City Council approves contract with Wayne Co. for $176,800 from ARPA

On Monday, the Belleville City Council approved a subrecipient agreement with Wayne County for $176,800 in American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 – State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for the proposed Victory Station/Victory Park upgrades.
The Victory Station project is expected to cost $272,000 total, with the city paying 25% and the Downtown Development Authority paying 10%, in addition to the ARPA grant through the county.
The council is asking the Wayne County Commission to approve the Subrecipient Agreement for the funds through Oct. 31, 2025.
City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson said the contract was sent to the city’s legal counsel and there were no significant problems.
Robinson said the city will have to set a groundbreaking for the “bigwigs” to show up before work can begin.
After the council, which had a bare quorum, passed the motion to accept the grant, council members thanked Chief Robinson for his work, along with the DDA and Wayne County Commissioner Al Haidous.
Absent from the meeting were Mayor Pro Tem Ken Voigt and Councilwoman Kelly Bates. The two members present — of the five-member council — had to wait nine minutes past the council’s usual starting time for the meeting to begin because Councilman Steve Jones was working at the car show on Main Street and had to be summoned to the meeting so it could begin. Jones arrived and the meeting began at 7:39 p.m. Voigt arrived at 7:49 p.m., just before the meeting was set to adjourn.
The ARPA grant was the only business item on the agenda.
Goat Day
Voigt however added an item to the agenda proposing the council sponsor a Goat Day from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, at Horizon Park. The council voted to sponsor the event.
He said this was planned while the leased goats are there trimming the lake banks. He said 4-H youth would do an education component and bring their goats on leads. People could pet their goats and have pictures taken with them and the youth would answer questions.
Voigt said they will have a band and one or two food trucks. He said he talked to Pastor Robert White at Grace Baptist across the street from the park and Pastor White was fine with the idea since this would be after church services.
Voigt said they will sell Belleville Goat t-shirts to benefit the food closet at no cost to the city. He asked that High Street be closed from 1-6 p.m. that day.
The leased goats are now scheduled to start their shore munching on Aug. 15 and stay two weeks.
Mayor Kerreen Conley said there is no alcohol in the park on Sunday and those who are expecting the DORA [Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area] rules for this event may be disappointed. She said the no-alcohol rule on Sundays was instituted out of respect for Pastor White.
It was asked if the no-alcohol rule will be enforced and Chief Robinson said he would bring the Reserve Police Officers out. Fire fighter Chris Zweng said they will bring a fire truck out, as well.
Voigt explained he was late for the meeting because of a pet emergency.
Also, at Monday’s meeting, the council:
• Heard Chief Robinson announce that the city received petitions last Friday for a ballot question for the November election concerning approval of selling medical marijuana in a dispensary, such as the one being prepared on Savage Road. He said the city is in the process of validating the signatures, but there are well over the number necessary;
• Held a moment of silence for those involved in the Make A Wish bike ride accident. Mayor Conley said many from this area take part in that ride to benefit Make A Wish;
• Heard comments from the audience on problems with the community events listings, lack of minutes for planning commission or DDA on the web site, and that pictures of all the council members should be posted on the website;
• Heard Chief Robinson report that he and Deputy City Manager Tim McLean took the summer youth workers to Detroit for the Wayne County Young Professionals Day and he feels the youth took something home from that event. He said the pressure on our youth due to social media and bullying is a different kind of stress kids are under than when he was growing up;
• Heard Councilman Jones remind everyone of the one-year anniversary of Paddle Belleville and its Aug. 2 ribbon cutting. He also reminded everyone of Thursday’s Music Lakeside concert;
• Heard Mayor Conley report that the annual Bridgewalk will be held Aug. 18 before the Taste of Belleville and she will not be able to attend. She will be at the MMRMA conference that she helps put on, but other council members will be available; and
• Approved accounts payable of $349,308.54 and the following departmental purchases in excess of $500: to Blue Ribbon Contracting, $4,056, removal of broken water line from main to old store (31 E. Huron River Dr.), emergency, DPW; to Econo Signs, $566.12, for new road signs, including “Yield to Pedestrian in Crosswalk,” DPW; to Priority One, $135.97, update of lighting to LED for Rescue 456, Fire Dept.; to TNT Tree Service, $2,200 to cut dead tree near roadway at 98 Bedell, DPW; and to Work N Gear, $1,350 for uniform allowance, DPW.