WHITEHALL — After a successful first year, the White Lake Community Garden is eyeing even higher heights in 2026 and beyond.
Now an official nonprofit after filing the proper forms in January, the garden presented its goals and requests of the Whitehall city council during Tuesday's regular meeting, with president Amber Marks and secretary Dayton Pax at the podium.
The garden is requesting the city install four additional water spigots in the garden area, which consists of the former tennis courts adjacent to Whitehall's city hall; cover the costs of the garden's water use again in 2026 (it reported using about $6 worth of city water during the 2025 growing season); and grant the garden a five-year permit to use the garden space to allow for long-term planning.
The council did not act on those requests and was not expected to; city manager Dan Tavernier said he felt giving the council this information now would allow an informed vote on any or all of the requests at a meeting in the near future. Council members Tanya Cabala and Scott Brown each expressed approval of the work that has gone into the garden so far and the presentation Tuesday.
Marks presented plans for 2026, as well as plans for the next five years and the next 10 years. Each member of the garden's leadership team is a homeowner in Whitehall, and Marks and Pax each said they anticipate the garden as a long-term project.
Marks said this year's growing season aims will focus on excavating the tennis courts - a donor, Ryerson Brothers Excavating in Muskegon, is already lined up to do so free of charge, as well as install a layer of topsoil - and expanding the garden space with more fruits, vegetables and pollinator plants. Marks also hopes to host more community events as the garden becomes a community gathering space. Fencing will be installed to deter deer from eating the crops being grown.
Over the next 5-10 years, Marks added, she hopes the garden can become an established public space and, ultimately, a "food forest" for the community that provides fresh ingredients for residents. There is no plan to charge any kind of fees for the garden's use, as donor support and local partnerships are expected to cover the garden's costs. This year's budget is projected to be over $24,000, but much of it is up-front costs not expected to be repeated, such as fencing installation.
The use of the tennis court area is not accidental, Marks said; she views visibility as a major factor in the success of a community garden. Placing it close to downtown, where it can be easily seen by those traveling down Colby Street, is believed to attract visitors and users of the garden.
Elsewhere in the meeting, Tavernier noted the pending retirement of longtime Whitehall police officer Derek Sova, which will take place at the end of the month. The department already has a job posting for an officer. Sova's position will be filled by Travis Bolles, the current School Resource Officer for the Whitehall district, and Makayla Gibson will fill the SRO job; it is Gibson's current position the department is seeking applications to fill.
The council granted 5-0 approval (Bryan Mahan and Roger Squiers were absent) to contribute up to $1,750 to the construction of a public drinking fountain adjacent to the Chamber of Commerce building. The fountain would be used by those using the bicycle trail and will be Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant. The White Lake Snow Farmers have volunteered to cover the rest of the costs, which they estimate will be $4,500.
The council also voted 5-0 to grant a tag day request to the Knights of Columbus for Saturday, March 28, and approved by a 5-0 vote moving ahead with the next administrative step in the issuance of tax bonds, which Tavernier is seeking to finance improvement projects this year.
