HART - The Hart City Council considered and approved resolutions related to city crew safety, two infrastructure-related agreements, new wording in the city’s employee handbook and a city ordinance at their meeting Tuesday, July 14.
In safety-related business, the council authorized an agreement with Alpha Omega Utility Services of Boyne City, Michigan for crew observation safety services at an annual cost of $12,224. The idea of contracting with a safety service came as a recommendation from and will be funded by the Hart Energy Board. The only other bid submitted was from the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association in the amount of $16,497.
The scope of work will include four separate crew observation visits consisting of seven hours each at a cost of $3,056 per visit (including travel and expenses); direct discussion with crew members regarding observations; follow-up observation reports after each visit; and consultation on safety rules versus work practices. The four crew safety observations will be conducted over a 12-month period.
A “First Reading of Ordinance 1048.08 State Cross Connection Rules” suggested updated wording for the original ordinance. The wording “Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)” would be replaced with “Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE)” throughout the ordinance. A second reading will be held and the changes will be voted on at the council’s next meeting, Tuesday, July 28.
City Manager Nichole Kleiner said she was happy to report that two long-awaited city property projects were moving forward and ready for council approval.
First, the council authorized Kleiner to execute an option agreement with Jacob S. Eckholm of Avannella Development, LLC, of Muskegon, Mich. (in partnership with Wolverine Development), for the purpose of redevelopment at 3 E. Main St., Hart. Kleiner explained the option agreement does not sell the property. It grants the developer access to the property, an exclusive option for nine months (with a one-time, 90-day extension) to complete due diligence with regard to title, survey, zoning, engineering, utility and environmental reviews.
Related to the option agreement, Kleiner said, “EGLE has confirmed it will fund a Baseline Environmental Assessment for the property at no cost to the city. That is a good sign.”
Secondly, after nearly 18 months, the city has finally reached a point in their negotiations regarding the lease of the water tower property for wireless communications, at 3701 Spencer Farm Rd., Hart, with EIP Holdings IV, LLC of Delaware. Issues with the original lease began in May of 2025 and became a priority for Kleiner, who was the interim city manager at that time, in September 2025. Since that time, she, as the current city manager, along with city staff, has been involved in reviewing several proposals and exploring numerous alternatives.
While a long time coming, Kleiner shared confidently, “I was able to negotiate several important items (as a result).”
According to the city’s resolution and accompanying lease documents, the new Letter Agreement and Easement Agreement will be executed for the purpose of purchasing certain easement rights associated with the property, and for the purpose of managing and leasing wireless communications facilities. In exchange, the city will receive $700,000 at closing with the opportunity to receive ongoing revenue sharing from future wireless communications tenants as provided in the Letter Agreement. The lease will begin immediately and continue for 55 years, or until it is terminated in accordance with the lease document.
Next, city council approved an amendment to Section 2.7, as well as the removal of Section 7.7 of the City of Hart Employee Handbook. According to the formal resolution, the proposed amendments clarify the administration of non-union (exempt) and non-member union employee benefits and remove language that is no longer consistent with the city’s personnel practices.
The resolution also authorizes the city manager to make administrative, formatting, legal compliance, and other non-substantive revisions to the employee handbook without further council approval. Any future revisions affecting employee compensation, benefits, etc. will still go before council for their approval.
Finally, a resolution to approve language for a future public safety millage was tabled until a later date so that more information could be gathered and further discussion could take place. The millage, if approved, would provide funds for police protection, fire protection, emergency response services, public safety personnel, training, vehicles, apparatus, equipment facilities, technology, capital improvements and related public safety operational expenses. A council workshop prior to Tuesday’s meeting had generated a lot of questions with regard to the appropriate amount the city should levy for the aforementioned purposes. More information and future consideration will be forthcoming.
