Belleville Mayor Conley tells details of VBT’s changes to museum

Belleville Mayor Kerreen Conley said she was part of a meeting held last week concerning the future of the Belleville Area Museum, which is owned by Van Buren Township and located downtown in the city of Belleville.
At its regular meeting on Nov. 21, she told the city council that Van Buren Township wanted input from the city of Belleville and Sumpter Township, who are served by the museum and have contributed to its upkeep.
Many people have asked about the status of the museum since it has been closed for two and a half years. Mayor Conley said she finally had something to tell the residents.
She said the township said it had 700 surveys answered on what people want for their museum, plus input from the meeting held at the library.
Mayor Conley said the township outlined two different alternatives for exhibits. There would be a stationery exhibit downstairs and changing exhibits upstairs. She said they said they would reply on the “Historical Commission” for advice on that.
She said the township is also getting rid of things they have many copies of. Some people think just because something is old it is valuable, she said. She said they have the museum’s inventory lists and if someone has something on loan to the museum that person can get it back.
Mayor Conley said the building at the rear of the museum will be used as public space for community events, possibly an indoor farmers’ market, or space for social events such as wedding showers.
“Van Buren Township wants their piece of the downtown,” she said they told her.
Mayor Conley said the township has received lot of really good feedback. She said they do not expect to replace the director and plan to use volunteers or part-time people to run the museum.
She said she was sorry Tom Fielder, president of the Belleville Area Historical Society, wasn’t present to hear her report since he has been very interested in hearing information on the museum and has asked many times about it.
At the 22-minute meeting on Nov. 21, the council also:
• Announced it would judge holiday decorations on homes and businesses in the city on Dec. 8, turn the results over to the Independent to take pictures, and then give out the awards at the Dec. 19 council meeting;
• Approved accounts payable in the amount of $2,249,771.48 and the following departmental purchases in excess of $500: to DeWolf & Associates, $795 for police officer training; and to Election Sources, $860 for on-site testing (Public Accuracy Test) for the Clerk’s office;
• Heard City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson say the senior/handicapped transportation van has been repaired and he is looking at options to carry those riders in the future. He said he considered a SMART proposal to have a bus come from Michigan Avenue south, along Main Street to Sumpter. But when they asked where they could leave the Sumpter people, he said he turned it down;
• Heard DPW Director Rick Rutherford say underground boring was done that day on Fourth Street Place, as part of the Downtown Development Authority’s project to put electricity in that area;
• Heard Chris Zweng ask if the locations for the placement of outdoor art from the Detroit Institute of Arts next spring has been determined. Chief Robinson said the city is coordinating with the DIA, who will come out to check out the proposed locations;
• Heard Councilwoman Kelly Bates say she heard Wayne County has paused in work on the Grosse Ile bridge and the work on that bridge once was put in the same category as the Denton Road bridge. She said she would like to see traffic cones up at Quirk Road as people drive south on Belleville Road into the city to keep them from the right lane which closes at Denton Road. She said she saw 10 people in the right lane trying to get over. She was told the city can’t do it because that street isn’t theirs and belongs to the county. Chief Robinson said Wayne County isn’t responding to his calls about the traffic signs and the bridge repair is going to be a while. He said he would like the county to put up flashing lights warning about the closing of the right lane. Rutherford said the county’s signs at the bridge and on Main Street were blown down by the wind and he called the county. The county put the sign at Denton Road back up, but later said they didn’t know there was another sign that had fallen over on Main Street. Rutherford said the DPW had to move that sign to the bridge area because it was causing a pedestrian nightmare;
• Heard fire fighter Garrett Kissel announce there has been a large amount of work done inside the fire hall and they are now ready to start training courses for the public in CPR, AED, and First Aid. Classes will start in January. He said they expect the shipment of equipment for the classes to arrive shortly. Fire Chief Brian Loranger said fire fighters have been painting and sanding and are replacing light fixtures at that very moment. He said the new furnace for the bay was to be installed on Friday;
• Heard Chief Robinson say he is looking forward to Winter Fest and he will send out a signup sheet for volunteers to help. He said the DDA is trying to establish collaboration so there will be a larger pool of volunteers and everyone can help. He said people can sign up to help through the Chamber of Commerce;
• Heard Councilwoman Bates ask for an update on the city’s ice and snow policy. Rutherford said if four inches or more of snow falls, a snow emergency will be proclaimed and people will have to move their vehicles off the streets so the DPW can plow. He said the city didn’t get four inches last week, so there was no plowing and he knew it was going to be in the 40s soon so there was no salt spread. “I was out of town all week,” Rutherford said. He said the police and fire ramps were salted and if an officer calls, they will salt where requested or if he comes in and decides it is needed. Bates thought it should have been salted in Victoria Commons because it was icy. Chris Zweng said, “Maybe the city should look at the policy. Keeping people safe is important, although it costs money”; and
• Heard Mayor Conley say when the high school football team won the state championship last year, family and friends welcomed them back to town from Ford Field. She said this year they are also going to welcome them back, win or lose, and the BHS football bus will be coming down Main Street at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and the team will be honored for a great season. She said signs are being prepared for the occasion.