously to hold the Main Street car show sponsored by Egan’s Pub and the Father’s Day car show sponsored by Steve Cinnamon.
After approving a Memorial Day event at Horizon Park, it was learned the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Polish League of American Veterans, who sponsor the ceremony, had already called it off. The request had been made on March 15 and no one from the VFW or PLAV was present to discuss the event. Mayor Kerreen Conley called Cornell Anton and she reported he said the Memorial Day event had been cancelled.
The request to sell Buddy Poppies this week end on the streets of Belleville was not approved, with the suggestion that it could be held later when it is safer. Reportedly Anton said the VFW and PLAV are not intending to do the poppy sales now and will wait until the governor lifts the ban. He said he let the city manager know this.
When considering the Main Street car show, that runs on Mondays from the first Monday in June to the last Monday in September, John Winter of Egan’s Pub, which sponsors the event, said he would like to get approval now, so as soon as the ban is lifted they can do the shows.
He said he would like to start the shows when they can do so safely. He said in the past they have shut down Main Street from Fifth to Third streets from 5 to 9 p.m., with the show running 6-8 p.m.
“A lot of people are dying to get their classic cars out now,” he said, noting he himself now has a classic car he’d like to get out.
He said June 1 is a Monday and if they can’t start the shows until late August, “We probably wouldn’t do it.”
He said he needs to talk to the police chief about having Police Reserves on hand and the car show goes well with the farmer’s market, which also needs approval.
Councilman Ken Voigt said he had the same feelings about the car show as he did about the veterans’ events and made a motion with the same conditions.
He moved the council approve the event and let the city manager be the arbiter, along with the department heads, on whether it can be done safely.
Councilman Tom Fielder said the farmer’s market has been a part of the car show for a few years now, so he asked to add the farmer’s market to the motion for approval and they did.
Winter said the Detroit farmer’s market is still going on so if the governor allows that, she would allow this farmer’s market. He said they sell fruits and vegetables and the prices are cheap and products fantastic.
Councilman Voigt said they should add to the motion that the council considers the possibility of closing Main Street at Second Street or Five Points to give the cars more room for distancing.
Winter said most cars are parked six to eight feet from each other anyway because the owners have thousands of dollars invested. He said most of the owners are senior citizens and they sit apart near their cars. He said many people come out to see the cars.
Voigt said if Winter doesn’t have enough space, he could limit the number of cars allowed and Winter said he had no problem with that.
Winter said the state is closed down until May 28 and could easily go into June.
“If the state says we can do it, we’ll do it,” he said.
Mayor Conley asked if this would interfere with the library whose front door is on Fourth Street.
Winter said he thinks the library closes at 5 p.m., so that wouldn’t be a problem. He said that was a good question and he would research it.
Fielder said the library was a legitimate issue, since he has learned the library may have a carry-out service where people order books and then pick them up from their cars on Fourth Street.
Winter said the new owner of the Bayou took over and was in business for a full two weeks before all the restaurants had to close.
“I feel for him,” Winter said.
The council voted unanimously in favor of the Main Street car show and farmer’s market, with details for safety being worked out with the city manager.
Then, Voigt made the same motion for the Father’s Day car show at Victory Park on June 21.
Fielder told Steve Cinnamon that he would have a big challenge with the space issue at Victory Park.
Voigt agreed that after the last couple months of being shut inside, crowds would turn out.
Cinnamon said 150 cars will fit in the park and he could pare that down to 80 or 90. Winter said Cinnamon could have his car show on Main Street, also, and Cinnamon said he would like more control.
Voigt said Cinnamon could go to Main Street if he wants to get more cars in the show.
Cinnamon said he got 180 cars in the park when his daughter got married and it was just 60 last year because it was cold and rainy.
“I’m OK with 60 or 70,” said Cinnamon, noting since the Strawberry Festival has been canceled there will be nothing else happening downtown that day.
Fielder said there is a state restriction on public playgrounds and Cinnamon said he could tape them off, but he drives past the park every day and there are people on the park benches and play equipment.
Police Chief Dave Robinson said since these are annual events it is important they be held this year. He asked Winter and Cinnamon to call him this week to discuss the details of their shows.
“No matter what the governor decides, I have a gut feeling social distancing will be around for a while,” Chief Robinson said, adding there is an added responsibility for the police to enforce laws when there are a lot of people. He said the police will enforce in an educational and advisory manner unless the person involved makes it otherwise.
Chief Robinson said in preparation he is interested in determining the number of spectators they expect. He said he wants to avoid having people crowding together.
The Father’s Day event also was approved unanimously with the stipulation details be worked out with the city administration.
In other business at the one-hour-and-13-minute meeting, the council:
• Heard interim city manager Tracey Schultz Kobylarz thank Carol Smith and Tina McGlynn for their service. They retired April 30. She also said that last week the city received a rather large donation of disposable masks and was able to give 500 to each of the senior living complexes. She said she wrote the COVID-19 Response Plan, required by the state, and filed it March 29. Then it was changed by the state and she resubmitted. Now, it has been changed by the state again and she is on version three. She said the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority is doing the “heavy lifting” on the plan, so it helps a lot.
• Heard Kobylarz report that they have found no need for layoffs that were discussed at the last meeting. She said, however, the MMRMA noted in a phone call that “if you have a fund balance, it’s raining.” She said they referred to a rainy-day fund. She also said she is looking at grants and forwarded information to both the police chief and fire chief and promised they will really be digging into grants;
• Heard Kobylarz report that one of the big things the council wanted was Nixle and Chief Robinson has finally locked it up. It will cost $2,600 in the first year and he will have it up and running soon;
• Heard Fielder report he hasn’t heard back on money for the summer employees and Kobylarz said she is going through a contact she has at Redford Township and she should know by the end of the week;
• Heard Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Marcotte recommend they set up a Belleville Cares Task Force, made up of the council and other groups in the city to promote businesses in the city. He said it would be a creative think tank which could meet virtually and get everyone on the same page. Mayor Conley agreed and said this is a grand opportunity to bring people together. Voigt also agreed;
• Heard Voigt announce that the banners with the Belleville High School senior pictures on them should be up in about ten days;
• Heard Winter say he has applied for grants for his business without success. He asked if the Downtown Development Authority can release any money to help businesses in the district. “Not us,” he said. “I think we’ll be OK, but there might not be a downtown. It’s very scary.” He said the insurance offices, barbers, and other shops might just go out of business. He said he asked DDA coordinator Carol Thompson about this a couple of weeks ago and he did not get an answer. He said all the businesses are bleeding money even though they are closed, because they still have to pay fees, keep the lights on, pay the water bills. He said Egan’s donated 17 gallons of bleach to the Van Buren Township Fire Department and they would like to donate in the city. “If we do things right, we can be a great community”;
• Heard Mayor Conley say she would work at getting a committee set up and it could look at alternatives to help people; and
• Heard DPW Director Rick Rutherford announce that as of Thursday the ban on construction was lifted. He asked for permission to go out for bids in the paper for the fence on top of the seawall and get the old fencing down. He said he doesn’t want to lose the grant they got, which was good through the end of July. He said he didn’t know if the state will extend the deadline, but he wants to use the grant. He also said there is a backlog of building permits pending, “but that’s a good thing.”
The next city council meeting will be at 6 p.m., Monday, May 11, via Zoom to discuss the budget. The next regular meeting is May 18 and it will be Zoom or live.