Belleville City Council suggests changes to boat parking ordinance

At its first reading of the amended zoning ordinance on seasonal boat parking in driveways recommended by the planning commission, Belleville City Council members suggested slight changes to the document.
That was at their regular meeting on Jan. 16. The ordinance amendment is scheduled for its second reading and possible adoption at the council’s next meeting on Feb. 5.
Mayor Pro Tem Kelly Bates asked why the dates had been shortened from those first suggested. They now are from May 1 to Sept. 15.
“I saw a boat in the water on Christmas Eve,” she said referring to years with higher temperatures.
Councilwoman Julie Kissel, who sits on the commission as council liaison, said the dates were discussed and this was considered a good idea. She had commented at the commission meeting that boat owners could always get their boats out of storage to use them late in the season.
Councilwoman Kissel said the city could try it for a year and, “If it’s a mess, we can pull it back and do something else.”
Councilman Randy Priest said a picture or drawing would help, since the words in the ordinance are hard to understand when talking of measurements to the sidewalk and street.
He mentioned: “at least 12 feet from the street, measured from the edge of the nearest dwelling…” as being hard to picture.
City Manager Jason Smith, who wrote the amendment wording, said he can put in diagrams and, “We can clean that up for the next meeting.”
Councilman Priest, a retired teacher, said the ordinance wording is one long sentence with too many commas and he would like to see that easier to read.
Mayor Voigt said, “I read it myself and I think it’s good… The planning commission did do a very nice job.”
In other business at the one-hour-and-22-minute meeting on Jan. 16, the council:
• Approved in one motion all of the Belleville Central Business Community’s requests for special events: Flop E Bunny Candy Hunt at Victory Park from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on March 30; Farmer’s Market on Mondays, 4-7:30 p.m. from June 3 to Oct. 14, Fourth Street Square and Fourth Street Place; Memorial Day Parade/Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 27; and Taste of Belleville, 6-8 p.m., Aug. 15. Approval for the parade was stipulated by the city receiving a map of the parade route planned;
• Approved the mayor’s reappointment of Kelly McWilliams to the Downtown Development Authority with a term to expire Dec. 31, 2027;
• Discussed the Social Media Policy written by the city manager, who said it is pretty boiler-plate and most communities have policies. Council members said they would like to see the city attorney weigh in on this before they take action;
• Discussed the Injury Policy written by the city manager, who said an employee got hurt and there was no policy on paper. He said it is pretty boiler-plate and he put it together from policies from other communities. Councilwoman Kissel asked if this could be sent to the attorney at the same time as the Social Media Policy and the rest of the council agreed;
• Approved the refreshing of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan by the city manager so the city would be eligible to apply for county grants. City Manager Smith said he updated the demographics in the old plan between 2000 and 2020 census and there was a significant change. “I didn’t have a ton of new stuff,” he said, adding, “I refreshed it so we have a plan in place to start going for grants”;
• Approved the Washtenaw Area Mutual Aid Agreement that is changing into an interlocal agreement to address liabilities. Fire Chief Brian Loranger said his department also belongs to the Western Wayne Group, but his department gets more grants and cheaper training through Washtenaw;
• Discussed the list of service contracts the city has, which was put together by the city manager. He pointed out the Nixle agreement expired in 2023, the Priority Waste contract expires this year, and the dispatch contract extension with Van Buren Township is expiring. Mayor Voigt said he wants to go out for costs for legal service, copy machine maintenance, and recording software for water meters;
• Approved $416,989.92 in accounts payable and the following departmental purchases in excess of $500: to Blue Ribbon Contracting, $4,090 to repair broken sewer in the county right of way at 524 E. Huron River Dr. on Dec. 14; to Election Source, $860 for coding and testing for the November 2023 election; to Hennessey Engineers, $3,753 for Harbour Pointe road survey work; to McQueen Equipment, $13,658.85 for fire department purchase of turnout gear; to Michigan Cat, $547.52 for fittings for new backhoe; and to Work’n’Gear, $1,350 for uniform allowance. Included in the accounts payable was a check for $2,718.39 for Christian Devon Harris, who had been arrested for fentanyl possession and the charges were dismissed. The 34th District Court ordered the city to give him back the cash city police had confiscated during the arrest;
• Heard City Manager Smith report that he has an early draft for a design for a new city hall, the Civil Service Commission is working on a policy, a GLWA water rate increase of just shy of 4% is coming in 2025 and in 2026 will increase more, and he wants to reach out to Priority Waste for a clean-up-the-city day when people can put out mattresses and other large items. Mayor Voigt said it could be coordinated with the date for the BYC cleanup in May;
• Planned a 5:30 p.m. special meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20 for the Michigan Municipal League’s “Essentials of Local Government” session, which would be followed by the regular 7:30 p.m. city council meeting. This may be held at the school or library since members of the planning commission and DDA are invited and will split the $1,800 cost;
• Heard Mayor Voigt say Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network is looking for places to locate its Mobile Response Units. It needs someplace with a desk and parking spot, he said. He added that Belleville has plenty of space upstairs at city hall. He also said he met with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell about money for streets. He said he also met with State Rep. Reggie Miller and will meet with Senator Darrin Camilleri to see if he can get some of their discretionary funds for the city streets;
• Heard Smith report that WDIV-TV will be at Belleville High School to broadcast live at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 5, the same night as the city council’s next meeting. They also will be at the museum, he said;
• Heard Mayor Voigt urge council members to attend the Downtown Development Authority’s 9:30 a.m. visioning session on Saturday, Feb. 17 at the library; and
• Heard planning commission member Mike Renaud ask what has happened to the Victory Park upgrades planned? Mayor Voigt said there were just some t’s to cross and i’s to dot in the project and that is already in progress.