Belleville DDA approves $32,267.84-plus to buy benches, tables, cans

Steve Jones, project manager for the city of Belleville, told the Downtown Development Authority that he did a walking survey of the city and came up with a preliminary list of needs along the streets and in the parks.
At the regular DDA meeting on March 15, Jones presented a list of items that he determined were needed along the streets and in the parks that added up to $34,939.84 plus shipping.
He said he found that the Wayne County Parks millage grant of $2,672 could be used for some of the items with the city paying $87 plus $400 for shipping, so that amount of the parks grant could be taken out of the total.
The DDA unanimously approved the remaining $32,267.84, plus shipping and handling, for the Site Furnishing Proposal.
Jones said he did research on the science of placing items along the streets and how to keep the walkability as items are added in the future. He reported that some things will be rearranged.
“It will almost look like Disney World this summer,” said treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams.
The items ordered include black steel receptacles, rain bonnet lids, steel benches, steel picnic tables, dog waste stations, and steel barricades for traffic control.
In other business at the hour-and-a-half meeting, the DDA:
• Heard Kelly Howey of Plante Moran give a report on the DDA part of the annual city audit by Allen Young & Associates. Of the 60-page audit, just three pages pertained to the DDA. She said as of June 30, 2022, there is a very healthy $662,000 fund balance (86%) because the DDA didn’t do a lot of big projects last year. She said one of the district library millages ($20,000) no longer can be collected and the library reduced one of its debt services by .2 mill, so that will result in a total of $32,000 less in capture this year. Just over $2.33 million is owed on the streetscape bonds and that was reduced by $133,606 because of the refunding and reissuance of new bonds;
• Discussed the membership and work to be done by the different committees: Marketing (Ankwatsa, Kelly-Bonner, Mayor Conley), Culture & Arts (Richardson-Williams, McWilliams, Tom Fielder), Community Engagement (Kelly-Bonner, Mayor Conley), Economic Development (McGovern, Baker, McWilliams), and Budget/Finance (Baker, Richardson-Williams);
• Heard Jones report that because of the $3,000 ad it bought in the Detroit Tigers Yearbook the DDA has six Tiger tickets for May 12 and four tickets for May 13 and will have to set up a promotion to give away these tickets. He said there will be other tickets for June-August and the tickets could be for other sports, such as hockey or football. He said some of the tickets were earned by the DDA with a previous advertisement and never were used. Now they are being honored;
• Was informed that Jones had updated a previous year’s flyer for the robotics competition at Belleville High School March 17-18, showing places in the city to eat and shop. They will be distributed to the 39 teams, their families, and other participants coming into the city for the robotics event. Ivan Ankwatsa suggested next time they could put each business on a QR code and people could see it right on their phones;
• Heard City Manager/Police Chief/DDA Director Dave Robinson say he was seeking to put together a city business registry where businesses register annually naming the current owner, security company, emergency contacts, email contacts, and other vital information for law enforcement. He said he could ask for other less-sensitive information, as well, that could be shared with other organizations. He said he doesn’t want a fee for this or an ordinance, unless necessary, and it may be put together by city employees walking door to door, shaking hands, and handing out the forms to be picked up. He said he has yet to create the forms;
• Was informed by Chief Robinson that he has submitted applications for two Community Development Block Grants, with the first one for $90,000 to convert the former ice rink slab at Village Park into three Pickle Ball Courts. The second request is for $20,000 ($46,975 total cost) to convert the current small basketball court at Victory Park into a combination Pickle Ball Court and one-hoop basketball court. Robinson said CDBG has specific areas of low-income and there is no guarantee they will award these grants to the city; and
• Learned the Detroit Institute of Arts Inside-Out program will install outdoor art in Belleville in May and a zoom meeting on the project with the DIA is set for March 20. The leased sculptures from the Michigan Sculpture Initiative will be selected for the DDA district on March 27 during a meeting at city hall. These usually are installed in May.