Belleville City Council supports grant assistance for museum

At a 15-minute meeting of the Belleville City Council on June 18, a bare quorum handled four agenda items quickly and then adjourned.
Present were Mayor Pro Tem Jack Loria, Councilmen Jesse Marcotte and Councilman Tom Fielder. Absent were Mayor Kerreen Conley and Councilman Tom Smith.
Councilman Fielder, who is president of the Belleville Historical Society, said the museum wants to be joined together with the old fire hall behind it with a glass connection to display large items.
Fielder said Museum Director Katie Dallos has been working on a grant available through the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and the township has agreed to provide the matching funds.
Fielder said the museum, owned by Van Buren Township, is seeking the support of Belleville and Sumpter and others to be partners for the grant.
The council unanimously approved a letter of support for grant assistance.
(Actually, just a few hours earlier at the Van Buren Township work/study session, Dallos had presented the proposal to apply for a $50,000 grant, with VBT matching that amount for a $100,000 total for the addition, but VBT Supervisor Kevin McNamara said they have no money for the matching funds yet. No action was taken on the proposal at the work/study session.)
In other business at the June 18 meeting, the council:
• Approved the partial closing of High Street for the annual Grace Baptist Church picnic from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 4. Pastor Robert White asked if it was all right for church members to park next to the library construction on Roys Street when no construction was going on and he was told it was all right. City Manager Diana Kollmeyer said the church also has been given permission to allow parking along the yellow line in front of the church during library construction;
• Approved the tax rate provided by Wayne County, per the Headlee Rollback, of 16.7905 mills to be levied July 1, down from last year’s rate of 16.9362 mills;
• Approved amendments for the 2017-18 budget, as recommended by Kelly Howey of Plante Moran, who works in the city’s finance office. The total budget did not change, but numbers were moved around within it. The fund balance remains at $1,166,115;
• Approved accounts payable of $151,192.12 and the following purchases in excess of $500: to Supreme Detailing, $10,464.42 for police vehicle #218; to Hennessey Engineers, $7,020.89 for underground review for new library (paid from Library Escrow Account); to Supreme Detailing for $3,626 for police vehicle #218A; to Blue Ribbon Contracting, $3,205 for sewer repair; to Fire CATT, $2,846 for fire equipment testing; to Dell Marketing, $2,674.74, for laptop computer for police vehicle #218; to Digital-Ally, $2,625 for camera for police vehicle #218; to TNT Tree Service, $1,750 for hazardous tree removal; to CDW Government, $890 for router for police vehicle #218; to Metro Environmental, $595 to clear sewer blockage; and to R&R Fire Truck Repair, $524.15 for repair of truck #453;
• Heard City Manager Kollmeyer say a police officer lost his brother that week and they should all keep him in their thoughts and prayers; and
• Heard Mayor Pro Tem Loria say there is no place you can legally set off fireworks within the City of Belleville and residents should call the police if they hear fireworks within the city. He said it’s a matter of safety.