The Dec. 8 Pentwater Council meeting was the last official council meeting for clerk/treasurer Rande Listerman, who is retiring from eight years of service in Pentwater on Jan. 2, 2026. Combined with her years in previous employment, Listerman said, “I’ve been taking minutes at council meetings for 20 years, and I’m looking forward to freedom from that responsibility!”
Village Council President Mary Marshall called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. Council members Don Palmer, Carl Schrumpf, Dave Bluhm, Dan Nugent, Jared Griffis, and Kathy O’Connor were present, and 10 residents were in the audience.
Following opening exercises, Bob French spoke on behalf of the Pentwater Historical Society (PHS) during the time for public comments related to the agenda. He reported that the PHS was interested in the second-story gym floor of the old village hall building. They wished to use the Falcons logo circle (approximately 6 feet by 6 feet in size) for the background of a museum display about the Pentwater school. They were also considering taking the entire floor out and selling engraved pieces of it to interested residents as a fundraiser for the museum. This request was met with great enthusiasm by council members and taken up later under new business.
The agenda was approved with one addition, and the consent agenda was also approved. There was no correspondence. The treasurer’s report and the written police report from Chief Laude Hartrum were received. Chief Hartrum was thanked for all his work on accreditation for the Pentwater Police Department, and best wishes were extended for the two-day meeting with the state’s assessment team on Dec. 9-10.
With no additional reports to discuss and no unfinished business, council moved on to the five items under new business. The first resolution listed the schedule for all open monthly meetings of council as well as committee meetings in 2026. It was approved. The second resolution listed the second-quarter budget amendments. A short discussion followed during which Listerman answered a question from council regarding how the quarterly budget amendments would be reported to the audit team at year’s end. The resolution was approved.
The third item was the disposition of the basketball floor in the old village hall. O’Connor stated it was important to name the party that would be responsible for taking up the floor and disposing of it. Nugent suggested that the PHS take on that responsibility. Elizabeth Russell, on behalf of PHS, expressed a willingness but had some concern that if removing the floor was an exorbitant price, the PHS might not have sufficient funds to cover the cost. Several council members offered help with the labor involved, and a suggestion was made to invite participation by the Artisan Center. “They removed the old yacht club floor and made several pieces of furniture for the new yacht club building out of the old floor.” The consensus was that many local residents would want a physical memento of the old gym floor and would gladly purchase a piece of the floor. A motion to give the PHS possession of the floor passed unanimously. It was noted the realtor had been informed that the second-story floor was reserved by the village.
The fourth resolution was granting permission to the DDA for fireworks on New Year's Eve at the village marina. No state permit is needed because the fireworks do not reach the height that requires a permit. Approval was unanimous.
The fifth resolution (added earlier) was a proclamation to honor retiring clerk/treasurer Rande Listerman. The proclamation called out the special qualities and the thoroughness of Listerman’s work, her leadership with other team members through several personnel transitions, her punctuality and dependability. The proclamation was unanimously approved, and several council members personally expressed their thanks and appreciation for her work and, in particular, her accessibility. Marshall announced that an open house retirement celebration for Listerman would be held on Wednesday, Dec. 17, from 2-4 p.m., and that residents would be getting an invitation to attend.
Chet Janik was present for the final presentation of the strategic plan and called attention to the minor changes made since the last presentation. Marshall thanked him for all his work, and Janik expressed his appreciation for the committee members he worked with. O’Connor expressed the importance of assigning names – people responsible for the tasks and goals set forth in the document. Griffis emphasized the importance of getting past the point reached in other SWOT exercises and actually working toward the goals. Janik urged the group to include an item on every monthly agenda that focused on one goal and gave an update on the progress toward that goal.
During public comment time, one resident spoke to an item “less weighty than other matters facing council but one that has been ignored for years and is a matter of hospitality to visitors.” It is the matter of correct signage for Park Place, which is still referred to on Clymer signage as “Friendship Center.” Though residents know where Park Place is, visitors attending an event there do not find signs directing them to it. And street signs in the village are not helpful because they are barely readable.
Village Manager Toby Van Ess spoke to progress on selling the former ferry boat, working on a dredging permit, meeting quarterly with other municipal managers, meeting with the school about how to proceed with the recreation program and dealing with DPW equipment issues. He said interviews were complete for the deputy clerk/treasurer position, and a decision would be made Dec. 9. He reported the three DPW team members have worked many overtime hours in the dark to pick up leaves and move snow in order to keep downtown streets open to local businesses and shoppers. He encouraged residents to speak a word of thanks when encountering the DPW team.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:55 p.m.
