Belleville DDA gives required report to tax-funding agencies

The City of Belleville Downtown Development Authority met at the Belleville Area District Library on Dec. 15 to present its semi-annual report to local tax-funding agencies as required by state law.
Deputy City Manager Tim McLean presented the report that showed 50% of the DDA income is going to streetscape bonds, but the DDA has a healthy fund balance. He said Paddle Belleville was a new business in the DDA district and the Goat Scaping at Horizon Park was very popular with the community.
He said they are working on new proposals for maintenance of parks.
Treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams said she would like to see public art added to the report, saying, “Art at least rates up there with the goats.” McLean said he would add art to the report.
In other business at the 52-minute meeting, the DDA:
• Voted unanimously to have the city refinance the Streetscape Bonds, to get an anticipated savings of $203,000, with the payment schedule unchanged. McLean said if the interest rates go up, the city can back off from the refinancing;
• Briefly discussed the 2022 Annual Calendar that McLean is preparing to mark all activities in the DDA district from all the different groups. McLean also is checking out the new Redevelopment Liquor Licenses for Scott Jones’ development. These licenses would stay in the possession of the city;
• Heard McLean report on two programs he is looking into for redevelopment of existing buildings (RAPT) and new public gathering places, such as a new city hall (CDBG). He also said they will be putting out a call for bids for park maintenance before the end of the year;
• Heard Kelly McWilliams comment that it seems everyone now is heading in the same direction;
• Heard Richardson-Williams say the Winter Fest parade was very nice and the ice skating and Santa and other things made a “Rockwell Christmas.” She said if the city keeps this going, Belleville will be a place people will want to have their businesses in and live in;
• Heard Jim Chudzinski say Winter Fest was phenomenal and the city is going in a positive direction, compared to three or four years ago. He said the city has a lot of potential;
• Heard McLean report that he and his wife brought their four-month-old daughter to the parade and she smiled the whole time because she liked all the lights;
• Heard City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson report that his vision for the city is “pretty grand” and he has been putting in for grants for work on Victory Station and the Veterans’ Memorial. He said he has been encouraged by people at Wayne County to “go big or go home” with his plans. He said redoing Victory Station could include building regular bathrooms inside and having rustic bathrooms outside. During the day seniors could play cards and watch TV and in the evening the building could be used for Growth Works or other counseling. That would encourage development in the south end of town. After the first of the year, he said he will study building a new city hall, which would allow business development of the city property at the Five Points corner, which is a prime location. “Things are changing and we are ready,” Chief Robinson said, noting there have been transitions in the city government and transitions in the DDA;
• Heard Tom Fielder say that as the president of the Historical Society he has heard no comment at all from Van Buren Township on the future of the Belleville Area Museum, which has been closed for a long time. He said he plans to have an open meeting of the Historical Society to discuss the situation. Fielder also said the alleys in the north end of the city were enhanced, but the alleys in the south end are terrible;
• Heard Mayor Pro Tem Ken Voigt say he really enjoyed Winter Fest. He also thinks they should bring the goats back for a week yearly. He said people bring their children to see the goats and the city gets a million dollars worth of publicity for just $5,000, or maybe you could get them for $1,500. He proposed a Goat Day with a concert next summer; and
• Was reminded of the three-hour session on Dec. 18 for strategic planning and goal setting for 2022. The meeting was set at the Belleville Area District Library with facilitator Samantha Harkins of Hundred Place Consulting, LLC.
Strategic Planning Session
On Dec. 18, the three-hour strategic planning session was postponed until 5 p.m., Jan. 12, at the library because facilitator Harkins was stranded in Lansing after a snowstorm made the roads dangerous to travel.
Chairperson McGovern led the DDA members in an informal discussion on what they would talk about at the Jan. 12 meeting, which is open to the public but only to observe. The session will be for discussion and goal-setting by the DDA members.
The Dec. 18 get-together disbursed after one hour and 40 minutes of discussion.