Earlier this year, Belleville City Councilwoman Kim Tindall said she didn’t like the Strawberry Festival using City Hall as its official address.
She was told the festival would change its address after the event in June, but that didn’t happen.
On Tuesday, (Sept. 7) Councilwoman Tindall said the Strawberry Festival website still says the festival’s office is at 6 Main Street. She said the festival has been over for more than six weeks.
“Why are they still housed at 6 Main?” she asked.
Former Mayor Tom Fielder, who is now president of the Strawberry Festival, said it was discussed at the meeting after the festival. The next meeting is at 5:30 p.m., Sept. 20, at Victory Station.
He said the festival hired a webmaster to revise what’s on the web and “it’s news to me” that it wasn’t changed.
Tindall said the situation was brought to Fielder’s attention in March. She pointed out the website has had changes, but not the address.
“We were assured this would be done,” Tindall said, adding she has a problem with the Strawberry Festival claiming City Hall as its office.
Fielder said he would check with the director.
“I don’t have a computer and don’t look at the website,” Fielder explained.
Tindall said she didn’t blame Fielder. She said the mayor said it would be taken care of.
“You assured me and this body it would be taken care of,” she said to Mayor Richard Smith, asking if the council had to wait two weeks before it is addressed.
Fielder said he would call Executive Director Darlene Bodnar immediately on the matter.
“The mayor and I attended the same meeting and we were told it would be taken care of,” Fielder said.
Resident Mike Renaud asked if the festival has a new address.
Fielder said there was a request to the Chamber of Commerce to use its building and the chamber wanted to discuss it at its retreat in August and hasn’t met since.
Tindall said the chamber address of 248 Main Street is used by Sharon Pokerwinski for festival vendors on the website, with the festival office listed as 6 Main.
Fielder agreed it should be consistent.
Council candidate Jack Loria asked if using the address costs the city any money and City Manager Diana Kollmeyer said since the festival is over, there is no mail coming in that needs to be handled and so there is no cost to the city.
Renaud said he thought it was an inappropriate use of city funds.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for a non profit to say this is their office,” Tindall said, adding other non-profits would like to claim 6 Main as their addresses, too.
Resident John Juriga said he had another problem with the Strawberry Festival and said he spoke to the executive director in July about it. He referred to the tape markings on the curb put in place by the festival and still there.
Tindall said she had that on her list to speak about, as well. She said the council was assured the streetscape would not be harmed, but now “we have these little white blobs.”
In other business, the council:
• Approved the dates for the second-annual ArtAffair on Main as Saturday, July 28, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, July 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The council approved closing Main Street for the event and Fourth Street to the alley, so those attending the Garden Walk on Sunday could have access to the library to pick up their tickets. The Belleville Area Council for the Arts also would have use of the Fourth Street Square for children’s activities. Steve Jones, chairman of ArtAffair 2012, said the date needed to be finalized early in order to plan ahead;
• Approved an agreement for SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation) municipal credits of $3,914 to be used for the Senior/Disabled Transportation Program with a local match of $4,501 funded with the senior transportation budget. The contract is for July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012;
• Approved the closing of Fourth Street from Main to Charles, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., for Harvest Fest activities on Oct. 8;
• Extended the time for consideration of the International Fire Code for an additional 60 days until the principals in the discussion – City Manager Kollmeyer, Council Members Jim Shrove and Tindall, and Fire Chief Lee Grant — could meet and bring a recommendation to the city council. The group’s next meeting is set for Oct. 1;
• Approved accounts payable of $562,831.07 and the following departmental purchases in excess of $500: $506.01 to Barrett Paving for cold patch; not to exceed $2,500 to S&J Asphalt for crack seal of asphalt roads; and $603.65 to Superior Services for repair of street sweeper;
• Heard DPW Director Keith Boc report that he gave permits to DTE/MichCon to tear up portions of the streetscape because they were federally mandated to install anodes in their gas-line systems. He said he contacted them before the streetscape was installed to ask them if they needed to do anything and they didn’t. He said they have a bond with the city and this will pay for the city’s contractors to come in and repair the streetscape. Boc said they have to test continuity in that pipe and run an electrical charge. If it fails, they have to put anodes in. During the streetscape construction the tests were OK. Now, it’s not OK and they need the anodes. The test results change from year to year, Boc said;
• Heard Boc say the burned-out laundromat demolition is expected to be complete by Sept. 7. It started on Sept. 6, on schedule;
• Heard the council welcome an Australian Shepherd named Sky who started out as a family pet and now is being trained to assist people. He will be one year old on Saturday;
• Heard council members encourage people to remember those who lost their lives and those who helped in the 9-11 attack;
• Heard Mayor Pro Tem Rick Dawson encourage people to buy T-shirts in support of the Fire Department; and
• Went into closed session to discuss strategy for pending litigation, “on the basis that an open meeting would have a detrimental financial impact on the position of the city in the litigation.”