Belleville City Council considers way to mark outdoor drinking area

Under state law, there has to be signs that show where the BORA-DORA district starts and stops in the City of Belleville and at the March 21 regular meeting of the city council several ways were considered.
The Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) was signed into law as the “cocktails to go” law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in June 2020 and immediately adopted by Belleville which added the Belleville Outdoor Refreshment Area (BORA) to its name.
John and Jennifer Winter of Egan’s Pub worked hard to get the DORA social district into effect to help their business survive during the pandemic. Egan’s was the first business in town to become a qualified licensee.
Patrons are able to buy a specially marked cup for an alcoholic beverage from a licensee that would allow them to walk and drink throughout the district.
The district now includes the Fourth Street Square and Fourth Street Place, Main Street from High to Third streets, Roys and High streets as far as Church Street and Horizon Park as far as Church Street.
A plan to include the shopping center now under construction next to the bridge was dropped for now since the businesses have to be operating there before it can become a DORA area.
The council had agreed to markings on the sidewalk at a previous meeting, but on Monday they discussed signs on poles and sandwich signs.
City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson said he’d like to take the ideas the councilmembers have sent to him and discuss them with a sign company to determine the sizes and colors.
Mayor Kerreen Conley said the approved logo for the cups and signs is the clock in the Fourth Street Square.
Retired councilman Tom Fielder said that the children’s zone for Lakefest is now set for Horizon Park in the middle of the alcohol zone. He said last year, when the children’s zone was at Main and Third streets, people complained because people were drinking their alcohol in the children’s area.
In other business at the March 21 meeting, the council:
• Set a public hearing for April 4 for a second reading and adoption of an amendment/addition to the Post-Construction Stormwater Management Ordinance, as required by the state;
• Approved the special event application for the Belleville Fire Department Association’s “Fill the Boot for Autism” event from 2 to 6 p.m., April 2, at the corner of Main and High streets to collect donations for the Autism Alliance of Michigan. Chris Zweng said this is the tenth-annual event for them, though they had a two-year hiatus due to COVID. April 2 is National Autism Day and some of the fire fighters have children with autism, he said;
• Approved the special event application for the Belleville Area District Library to have the Fourth Street Place closed from noon to 4 p.m. on April 9, in the interest of public safety while the library is holding its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony. They also asked for barricades at the intersection of the alley and Fourth Street Place. They expect 300 people, more or less, for the event, which runs from 1 to 3 p.m.;
• Approved the special events application for Music Lakeside, which will begin at 7 p.m. each Thursday from June 23 to Aug. 18, featuring music and food trucks. The Belleville Area Council for the Arts asked for High Street to be closed from 4 to 10 p.m. each of those days to allow for set-up and take-down. A crowd of 500, more or less, is expected for each concert;
• Approved the maintenance agreement with the Downtown Development Authority that has the DDA paying more than double what it has been. In 2021, the DDA paid the city $103,488 for all of the services in the district. The new agreement calls for $275,461.16 in payments to the city in 2022. “I appreciate all the DDA members,” said City Manager Robinson, adding he met with each of them individually or in small groups. “I’m glad the city and DDA have a shared vision. I’m very excited to be moving forward”;
• Approved the restriping of Main Street from Hayward’s to Five Points by GMS Sealcoating for $8,500. The DDA will pay 50% ($4,250) and the city will pay 50% ($4,250) out of the Major Streets budget. Councilwoman Kelly Bates asked if they couldn’t include marking right- and left- turn lanes at South Liberty Street next to Victory Park, where drivers go every which way. That will be looked into;
• Approved accounts payable of $483,562.51 and the following departmental purchases in excess of $500: to Cadillac Asphalt, $641.70 from DPW for road patch; to Hundred Place, $650 from the city manager’s budget, for a facilitator for council strategic planning; and to Osborne trucking, $1,012.28 from DPW for 21A road gravel. Councilman Steve Jones asked about the senior transportation phone that is $100 a month and the administration will look into it;
• In his report, heard City Manager Robinson report that a lot of things are in the works. They are working on a budget and getting ready to hire some people to bring Disneyland downtown. He plans to hire in the labor category, seasonal, at $16 to $17 an hour to compete with the fast-food jobs. One employee start immediately and he may wait for the colleges to let out for the summer to hire the second. He said the workers need to have a solid work ethic; and
• Heard John Juriga ask the status of the building next to the police department and City Manager Robinson said it has to be down by May 2 and the contractor was let into the building last Thursday to assess the work. Juriga also asked about the museum. He said the construction of the link between the museum and the former fire station has been going slowly. Workers worked one day in December, one day in January, and one day in February. The museum has been closed two years. Mayor Conley said that is not the city’s project, and it is being done by Van Buren Township. Fielder said the grant used to construct the connector is not VBT’s money. The historical society got the grant from the state, Fielder said. Robinson said he will be going to a meeting on the museum.