ROTHBURY — The Village of Rothbury council approved a promotion and raise for Department of Public Works Director Scott Beishuizen during Tuesday's regular meeting, offering him the new title of Village Manager.
The change was made to account for anticipated growth of the village in coming years. The Village Manager, as the position is now called, will be a full-time position with a salary of $20,000 a year, compared to the part-time $6,500 salary being paid prior to Tuesday.
Of the expansion of the job position and the pay increase, Trustee Dylan Zuniga said, “If we’re trying to grow and move in the right direction, (the pay should reflect that). There’s going to be houses going up everywhere. We’re going to get more people. For the things we are hoping to accomplish, I feel like this position is going to be more than just a $6,500 a year, part-time thing.”
Beishuizen remained silent while the council discussed salary and later thanked the council for the raise and added responsibilities.
Council activity Tuesday also included approvals for the village’s general fund budget for 2026-27, alongside separate motions for major and local street funds, and clerk amendments to the 2025-26 budget before the current fiscal year closes. All funds were approved unanimously by the village president and trustees, who were all in attendance.
Chief Ethan Walker of Rothbury Police Department provided his monthly report, as well as an update on the new police cruiser vehicle recently purchased by the department. Walker hopes the cruiser will be delivered in 19-21 weeks, putting its arrival in late June or early July. The department plans to begin ordering equipment in April to outfit the cruiser well ahead of its delivery, in case there are any delays or back ordering. Walker also reminded the council that they should expect a higher influx of traffic on Winston Road and Michigan Avenue due to the detour from the Lewis Farm Market tunnel construction on M-20.
The final scope of the Czarny Park improvement project was approved by the council for a budget of $555,000 quoted from Prein & Newhof. This quote includes the construction of a public restroom, the expense of which contributed to delays in approving the project. Since the initial project investment over a year ago, the price of construction and materials have increased, with the final quote $170,000 more than initially quoted. The DNR Passport Grant awarded to the village will contribute $150,000 to the project, with the village contributing the remaining $405,000. Groundbreaking for the project is planned for this fall.
The council reviewed a new ordinance regarding the frequency of pay for elected officials serving on the council - $75 and $100 per attended meeting for trustees and the president respectively, paid quarterly. The council had several clarification suggestions and corrections for the ordinance, which will be amended by the village attorney and voted on at April’s regular meeting.
Before the meeting adjourned, President Vern Talmadge discussed placing a plaque at the village park in honor of the late Bob Lohman, who passed in February and did a lot of work at the park. The plaque will not be paid for by village funds; members of the council were discussing pitching in for the plaque themselves before an attendee representing Winston Speedway said the business could cover the cost.
