City Council declares Belleville is ‘Booville’ for month of October

At its Sept. 21 regular meeting, the city council unanimously voted to rename the city of Belleville as “Booville” during the month of October to celebrate Harvest and Halloween.
Those putting on the events also hope to bring extra people into the city to promote the downtown businesses.
Seven other agenda items had to do with Booville activities during the month of October.
The council approved:
• A Booville Witches Ball put on by Egan’s Pub and the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday, Oct. 23, in a tent on the Fourth Street Square. Women in witches’ costumes will be eating and drinking in the tent from 7:30 until 10 p.m., while the males will be out on a pub crawl and rejoin the women at 10. Councilwoman Kim Tindall voted no, since she is against serving alcohol on city property;
• A Boo Tech Cauldron Cook Off sponsored by Egan’s and the Chamber from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, which will feature the BHS Jazz Band and New Tech students cooking up the food. Voting will be done by tickets or quarters, yet to be determined. No alcohol at this event, so the vote was unanimous;
• Booville Dash in Disguise one-mile costume run/walk beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, sponsored by the Plymouth YMCA. The race will begin at Horizon Park and head to Five Points and back to the tent at the Fourth Street Square;
• Booville CAF5 pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, to raise funds to help families in the 34th District Court area;
• Booville Rotary Club Pumpkin Carving from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Fourth Street Square. People are asked to bring their own pumpkins, already carved or uncarved. The plan is to put up a scaffolding along the wall of the Chamber building to arrange lighted jack o’lanterns;
• Harvest Fest closing of Fourth Street on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., from Main to Charles Street for the annual activities; and
• Use of Hillside Cemetery for a cemetery tour on Saturday, Oct. 17, from noon to 3 p.m. Since parking is limited at the cemetery, participants will be transported from the museum for the event.
In other non-Booville action, the council:
• Received a check for $1,200 from Brian Copsey of Bayou Grill to go toward vests for police officers;
• Received a check for $2,000 from the Masons for training of police officers. Present for the presentation were Masons Bob Barancewicz, Denny Robinson, Brian Brown, and Jim Piper;
• Opened the lone bid for computer services and equipment from Jeff Wiseman who bid $9,612.60. After discussion and several questions, the bid was turned over to City Manager Diana Kollmeyer who will sit down with Wiseman and get answers and bring a recommendation back to the next meeting. The work is for new computers and installation at six work stations so that they will be compatible with the city’s new BS&A software;
• Agreed to name Councilwoman Tindall as the city’s official representative to the Strawberry Festival committee, even though there was actually no such designation. Tindall wanted it to be “official” after a heated discussion at the last committee meeting. Mayor Kerreen Conley said Tindall attended committee meetings for a long time and then didn’t because of a conflict of interest and now she’s back. Mayor Conley said multiple people from the city are welcome to attend the committee meetings and to actively participate;
• Reappointed Jesse Marcotte to the Planning Commission. Marcotte had been on the commission in the past and then resigned because he was going to move from the city and didn’t. This fills one of the commission’s two vacancies;
• Approved accounts payable of $1,749,872.35 and the following departmental purchases in excess of $500: To B&R Janitorial Supply, $500.20 in supplies from general fund; to DUWA, $1,800 in assessment, water/sewer fund; to Lonnie’s Auto Repair, $744.84 for repairs to 2009 Dodge Charger police car; to Macomb Community College, $1,225 for membership dues from police budget; to John Reid & Associates, $550 for training classes from police budget. Mayor Conley said to add $600 for software for the fire department. Fire Chief Brian Loranger said his department’s “I AM RESPONDING” software runs out Oct. 3 and the new, cheaper software replaces that;
• Raved about the event the council held Sept. 17 to give awards to everyone who worked or volunteered for the city. Mayor Conley said 85 people attended. Chief Loranger said he has been with the city for 26 or more years and, “That’s the first time that’s happened” and he hopes it happens again; and
• Went into closed-door session with an attorney to consider the purchase of real property prior to obtaining an option or lease. After going back into open session, the council adjourned with no further action.