City County approves banners on Main St. to honor graduates

At Monday’s virtual Zoom meeting, the Belleville City Council voted unanimously to hang banners along Main Street for three months to honor the Belleville High School seniors who will miss their regular graduation exercises.
The idea was presented by Councilman Ken Voigt who said he talked it over with School Supt. Pete Kudlak who liked the idea.
“We have 365 seniors at BHS who basically have been gypped out of spring sports, prom, and graduation,” he said.
Councilman Voigt said earlier Councilwoman Kelly Bates had proposed putting veterans’ names on banners on Main Street as other communities have done.
“I thought we could put senior pictures up,” he said, noting it was first proposed just spring sports students would be good, but that is not fair. He said a lottery was suggested, but that would be limited.
He said there are 42 poles on Main Street that can be used for banners and another 16 if you go onto the bridge and High Street. That is 60 and with one picture on each side it would be 120.
In one-month increments — starting May 15, June 15, and July 15 – all the students could be accommodated, he said.
He said the BYC agreed to pay for the project and Davenport Brothers volunteered to put up the banners with their man-lifter, so the city wouldn’t have to move a ladder up and down the streets.
“It will not cost the city a dime,” Voigt said. “All we need is to give permission.”
DPW Director Rick Rutherford said, “I think that’s an awesome idea. I’m concerned about the conditions at the lake. Make sure they’re connected securely so they don’t end up in the lake… I think it’s wonderful.”
Voigt said the banners come with two grommets to be zip-tied to the pole.
“I’ll be glad to work with whoever to see they’re securely fastened and to honor the seniors,” Rutherford said.
Councilwoman Bates said she supported the project and, “I think this is going to be awesome.”
Voigt said the banners are doubled up and sewn together and they can be taken apart so each senior will get his own banner to keep.
He said at first it was considered that parents could pay for the banners, but, “So many are out of work” that the $35 or $40 needed would be a hardship.
Councilman Tom Fielder said they needed to let the Downtown Development Authority know because they put up their banners on the poles.
Voigt said he talked to DDA president Alicia McGovern (who was present at the virtual meeting) and she supports the project.
Councilman Fielder said they should also let Van Buren Township know, so they don’t feel they are being cut out.
Voigt said it was considered to use the VBT poles, too, but they have larger banners and poles that are farther apart.
Fielder said Supt. Kudlak still plans to do a graduation ceremony for the seniors, so they don’t miss the pomp and circumstance.
Mayor Kerreen Conley said VBT could put congratulations messages to the seniors on their poles leading into the city.
In other business at the 49-minute meeting, the council:
• Voted unanimously to opt-out of first responders’ emergency paid sick leave that was discussed at length at the April 20 meeting. “I think she did it perfectly,” said Voigt, referring to interim city manager Tracey Schultz Kobylarz who worked with the employees for a solution. He said she did what he had in mind when the council tabled the vote at the last meeting;
• Voted unanimously to approve the Belleville Cares provision for POAM, MAFF, and GELC in memos of understanding. Fire Chief Brian Loranger asked the administration to make sure the Provident Insurance for the fire fighters is up to date and city manager Kobylarz said it is up to date and paid;
• Revised the budget timeline for consideration of the 2020-21 budget, to begin at 6 p.m., Monday, April 27, at a special virtual meeting. It originally was set to begin April 20 but they weren’t ready. Other sessions are set for May 11 at 6 p.m. and May 13 at 6 p.m. with the public hearing and adoption of the budget at the June 1 meeting. Fielder said the council probably will have many revisions to this budget over the coming year, but at least they will meet the charter requirement for adopting a balanced budget on June 1. It was noted the state shared revenue is expected to be down by 50% this year and also the Act 51 gas tax is expected to be reduced by 20 or 30% or more. “Good thing we’ve maintained a healthy fund balance,” Rutherford said. Financial consultant Kelly Howey said they have a legal obligation to adopt a balanced budget and they will;
• Approved accounts payable of $207,360.28 and departmental expenditures over $500 for April 6: to JW2 Fire Consultants, $4,285.70 for FEMA grant 10% match (for extrication equipment, nozzles, thermal imagining, and LUCAS device); to Sumpter Collision, $2,667.50 for Senior Transport bus repair; to Mueller Systems, $2,584.29 for remote water readers; and to McDowell & Associates, $1,050 for seawall monitoring;
• Approved accounts payable of $72,129.05 and departmental expenditures over $500 for April 20: to Blue Ribbon Contracting, $10,537.50 for sewer repair on N. Liberty St.; to Burnham & Flower, $4,621 for accident/health insurance for fire department; and to Metro Environmental, $1,163.75 for sewer jet service to clean blocked sewer at 209 N. Liberty and $991.25 for sewer jet service to clear blocked sewer on E. Huron River Dr.;
• Heard Kobylarz announce that Officer Tim Trombly is moving on to other ventures and has resigned effective May 1. She also thanked the membership of the three city unions and their leadership Steven Smith, Todd Schrencengost and Edward Smith for working with the city and entering into agreements regarding the Belleville Cares Provision to each of their labor contracts;
• Heard Kobylarz announce the city distributed more than 300 disposable and reusable masks last Friday and the city’s goal is to make sure people are doing their part to flatten the curve and keep themselves safe. She said if residents and their immediate family members are still in need of masks, they should contact her or Police Chief Dave Robinson;
• Heard Kobylarz report that pursuant to the governor’s executive order 2020-42, the city is required to develop and distribute a Preparedness and Response Plan specific to COVID-19. The city’s policy was based on the model policy developed for members of the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority and will be in effect April 29, barring any objections from city council;
• Also heard Kobylarz report that the city is in the process of securing email addresses for all businesses in the DDA district. Their current list shows slightly less than 50 organizations with email addresses. She said if a business hasn’t provided the city, the DDA or the Chamber of Commerce with an email address in the past, to please forward the information to her as soon as possible;
• Heard Councilwoman Bates say this week is National Library Week and the library is closed. She said people can interact with the library on its website. She also said Earth Day is one of her favorite holidays and she suggested people join her in celebrating on April 22 by taking a bag and picking up the trash strewn around. She said it’s the 50th anniversity of Earth Day;
• Heard Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Marcotte say he appreciates the Belleville Cares plan which is equitable for everyone involved. He said it is appropriately named, as well. He said the banners are a great idea and he thanked the BYC for sponsoring it. As to the virus, he said “everyone is in our thoughts and prayers”;
• Heard Voigt say he echoes the comments of Bates and Marcotte. He said this will be a Belleville Tiger summer for Belleville and he appreciates that. He said he lost an immediate neighbor to the virus and another friend is on a ventilator. “This is nothing to take lightly,” he said;
• Heard Fielder complain that $5 billion in federal funds was given to Michigan for health services and public health services only got $5 million for the whole state. He reported in contrast to those who are protesting, people in the city are cooperating with the Stay Home order and, “Our community has been very positive”;
• Heard Mayor Conley wish Officer Trombly the best of luck, saying he will be missed. She said there are a lot of people behind making and giving masks, but she wanted to mention Chris Donley who provided 300 masks for each of the city’s senior citizen facilities. He has many people sewing and making gadgets so the masks don’t hurt their ears. Mayor Conley also said the DDA president asked for ideas of what the leadership wants for the city in the future and she said there is a shift now as to what’s going to happen to support businesses for reopening;
• Heard Rutherford ask citizens to refrain from pouring loose trash into their 90-gallon containers because it flows all over when it is dumped out. They should put their trash in bags he said. He noted Republic is not picking up yard waste and that can be brought to the DPW yard where a container is marked for yard waste;
• Heard John Winter ask about getting permission for the Main Street car show this summer, if it is possible. Maybe they could start in July, he said. He wanted to know if it could be put on the council agenda for a vote and Mayor Conley said she had no problem putting it on the next agenda;
• Heard Voigt say they may not be able to have all the Music Lakeside concerts as planned this summer, but they can use the church or high school auditorium and live stream so they can have all the concerts;
• Heard Fire Chief Loranger say the fire department did send cars to St. Mary’s Hospital to honor front-line health workers and it also did a little parade on Wexford Street for a child’s birthday. He said Van Buren Township Fire Department will be doing a parade in the city for a friend of the department; and
• Heard DDA president McGovern praise the fire department and note one of her clients in the local community didn’t make it through coronavirus. She said they are planning a Zoom or web meeting for the DDA.