Belleville DDA approves offer on property after 42-minute closed session

After 42 minutes in a closed-door session during its regular meeting on Dec. 20, the Belleville Downtown Development Authority voted unanimously to follow through on what they had discussed in private and have city Administrative Assistant Steve Jones write up a contract.
This is the fourth closed-door meeting the DDA has held over the past few months to consider purchase of properties.
The only non-DDA members present in the Dec. 20 closed session were Realtor Glenn Silvenis, City Manager Jason Smith, City Clerk/Treasurer Briana Hootman, and Jones.
At its Nov. 15 meeting, the DDA had a similar closed session and came back into public session to direct the administrative staff to negotiate purchase of the properties discussed in closed session.
Closed-door session is legal under MCL 15.268(d) to consider the purchase or lease of real property up to the time an option to purchase or lease that real property is obtained.
The DDA had a half-hour closed session on Nov. 15 and voted to move forward with the purchase of property discussed in that closed session.
DDA chairperson Alicia McGovern responded to a question from the Independent, saying this was not the property at Third and Main, but another property. She said the Third and Main purchase has been delayed.
The minutes of the Oct. 18 meeting reported, after a 47-minute closed-door session, a motion passed unanimously to make an offer of $90,000 for the property located at the corner of Third Street and Main Street, pending appraisal and results of an environmental study on the land, with an allotted 180-day inspection period.
Paul Armstrong, a Realtor from NextHome Evolution of Belleville, was present for most of the Oct. 18 closed session
On Oct. 24, the DDA held another meeting, just for a 12-minute closed-door session, and adjourned without public action. On Nov. 15, the DDA voted to pay accounts payable that included payments of $2,300 and $1,600 on Nov. 3 to Collins Appraisal Group for appraisals of “improved commercial property.”
In other business at its Dec. 20 meeting, the DDA:
• Heard Jones give the Annual DDA Report for 2023, as required by law;
• Approved the regular 2024 meeting dates. The meetings are at 6 p.m. on the third Wednesdays of each month;
• Heard chairperson Alicia MGovern welcome new DDA members: Mayor Ken Voigt, John Winter, Mike Gatteri, and Chris Donley. She said she will meet with the new members to see on what committees they wish to serve;
• Heard Treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams suggest having a card with discounts on it to encourage people to shop locally, especially in the restaurants;
• Learned the chairperson’s daughter Rachel is a member of the budget and finance committee. Since no more than four DDA members can serve on a committee without posting them as public meetings under the Open Meetings Act, the DDA is inviting others to join the committees;
• Heard Richardson-Williams, the only member of the Events/Culture and Arts committee, say she would like to partner with the library on art projects and she would like to have a party in the alley for teenagers in 2024;
• Was reminded that election of officers will take place at the Jan. 17 meeting. The DDA attorney will also be at that meeting to refresh everyone about the law;
• Was informed that vice-chairperson Kelly McWilliams paid for the bleachers for Winterfest out of her pocket and needs to be reimbursed;
• Heard Mayor Voigt said this is his third go-round with the DDA and he has served 18 years so far. He said he was at the second meeting after the DDA formed in 1985. He said he would like one or two DDA members to work on the city’s Parks Commission which is being revitalized. He said they are working on a parks masterplan to be eligible for grants. Also, the city is close to the end of its IT nightmare and it will have a bullet-proof system and “no more nonsense,” he said;
• Was reminded of the DDA strategy session from 9 to 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Belleville Area District Library; and
• Heard Winter say this is first time he’s seen the full DDA – all nine members – at a meeting. Donley said due to previous commitments he will miss the next two meetings. Gatteri said he would like to meet with each DDA member personally and get to know their ideas.