City Council approves Trick or Treating downtown on Oct. 31

The annual downtown Trick or Treating event for children was set for 5 to 7 p.m. on Halloween, Oct. 31, by the Belleville City Council at Monday’s regular meeting.
City Manager Diana Kollmeyer said there was some discussion as to whether the event was put on by the city or the Belleville Central Business Community, but the city decided to establish the date.
Councilman Jesse Marcotte asked if there had been any issues of safety since Main Street is not closed down for the event.
Police Chief Hal Berriman said there have been no safety issues and the city has been doing it this way for years without incident. He said the groups of trick or treaters seem to travel in a counter-clockwise way throughout the downtown.
City Manager Kollmeyer said there is tape put up along the Main Street curbs to keep the kids from darting across and there is a lot of police presence, including reserve officers.
“I’ve always been for closing the street,” said Fire Chief Brian Loranger. “But, this works now. It may not always work.”
Councilman Tom Fielder said several Halloween and Booville events were approved by the council in January, but they failed to mention the costume contest at the Fourth Street Square during Trick or Treat. The council approved the contest being added to Halloween events.
Paul Henning, representing the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce, said they were looking at things to use the Booville tent for at the Fourth Street Square and came up with, at the last minute, two Animal Magic shows on Saturday, Oct. 7. There will be free shows at noon and 1:30 p.m.
The council approved the use of the Fourth Street Square for the shows.
In other business at Monday’s 22-minute meeting, the council:
• Approved accounts payable of $100,702.16 and the following purchase in excess of $500: to Wise Technologies, $607.50 for hardware/software support for the various departments;
• Heard Building Official Rick Rutherford report that the city has started marking spots for sidewalk repair and plans to split the city into four zones. The first zone will be repaired this fall and the other three in the spring;
• Heard Kollmeyer remind everyone that the Master Plan Visioning session will be held at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 10, at the Belleville High School Commons. Later, Mayor Kerreen Conley encouraged everyone to come to the session so the city officials will know what residents want for their city; and
• Heard Fire Chief Loranger ask about the status of the green building on East Huron River Drive and Rutherford reported that the city continues having a problem with finding the owner of record. All notices have come back undeliverable, he said, and the city may have to go through the court. The Estate of Chesley Odom said it gave up on that building, and the county wouldn’t claim it, but then the county sold it at auction, and after sending two certified letters to the buyer, they are unable to continue. Kollmeyer said the city has been paying to keep the property mowed. The mayor and city manager agreed it was time to get the city attorney involved to decide what to do next.