Belleville City Council votes to bring back the goats

The shore-trimming goats will be back to Horizon Park sometime in August following a unanimous vote of the Belleville City Council at its regular meeting July 5.
Ten goats for two weeks at a charge of $3,600 was approved as proposed by Randy Brown, who brought about 20 goats to Horizon Park last year, much to the delight of the public.
Although the item wasn’t on the agenda for the meeting, Mayor Pro-Tem Ken Voigt, who pushed to get the goats last year, put the item on the amended agenda.
City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson explained that although Brown had signed a contract last year to spray to keep the vegetation from growing back on the banks after the goats left, he put together a different proposal earlier that day to present to the city. Brown, who runs a landscaping firm in Van Buren Township, was not present at the meeting.
Robinson reported that Brown feels bad that he’s unable to do the spraying because the person he uses for spraying does not have the proper permit and the state’s EGLE [Environment, Great Lakes and Energy] has an issue with killing vegetation on the banks that would bring erosion.
Brown said he contacted Twin Willow Ranch, a family farm in Milan which brought the goats last year, and was able to get a proposal for two weeks in August at its cost of $3,600. Brown said he will again manage the goat project but at no cost for his services because he is feeling bad that he couldn’t spray.
Robinson reports Brown said last year’s goat project was an experiment for him because he hadn’t used goats before.
“I think last summer was proof of concept,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Voigt. “I had seen it work in other communities … The cost of goats was the lowest of six bids [for cleaning up the shoreline] … The vegetation has already grown up quite a bit…
“That park is the gem of the city because the lake is our biggest asset.”
Voigt made the motion to accept the proposal for $3,600 to have the ten goats for two weeks and it was unanimously passed by the council.
“It’s a great PR tool and people come,” he added.
City Manager/Chief Robinson pointed out this is only for this year.
Voigt replied, “If we find a better way to the maintain it, that’s great… If we can pursue grant opportunities … plant with a ground cover, such as daylilies … I want it to look better from the lake.”
A resident who said he lives on High Street said he and his wife are fans of the goats and they seem to be a draw. He said last year the shoreline looked good and then it grew up. He said he thought daylilies are a good idea. He suggested seeking grants for a boardwalk and considering what about five or ten years down the road?
In other business at the 42-minute meeting, the council:
• Approved the Taste of Belleville from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 18, at Horizon Park as proposed by the Belleville Central Business Community. Paid for their services for the event will be a DJ, face painter, and NJROTC members. Food will be sold by the vendors and alcoholic beverages available since it is in the DORA district. CBC event coordinator Janet Millard asked if the city would be doing the annual bridge walk the same day, since she needs to know that for her advertising of the Taste. Robinson said he would look into that date. Council members said it has been done every year for many years on the same day as the Taste and Millard said since this is an election year they probably will get more walkers;
• Approved a car wash from 1 to 4 p.m. on a Saturday, either July 16 or 23, at the Loranger Family Chiropractic Clinic, along with collection of donations at Five Points to benefit the Belleville High School football team. Fire Chief Brian Loranger said his business will supply the hoses, water, and space for the car wash. There was a question about the wastewater and DPW Director Rick Rutherford said he spoke with Hennessey Engineers and was told if they use an environmentally friendly soap the city won’t get “jammed up” on its EGLE permit. Councilman Steve Jones said the school district, where he works, can’t hold car washes on school property and it has to be on the grass because of its EGLE permit. “They don’t want to shut down a company in Wixom [that’s polluting the river], but no carwashes,” said Voigt. A representative of the sponsor, “Prudent Hope”, said the team has four home games this year and the funds are used to feed the kids. She said she has found he kids are hungry every year and she has used $1,500 out of her own pocket to feed them, and so do other parents. She said the parents supply the soap for the car wash, so they will use Dawn dish soap as recommended by Robinson. The council approved the two dates and one will be selected by those involved;
• Heard Councilman Jones ask when the chain is going to be reattached to the post at Main and Denton where there was an accident months ago. Rutherford said the eyes popped from the post and he needs a welder to put it back together. Jones said Mark Burger does that and Rutherford asked him for information to connect with Burger;
• Approved accounts payable of $92,684.79 and the following departmental expenditures in excess of $500: to Davenport Brothers, $3,650 to replace the entry door emergency exit at the fire station; to Hennessey Engineers, $1,155 for a risk and resilience assessment as required by the EPA; and to Jones & Bartlett, $3,800.14 for emergency medical responder training books;
• Heard Robinson report that Lake Fest was very successful. He said one incident over the weekend required a police report, but it was not related to Lake Fest. He said it was hot, but people enjoyed themselves. He said there were lots of police from the three departments of Van Buren, Sumpter, and Belleville for the donut-eating contest and they are building a strong relationship. Robinson said although he had announced Belleville had a “ringer” in the contest, the real ringer was from Van Buren Township. Sgt. Mark Abdilla, who won the contest, had won second-place in a previous donut-eating contest at a national convention a few years back. Robinson also praised the city’s summer Youth Workers and the Robotics students who worked at the festival;
• Heard Councilwoman Kelly Bates complain that she hadn’t received a list of trees that are targeted for removal, although she asked for the list at the last meeting. Rutherford went to his office and got his hand-written list and handed it to her and she passed it down the council table. She also said she wants the number of employees scheduled as part of the employee log and also she wanted to know about whether Rutherford is looking into a PFAS presentation on the lake. He replied that he was not able to get EGLE to come out, since a lot of them are stitll working from home, but maybe he could get a video presentation from them. Voigt suggested Pete Creal who put on a presentation at the BYC and had a large crowd. Mayor Kerreen Conley said it was not the council’s job to prioritize trees, “That’s your job,” she said to Rutherford;
• Heard Councilman Steve Jones thank the police chief for his assistance all week end at Lake Fest. He said he appreciated the police presence and, “Next thing is Winter Fest”;
• Heard Voigt say he thought Lake Fest was phenomenal, although he couldn’t attend on Saturday. “The cornhole tournament was a hoot,” he said and he enjoyed the Lobster Roll truck. He said he got a couple of very positive emails on Lake Fest: how great the kids’ stuff was and the police presence, and “she felt safe”;
• Heard Councilwoman Amy Henry say $5 for the Kids Zone was very affordable. She said Carmen opened Abode and there’s a new boutique;
• Heard Mayor Conley say the Lake Fest was very well-thought out and family-friendly. She said the live music selections were great and she has heard no negative comments. She said in the Kids’ Zone she learned how to make ice cream without an ice-cream maker. She said the carnival was not missed and there are a lot of good things in the boutique that just opened. Mayor Conley said the jurying of the vendors on Main Street was great and there were better vendors than at the former Strawberry Festivals. She thanked the BYC for its “incredible fireworks” for the July 4 holiday;
• Heard Councilwoman Henry comment that there were a lot of boats out on the lake for the fireworks, which she agreed were outstanding; and
• Heard a report that Chris Donnely is considering a Light Up the Lake Boat Parade for Aug. 20.