The Whitehall City Council unanimously approved the purchase of a new informational LED sign from Postema Signs, to be placed outside City Hall, during its regular meeting Tuesday at a total cost of $41,390.
Postema, located in Grand Rapids, was one of several companies that submitted proposals for a sign at the request of City Manager Dan Tavernier.
The proposed sign will be three feet high by seven feet wide and will come with an optional 8-millimeter resolution upgrade. The city will move the time capsule currently located next to City Hall to a nearby location to make room for the sign.
During the work session preceding the meeting, council member Debi Hillebrand said she would get on board for the sign purchase despite misgivings about how bright such signs are, saying she finds them distracting at times, especially in the evening. She cited the Culver's sign on Colby Street and the White Lake Eagles sign on Lake Street as examples of bright ones in Whitehall. The council may explore an ordinance change to govern the brightness of such signs, noting that they are only getting more common.
The council also granted unanimous approval to a Facade Improvement Grant application from Ryan Hall, owner of Whitehall Cottages on Colby Street. Hall sought a $6,000 grant to help defray a $17,000 milling and repaving of the parking lot of his business.
There was some discussion among the council about whether a parking lot fit into the spirit of a grant program designed to improve the appearance of a business, but the council ultimately agreed with City Manager Dan Tavernier's characterization of the program as helping with anything a customer can see from the street, including parking lots.
The council also approved dates for the 2027 Maritime Festival for Aug. 5-7, using the same Goodrich Park and White Lake Marina facilities that were used this year. The council has given rave reviews to the festival since it took place last month.
During council discussion, it was reported that Whitehall's police department impounded two e-motorcycles over the Labor Day weekend as they were being used where they were not permitted to be used. Police Chief Brandon Mahoney said the two drivers of the vehicles, which were rated to travel at up to 55 and 80 miles per hour respectively, were both minors and that parents were cooperative in both cases.
Council member Jeff Holmstrom noted the beginning of the Michigan Department of Transportation bridge work project on Colby Street and noted that he'd like to see the MDOT sign alerting drivers to the closed ramp on northbound US-31 be moved further south. He said the sign was currently placed too far north for drivers to change their route by taking the White Lake Drive exit.
Tavernier reported that he is pursuing a state Community Disaster Preparedness Grant that would help the city respond to a natural disaster, citing as an example the propensity of Benston Road to flood amid heavy rains. Grant recipients would, with state help, devise a detailed plan for the deployment of volunteers in the event of a natural disaster. While there would be a city match requirement if Whitehall were awarded the grant, he said the city is not on the hook for any money at this time.
