By Emily Flesch
Independent Reporter
Four of Belleville’s finest and bravest were honored at the July 20 regular meeting of the Belleville City Council. Officers Chad Adam, Matt Vandeweghe, Nicholas Hill, and Firefighter Ray Martin were presented with Life Saving Awards by Police Chief Kris Faull for demonstrating “extraordinary courage, compassion, and selfless concern for the life of a Belleville business owner during a critical emergency.”
Faull noted that the life-saving call had occurred on Officer Nicholas Hill’s first day on the job; Hill was officially sworn in at the opening at Monday’s meeting.
Officer Nicholas Hill being sworn in.
July 20 also marked City Manager Brady Peck’s first day on the job. Peck spent the day with Mayor Ken Voight, getting shown around and introduced to local officials. “I didn’t meet with everyone today, but thank you to everyone I did meet with, it’s been great,” reported Peck.
Peck’s selection process was brought up during the Citizen Comment portion of the meeting, with a question regarding why they chose him over other candidates with more experience. There was also a concern that a candidate’s personal life and sexuality may have influenced their decision.
Mayor Ken Voigt responded that the decision was ultimately based on qualifications, education and experience, as well as which candidate would stay in the position long-term, given the recent city manager turnover.
“It’s a very difficult decision and it’s not one that we want to take lightly,” said Voigt, noting that any candidate’s personal life “wasn’t a factor in the decision.”
Councilmember Randy Priest voiced that he had some concerns that the community might not understand the process and previously requested that the meeting minutes of June 13 and June 22 be amended. While they do not detail the entire process, Priest said they give insight into what each council member was thinking. These minutes are available at bellevilleonthelake.com/meetings.
In other business at the 1-hour and 44 minute meeting, the council:
- Saw a presentation by Waterworth representatives regarding water/sewer rate findings and three possible rate increase scenarios;
- Approved the purchase of two Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for the Municipal Building in the amount of $240 per month ($2,880 per year) from Cintas to replace the current outdated models;
- Deferred a vote amending the water service agreement between the City of Belleville and Great Lakes Water Authority until Aug. 3;
- Entered a closed session under MCL 15.268(e) to discuss pending litigation with legal counsel and took no formal action upon returning;
- Was updated that DTE is open to attending a future council meeting to answer questions regarding power outages. Councilmember Kelly Bates noted that DTE customers who experienced outages and damages may be eligible for reimbursement credits and can file a claim at dteenergy.com (Business & Emergency Services > Damages & Reliability Credits);
- Responded to a citizen concern regarding people parking in a no-parking zone in front of the Veterans Memorial at Horizon Park and discussed possible solutions including posting signage, repainting the curb and increasing officers’ awareness of the area;
- Heard Councilmember Julie Kissel announce that tickets for the Belleville Public Safety Auxiliary “Touchdown for Safety” Tailgate Raffle are on sale for $10 each, available online via QR code or in person at the Monday night car show, with the proceeds being split to fund police body cameras and thermal cameras for the fire department; and
- Heard Mayor Voigt thank the police chief and city employees who helped distribute masks last week to aid residents dealing with smoke from the Canadian wildfires and stated that “this is something that we need to stay prepared for.”