CITY
COUNCIL MINUTES
September
17, 2007
The
Cadillac City Council met in a regular meeting on Monday,
September 17, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers
of the Municipal Complex, 200 N. Lake Street , Cadillac
, Michigan .
COUNCIL
PRESENT: Baas, Dean, Dyer, Stevens, Mayor Blanchard
COUNCIL
ABSENT: None
Staff
Present: Stalker, McCurdy, Walker,
Garland, Adams, Nelson
Mayor
Blanchard called the regularly scheduled Cadillac City Council
meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
CONSENT
AGENDA
2007.150
Consent agenda approved
Motion
was made by Baas and supported by Dean to approve the consent
agenda consisting of the minutes of the regular city council
meeting held August 20, 2007.
Motion
unanimously approved.
PUBLIC
HEARINGS
At
7:03 p.m., Mayor Blanchard opened a public hearing to consider
the adoption of the Comprehensive Recreation Plan for years
2007 through 2012. Jerry Adams, Community Development Coordinator,
gave an overview of the plan. Addressing council were Terry
Mickelson, 424 E. North, Bill Allen, 213 Holbrook, Bill
Barnett, 915 Stimson, Pat McCormick, 546 Cherry Grove Ln
, and Loretta Snider, 1107 Sunset Ln. Comments of support
focused on a regional concept of the plan and the Diggins
Hill tennis court renovations. Responding to questions about
prioritizing the projects, City Manager Stalker said none
of the projects are pushing others aside, “none are mutually
exclusive”. He said all projects are priority no. 1, just
waiting for funding (grants, donations, or general fund
monies earmarked for recreation purposes). Responding to
a comment, Stalker said all monies raised are deposited
into a special project account. The public hearing closed
at 7:46 p.m. Notes of comments made are on file in the city
clerk’s office. Council member Baas made a motion to adopt
the Comprehensive Recreation Plan, as written. Council member
Dean supported the motion. Council member Stevens questioned
the role of the Recreation Advisory Board and whether or
not the board had reviewed the plan previous to adoption
by the Cadillac school board. Responding to a recommendation
from City Attorney McCurdy, Council member Baas amended
his motion.
2007.151
Recreation plan adopted, with contingencies
Motion
was made by Baas and supported by Dean to adopt the 2007-2012
Comprehensive Recreation Plan contingent upon the demonstration
that the concerns about the process, and who participated
in the process (i.e., Recreation Advisory Board), are answered
and can be shown.
Motion
unanimously approved.
COMMUNICATIONS
2007.152
Use of parking lot for rally approved
Motion
was made by Dean and supported by Stevens to approve the
request from Terry Beck to use a small portion of the city
parking lot adjacent to the Chamber of Commerce on October
1, 2007 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for his second annual
Open Government Rally and to direct Beck to coordinate the
exact location with city staff.
Motion
unanimously approved.
CITY
MANAGER’S REPORT
2007.153
Public hearing set for Clam River Greenway Project, Phase
III
Motion
was made by Dyer and supported by Dean to introduce Ordinance
No. 2007-10 which would amend the Cadillac City Code by
adding a new Section 11.147 to Title XI, Chapter 4, to permit
the exchange of real estate for the purpose of constructing
a boardwalk for the Clam River Greenway Project and set
a public hearing for October 15, 2007 to consider said ordinance
for adoption.
Motion
unanimously approved.
2007.154
Placement of way-finding trail signs approved
Motion
was made by Dyer and supported by Dean to approve the proposal
from the District Health Department (#10), in cooperation
with the Cadillac Community Health Coalition and the city,
to place six way-finding signs alone or near the Lake Cadillac
shoreline directing people to various trails, with the exact
location to be determined by city staff, and to exempt said
signs from the regulatory standards of Chapter 51, Section
5.191 due to the public purpose of the project, using grant
monies received from the Michigan Department of Community
Health and the Cadillac Area Community Foundation.
Motion
unanimously approved.
INTRODUCTION
OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUITONS
2007.155
Public hearing set for Ordinance No. 2007-09, post office
encroachment
Motion
was made by Dean and supported by Dyer to introduce Ordinance
No. 2007-09 which would amend the Cadillac City Code by
adding a new Section 11.146 to Title XI, Chapter 4, to permit
the city to grant a license agreement to the United States
Postal Service to encroach upon property owned by the city
and set a public hearing for October 15, 2007 to consider
said ordinance for adoption.
Motion
unanimously approved.
MINUTES
OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
The
minutes of the Cadillac Housing Commission from the meeting
held August 15, 2007, the Cadillac/Wexford Transit Authority
from the meeting held July 19, 2007, the Wexford County
Airport Authority from the meeting held August 21, 2007,
and the Wexford County Board of Commissioners from meetings
held July 18, August 1, and August 15, 2007 were presented
for information only.
APPOINTMENTS
2007.156
Levand reappointed to DDA
Motion
was made by Dyer and supported by Baas to reappoint Bob
Levand to the Downtown Development Authority Business Improvement
District Board for a four-year term to expire October 6,
2011.
Motion
unanimously approved.
2007.157
Merchant reappointed to EDC
Motion
was made by Dean and supported by Baas to reappoint Keith
Merchant to the Economic Development Corporation Board for
a six-year term to expire September 11, 2013.
Motion
unanimously approved.
2007.158
Fent reappointed to Planning Board
Motion
was made by Stevens and supported by Dyer to reappoint Kevin
Fent to the Planning Board for a three-year term to expire
October 1, 2010.
Motion
unanimously approved.
PUBLIC
APPEARANCES
Cal
Caldwell, city resident, addressed council regarding the
milfoil treatment of Lake Cadillac and expressed support
for the Cadillac Post Office addition and renovation project.
Mark
Pressell, Lake City, expressed concerns over the post office
expansion project by criticizing the process. Mayor Blanchard
noted that both U.S. Senators Levin and Stabenow put forth
considerable effort to keep the post office in the downtown.
Jack
E. Powell, township resident, spoke against the post office
project.
Bill
Barnett, city resident, spoke against the post office project.
Gwen
Dubravac, city resident and director of the Cadillac Preservation
Guild, urged compliance with the standards for historic
preservation as the post office project moves forward and
lamented that the arts were not a part of the Comprehensive
Recreation Plan.
Stephanie
Trombly, downtown business owner, spoke in favor of the
post office project.
Gregg
Carner, downtown business owner, spoke in favor of the post
office project and presented a petition of support signed
by 16 downtown business people.
Loretta
Snider, city resident, urged Lake Cadillac property owners
to stop fertilizing their lawns and cutting their grass
to help the efforts by the city to eradicate the milfoil
problem. She also spoke against the expansion of the post
office in its present location.
GOOD
OF THE ORDER
Mayor
Blanchard congratulated Dale Walker, Director of Finance,
noting that he received the Distinguished Budget Presentation
Award from the Government Finance Officers Association for
financial excellence for the 23 rd consecutive year and
pointed-out that Walker is unique in the state and one of
only a few in the country to be so recognized for such an
extended time.
Mayor
Blanchard recognized Mark Pressell, designer of the new
Keith McKellop walkway bridge.
Council
member Baas commended the efforts of Jerry Adams, Community
Development Coordinator, for his role in the Comprehensive
Recreation Plan project. Commenting on the post office expansion
project, Adams noted that state guidelines had been followed.
Responding
to an accusation made during Public Appearances, City Attorney
McCurdy stated that, indeed, “due process has been met for
the post office project.”
It
was the consensus of council to schedule work sessions for
5:15 p.m. on October 1 and October 15, 2007 to discuss the
Five Year Capital Improvement Budget.
2007.159
Move to closed session approved
Motion
was made by Baas and supported by Dean to move to closed
session for the purpose of discussing union negotiations.
Motion
unanimously approved.
At
9:40 p.m., council members moved to the conference room
for a closed session meeting.
At
10:01 p.m., council members returned to the council chambers.
2007.160
Resumption of regular meeting approved
Motion
was made by Dean and supported by Dyer to resume the regularly
scheduled city council meeting.
Motion
unanimously approved.
2007.161
Steel workers contract approved
Motion
was made by Dyer and supported by Baas to ratify the three-year
contract between the City of Cadillac and the United Steel
Workers of America, Local Unit 14317, retroactive to July
1, 2007.
Motion
unanimously approved.
ADJOURNMENT
As
there was no further business to come before the City Council,
the meeting was adjourned at 10:03 p.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Ronald
J. Blanchard, Mayor Janice
E. Nelson, City Clerk
