Members of the Belleville Area Council for the Arts were present at the Oct. 18 Belleville City Council meeting to pitch a new event for the city next summer: a juried art fair that would require the closing of Main Street for about two days.
Crafts, antiques, and entertainment would also be a part of the event.
Ken Voigt, chairman of the “Artaffair on Main” committee, explained the event which is timed for the weekend after the Ann Arbor Art Fair to attract artists in the area for that fair.
Voigt’s proposal is for Main Street to be closed from Third to Fifth Street and Fourth Street from Main to Charles starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 28, until midnight Saturday, July 30, for the event.
Voigt said the arts council will be responsible for details such as sanitation and security.
DPW Director Keith Boc suggested the city get a list of responsibilities for the event, like they do for Strawberry Festival, instead of just saying it will be worked out.
Voigt said the arts council accepts the responsibilities for dumpsters and other necessities.
Mayor Richard Smith agreed that the responsibilities should be put into writing.
Arts Council president Kay Atkins said there will be no paint put on the sidewalks to mark booth spaces, as has been done for Strawberry Festival. Chalk was mentioned as a marker.
“We’ll continue to have discussions on it at another meeting,” Mayor Smith said, noting there is plenty of time to work out all the details.
In other business at the Oct. 18 meeting, the council:
* Set public hearings on Nov. 1 to hear input on the proposed Medical Marihuana Zoning Ordinance, the Medical Marijuana Licensing Ordinance, and the Storage Pods Ordinance;
* Held a public hearing on the Skateboard/Roller Skates Ordinance and tabled the document for further review;
* Opened 15 bids for four used city vehicles, with bids ranging from $123 to $1,559 on two 1998 pickup trucks, a 1998 Crown Vic, and an old Econoline Van used for senior transport. The bids were turned over to the administration to determine the high bidders and complete the sales;
* Approved closing High Street from Main to Church from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, for the Jingle Bell Run, this year including a 5K course, like the recent Brain Aneurysm Benefit Run, over the Denton Bridge, into the residential neighborhoods, and back. The course also requires the parking lane on southbound Main to be closed from High Street to Denton Road. Presenting the request was Ty Patton;
* Approved paying Plante & Moran up to $18,000 for the work on the audit that was not a part of their contract;
* Heard Tom Fielder and Darlene Bodnar from the Strawberry Festival tell some changes being made to the festival for next year, such as not closing Main until 6 a.m. Friday of the festival, with the festival beginning at 4 p.m. Friday. The council deferred action on the festival request to use Victory Station for meetings with no fee until the non-profit status of the group could be confirmed;
* Approved the mayor’s appointment of Mike Renaud to an unexpired term on the Planning Commission, to expire Dec. 31, 1012. “It’s nice to see him take a position, instead of sitting in the back row yelling at us,” said Councilwoman Kim Tindall, lightheartedly. She said she could now go to the Planning Commission meetings and yell at him from the audience;
* Approved accounts payable of $106,708.63, including the following departmental purchases over $500: Ace Cutting, $700 from CDBG funds for detectable warnings for crosswalks on Main St.; Decatur Electronics, $1,165 for new radar unit; Etna, $3,268.64 to restock water supplies; McCoig Materials, $951.50, $879.50, and $650.50 for concrete for road repairs; MI Power Rodding, $510, clean out service line in Village Park rest room; and Oakland County Treasurer, $1,962.75 for CLEMIS membership fees; and
* Learned the Parks and Recreation Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25, at Village Park to inspect the newly asphalted paths. The public is invited.