City Council recognizes Auxiliary as non-profit for fund-raising event

In order for the Belleville Fire Auxiliary to be able to hold a 50-50 raffle at its upcoming Firefighters’ Ball, the city council had to recognize the group as a non-profit organization.
At its regular meeting Monday, the council voted unanimously to recognize the group, which has 501c (3) designation, as non-profit. This approval will now be sent to the state so it can approve the charitable gaming license for the raffle.
Kimberly Keenmon said the ball, to raise money for the fire department, will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Holiday Inn-Belleville on Sept. 26.
Tickets are $60 each or $100 a couple and they hope to get 150 people to attend, Keenmon said, adding, “We’re crossing our fingers.”
For those wishing to donate items for a raffle, email [email protected] .
In other business at Monday’s 23-minute meeting the council:
• Heard DPW Director Keith Tackett report on the new playscape being assembled at Village Park. He said most of the primary structure is up and more pieces would be delivered and on Thursday the safety mulch was to be installed. He said then the cement path from the restroom and parking lot to the playscape will be poured. He estimated the playscape will be up and ready to go a week from Friday. The ADA-accessible playscape is being financed through federal Community Development Block Grant funds;
• Learned the young people working for the city under a grant are doing wonderful work. Among many other projects, they helped pour the cement for headstone bases at the cemetery and worked at pulling out weeds and cleaning up areas that the city staff didn’t have time to do. They also helped with the playscape erection. The city will write a letter to the grant organization to tell them how much the young workers are appreciated and to encourage them to offer grants next year, too;
• Approved accounts payable of $220,642.33 and purchases in excess of $500: to Blue Ribbon for sewer repair (Water Dept.), $2,000; to Hennessey Engineers for gas main inspection (trust), $8,976; to Hennessey for engineering services for joint & crack sealing (Major/Local street funds), $1,240; to Hennessey for engineering services for Village Park Playscape (CDBG), $2,999; to Morton Salt for road salt (Major/Local street funds), $12,804; to SEMCOG for annual dues (general fund), $740; and to WWC Fire Dept., dues (general fund/fire), $2,319.29; and
• Went into closed-door session to discuss the status and strategy of pending union negotiations and then adjourned without taking any action.