City council votes 4-1 to hire advisor to run fire dept.

After another lengthy discussion on the fire department, the Belleville City Council at Monday’s regular meeting voted 4-1 to hire an outside advisor to direct the fire department for three months at a cost of $5,000, starting Dec. 1. The time period could be extended.
Mayor pro-tem Kelly Bates cast the only no vote.
The council was about to vote on the proposal by interim city manager Steve Jones, when Bates asked for the fire department to give the report she had asked for at previous meetings. Mayor Ken Voigt reluctantly allowed a representative of the fire department to speak before the vote.
The Jones proposal had been to reinstate the duty crews immediately, to hire Greg Flynn as an advisor for three months, and a possible extension of how far away duty crew members could live. He also recommended that police chief Kris Faull continue as interim public safety director, which includes police and fire.
Fire fighter Alice Reed stepped forward with a lengthy report on the suggestions the fire fighters had put together for the council, as requested by Bates.
At the end of the report, she said the recommendations of the fire fighters was to promote Chief 2 Chris Zweng to Chief 1; promote Lt. Landskroener to captain; appoint two lieutenants, put duty crews back in service at two days a week now, growing to three, to five, to seven; establish an evening duty shift; a quarterly bonus for fire fighters; sign-on bonuses and years-of-service awards; create a senior firefighter position for mid-level advancement; and quarterly meetings with members of the city council to find out what the council is thinking about the fire service.
Zweng rose at the end to explain only two fire fighters live in the city and that Reed’s report was done in collaboration with all the fire fighters. He said a week ago, at a special workshop, fire fighters were asked to put together a report by that Wednesday and they had it by Wednesday. He said some of the information was not available to them, however.
“We’re not in it for the money,” Zweng said. “We’re in it to protect your community … Let us do this.”
Mayor Voigt called out, “Stop!” to Zweng.
The mayor said the council appreciates the report and there were many good ideas. He said everything had been rehashed, referring to the lengthy discussion at a previous council meeting, followed by a special workshop on the department.
Voigt said the city has come up with the money to reinstate a duty crew and a quarterly progress report is a good idea.
But he insisted they need to have someone come in and help the city and they can’t just do it the way it’s always been done, referring to taking the next in line for chief.
“It has to be a process,” he said. “Not the way it’s been done in the past. We’re looking for best practices.”
Councilman Jeremiah Beebe spoke about grants and asked whether the city’s grant writer looked for grants for the fire department. Jones replied, “Not really.”
Beebe also said he was under the impression the advisor would be present at that meeting. He said any time you’re asking for money for a person, that person should be present. He referred to the “hiring freeze” referenced by fire fighters, and that Jones had said wasn’t really a “hiring freeze.” The fire fighters had said there are three in line waiting to be hired and Jones said they could process them.
It was pointed out that the proposed advisor had been before the council when he gave the original report on the fire department.
Mayor Voigt said they don’t really need to vote on reinstating the duty crew, since that can be done administratively. And, he said, Faull already is serving as interim public safety director.
So, the motion to hire the advisor for three months, with the possibility of extension, was made by Beebe and seconded by councilman Randy Priest. Voting yes were Beebe, Priest, Voigt, and councilwoman Julie Kissel. Voting no was Bates.
At the end of the meeting, Bates said she would make sure the new advisor had a copy of the fire fighters’ report so he could put it next to the report he had given to the city, so the two proposals are “married.”
Kissel said the advisor would be on duty as of Dec. 1 and, “There’s nothing like this in the archives. A first!”
Beebe said he voted for the advisor because he was tired of going around and around. He apologized to the fire fighters and said the city shouldn’t hurry to put the duty crew back in because it could just end up with the problems they have now.
In other business at Monday’s one-and-a-half-hour meeting, the council:
• Heard interim public safety director/chief Faull announce that fire fighter Isabella Teachout learned she had passed her final test and now is an EMT. Faull also said Belleville will be taking part in the shop with a cop the week of Dec. 16 and, while Meijer and Walmart donate to the project every year, this year the city school resource officer got another $2,400 from Walmart and $2,500 from J&T Crova for the event;
• Approved the Holiday Train Viewing party at 149 South St. this Saturday, Nov. 22. There will be commissary businesses and a lot of food while people wait for the decorated train to go past on the tracks;
• Heard Bates tell the details of this year’s holiday lights contest. She said council members will travel around separate areas of the city to judge the best lights on Dec. 5-7 and report winners to the Independent on Dec. 8, so pictures can be taken. Awards will be given to winners at the Dec. 15 council meeting. Categories will be Harbour Pointe, Victoria Commons, mobile home parks, downtown, and remainder of the city;
• Heard Stephanie Osborn of Giffels and Webster consultants ask for suggestions on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan she had presented to the planning commission the previous week and to the council that evening. Kissel suggested changes. Osborn said the plan will go out by Dec. 6 to surrounding communities for 30-day review period and then be back to the city council in January for adoption so it can get to the DNR by Feb. 1;
• Voted to make new DPW director Nathaniel Johnson the city’s official representative to the Downriver Utilities Wastewater Authority. Johnson gave a report on the last DUWA meeting. He reported an announced 3.5% increase in cost to the 13 different communities who are part of the DUWA;
• Discussed voting on the mayor-pro-tem position, since this was the first meeting after the council election and the charter said that’s when a vote should be taken. When clerk/treasurer Briana Papin said she was unsure about putting something new on the agenda after it had been approved, the mayor said this could be voted on at the first meeting in December;
• Heard councilman Priest say he finally went over to look at the new city hall and he thinks the meeting room should have the council table on a riser so everyone can see them and they can better see the public. He also commended the fire department; and
• Heard mayor Voigt say he had attended the successful Van Buren Public School Foundation fundraiser at the BYC, the SEMCOG general assembly, and the veterans’ event at the high school that was not as well attended as it should be. He said councilman Priest’s idea to have a slightly raised council table in the new city hall is not what is planned. The “big room” will not be set up just for council meetings and will be used like the Cozaad room at the library.