Belleville DDA agrees to buy clock for 4th St. Square

The Belleville Downtown Development Authority voted unanimously at its regular meeting on March 19 to buy a clock for the Fourth Street Square at a cost of $26,000 to replace the non-functioning clock there.
DDA Director Steve Jones said he hasn’t been able to contact a proposed donor to pay for the clock, so the motion to approve buying the clock was amended to say the city wait two weeks before expending the funds.
Director Jones, who is also assistant city manager, said he tried many ways to contact the proposed donor, who he identified at an earlier meeting as Craig Atchinson.
Jones said Atchinson had proposed buying a Shinola clock, but Jones said the Shinola looks like a giant pocket watch and the DDA members preferred a clock similar to the one it is replacing.
The DDA has been discussing replacement of the clock since its October meeting.
Mayor Ken Voigt, who sits on the DDA, said it will take a month or two to get the new clock installed.
DDA member Chris Donley asked Jones to still try to contact the donor. At the February meeting, Jones also reported he had been unable to contact Atchinson.
DDA chairman John Winter said on the previous Saturday, the clock was leaning and almost fell over. Mayor Voigt said he hadn’t heard about that and the clock should be taken down if it is a danger.
In other business at the one-hour-41-minute regular meeting on March 19, the DDA:
• Heard a 25-minute presentation by Kathleen Springer of KSpringer Media on what her business can do for the DDA by working together. DDA member Kelly McWilliams said Springer had changed her attitude about working together since 15 years ago or 5 years ago she couldn’t post announcements that were requested. “You weren’t part of our group,” Springer replied. “We belong to the CBC. Why do we need to pay separately?” McWilliams asked. A woman called out from the audience that you have to pay Springer if you want to post on her sites. McWilliams asked why Springer was giving a presentation, since this agenda item was set before the DDA discussed it. Springer said she wanted the DDA to give her company their trust and she wanted to show what they can do for the DDA. DDA chairman John Winter directed Jones to bring this proposal back to the next meeting with costs;
• Was advised by Jones that the Phragmites in the Victoria Commons ponds were cut down at the ice and since are being treated with chemicals which will go on four months to retard their growth. Jones said the DDA is trying to stay ahead of the pretty severe invasive species. The Victoria Commons Homeowners Association president said, “There’s a pond there now. You can see water”;
• Approved replacement of the fountain pump in the middle pond at
Victoria Commons with a $4,900 pump by Water Landscapes, LLC of Waterford, MI;
• Discussed a proposed BBQ event for Sept. 20 that would be a mini-event of the full-fledged competition the DDA is hoping to put on. Jones said there are BBQ events in Michigan in March and May where they can see how these events are run. Mayor Voigt said these are like a rodeo circuit and nationally certified competitors live locally and will help the DDA understand how it’s done, with a goal of the city being a stop on the BBQ national circuit. Jones said after DDA representatives attend the Michigan BBQ events, “We can see if we want to do it”;
• Hired Goodbye Geese to replace the Geese Chaser owners who retired. Goodbye Geese will charge $870 a month for six months for a total of $5,220. They also take a paddleboat out into the lake to chase the geese. Mayor Voigt said the state changed the rules on geese to make it easier to get rid of geese. Mayor Voigt said it sure was nice to have a clean Horizon Park last summer for the lakeside concerts;
• Approved funds requested by local groups: CBC, $8,771; Music Lakeside, $3,000; Lakefest, $10,000; Winterfest, $5,000; and Margaritaville, $1,500, for a total of $28,271 in grants;
• Learned the annual round of temporary sculptures will be installed in May at the same locations are previously in Van Buren Township and Belleville, except for the library sculpture to be put up outside the children’s section instead of its previous location. The cost and work is split with VBT¸Jones said. The sculptures to be used are selected by a committee from the 300 presented. Mayor Voigt said the current sculpture with three goats will be placed at Horizon Park because there are donations to buy two of the three goats and they hope to get someone to donate to buy the third goat. He said after the lakeshore is fixed up, the goats will be put on the upper lake bank to honor the goats who have been working on the Horizon Park shoreline;
• Tabled a public wireless proposal for the DDA district for more information. The original cost is $15,857 with $357 a month. Winter said T-Mobile should come and do a presentation for the DDA to discuss the benefits;
• Heard Chris Donley give a report from the Marketing committee on talks with the three hotels on working with them to bring shoppers to the city. The hotels will hand out printed materials with QR codes that the DDA will provide. There could be discounts if they offer cards. He said business owners should sign to commit to particulars for a year. Donley set the end of May as his goal to get this set up. The DDA would manage the changing information on the QR code. Mayor Voigt said he would like to see the DDA split the $800 cost per business, per year, for the signs on I-94 directing drivers into Belleville;
• Heard Jones report he met with people from Tech Town Detroit and Wayne State University on plans for the former hardware store. They turned in a proposal earlier that day and he will get it to the DDA for its next meeting. He said it could be based on DHive Detroit, with an anchor coffee shop, pop ups, and other businesses;
• Heard Mayor Voigt say he has a job description for a DDA director and he said he asked Donley to put together a part on accountability. Donley mentioned having project tracking and timelines so the director can easily update the DDA on projects. “We can see our progress and his work. I’ll share more in the next meeting,” Donley said;
• Heard Diedre Creal of BB’s Boutique give a lengthy citizen comment on how she is so frustrated by the vacant buildings in the DDA district. She said she and her husband Peter own the shop. She said she learned the DDA is in effect to bring new businesses in, which would help with the foot traffic for the present businesses and that isn’t happening. She said her store has had the worst six months since its opening three years ago. She said the Van Buren Township DDA director gave her direction to reach out to a group in Romulus on how to get grants for small businesses. She said it’s a shame they had to reach out to another community for help. She said a pedestal sign with the names of those in the new shopping center would help so drivers can see what shops are there. She said taxes are high and a full-time DDA director is needed, instead of their plan to hire a marketing company. She said a better pedestrian walkway across Main Street is needed. “You can have all the BBQ parties you want, but everything still looks abandoned,” she said;
• A woman in the audience, who said she deals in mortgages, said shopping center owner Scott Jones is appealing his city taxes because they are triple what he was told they would be by the assessor. “He should have been able to get a correct number,” she said. Chairman Winter said he didn’t know it was a problem and Mayor Voigt said, “How are we supposed to know if someone doesn’t tell us?” Jones said if anyone has any problems to let him know and he will take it to the assessor, who is only in the city one day a week; and
• Heard Mike Gatteri say the vacant businesses on Main Street is a concern, but CVS said it wasn’t going to rent it out. But at the meeting he was told a “for lease” sign has now been put up. “My frustration is how slow government moves,” he said. Creal asked if they could get a sign grant and Jones said that would have to go through Scott Jones since the shopping center is his property. “Present it to us and we can try to make that work,” Gatteri said. “We really are trying,” Winter assured her.