ROTHBURY — The Rothbury village council unanimously approved a reallocation of Department of Natural Resources grant funds that will focus largely on the construction of bathroom facilities at the Czarny Park fields.
The reallocation became necessary because the DNR was wary of an easement request made by Consumers Energy regarding power lines that pass over the ball fields. Though the work slated to be completed on the fields did not include the area near the power lines, the intersection was enough to lead the DNR to require the village not to use any of the grant awarded to the village on the ball fields.
Three potential reallocation plans were devised, and the council unanimously favored the last of the three, which calls for the construction of a new restroom building and will also require a well. The new plan will cost about $13,000 more than the village had already budgeted for matching grant funds. The village will also have to pay for any work done on the ball fields itself since the grant money is unavailable for that purpose.
These changes mean the project, which the village originally hoped to be completed in 2026, will likely have to be done in phases that will take multiple years to complete. However, council member Troy Voorhees said the silver lining is that the village can pursue the ball field work it wants without meeting grant requirements. Not having those requirements, he said, also means the village may be able to get that work done for less than the $160,000 line item the originalal proposal allotted to the ball fields. While the necessary changes were frustrating to the council - it was pointed out during discussion that improving the fields was the main reason the village pursued the grant in the first place - all seemed to agree that in the long run they may produce a better park.
The council also checked with Collin Manns of Prein and Newhof, which the village has worked with on the grant, to ensure its changes would be acceptable to the DNR; Manns was on hand at the meeting and said there should be no issue.
During the grant discussion, a side discussion arose about Valley City's work on a proposed community center at the site of the old foundry, resulting in the council voting 6-0 (Dylan Zuniga abstained) not to permit the use of the park for construction of a road to use as an access point to the building. The council wanted to let Valley City know that wouldn't be presented as an option so alternate avenues can be explored.
The council unanimously approved a resolution giving the village the authority to collect a 1% administrative fee on property tax bills each year until such time as the fee is rescinded. The village has already been collecting the fee each year, collecting $980 in revenue from the fees this year, but the resolution negates the need to annually approve the fee as part of its millage rate. The move was made because Oceana County requested each municipality make a resolution on the matter in the face of legal questions regarding such fees.
Chris Orcaz resigned from the Rothbury planning commission due to his move to Newaygo. Commission chair Mike Harris said the village is slowly but surely getting cooperation from Greenlawn mobile home park owner Kurt Hofstra regarding concerns. Harris added that two housing developments, one 17 acres and one 22 acres, are in the early stages of going in and developers are "chomping at the bit" to begin work.
