Belleville Council discusses store closing downtown

“Belleville used to be a hopping town,” said Mary Talaga during Monday’s 45-minute Belleville City Council meeting. “What happened?”
The council and audience were discussing how the Sugar Plum Candy Shop would be closing the day before Easter.
And, Mammoth Video just over the bridge is closing.
Jeff Vernon, who ran Sugar Plum at the Our Father’s Child Daycare building on South Street, said a candy shop should have worked in Belleville, since they did well in ten other cities.
He said Belles Shop is hurting and so Sugar Plum will be putting some of their coffee in there to sell to try to help.
Vernon said a lot of people have been coming to his shop since they heard it was closing – almost enough to keep it open, but they won’t.
He said he was told his shop failed because he was too political.
“What are we going to do?” he said of the store closings. “I’ve tried it for three years and I’m not done.”
“I’m going to miss your shop,” Talaga said. “I liked going in there.”
Councilman Tom Fielder said the city needs the public to participate in the master plan meetings this summer. And, Davenport is back on the planning commission agenda for April 13 and members of the community should come out and participate in the decisions.
Vernon said the community is divided down the middle just like the planning commission voted 4-4 for the Davenport project that would have no retail.
In his case he said closing down the retail was needed to save the service.
Planning Commissioner Kelly Bates said the city should set up some Shop and Dine projects to bring people to town. She suggested a motto of “Come Across the Bridge.”
Councilman Jesse Marcotte said some events in Belleville bring people who say they have never been here before. Many times the shops are closed then and there are hopes the people who discovered Belleville will come back.
“We need retail downtown,” said Mayor Kerreen Conley, noting that’s why the decision was made for the zoning to require 50% retail. “The library will be a huge asset,” she said, referring to the building to be constructed on Fourth Street.
Vernon said people have lots of opinions on Facebook, but, “How do you get them off Facebook and here” in the council meeting room?
“Face-to-face contact is important,” said City Manager Diana Kollmeyer.
Vernon said a promotion of Belleville is going on this week. WCSX radio was at the beauty shop next to city hall earlier Monday and will be at Sugar Plum on Tuesday, Mediterranean Kabob on Wednesday, and Pro Hardware on Thursday.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the council:
• Approved the request of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4434 and Polish Legion of American Veterans Post 167 to sell Buddy Poppies from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 11-13 at several locations along Main Street, mainly at Five Points, to earn funds for worthy causes in the community. Representative Rick Dawson said VFW members are helping to cook food for the food truck Pete Cornell is taking downtown to disseminate to people in need;
• Discussed a suggestion by Ruth Kessell and Kelly Bates to start a community garden in the bare space at Village Park next to Victoria Commons. Kessell said she would help. Bates described straw bale gardening which is becoming popular. Bates also spoke of her experience with community gardens and that she was master of ceremonies when the community garden opened in Westland seven years ago. Vernon suggested the soil be tested. Councilman Jack Loria suggested the park committee – Fielder and Vernon – look into the project. Fielder said that area was a cornfield before Victoria Commons was built;
• Heard Dawson comment on how much the veterans enjoyed having Belleville Police Officer Sarah Dzagulones attend the Bugles Across America at the Veterans’ Monument on High Street last Sunday;
• Heard City Manager Kollmeyer say two new police officers and the new person in the treasurer’s office will be present at the next meeting to be introduced;
• Heard Councilman Fielder say that the quilt show at the museum during the month of March had the largest turnout ever, despite the fact it was closed four days due to the power outage;
• Heard Mayor Conley report she talked to Van Buren Township Supervisor Kevin McNamara about the CDBG grant for all three communities for rehabilitation for low income housing. More work is needed in VBT and Sumpter Township and the city is not able to meet some of the guidelines. The grant will be shared as needed, she said;
• Heard Mayor Conley report DTE will be doing tree trimming in the city over the next three weeks;
• Heard Fire Chief Brian Loranger report the Boot Drive for Autism Awareness over the week end raised $3,437; and
• Approved accounts payable of $113,848.30 and the following purchases in excess of $500: to TNT Tree Service, $3,300, and Upright Fence Inc., $1,031, both to repair storm damage at the cemetery (insurance check has arrived to reimburse the city); to Wise Technologies, $753.75 and $675 for computer services; to Alpha Psych Services, $695 for new police hire evaluation; to CMP Distributors, $630.75 for bullet-proof vest for police; and to Comfort Inn Conference Center and others $586.40 for travel expenses for MAMC training for the clerk, who has completed her first year of training as municipal clerk, with two more years left to go.