Goats coming back to chew Belleville lakeside, courtesy DDA, city council

Twenty goats are scheduled to arrive on June 8 at Horizon Park in Belleville to trim the shrubbery along the lake in time for Lakefest activites.
At the Feb. 15 regular meeting of the Belleville Downtown Development Authority, Randy Brown, who brought goats to the city for the last two years, said he had scheduled 15-20 goats for two weeks in August at a cost of $3,995.
But Therese Antonelli of the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce told Brown this year’s Lakefest was going to be a much larger event and asked him to move the goats up in time to clear the shoreline for the festival. He made a cellphone call and then announced the early June date.
DDA vice chairperson Kelly McWilliams complained that last year it didn’t look very neat for Lakefest.
City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson said the city council would agree to pay half of the cost at its next meeting Feb. 21.
In other business at the two-hour, Feb. 15 meeting, the DDA:
• Removed from the agenda the demonstration of Monday.com by DDA member Ivan Ankwatsa. He was not present, so the demonstration was put off until the March meeting;
• Approved a grant application from the Central Business Community for $4,800 to help fund promotion of eight events, with Mayor Kerreen Conley voting no. She said she is happy with increasing the amount, but not happy with the lack of a clear policy. Last year’s grant was $2,000;
• Approved a grant application for $2,000 each for Lakefest and Winterfest. Mayor Conley said these are huge events over multiple days and they only get $2,000 each. “None of these events are happening tomorrow,” she said, indicating there is time to consider the total amount. A new policy is expected to be discussed in a committee meeting;
• Heard the list of DDA committee assignments;
• Reviewed a list of possible site furnishings for downtown and parks, including picnic tables, park benches, barricades, convertible table/benches, and trash cans;
• Heard Projects Administrator Steve Jones said he was tasked with listing what the city has in its parks and recited a long list of items and what they looked like. DDA Chairperson Alicia McGovern directed the administration to come up with a comprehensive park plan for the next meeting. Robinson said they would have recommendations for the March meeting;
• Discussed the proposed restriping of the ciy parking lots and pavement repair in the parking lot next to Johnny’s. Chairperson McGovern said they should consider one-way traffic in the parking lot next to Johnny’s and Robinson said he is considering a recommendation to have the parking there straight, rather than slanted;
• Discussed advertising for two to three DDA-funded summer workers, who would not be a part of the youth employees. Robinson said now they have a project administrator to direct them. He said he thinks two is good. He would like someone retired or an older person;
• Discussed a proposed new even funding program and application;
• Discussed advertising in the Detroit Tigers and/or Lions program. The proposal was assigned to the Marketing Committee for a recommendation;
• Learned Scott Jones is putting up four billboards to market the city and McGovern said it is the responsibility of the DDA to help. Cost numbers have been provided to the DDA, but she would like to look for competitive numbers. The item was deferred for more information;
• Heard McGovern say she now will allow citizens’ comments during discussions; and
• Heard Councilman Tom Fielder point out that the robotics competition is coming up on March 17 at Belleville High School and it brings 2,000 people who they stick around between competitions. In the past the DDA has put together a brochure suggesting places to eat that was passed out to them. Also, he suggested the rose arbor in Horizon Park (where the roses didn’t grow) needs to be turned into an attractive place and the tying up of boats at Horizon Park needs to be improved.