Belleville DDA: City may get camera to find geese feeder

At its regular meeting on May 21, the Belleville Downtown Development Authority was told that the Goodbye Geese contractor it hired had an encounter with someone who is actively feeding the geese in Horizon Park.
Steve Jones, assistant city manager and DDA director, said the sidewalk is not as covered as last year and he presented a report of 27 visits by Goodbye Geese this season with different numbers of geese seen at the park. He said they have gone down on the docks and into the water with a paddle board to chase the geese.
In its written report, Goodbye Geese wrote: “Late one afternoon one of our team members was stopped by a woman from the community driving a white SUV (make and model not clear, unable to recall license plate number). She declared that she had had conflicts in the past with the former geese control team and that she was deliberately feeding geese at Horizon Park morning and evening and would not cease until she was arrested.”
Goodbye Geese said it was working with the city to install a camera to try to catch the feeder in the act in an attempt to identify who they are so the Civil Ordinance can be applied.
Jones said the city council passed an ordinance not to feed the geese and they’re talking about putting in a camera to try to fix the situation.
When asked, Jones said he didn’t know if this feeding was new this year. He said the company chasing the geese is new this year, replacing the former company that retired.
Mayor Ken Voigt, who sits on the DDA, said the DNR or EGLE says not to feed wildlife because that makes it more dependant on people.
“We can take enforcement if we have to,” mayor Voigt said. “But we don’t want to… But we have a stick now.”
For violating this municipal civil infraction, a person is charged $100 for the first violation and $250 for subsequent violations, with each day another offense.
DDA member Chris Donley said the island is covered with nests.
DDA chairman John Winter said when he came in to work at about 7 a.m. that morning, he saw six adult geese and 18 goslings walking down the middle of High Street.
In other business at the one-hour-23-minute meeting, the DDA:
• Was informed by DDA treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams that the Summer Kickoff event being planned for high school students on the last day of school in June will not be happening. She said she asked for volunteer chaperones or staff to help with the event which had included closing Main Street, but she said they were not available, with the staff just wanting to end the school year and leave. She said there was not enough police available. Also, she said, the things the committee bought were what the students wanted. But, she said, everyone wants to get out of school. “When school starts up, I’ll follow up. We’ll start over. We know we’ll be back on this,” she said;
• Heard Jones report on the Big Incubator Project at the “warehouse,” which is what they are now calling the former hardware store the DDA purchased. He said they are exploring a cooking incubator project and will get drawings of the building to lay out where things can be. Mayor Voigt said they contacted local kitchens the people could use. “We were hoping Tech Town would work on this differently and were taken aback by their proposal and asking for finances.” He said Tech Town laid off 10% of its workforce in March. “We’re dropping back to punt on an incubator program,” he said. DDA member Mike Gatteri said there is a local man who sets up portable kitchens. Mayor Voigt said the fenced in area at the back of the “warehouse” could be a place for people to eat. “We are actively working on a final plan,” he said. When asked, Jones said they have paused on the flooring he had recommended and the mayor said all options are open as far as the building being for sale;
• Set up a DDA committee to work on the final plan for the “warehouse.” Volunteering to serve with the mayor were treasurer Richardson-Williams, Valerie Kelley-Bonner, and vice-chairman Chris Donley;
• Unanimously approved paying $15,750 total for Fibar chips for the playscapes at Victory ($9,675) and Village ($6,075) parks. The city council already had approved the purchase from Midstates Recreation with the hopes the DDA would reimburse it since the DDA takes care of parks. Mayor Voigt made the DDA motion to approve the Fibar purchase, seconded by Richardson-Williams;
• Heard Jones say he got an asphalt quote to upgrade the basketballs courts in Village Park for about $27,478. They are too broken up for playing, having not been repaired since they were put in when the park was built 30 years ago. Richardson-Williams said there was money in the budget for park equipment and she wondered if they couldn’t repair the basketball court at Victory Park while they were at it. Jones complained that he had a hard time getting that quote for Village Park. Mayor Voigt told Jones to get a final proposal for the next meeting;
• Heard a report by Kathleen Springer on her work for the DDA on social media projects. Donley, who is chair of the Marketing and Community Engagement committee, told about the “Summer of Local Love” project being put together by Springer Media to encourage shopping at local businesses. It includes a Q code, having to like the DDA page, and tag two friends, with posting of pictures and a random drawing at the end for a prize each month. He said it starts in June and in July they’ll start over again. He said he is working on another project to fill vacant business places, but it’s not ready now;
• Heard Jones announce the new outdoor sculptures for the year will be put up in Belleville and Van Buren Township on May 27. He said Music Lakeside starts June 12 for its 16th year;
• Heard Dave Anderson, president of Victoria Commons Homeowner Association, present a list of things that needed doing at Village Park. He said there are dead trees in the park area and the city could plant the trees it wants to plant in that park. He asked about the doggy bags that were to be put on the paths and Jones said the city has them but the DPW hasn’t put them out yet. Anderson said duck and geese traffic is still pretty low. He said 20-25 geese dropped by and then went away;
• Heard Donley explain the metal Wings sculpture being planned for Horizon Park to honor the life of Harper Mathis, who recently died at the age of 15. He said a blacksmith/artist in Sumpter Township said he could do the iron sculpture Donley wanted, but recommended heat-treated stainless steel instead, which doubled the cost to $13,000. He said they got donations of $9,000 for it online within 24 hours. It will be three or four months before the artist can begin and it will take six to eight weeks to create. “We’ll have a dedication ceremony when it’s ready,” Donley said. He said the Mathis family lives on High Street in the city;
• Heard other members of the DDA offer condolences to the Mathis family, noting Harper had quite an impact on the community; and
• Heard mayor Voigt say this is the 16th season of Music Lakeside. He said he and Steve Jones and John Juriga started it but now they need volunteers to help set it up and tear it down. He said they need people at 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. and they don’t have to stay in between that time. He also announced the America in Bloom consultants will arrive July 20 for two days and attend the Rotary meeting. He also announced 150 perennials were donated and will be planted at the flag pole at Five Points. He said another 150 free rose bushes will be planted around town.
Absent from the meeting was DDA secretary Denise Baker. There are now two vacant board seats, previously filled by Alicia McGovern and Kelly McWilliams.