At its January 12 meeting, the Pentwater Village Council honored Terry Cluchey with a proclamation recognizing his faithful service in the Pentwater Fire Department for more than four decades. Council President Mary Marshall cited his many contributions “that will continue to have a positive impact on our community for years to come.”
Cluchey served as fire chief for 15 years and instituted several improvements that brought the department in line with best practices in firefighting. Amid applause and many expressions of praise and thanks, Marshall wished Cluchey a wonderful and well-deserved retirement.
The meeting was well attended, with council members Don Palmer, Karl Schrumpf, Dave Bluhm, Marshall, Jared Griffis and Kathy O’Connor present and 16 residents in the audience. Council member Dan Nugent was absent. Pentwater Township Supervisor Lynne Cavazos’ comments early in the meeting were the catalyst for a lengthy dialogue that followed later under unfinished business regarding a village-township sewer agreement. Cavazos was concerned that commitments made by a prior village manager had not been fulfilled. She recounted township expenditures of $215,000 for sewer system repairs since September 2025.
For several months the two entities have been unable to agree on how to measure and charge for the waste discharge made by the township users into the village sewer system. Marshall commented it would not be as controversial an issue if the village sewer system were not so close to the maximum permissible limit during the summer season’s heavy usage. The current obstacles to agreement are meter ownership and the frequency and accuracy of meter readings to determine the discharge amount. Council instructed Village Manager Toby Van Ess and Village Attorney Brian Monton to meet again with Keith Edwards, the township attorney, and other township officials to try and reach a final agreement.
There were four additional items under new business. The strategic plan calls for attention to senior services, and Marshall asked for suggestions of people to appoint to a committee responsible for informing residents of services available to them in Oceana County. Regarding this, O’Connor suggested Stephanie Moore at the Oceana County Council on Aging. In another item, Marshall asked for approval of Josh Andrews for a three-year appointment on the Planning Commission beginning in May. Andrews would replace Dan Girvan, and council gave unanimous approval.
The next item was a presentation by Captain Lee Price who reached an agreement with the village to purchase the former water taxi. He plans to include it in the fleet of boats in the West Michigan S.A.I.L. program, but also hopes to continue using the boat for history tours and sunset sails. He has been working with two professionals to make his fleet accessible, and they are willing to help make a dock accessible. His boats are on moorings overnight, but he needs the availability of a dock for uploading and unloading passengers.
He shared that the Artisan Learning Center was involved with the implementation of accessibility features for the boats and the dock. His request to council was for help to make a dock available for his use twice a day, five days a week, preferably at the municipal marina or at the end of Fourth Street, where he used to pick up and discharge passengers. While council members lauded his program and his intentions, Bluhm felt what Price really needed was “a dock dedicated to your program, available at all times to the veterans in your program and for the other uses of the former water taxi. This would require putting your request ahead of others on the long waiting list.”
The DNR determines the number of docks to be used for transient use and seasonal use in municipal harbors. Van Ess agreed to look into those numbers for Pentwater and see if there is any flexibility.
The final item of new business was a request presented by Ryan Williams on behalf of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to construct an ice skating rink on the Village Green behind and to the south of the gazebo. The DDA would cover the cost of a large tarp and 2x4 lumber for the sides of the rink, estimated to be a total of $450, and would store the material in the off-season. Council asked if grading would be necessary, where the melted ice would drain, and if the lawn would be damaged by the installation. Satisfied with the responses, council gave unanimous approval with instruction to meet any insurance stipulations. The hope is for the rink to be available for Winterfest.
Toward the close of the meeting, three public comments were made related to Price’s presentation. Williams confirmed the value of an accessible dock, having witnessed efforts to put a wheelchair passenger on fishing charters and other boats in the municipal marina that put the passenger at great risk. Dean Gustafson mentioned the possible challenge of using the end of Fourth Street for an accessible dock due to plans for adding riprap and other landscaping for naturalizing the dock area. AnnaMae Bush suggested the village try to work with the owner of the damaged docks on the end of Chester Street for a usable and accessible dock in the area that already provides parking and toileting facilities.
Other public comment included Amy LaBarge and Griffis expressing immense appreciation for Cluchey’s valuable communal work and his personal assistance in their times of need. Furthermore, Palmer reported he had received contradictory information on the dates for the closing of the Pentwater Post Office for needed repairs. No firm dates have been given.
Further discussion on other matters continued, with Bluhm asking what was happening with the Capital Improvement Plan, and Van Ess announced the draft was on his desk in preparation for budget plans that will begin next week.
Chief Laude Hartrum was congratulated for the accreditation verbally given to the Pentwater Police Department, which will be formally awarded on Feb. 3 in Grand Rapids. Hartrum also reported the therapy dog anticipated by the school and the police department was born, and “he will be brought home by Deputy Darwin Mitchell on Jan. 13. But the dog will need to be fully vaccinated and trained prior to being on duty at the school.”
The newest employee hired for the village staff was also introduced. Village resident Jody TerHaar began working in the office on Jan. 5 following the holiday break. TerHaar is the new deputy clerk/treasurer in place of Michele Bieri, who officiated at her first council meeting Monday night as the new clerk/treasurer. TerHaar reported, “I like my new job very much and am happy to be serving the residents of Pentwater.”
TerHaar and her husband, Dan, recently built a new permanent home on Chester Street after many years of seasonal residency in the village.
Following TerHaar’s introduction, the meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. The village council's next meeting is set for Monday, Feb. 9, at 6 p.m. at the Pentwater Village Community Hall.
