Village Council Work Session

 

5/02/05

Barber School

102 W. Savidge Street

Spring Lake, MI

7:00  PM Work Session

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work Session Discussion Items 

 

·        Discussion on Changing the Name for Spring Lake Yacht Club Property Owned by the Village of Spring Lake

 

This agenda item is intended to follow-up on the suggestion of a name change.  One suggestion made last month was “Thum Point.”  I am meeting with members of the Yacht Club in advance of this meeting to discuss.  Members of the Club will likely attend tonight’s meeting and public hearing.

 

·        Discussion on Closing Meridian Street for a June 11th Street Party and for a June 13-17 Bible School

 

This item would not normally justify a work session but complaints were received over the last year when Meridian was closed on Wednesday evenings.  These individuals, as well as the First Baptist Church Youth Pastor, have been invited to be present tonight.

 

·        Discussion on the Sign Ordinance

 

Following the joint Planning Commission/Village Council meeting, I began a program with John Hansen as our Code Enforcement Officer to require sign ordinance compliance.  This program resulted in a number of improvements at gas stations, on sidewalks, at churches and at banks. 

 

Corresponding with this enforcement, I invited business input on what they found to be standard elsewhere and how we could amend our signage ordinance to become a more historic and quaint Village.  A number of suggestions were made about uniform sandwich board size and materials, outdoor displays and the size of pylon signs permitted. 

 

Attached is some language that John Hansen, Planning Commission Liaison, brought before the Planning Commission.  It is not complete, but is a start.  The Planning Commission demonstrated a keen interest in thinking through the language for all of the Village’s permitted signage.  When presented by me with the likelihood of more computer-generated signs, they moved and approved a resolution recommending a 60-day moratorium on any new permanent signs.  Their intent is to find time for them to work on the ordinance.

 

This moratorium is wise given the intergovernmental zoning training hosted by Grand Haven on Wednesday, April 27th.  I learned that once a sign right is established and it has a lifetime that exceeds many mortals. 

 

I requested Village Attorney Sullivan to research the legalities of a moratorium and to present his findings tonight.  If the Council would like to proceed, an agenda item should be added to tonight’s agenda.

 

Miscellaneous Announcements or Status Reports

 

o       Close Savidge for one day pertaining to Alden Place utilities?

o       Approve a resolution to encourage use of phosphate-free fertilizers?

o       Applications to Historic Conservation District (Need one more)

o       Applications to Lloyd’s Bayou Lake Board

o       Status of Watershed Permit with FTCH help ($600 per year)

 

Upcoming Agenda Items (Tentative)

 

May 16

TIF Hibernation

TBD

 

June 6

Budget Approval

Schedule for Storm Watershed Permit and Public Hearings for required ordinances

 

June 20

Manager evaluation

 

July 6

Possible Cancellation?