City Council presents proclamation to BHS football champs

Belleville High School football coach Jermain Crowell and Van Buren Public Schools Superintendent Pete Kudlak accepted a proclamation from Belleville Mayor Kerreen Conley at Monday’s regular, in-person meeting of the Belleville City Council.
The framed proclamation was signed by all the city council members. It congratulated the BHS football team on its MHSAA Division 1 football state championship title.
Coach Crowell said this is just the first championship and they should get ready for more in the future.
“You’ll just have to get used to it,” he said with a smile. He then presented a box of special T-shirts to the council saying he didn’t know their sizes, but there should be enough to fit them all.
Mayor Kerreen Conley announced later in the meeting that the football players will be getting individual trophies, paid for by donations through the city, that will be handled as a pass-through purchase.
Mayor Conley said there are strict rules about what you can give to students and they are following school regulations.
In other business at the 34-minute meeting, the council:
• Set a special meeting for 6 p.m., Monday, Jan. 31, for a council strategic planning session as it heads into budget discussions. The place would be the library, if available, or city hall. Also, there may be use of a facilitator;
• Set special budget study sessions for 6 p.m. Monday, March 14, and Monday, March 28, at city hall;
• Approved Resolution #22-001 that changed signatories on warrants for city business, dropping Tom Fielder who no longer is on the council, and adding Councilman Steve Jones and Mayor Pro-Tem Ken Voigt. Also serving as signatories are Mayor Kerreen Conley, Clerk/Treasurer Briana Hootman, and Deputy Administrator Tim McLean;
• Heard Deputy Administrator McLean announce that City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson is sick and couldn’t be present for the meeting. He said that Robinson told him to announce that the two bargaining agreements he was working on are ready to come to the council and he will bring the contracts to them at a future meeting for its consideration;
• Heard DPW Director Rick Rutherford say the city had a meeting with Wayne County Commissioner Al Haidous and gave him and his staff a walking tour of Victory Station. The city is seeking a grant from the county commission to upgrade Victory Station. Rutherford said Haidous added a few things he thought of. Rutherford said they have added a new fence for the park and the already planned bench upgrades. McLean said the project narrative for Victory Station was presented to the county at 9 a.m. Jan. 3. Now they have to wait for the commission’s decision;
• Heard McLean announce that the city’s Downtown Development Authority will meet at 6 p.m., Jan. 12, in the council chambers for a strategic planning session with facilitator Samantha Harkins, who is charging $150 per hour. The public is invited to watch, but the discussions will be by DDA members only;
• Heard Councilman Jones ask about repairing the fence at the Denton Road bridge and Rutherford said they have a police report and will be checking the driver’s insurance; and
• Heard Mayor Conley ask when the Christmas trees will be picked up and Rutherford said he would check with Republic Waste to find out. He said people shouldn’t bring the trees to the recycling container at the DPW yard because Republic is being paid to pick up the trees.
Although in the past in-person meetings, only those who weren’t vaccinated were asked to wear masks. At Monday’s meeting a big new sign was on the front door of city hall requiring everyone entering to wear a mask. The chairs in the audience were set farther apart than usual, as well.
Mayor Pro-Tem Voigt was not present at the meeting but was there virtually. It was stated he could not be counted present and his vote would not count since he was not at the meeting in person. The state now requires municipal meetings to be in person again.