City Manager reports surprise gas line is holding up demolition

The construction process in 1940 was different than today’s process, Belleville City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson said to the city council on Monday, beginning his explanation of why the Huron River Market demolition is not yet complete.
He said the demolition crew found a two-inch unmetered, capped, gas line in the wall, and they are afraid to just pull it out in case it is attached to the eight-inch line across the street in Victory Park.
Chief Robinson said they were seeking the proper vendor to find the cut off before continuing with the demolition.
When Councilwoman Kelly Bates suggested they put a “Welcome to Belleville” mural on the exposed wall of the police department, like the mural in Sumpter, Chief Robinson said the plan is to brick that wall that had been attached to the partially destroyed market.
In other business in Monday’s 36-minute meeting, the council:
• Approved using the city parking lot next to Johnny’s on the Lake for spillover vehicles from the Bob Castino Memorial Car Show on Sunday on High Street. Therese Antonelli said she talked with Johnny’s and they will be selling outside and not need the lot. She said Johnny’s only owns the handicapped parking spaces next to its building and the rest of the lot is owned by the city;
• Approved budget amendments for the 2021-22 budget year as recommended by Kelly Howey of Plante Moran;
• Approved Sept. 10 and 11 as this year’s dates for the citywide yard sale;
• Heard Councilwoman Kelly Bates complain about the trees that need to be cut down in the city, including one behind city hall and several in her subdivision of Victoria Commons. Chief Robinson said Rick Rutherford of the DPW has a list made up by priority of which trees need to come down first. He said it is difficult to get contractors to jump to cut down trees. Councilwoman Bates asked for the council to have that list;
• Heard a resident who said he lives next to Doane’s Landing say that their split-rail fence was taken down by the city during work on the park and he would like to know when they will get it put back up. He said the no fishing signs at the park were taken down and need to be put back up unless the city has changed its mind about allowing fishing at the park. He said those fishing in the park have been fishing behind their houses, as well. He said the residents are very polite and give them 15 minutes to finish fishing and then they should leave and most do without a problem. He said, however, one fell asleep and they had to ask his friends to wake him up to leave. The resident said those fishing leave trash and his wife has been picking up after them;
• Heard Robinson say he would like to set a closed session with the new attorney who specializes in marijuana issues. He said Aug. 2 is the date for any valid petitions to come forward for the November election and he’d like to meet soon. He said he is impressed with the attorney’s work. He said it took 15 minutes for her to explain what he studied for a year and a half to understand. He said they are prepping for a potential ballot amendment from the current license holder seeking a medical marijuana license;
• Heard Antonelli ask how to get a traffic study done for the area around the new shopping center at the bridge to get a left-turn signal at the light. She said she knew the city wanted to wait until the shopping center is occupied, but more and more businesses are opening there. Robinson said he is “burning equity” with an individual he knows at Wayne County. Robinson said the person told him how to make this study happen. It would also deal with the right-turn-only signs that will be required for safety;
• Heard Antonelli ask what company the city hires to sweep the street and she was told the city DPW sweeps. She said there is a lot of debris on North Liberty Street. Robinson said there are regular sweeps and he would like to set up a Public Service Day where people would not park on the streets so they can be cleaned. “Let me get through the marijuana thing first,” he said of the new project. The North Liberty Street resident asked when they will restripe the lanes on North Liberty at Main and Robinson said they want to resurface that whole intersection and then paint the lines. But that would be after the big equipment is done at the shopping center, otherwise they would ruin what the city does;
• Heard Bates say she wanted someone to come to the council meeting to speak to them on PCBs and the health of Belleville Lake. Robinson pointed out Rutherford had sent a packet of information to council members on this subject and Bates said she’d like someone in person to discuss it with them;
• Heard Fire Chief Brian Loranger say he hopes to start the fire department’s new duty crew the first week of July and plans to have two crew members each day and 45 hours of coverage; and
• Approved accounts payable of $97,798.22 and the following departmental purchases in excess of $500: to A Design Line, $520.55 for T-shirts for summer youth workers; to B&R Janitorial, $698.58 for parks, bathroom, and DDA supplies; to Blue Ribbon Contracting, $4,399 for water leak repair on High Street; to Osborne Concrete, $712 for headstone foundations; and to TNT Tree Service, $850 for cutting of dead tree near roadway at 56 Potter Dr.