Van Buren Township DDA to try 3 p.m. meeting time on July 25

The Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority members had to wait about a half hour at each meeting in April and May for a quorum to show up so they could start their meetings.
On June 27, however, a quorum was there at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting began on time.
On the June 27 agenda was an item to change the meeting time to 6 p.m., since it seemed some were having trouble making the regular 5:30 p.m. meeting time. There was discussion on changing the meeting time and DDA members who are business owners said they liked earlier rather than later.
DDA vice-chairperson Carol Bird, who was chairing the meeting in the absence of chairman Craig Atchinson, suggested having an “exploratory meeting” at 3 p.m. on July 25.
The board liked that idea and tabled the agenda item that changed the meeting to 6 p.m.
In other business at the 50-minute meeting on June 27, the DDA:
• Tabled approval of the quote of $13,900 from Norway Landscape for the cleaning and sealing of all existing stamped concrete on the DDA property located at 10151 Belleville Rd. Norway, which installed the concrete originally, did a chip/pit repair two years ago at a cost of $20,000. Maintenance is suggested every two years. DDA members wanted to see other quotes;
• Approved the DDA’s 2022 year-end audit, which was part of the township audit. The DDA received an unmodified opinion, the highest given to show all is in order;
• Approved the $20,048.66 quote from Madison Electric for banner-arm coupling replacements for the light poles because the couplings have deteriorated;
• Approved DDA Executive Director Merrie Coburn’s report on moving funds around that are not being used in the 2023 budget to cover shortfalls in line items. Since they are not replacing the deputy director, the $63,877 was moved. Re-allocation of a total of $112,440 was approved. Work is being done on the 2024 budget that will be given to the township board for inclusion in its 2024 budget workshops;
• Heard DDA member Victor Delibera suggest putting the Belleville High School senior banners on light poles continuing from the city of Belleville into Van Buren Township on Belleville Road so all the banners can be hung at once instead of in stages as now is done in Belleville. Coburn said she would look into it;
• Heard executive director Coburn tell about the five-minute, small business survey she has put out. She said there wasn’t much traction on the township website and Facebook so she sent an advertisement to the Independent and is putting it on social media. She is seeking to get email addresses from the Belleville Chamber for the 48111 area. The free small business training she is suggesting would be supported by the Belleville Chamber and DDAs in the city and township, she said;
• Learned Wade Trim engineers are working to complete recent design changes and to create an overlay rendering of what the Belleville Road widening project will look like when completed, with hopes of having the rendering completed for the DDA’s July 25 meeting;
• Heard Coburn report she attended and spoke at the Michigan Development Association’s summer workshop in Alpena on June 2. Her talk was on Small Business Incubators; and
• Watched one of the 30-second VBT advertisements for Thrill in the ‘Ville that was played during the televised boat races for Lakefest in Belleville. Coburn provided the voiceover on two clips prepared by the township’s Communications Department.