By Emily Flesch
Independent Reporter
Police Chief and Director of Public Safety Kris Faull was appointed as interim city manager at the July 6 regular meeting of the Belleville City Council.Faull will receive a stipend of $500 a week for additional responsibilities and will serve in this position until Brady Peck assumes the role permanently on July 20.
Peck was selected as city manager at the June 22 special meeting. Councilmember Randy Priest acknowledged that there are people in the community asking questions about how the council arrived at their choice.
Councilmember Priest asked that the June 22 meeting minutes be amended to show a summary of the council’s discussion regarding the selection of the city manager, as well as the meeting minutes of June 13 to show a deferred preliminary vote, as to “show a little more transparency and some enlightenment.”
Approval of the minutes for the June 13 and June 22 meetings was deferred to the next council meeting.
In other business, the board:
- Heard Councilmember Priest ask about the status of sidewalk repairs and Director of Public Works Nathan Johnson respond that he does not believe it is attainable this year “on top of everything else we have, with limited staff”;
- Approved acceptance of the bid submitted by Highlands Services for the Horizon Park Slope Stabilization Project in the amount of $698,105, expected to begin late August to early Sept. and be completed in December, which will prevent further erosion of the park embankment, protect infrastructure, and improve public safety;
- Approved the appointment of Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Michelle Bellingham to the City of Belleville Election Commission;
- Approved accounts payable of $572,405.91;
- Heard a question from Belleville resident Erin Oleszczak about the cause of multiple power outages at her home to which the council responded that these issues are being addressed and they would like to get a representative from DTE to attend a future meeting regarding these concerns.
- Heard Councilmember Jeremiah Beebe say that he had the opportunity to be on Belleville Lake for the Fourth of July fireworks presented by the Belleville Yacht Club and remark that it was “intense,” giving a special shout-out to the private shows put on by citizens on the lake;
- Heard Mayor Ken Voigt state that “Lakefest was incredible,” noting that there were no issues with violence, and that his only disappointment was with the donut-eating contest because “we let Van Buren take it again.”
The meeting adjourned after 37 minutes and all council members were present.
—Emily Flesch