The Pentwater Village Council met at 6 p.m. on June 8 with Jared Griffis presiding in the absence of President Mary Marshall. Council members Dave Bluhm, Dan Nugent, Kathy O’Connor, Don Palmer and Karl Schrumpf were present. In addition to normal business items, the agenda included a special award presentation to the police department and proposals from the library and the fire department.
Included under the evening's consent agenda was a report from the Planning Commission and requests for Village Green use from the Pentwater Jr. Women’s Club for the July 10-11 Art Fair and from the Pentwater Civic Band for Thursdays from June 25 through August 27. The Planning Commission also reported a need to formulate an ordinance regarding a solar energy system, as there is no policy and a request has come in to install solar energy.
During department reports it was noted that in addition to medical calls and fire calls, the fire department had four requests for the use of its drone, which in one case enabled the police to know exactly where their suspect was and to detain him. The police department had two calls of note in May: one to explore the report of a body floating in the channel, which turned out to be a false alarm. The second was a car accident in which the automobile left the road to travel on the sidewalk on Hancock before crossing the street to crash into Jack Witt’s office at Snug Harbor Marina. There was considerable property damage but no bodily injuries. Witt was sitting only feet from where the car stopped at the time of the accident. It was also noted that Caden Kane, a Mason County Central student from Scottville, worked his first day as a Public Safety Officer, on June 8.
Chief Ronald Wiles (Ret.), Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP), next stepped to the podium to officially award Chief Laude Hartrum an accreditation document from the MACP for the Pentwater Police Department. Wiles highlighted the honor and the hard work this accreditation represented. Hartrum has been working toward the award for four years and thanked his officers for their extraordinary efforts in the process. Wiles said only 17% of the state’s 573 police departments have achieved the award, which requires following 132 standards (with 600 boxes to check). The voluntary process includes a site visit from two assessors and a 30-page report to the accreditation board. The hard work ahead entails moving forward while keeping in compliance with all the standards. Hartrum stepped up to the podium while Wiles read the text of the award, and council and audience members applauded.
Also present for the ceremony were Chief Bryan Ergang (Ret.), deputy director of MACP, and Det. Lieutenant Matt Silverthorn (Ret.), the accreditation program director for MACP. Griffis called for a recess in the meeting and invited those present to celebrate with cake and punch. The recess enabled personal congratulations to be extended and photos to be taken.
Following the recess, Valerie Church-McHugh presented a proposal from the Pentwater District Library Board to request 1.25 mills in funding on the November ballot. Without an increase in 33 years, the current funding no longer meets the expenses. The proposed millage was based on projecting costs over the next five years at a 3-4% inflation rate. Having become a district library means the library millage will be attached to the school millage and will include Weare Township, requiring all patrons to pay the same amount. The increase will enable the library to adjust front and back entrance walkways to meet ADA standards, make technology updates and meet future expenses. Kendra Flynn expanded on the financial needs and millage advantages.
The third presentation for the evening was made by Oceana County Emergency Manager Troy Maloney, who spoke on behalf of establishing the West Michigan Fire Authority with the merger of the Hart and Pentwater Fire Departments. Maloney said the conversation has been ongoing for a couple of years and that both fire departments are healthy, which is a better time to talk about collaboration than in a crisis. Merging is a way to meet current and future funding and staffing needs without additional millage funding. Redundant equipment can be disposed of, and a full staff of 32 members would include one full-time chief and two assistant chiefs. Maloney invited the village council to appoint someone to join representatives from Pentwater Township, the City of Hart, Hart Township, Golden Township (served by Hart) and Weare Township (served by Pentwater) at a meeting on June 18 to discuss forming a legal entity.
Continuing with new business, the council approved the reappointment of Claudia Ressel-Hodan and the appointment of Joe Roberson to the Planning Commission for three years. Council also approved the reappointment of Jilly Barnes to the DDA for three years. Village Manager Toby Van Ess also explained the need for changes to the village staff credit card policy, which council subsequently adopted. Bluhm cautioned that credit card companies are regularly adding surcharges for usage and staff should use the credit cards judiciously. Clerk Michelle Bieri explained the need to update names on the Safe Harbor Credit Union account, and council agreed to take the necessary steps to do that.
Kathy O’Connor reported the Finance Committee had met and heard a pension plan presentation for the staff. The committee also proposed that $28,000 be taken from Park Place funds and returned to the village general fund. In 2021, council had given $114,000 to Park Place for capital improvements, which have since been made, and returning the funds was the original plan. Now available, the funds were returned with council’s unanimous approval.
Public comments included concerns about the quality of water soon to be used from well #4, encouragement to support the library’s proposed millage, concern about Weare Township support of the library and dismay regarding the removal of landscaping at Park Place that had included memorial plantings.
Council comments included thanks for the Pentwater Service Club’s leadership role in the Start of Summer party and concern about some of the potholes in the village just “waiting to swallow a small dog.”
Van Ess also reported that dredging would begin Tuesday, June 9, that well #4 had received EGLE approval, that PALM bike tour bicyclists (more than 400 of them) would be arriving in town next weekend, and that DPW staff member Tony Kies received his state license as a water supervisor.
