Neighborhood Planning Council 11 - Lakeview east

January 22nd Meeting Minutes Minges Brook/Riverside Neighborhood Planning Council (NPC) #11 Riverside Elementary School Library 650 Riverside Drive Battle Creek, MI 49015 Wednesday – January, 22nd 1. 7:00 PM – Welcome and opening – Randall Champlin 2. Attendance sheet: Dave Hawks, Jan Barry, Jim Haadsma (County Commissioner), John Godfrey, Laura Herzing, Randall Champlin, Tim Martinovich, Wendy Rominger, Ward 4 Commissioner Mike Sherzer, Ward 5 Commissioner Jeff Domenico, Talia Champlin, Susan Bedsole, County Commissioner Kathy-Sue, County Commissioner Art Kale, Joshua Van Dyke. 3. Additions or deletions to this agenda: none 4. Approval of the October and the combined November/December month’s meeting’s minutes. John Godfrey moved to approve and Dave Hawks supported the motion. Passed unanimously. 5. Correspondence sent/received • Friday, Jan, 31: 12:00 AM Petition Deadline for Planning Commission Feb Mtg. • City of Battle Creek's Community Development Department will be holding a public hearing on February 4, 2014 at 7:00 p.m., for the purpose of receiving public comments on the City's Housing and Community Development needs. The public hearing will be held at the City Commission chambers, Room 301, City Hall, 10 North Division Street. • Monday, Feb, 10: 4:00 PM Historic District Commission Meeting • Tuesday, Feb, 11: 4:00 PM Zoning Board Mtg. • Friday, Feb, 14: 12:00 AM ZBA & HDC Deadline for March Mtg. • Monday, Feb, 17 : 12:00 AM Bus and van service running. Transit office closed. • Wednesday, Feb, 26: 4:00 PM CANCELED - Planning Commission Meeting (No petitions for review) • Friday, Feb, 28: 12:00 AM Petition Deadline for Planning Commission March Mtg. • Nola Baker reported a car with several men going house to house in the claiming to offer participation in a contest to win groceries. She reported them to the police as permits are required to solicit house to house. 6. City staff reports: • Police Department Report - No representative .. • City Representative Report – • Susan reminded home owners that they are responsible for removing snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of their homes. • Q: A member ask who is responsible show removal at city transit/bus waiting areas – A: The city is however the city does not have much equipment for those a small areas so typically only the worst instances, where a plow or business owner has piled snow in a waiting area are addressed. • Susan passed out Crime and Code Inspection reports. • City/County Commissioners’ reports  6..1. Commissioner Mike Sherzer provided an update on the Waste Pickup negotiations. The current contract with Waste Management expires early this year. The commission is deciding if it wants to accept the WM 10 year proposal, extend the current contract for 2 years or take other options such as requesting proposals. 6..2. Commissioner Jeff Domenico - • Continuing with the trash pickup issue.. we may go to biweekly in picking up recycling. • $110K to the Kellogg arena renovation approved. This is to address the most needed repairs cleanup. • The City has a communication specialist. This is a position that had gone vacant for sometime. They will help keep citizens informed of what is happening with the city. • Vote on the demolition of Capital Ave buildings 411 to 415 .These are buildings next to Mix Hardware that are deteriorating, do not meet code and the property owners are not meeting obligations to improve them. The owners have been given time to bring the properties in to compliance with code and have not done so. Susan Bedsole added that “We just spent $8.4M in improving homes in that neighborhood and that this section of Capital Ave is the gateway to that neighborhood. Once demolished the property will still belong to the current owners. Commissioner Sherzer said he hopes it will send the message that the city will take legal action to protect the neighborhood. 6..3. County Commissioners Jim Haadsma – Provided an update on plans for a regional Marshall law enforcement center. A recent storm blew much of the roof off the old building. .. The county will issue bonds to borrow the money. 4.3M County debt. 4.3M from the State police. The City of Marshall will own the property and pay the remainder. The total is less than estimates to rebuild the old county jail. 6..4. Chairman of the County Commission, Art Kale: 15M is the total for the new facility. The county has a good bond rating (AA-) that the state will take advantage of to get a better rate on their part of the loan. Tentative timeline that targets July 2015 for move in. • John Godfrey ask if there will be jail cells, since we have the Jail downtown. . Answer: Just a few holding cells. • The County will be moving to a new records management systems that will permit better sharing of records. • May need to replace some of the county snow removal equipment.. much of it is 20 years old. 6..5. Kathy Sue Dunn - Kathy felt like the county, in spite of just taking over the road commission duties, did a good job with handling snow removal 7. Committee reports: • Beautiful Battle Creek Award – Ann Wyson – not present • Neighborhoods and Land Use– John Godfrey – Planning Commission Meeting for January was cancelled as there were no petitions received for review.  • NPC 11 Programs – James Haadsma – No update at this time 8. Old business: None 9. New business: • This Month’s Program: Joe Konrad Executive Director of Battle Creek Area Habitat for Humanity. this is a faith based, non-profit program. Helps people that otherwise many not be able to afford a home … The housed are built at a low cost with donated supplies and provide a 20 year mortgage with 0 percent interest. Most homes in the program now are rehabs. • To qualify people have to have good credit and $500 and 500 hours of labor into the house building, or rehab, effort. • The ReStore, which all are encouraged to visit, at 5700 Beckley Rd (used to be Zucca’s) helps support administrative costs. The ReStore sells donated building materials, appliances, power tools and more. • Churches also donate labor to build homes. • Most of the housed that Habitats work on today is rehab houses. • The old HH headquarters burned down. The organization will move into the 595 North Ave .. next to Burger King. Will also have offices next to the old Woman’s league building on capital Ave. • Joe showed pictures of several of the homes that have gone and are undergoing rehabilitation with the help of their new owners. • The program was inspiring and Habitat is looking for all kinds of volunteers if you are so inclined. 10. Public comments: Art Kale let us know that he is running for State Representative to replace Kate Segal who cannot run again due to term limits. – Art is the current chair of the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners and serves on the budget committee. 11. Members’ comments: None 12. Next meeting: 7:00 Wednesday February 26, 2014 at Riverside Elementary School Library. Program: Susan Schroeder - Willard Library Helen Warner Branch Manager. Susan will provide information on the resources the Library has to offer from historical archives available nowhere else, to the e-books and how you can check out materials from novels to movies without leaving home. 13. Adjournment – 8:30 PM