City council votes to complete purchase of 330 Charles St.

After a 35-minute closed-door session on March 17, the Belleville City Council voted unanimously to have the city manager move forward on the purchase of 330 Charles St. for a new city hall.
The 8,000-square-foot former Post Office building was approved for purchase for $850,000 on Feb. 6, and 60 days of due-diligence was included in the agreement along with a $25,000 in-earnest payment.
The follow-up list for Monday’s meeting, put together by city manager Jason Smith, said the deadline to close on the purchase is April 15.
At the Feb. 3 meeting, councilwoman Julie Kissel voted against making an offer on the site, later saying she objected to the speed of the decision. She joined in the Feb. 6 council vote to purchase the property.
City manager Jason Smith put the final purchase on the March 3 city council agenda, with information stating the closing could be March 18, but it was removed from the agenda without comment.
City manager Smith said in the March 3 packet information for that agenda item that after approval they will post bid packets on BidNet immediately so that the city can begin the process of selecting contractors and beginning to schedule work.
When Mayor Ken Voigt called for the closed-door session at the beginning of Monday’s meeting, he told those present that they would only have to leave the room for about five minutes. The meeting room was crowded because Boy Scouts and their parents were present. The scouts were seeking a merit badge which required attending a council meeting.
Chairs were carried out into the hallway for those who had to wait and the doors were closed. The doors were closed for more than half an hour.
After the doors reopened and Councilman Jeremiah Beebe made the motion to have the city manager proceed with the purchase, the unanimous vote proceeded, and then nothing more was said on the subject until the end of the meeting.
Mayor Voigt said he believed this would be a watershed year for Belleville, with the city seriously entering into a road improvement program and having a new city hall.
At the Feb. 6 meeting, Mayor Voigt said they are taking 60 days to make sure it’s right. He also said he wanted an estimate on how much it would take to renovate the building for city use.
In other business at the 51-minute meeting on March 17, the council:
• Heard the owner of The Hair Station at 151 Main St., say that employees of the Main Street Pups business a few doors down are parking in front of her business all day and her customers can’t park there. She said she talked to them and was told they can’t tell their employees where to park. She said she went to city hall and talked to a police officer, asking if she could buy the parking spots in front of her business for customer parking. She said she was criticized on social media because an 84-year-old woman had to walk from the parking lot behind The Hair Station to get her hair done. She said the Bariatrics business isn’t operating now and the employees could park in front of that business next door. Mayor Voigt said the council had a similar complaint about business parking on Main Street a couple of meetings ago and the administration is looking at whether to put time restrictions on parking;
• Approved the Buddy Poppy sales by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Polish Legion of American Veterans on May 8-10 at Five Points and the Main/High intersection, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., to raise money for their worthy causes;
• Approved the flower sale fund raiser for Boy Scouts of America (Scouting America) Troop 793 selling hanging and potted flowers on the Fourth Street Square from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 10;
• Approved the Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans Memorial on High Street at 11 a.m., May 26, to honor and remember veterans, with speakers and presentations, including wreath placement;
• Heard Mayor Voigt remind everyone of the Vietnam Veteran ceremony from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, March 21, at Belleville High School. He and councilman Beebe will take part in the event;
• Heard city manager Smith say the water meter installations are 72.44% complete and they have learned how to have the information pop up if meters haven’t been installed at a site when someone comes in to pay a water bill. There are no emails or phone numbers on some accounts. He said the proposed BS&A addition is being dropped because it does not communicate both ways and ti was taken off the follow-up list. He also reminded the council he will be gone on Tuesday and Wednesday to a Michigan Municipal League meeting; and
• Heard councilwoman Kissel say she is sorry another light pole was hit in front of Hayward’s. Mayor Voigt that that light pole has probably been hit 15 times over the years. He asked if a bollard could be put up in front of it to protect it. In her Department of Public Services report, DPS director Melissa Frierson said police informed her a drunk driver took out the light pole. DPW and Snider Electric teams replaced it. Related sign replacement is scheduled for a later date.