The Belleville Downtown Development Authority appointed James Courtney as its new Executive Director at its regular meeting on Sept. 16.
The part-time position pays $35,000 annually with 20-30 expected hours per week and is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
Courtney earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree in urban planning from Wayne State University. He founded real estate management firm 1701 Partners in 2021 after previously working for Ford Motor Company as a marketing manager and global dealer in community engagement.
The board expressed hope that Courtney’s experience building community relationships between businesses, residents and corporations will help to break down silos between different departments in Belleville.
In other business at the 45-minute meeting, the board:
Discussed the pickleball courts that were recently vandalized and brainstormed strategies for keeping them safe in the future. City Manager Brady Peck said that the Department of Public Works is in the process of replacing the missing nets and looking into locking mechanisms;
Approved accounts payable for Aug. 2026 totaling $99,047.69 and Sept. 2026 totaling $11,027.17;
Announced that the Witches’ Ball is scheduled for Oct. 16 with support from the Belleville-Area Chamber of Commerce;
Heard Mayor Ken Voigt report that the ribbon cutting for the Denton Road Bridge will take place on Oct. 22 at 9:30 a.m.
The meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Board members Valerie Kelley-Bonner and Mike Gatteri were absent and excused.