The Pentwater Village Council met Monday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. at Park Place. Jared Griffis chaired the meeting in the absence of President Mary Marshall. Other council members present were David Bluhm, Dan Nugent, Kathy O’Connor, Don Palmer and Karl Schrumpf. Also present were Police Chief Laude Hartrum, Village Manager Toby Van Ess and 14 visitors in the audience.
Voice approval was given to the Consent Agenda and to the Chamber of Commerce's requests to use the Village Green for Brews & Beats and Oktoberfest in 2027. In her treasurer’s report Michelle Bieri called attention to property tax revenues received and to the cost of the office BS&A (Business Systems and Applications) software moving to the cloud this year. Setting all past data in the cloud will facilitate DPW work in the field and remote office work. O’Connor said she felt the cost at $14,000 per year was fair, and Van Ess explained 98% of municipalities use the format, which makes interagency communication possible. Bieri said overdue utility bills were not added to the tax bills this year.
Chief Hartrum reported 113 traffic stops were made in August, with 111 of them resulting in a warning. Hartrum will host a VPAC meeting on Sept. 17, 7 p.m., at Park Place and on Zoom for his twice-annual report to the public on police activity and policy, staff updates, new projects, the noise ordinance and speed enforcement. Officer Dune (a Goldendoodle therapy dog) will begin duty at the school in November. DPW concerns were taken up under new business and in the manager’s report.
The Pentwater Fire Department report included mention of a $1,000 fine from OSHA for lack of fall protection for packing the hose on fire apparatuses. Under marina calls, it stated gas spills of less than 10 gallons did not require a call for fire department action.
Several committee reports were in the agenda packets. The Planning Committee scheduled a public hearing for discussion of solar energy and new sign ordinances. Final proposals will be formulated after feedback is received from the public, the DDA and the Chamber of Commerce. The Zoning Committee granted 2 permits and is working on updating village maps and vacated streets. The Services Committee recommended a change in leaf pickup, a policy regarding seasonal water shut-off/turn-on fees and discussed extending Morris Street north of Sands.
The DDA August meeting report included changes in the Hancock Street landscaping and postponement of planting new trees until a better watering system is in place. The group discussed the need for a storage shed and the replacement of Brian Prescott as coordinator for “Movies on the Green” in 2027.
There were 10 items under new business that required council approval.
1. An agreement to terminate the intergovernmental agreement with Pentwater Township for the operation, funding and maintenance of the Pentwater Fire Department passed unanimously. Dissolving this agreement was necessary for joining the Fire Authority.
2. The approval of a surveyed lot split to designate the firehouse and Morris Street access as belonging to the Fire Authority and the balance of the lot (excluding library property) with Park Street access as belonging to the village also passed unanimously. Maintenance of the access roads is the responsibility of the designated owners.
3. An approval by voice vote was given for the village's participation in the Oceana County Hazard Mitigation Plan. This is something that has been done for many years and is needed for FEMA support should the village ever suffer a disaster.
4. A proposal to pay the necessary fees for the changes in the office BS&A software was unanimously approved. Changes will benefit remote work and field access for the DPW team.
5. A proposal to withdraw the village manager from the MERS pension plan since he will not be here the 10 years required to be fully vested passed unanimously. The village will pay his health insurance plan instead. This will actually save money for both the village and the manager.
6. The approval of a policy for donation and recognition regarding individuals willing to donate $1,000 for a bench or a brick to honor a loved one was unanimously approved. The document spells out what the donor can and cannot expect from the village in return for their donation.
7. A proposal to change the village method for picking up leaves also passed unanimously. This proposal initiated the most discussion. Van Ess said last year was a nightmare with multiple misunderstandings about the zones involved and several schedule interferences by rain and snow. A one-year trial using a bag system in place of street gutter pickups was proposed. Evaluation at the end of the year will determine what follows. Each village resident will be issued 10 30-gallon bags free of charge and pay 75 cents per bag for additional bags. Two DPW staff will drive through the entire village every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the fall to collect the bags placed at the curb. This will eliminate leaves blowing back on one’s lawn or their neighbor’s lawn.
8. Water shut-offs: the village has an ordinance on the books that overdue bills lead to water shut-offs. But for many years the ordinance has not been followed, and instead overdue bills were simply added to the property tax bills. This practice has led to some overdue bills of $1,000 or more. The proposal was made to put the ordinance into practice. After several warnings, residents will be given seven days to pay the bill before the water is shut off. Help will be suggested if financial hardship is involved. This was approved by a voice vote.
9. The fee for seasonal water shut-offs: residents can request to have their water shut off and turned on when they leave for winter months. The fee for it has been $75. Last year the DPW staff spent hours digging in the snow to find the shut-off valves when the requests came late in the winter. The proposal was to increase the fee to $150 if the request comes between Nov. 15 and March 15 and was unanimously approved.
10. The last proposal that was unanimously approved was a Great Lakes Fishery Grant of $101,000 that requires the village to provide a $25,000 match for the purpose of replacing the wood decking of the fishing platform and boardwalk at the end of Chester Street into the channel. It has not been done since 1998. O’Connor expressed some concern that the unbudgeted expenditure might eliminate a budgeted capital expense. Van Ess said he felt there was enough flex in the budget to handle it without canceling planned expenses.
Van Ess also reported he was looking into township zoning for a free-standing storage unit for use by the DDA, the DPW and the police department. He shared the struggle to meet EGLE standards for landscape around the DPW ponds, where a machine with a 14-foot reach is needed to cut weeds, and the village's machine has only a 6-foot reach. EGLE is also requiring multiple water tests of wells #1 and #3, which the village is not using, costing valuable staff time and money. Van Ess is looking into the process for removing well #1 completely. Well #4 has been used for six weeks, but test results are still unreported. He reported the village marina will be closed Oct. 15.
Public comments ranged from leaf pickup concerns to library millage receipts, water quality concerns to motorcycles and the noise ordinance, and fire truck access on Morris Street possibly impacting teacher parking.
The meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m.
