At Monday’s City Council meeting, officials praised the efforts of the three groups present that are working with each other and with the city in order to make this year’s Strawberry Festival a success.
Councilman Brian Blackburn said it was a welcome sight to see the three entities for the Strawberry Festival present at the meeting and walking hand in hand and step by step together, adding, “It’s been quite contentious in the past.”
Present at the meeting, to guide the annual Responsibility Policy and Administrative Policy through city council approval, were Chamber of Commerce President Tom DiPietro, Strawberry Festival Executive Director Diane Bodnar, a representative from St. Anthony’s, and volunteers Bill Wolters and Tom Fielder.
Mayor Pro Tem Rick Dawson noted that at the April 19 meeting, the council approved extra space for the festival on Fourth Street and in the city parking lot behind the museum to allow for additional rides downtown for children.
Councilwoman Kim Tindall said the city’s reserve police officers had a long delay in being paid for their festival work last year and she hoped this year they would be paid in a timely manner.
City Manager Diana Kollmeyer said that regular meetings are being held to address all the details of the festival and they have an agreement on the payment, but haven’t talked about how fast the payment would be made.
DiPietro said in the past the Chamber, Strawberry Festival, and St. Anthony had disagreement on how to pay the city, but now they have agreed to pay one-third each. This overcomes the rancorous contention of the past years, he said.
Bodnar said she has four new sponsors that are children oriented, including Zhu Zhu Pets.
Under the guidelines accepted by everyone involved, the Strawberry Festival will begin with the closing of Main Street from Fifth to Five Points beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 17, when vendors will set up their stalls.
The festival will continue until Sunday. The annual parade will begin at the high school at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 19, as usual, and proceed through the downtown, as in the past.
Amusement rides will be set up on Main Street between Roys and Fifth Streets and will open on Friday noon, June 18.
The festival will be held downtown and at St. Anthony’s Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, Belleville Presbyterian Church, and Victory Park — for a car show on Sunday only.
As in the past, dogs, cats, and other pets are prohibited from the festival area, except for those helping disabled people or being using in performances at the festival.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the council:
* Held a public hearing and then tabled a proposed zoning ordinance amendment that would incorporate a present overlay into the ordinance itself to make it easier to use. Questions on several portions, especially that professional and administrative offices would not be permitted on ground floors, but only upper floors in new buildings, leaving the ground floor for retail businesses. All existing uses are grandfathered, but council members and attorney John Day had questions about the wording. A representative from Birchler Arroyo planning consultants will come to the next meeting to explain the amendment;
* Learned the new budget is not ready for discussion yet, because $100,000 either needs to be cut from or added to the general fund in order for it to balance for 2010-11. The problem is reduction in revenue. Council members, no more than two at a time, are meeting with department heads to study what can be done. Upcoming budget meetings are set for 6 p.m. May 10 and possibly 6 p.m., May 12. Budget amendments are coming for the 2009-10 budget, but there will be no deficit, Kollmeyer said;
* Approved having vendors at the library on July 18, the day of the annual Garden Tour sponsored by Friends of the Library;
* Approved the purchase agreement for 402 Savage Road that calls for a mortgage with interest only (8%) payments for five years, with a balloon payment of $50,000 due by July 1, 2015. Closing on the property may be as early as May 7. Resident Mike Renaud questioned the purchase. “At the last meeting, you said you have no use for it and don’t know how you’re going to pay for it,” hoping that the economy will be better in the future. He was told the city may use it for an expanded DPW yard and the payments are just $333 a month. He noted it will cost an additional $8,000 to tear it down. “Is it really a wise choice, given what’s gone on in the country?” Renaud asked. Mayor Richard Smith said the city’s capital improvement fund can be used for the purchase and, “We are looking ahead to the future needs of the city.” Renaud questioned whether that fund might to needed for replacement equipment for police and fire;
* Appointed Keith Boc as the designated commissioner for the newly organzied Downriver Utility Wastewater Authority and Diana Kollmeyer as alternate;
* Discussed plans for traffic control and parking on Liberty Street during the upcoming construction on Main Street after Strawberry Festival. Spicer Engineers promised the DDA it would let the city know two weeks ahead before pouring cement, which will take the closing of one more lane. The traffic is expected to be one lane each direction on Main Street until the cement is poured;
* Approved the Michigan Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which will allow the city to be reimbursed with federal funds once a state of emergency has been declared and equipment is needed elsewhere. Van Buren Township already has approved the document;
* Approved accounts payable of $141,281.35, with a departmental expense over $500 of annual group membership in the Michigan Association of Planning for $625;
* Heard Mayor Smith announce a Spelling Bee for Senior Citizens at the September Days Senior Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, May 10, with RSVP due by May 6 to 699-8918. There will be free lunch, gifts, prizes, and a raffle, as well; and
* Heard Mayor Smith announce that those interested in attending the Wayne County Senior Funfest at Hines Park on June 26, should let City Manager Kollmeyer know, so transportation can be set up from the city.