Grace Baptist pastor asks city council to not promote alcohol

Grace Baptist Church Pastor Robert White again asked the Belleville City Council not to promote alcohol use in the city park next to his church.
He spoke at the council’s regular meeting on Monday, May 16, and began his remarks after former Mayor Tom Fielder announced that alcohol was the single greatest abused substance out there, above the addictive drugs. Fielder said that was announced at the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority meeting he attended earlier that day.
The subject was not on the original agenda, but Mayor Pro-Tem Ken Voigt requested adding a discussion of the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) now in place. This was so Pastor White could give his views.
“Pastor White has expressed concerns about his church,” Voigt said. “It is a bit cumbersome to change the borders of DORA. It’s quite a lot of work. And there are three new licenses on Liberty Street that are requesting DORA.”
Pastor White stood and said that the Methodist Church supports his comments that were reported in the Independent from a previous meeting.
He said he wants to go back to what Fielder reported about the dangers of alcohol. He said it is a mystery to him why the city would support the use of alcohol.
Under state law, those businesses with liquor licenses can request certification to sell liquor in specially marked cups that people can drink in districts laid out by the municipality, drinking while walking around outside. The recent enactment of an expanded DORA district includes all of Horizon Park, which borders Pastor White’s home and church.
Pastor White said the previous Tuesday, it was 90 degrees and the park was full of people enjoying the park, boats on the lake, people on the island, small kids, babies in the park, thoroughly enjoying the safety and what the city has provided. He said there is Music on the Lake where 200-250 people come (“We counted.”) to enjoy the music.
“I just don’t understand why we need alcohol in the park,” he said. “The park was off limits for alcohol and now we’re putting it in.” He said the district goes up High Street and down Roys Street back to Main and it is across his yard.
He questioned what would keep people from taking their special cups and refilling them from other sources until they get drunk.
“Why are we enhancing that?” he asked, noting that the library is completed and kids are using the library and then going from the library to the park through his yard. He’s asked them to use the alley instead. He said the alcohol at the park is a danger to them.
He said he can see the district going to Johnny’s and the restrooms, but not the park.
Voigt explained that DORA was generated during the pandemic to help the restaurants with bars. Mayor Kerreen Conley said Belleville was the first place in the state to get a DORA. It has a sunset and the DORA law will go away if the legislature does not extend it.
City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson said the legislature is considering making it permanent because it has brought no problems. He said since DORA was enacted his department has not issued one citation for anyone, no disorderly people. He said his reserve officers are out there and there have been no problems.
“I very much respect your comments, Pastor,” said Chief Robinson. “If someone wants to come to Music Lakeside with a drink, they won’t be able to do that without DORA. I appreciate churches. We don’t let people litter, but we’re not always there.”
He said the issue for him is what do the constituents want. Robinson said that he’s not implying the pastor’s words shouldn’t be taken into consideration, but the city is not having problems with DORA.
Councilwoman Amy Henry said eliminating DORA from the park would hurt Lake Fest.
“A man does not become a drunk if he doesn’t take the first drink,” Pastor White said. “We started the DORA district to help the restaurants with bars. Why do we need to support them now? They are packed with people.”
He said they have had DORA for two years and 13 years of Music Lakeside at the park that drew crowds.
“We don’t need liquor to draw them … We’re taking baby steps right now … we’re opening up to alcohol … a situation where we’re providing alcohol for people to do this…”
Councilwoman Henry asked if Pastor White was upset with St. Anthony for having alcohol at the Strawberry Festival and he said he was.
“I’m against alcohol,” he said, noting he has seen families ruined. “I’m upset with St. Anthony as far as providing it at Strawberry Festival.”
After more discussion, it was noted the city wouldn’t seek to change the DORA district until after the three bars in the new shopping center near the bridge have their approvals from the state and that is expected in June. Then they will go through the complex process of changing the borders to include them and other changes could be considered.
In other business at the May 16 one-hour-and-21-minute meeting, the council:
• Presented separate proclamations honoring the police and public service departments and passed resolutions naming May 15-21 as Police Week in Belleville and May 1-7 as Public Service Recognition Week;
• Heard the Mayor announce that the city missed the deadline for the August election of a charter commission and this will go on the November ballot. She said they still need residents to agree to work on the charter and be put on that ballot for election. The last charter was dated 1985;
• Heard City Manager/Police Chief Robinson report that all the remediation is done on the building next door and there is no roof on it. DPW director Rick Rutherford said the demolition permit was issued earlier that day and they had filled three dumpsters a day as the workers cleared it out readying for demolition;
• Was told the Belleville Yacht Club is building a flail mower to clean the steep shoreline between the gazebo and W. Huron River Drive on a volunteer basis. The special mower is on back order;
• Approved a resolution to request $250,000 in funding from the MDOT Transportation Economic Development Fund Category B Program to remove and replace concrete roadway on a portion of Harbour Pointe Dr., from Huron River Drive to Breakwater Drive, as well as a portion of Light Tower Drive from Harbour Pointe Drive to Bay Pointe Drive. The matching grant — $250,000 plus the $250,000 from the city — would not cover the engineering costs of $70,000, so the project would cost the city $320,000 from local street funds. The city should know if the grant application was successful by fall, Rutherford said;
• Discussed categories in the DPW daily logs as presented by Deputy City Manager Tim McLeary. The DPW has been preparing the logs since April 24 to see where the work is in the Downtown Development Authority district, since the DDA is paying for maintenance in its district;
• Discussed the proposed sanitation fund rate hike and when no residents had any problems with the users paying the higher cost from Republic Services, unanimously voted to raise the per household rate from $15.30 to $20.70 per month. The monthly user rate hasn’t increased since Nov. 1, 2022, although the rates from Republic had gone up steadily. City Manager/Chief Robinson said he had sent out a letter to all residents apprising them of the rate increase and inviting them to that night’s meeting to comment on the subject;
• Voted to move the proposed June 1 budget meeting to 6 p.m., June 6 before the regular 7:30 p.m. meeting so it wouldn’t be on the same night as the Museum Visioning meeting. The museum meeting is being held by Van Buren Township from 5-7 p.m. on June 1 at the Belleville Area District Library;
• Heard Robinson announce that the city has learned it will receive a $40,000 Summer Youth Grant from the Detroit Wayne Mental Heath Authority and will be able to hire about ten workers between the ages of 14 and 26. Those interested are asked to apply so the list will be ready when the money arrives, he said;
• Heard Mayor Conley announce that she has been working on a Council of Western Wayne committee on the Great Lakes Water Authority issue with Highland Park. She said the state has made progress and has let Highland Park know they have to pay. Belleville voted to put the funds for Highland Park costs in escrow and 16 other communities have done the same, she said; and
• Heard Mayor Conley say that the council had said it would talk about water billing and if anyone wanted to go back to monthly billings. The bills now are bi-monthly. Peggy Voigt said she would like an auto-pay option. She said Van Buren Township does that. Most of those in the audience agreed that bi-monthly was better than monthly. Mayor Pro-Tem Voigt said he would like to see a survey on the issue.