7:30 P.M.
Barber School Meeting Room
I.
Call to Order
President Keller called the meeting to
order at 7:50 p.m.
II.
Pledge of
Allegiance
III.
Roll Call
A.Present: Filber, Fischer, Holland, Keller, Palma
& VanStrate.
B.A
motion by Fischer, support from VanStrate, to excuse Council member Hall did
not pass due to a tie vote.
Yes: 3 (Filber, Fischer,
VanStrate)
No: 3
(Holland, Palma, Keller)
IV.
Reports and Statements of Citizens:
Michelle
Yasenak, 505 E. Savidge Street, asked when the band shell at Mill Point Park
would be completed. She stated that
the construction was a concern for children if it would still be going on
during Family Fun Night.
Manager Cotton
said that it would not effect the Family Fun Night.
Ms. Yasenak
stated that the Heritage Festival would be selling “SL” bumper stickers this
year.
Ms. Yasenak
asked about the burial area at Christ Community Church and if these were
allowed by the Village for any church.
Manager Cotton
said that a columbarium was allowed provided no houses are taken down.
Ms. Yasenak
expressed concern that trees were coming down at the Ace Hardware/ Ross Pope
project and wanted to know if there was a fine issued if you violate an ordinance. She also questioned the three-lane drive at
this project location.
Manager Cotton
said that the curb cut was almost identical to where it was before and that
originally the three lanes went up to the access road, but that MDOT objected
to it. Mr. Cotton added that the
Village Council did approve the extension 15 feet further to the north to Ace
Hardware and that the trees that were removed did clear up some of the tree
issues.
John Yasenak,
505 E. Savidge Street, stated that the Planning Commission never saw the
streetscape proposal and asked if the removal of the service road was part of
the MDOT plan.
Community
Services Director Hansen said the removal was part of the MDOT permit.
Attorney Bob
Sullivan said that per a provision in the PUD contract, you do not need a
permit if MDOT or MDEQ.
Mr. Yasenak
stated that it appeared that clearing for Phase II of the project was underway
and the Planning Commission hadn’t seen anything on Phase II yet. He asked if preparation was allowed to begin
before the Planning Commission granted approval, if Ace ‘s banners were in
compliance with the Village’s signage code and if Ace would be allowed to
merchandise on the sidewalk. Mr.
Yasenak also expressed concern over the trees that had been marked incorrectly. He asked who was overseeing these projects
and if there was a penalty if something was done incorrectly.
Council member
Palma said Mr. Yasenak’s questions should be provided in writing and then the
staff and the Village Council could look them over and address them.
Mr. Yasenak
asked if there would be more parking because of this service road.
President
Keller said that it would be better to have the plans in front of them to
answer these questions.
Attorney
Sullivan said that relief could be sought through the district court through
the PUD contract.
V.
Consent Agenda
A.Approved the payment of the bills in the
amount of $66,697.39
B.Approved the minutes of the April 18, 2005
meeting.
C.Approved the waste
hauler rates for 2005.
D.Approved a resolution
canceling the special budget work session set for May 16, 2005. The Council concluded that a second work
session was not necessary after the first budget review.
E.Set the FY 06 operating
and six-year capital budget public hearing for Monday, June 6, 2005 at 7:30
p.m. at Barber School Community Hall.
F.Approved closure of
Savidge Street during the Memorial Day Parade (May 30) from 11:00 a.m. until
the parade arrived at the Spring Lake Cemetery.
G.Approved the donation
of miscellaneous artifacts to the Tri-Cities Historical Museum and authorized
the Village Manager to sign the donation form. A number of pictures and
tattered maps were preserved during the Village Hall renovation project.
On a motion by Fischer, support from
Filber, the Village Council approved the Consent Agenda as presented.
Yes: 6 No: 0
VI.
Report
by the Village Clerk-Treasurer
A. Held
a public hearing and subsequently changed the name of the Spring Lake Yacht
Club property owned by the Village of Spring Lake.
Subject: This public hearing was optional and was set
at the last Village Council meeting.
President
Keller declared the public hearing open for comments at 8:19 p.m.
On
a motion by Holland, support from Fischer, the Village Council closed the
public hearing at 8:21 p.m.
Yes: 6 No: 0
On
a motion by Fischer, support from Filber, the Village Council changed the name
of the Spring Lake Yacht Club property owned by the Village of Spring Lake to
“Thum Point” and approved using this new name on the wayfinding signs under
construction.
Yes: 6 No: 0
VII.
Report By the Village Manager
A. Approved
a formal resolution of support for a Brownfield Tax Increment Financing loan
application for the property commonly known as the Old Graflex Plant at 917
West Savidge Street and authorized the Village President and Clerk to execute
the resolution.
Summary:
Suzanne and Volker Rudnitzki were proposing to create 34 condominium
units and a 5,000 square foot restaurant on this property.
They secured preliminary approval of the Planning
Commission in March 2005 and would return for final approval in May 2005. Their hope was to come before the council
for a PUD contract approval in June 2005.
If the Village created a Brownfield Plan and TIF
district for this property, then the developer could recoup the costs of
demolition and environmental expenses that would not otherwise be incurred on a
“greenfield” property. The Village
staff wanted to make this assistance possible so additional investment could go
into the design and physical plan for an overall higher quality development.
This agenda item was written to seek approval of
the Village Council to submit a Brownfield TIF Loan Application to the
MDEQ. A total of up to $360,000 was
requested. This total request was
somewhat higher than would actually be necessary. The State encouraged the application request to err on the high
side to ensure that the Village asked for more than what might actually be
needed. The loan terms were 0% for five
years.
Subsequent to approval, the Village’s Brownfield
Plan for this property would be submitted to associated State agencies to
approve the tax capture prior to the loans use. Approval of tax capture would enable the school taxes normally
paid for this property to be used to pay back the loan for an overall shorter
term.
It was expected that the ultimate taxable value
would be at least 2.5 million. Capture
of local millage, plus the school millage, would result in an approximate
payback of $90,000 per year (36 mills) for a total loan payback of four years. This Brownfield TIF loan would not affect
the remainder of the original TIF district hibernation planned for the next
five years.
Approval of this loan application resolution
assumed that the Phase I environmental review showed the property to fit the
definition of a contaminated “Part 201 facility.” If the suspected contamination were not actually present, than
the request would become ineligible.
The overall intent of this assistance to the
developer was to ensure the development was of the highest quality
possible. As such, it would stimulate
other redevelopment of similar high quality.
The Planning Commission at their last meeting debated this point
informally; and it should be noted that differences of opinion existed.
On an additional front, the MEDC was considering
a streetscape based on the jobs to be created and the Village’s pledge of
$25,000 as a local match from the TIF fund.
An
early estimate of how these funds would be used follows:
$240,000 for West Savidge Streetscape improvements
90,000
to bury power lines
45,000
to demolish Fireside Design and create a parking area; and
25,000
to create bike path and crosswalk connections from the parking lot to Lakeside Trail
This potential plan was the result of preliminary
discussions with the MEDC and needed confirmation by council and the MEDC Board
prior to further action.
On
a motion by Filber, support from VanStrate, the Village Council authorized
staff to submit a Brownfield TIF Loan Application for the property commonly
known as the Old Graflex Plant at 917 West Savidge Street and authorized the
Village President and the Village Clerk-Treasurer to execute the resolution.
Yes:
6 No: 0
VIII.
Reports
by the Village Council:
Council
member Fischer said that village resident Mike Rau had spoken to him about
Mulder Dredging Company mooring overnight for the past three weekends.
Manager
Cotton said that he would check into this.
President Keller mentioned the nice
write up in the newspaper about Arbor Day and wondered if the trees being offered to
residents at fifty percent of cost
would be coming from the Village nursery.
Community Services Director Hansen
said the trees would probably come from a nursery and residents would be able to choose from one of
several types of trees.
Manager Cotton stated that the Village
had already received four calls from residents that were interested in the tree
match offer.
IX.
Statements of Citizens:
No statements of citizens were
presented.
X. Reconvened the work session at 8:45 p.m.
On a motion by Palma, support from
Holland, a motion to approve a resolution for a six-month sign
moratorium was voted down.
Yes: 1 (VanStrate) No: 5
Council member Fischer stated he did not like the idea of a knee-jerk
ordinance by rushing into the moratorium.
On a motion by Fischer, support from
Holland, the Village Council approved placing the issue of the sign moratorium on the May 16,
2005 Village Council
meeting agenda.
Yes: 6 No: 0
XI.
Executive Session to Discuss Property Matters.
On a motion by Fischer, support from
Holland, the Village Council adjourned into executive session at 9:30 p.m.
Yes: 6 No: 0
Resolved that
the Village Council meet in executive session for reasons permitted by Section
8(C) of the Michigan Open Meetings Act, MCL 15.268 (e); MSA 4.1800(18)(e); as
requested by the Village Manager, to confer with legal counsel on matters
permitted by Section (e) of the Open Meetings Act.
On a motion by
Holland, support from Filber, the Village Council arose from executive session
at 9:49 p.m.
Yes: 6 No: 0
XII.
Adjournment
On a motion by
VanStrate, support from Holland, the Village Council adjourned at 9:50 pm.
Yes: 6 No: 0
______________________________________________
Daniel Keller,
Village President
_______________________________________________
Maribeth
Lawrence, Village Clerk/Treasurer