Neighborhood Planning Council 11 - Lakeview east

Meeting Minutes Minges Brook/Riverside Neighborhood Planning Council (NPC) #11 Riverside Elementary School Library 650 Riverside Drive Battle Creek, MI 49015 Wednesday – April 23, 2014 1. 7:03 PM – Welcome and opening – Randall Champlin 2. Attendance sheet: Beverly Vallillee, George Vallillee, Norma Mayo, Nola Baker, Randall Champlin, Rudy Barda, Tim Martinovich, Ward 4 Commissioner Mike Sherzer, Talia Champlin, Ward 5 Commissioner Jeff Domenico, Joe Goss, Jeanette Cook, Officer Craig Wolf. 3. Additions or deletions to this agenda: none 4. Approval of the previous month’s meeting’s minutes. George Vallillee moved to approve and Jeff Domenico supported the motion. Motion passed unanimously. 5. Correspondence sent/received • EMail sent to Marci Gillette regarding broken fence permitting access to pool at 808 Edeghill Place. Marci notified Building Inspector Don Wilkinson. • Wednesday, Apr, 23: 5..1. 4:00 PM CANCELED - Planning Commission Mtg.(No Petitions for review) 5..2. 6:00 PM Public input session on draft ordinances • Thursday, Apr, 24 5..1. 2:00 PM Bicycle Advisory Committee 5..2. 5:00 PM City Manager Search Committee 5..3. 5:30 PM Green Drinks for April • Saturday, Apr, 26: 9:00 AM – 1:00PM Recyclerama - Kellogg Community College (parking lot), 450 North Ave. Items that will be accepted include -- old gasoline, kerosene and fuel oil (must be in approved container), brake fluid, pesticides, old prescriptions, herbicides, antifreeze, solvents, cleaners, stain and oil- based paint, acids, pool chemicals, aerosol cans, batteries (flashlight and button), mercury and fluorescent light bulbs. Items that will NOT be accepted include -- latex paint, explosives, motor oil, bio-medical waste, radioactive material, driveway sealer, car batteries and school chemicals. • Tuesday, Apr, 29: 6:00 PM City Commission budget workshop • Friday, May, 02: Petition Deadline for Planning Commission May Mtg. • May, 05 - 10 Spring cleanup: Spring cleanup includes pickup of up to 10 cubic yards of construction waste • Monday, May, 12: 4:00 PM Historic District Commission Mtg. Duration: 1 hour • Tuesday, May, 13: 4:00 PM Zoning Board Mtg. Duration: 1 hour • Wednesday, May, 14: 1:00 PM Dangerous Building hearing Duration: 2 hours • Friday, May, 16: ZABA & HDC Petition Deadline for June Mtg. Duration: 23.98 hours • Tuesday, May, 20: 5..1. 10:00 AM Coffee with a Cop KCC Student Center, Kellogg Room - Duration: 2 hours. Join the Battle Creek Police Department and other area law enforcement agencies for Coffee with a Cop, an informal opportunity for citizens to meet with law enforcement officials. 5..2. 7:00 PM City Commission meeting Duration: 2 hours • Wednesday, May, 21: 1:00 PM Housing Board of Appeals Duration: 2 hours • Monday, May, 26: No bus or van service running. Transit office closed. HOLIDAY - OFFICE CLOSED • Wednesday, May, 28: 4:00 PM Planning Commission Mtg. Duration: 1 hour • Friday, May, 30: Petition Deadline for Planning Commission June Mtg. 6. City staff reports: • Police Department Report - Jeanette Cook from the City brought the police report. Craig Wolf arrived after attending to an accident and quickly reviewed the report handed  out. Most offenses have to do with kids misbehaving. Tim suggested cameras to help prevent graffiti on the underside of the Riverside overpass. Questions about the loud sudden noises that have been occurring intermittently, but no one seemed to know what the noises were. • City Representative Report – Jeanette Cook reported that assessment visits are in full swing. There were no further questions for Jeanette. City/County Commissioners’ reports • Commissioner Jeff Domenico – Commission held a 4-hour workshop on goal setting and evaluation for the City Manager. In the last evaluation cycle, there was confusion and discord because the commission had not set clear expectations or a clearly-defined process for assessing city manager performance. The present commission is determined to rectify this situation and have a process in place where expectations and performance evaluation guidelines are clear. In the area generally surrounding Lakeview Middle School, there are many retention ponds that often overflow and cause flooding. This has been an ongoing problem for residents in the area. The city is putting in a piping system that will use gravity to appropriately drain these ponds into Goguac Lake. There will be one pump at the last station before the lake. Careful attention was given to the issue of preventing lake contamination. Lynwood/South Minges area will also be getting an appropriate run-off system in the near future. Pavement doesn’t absorb water, so as we continue to develop on the south side, runoff management will need to be handled in a more proactive manner. • Commissioner Mike Sherzer – The BID (Business on Columbia Ave is also working to get appropriate drainage, which will increase the property values. City Manager Search Committee will be working with Project 2020 and Beacon for community input. He believes they will be using Voorhees, the same search firm Kalamazoo used for their police chief search. Tentatively, the search would begin May 19th so if someone with children is hired, someone with children, the family can be settled before school starts. It’s budget time, and first meetings are being scheduled. A .341 mill tax increase may be discussed to fund police and fire retirements. Commissioner Domenico feels there is still plenty of opportunities for continued savings to make up the $361,000 shortfall in the retirement needs and a millage should not be considered until other savings have been put in place. Food trucks were discussed. Competition for established businesses, trash, and creation of empty store fronts were concerns. Food trucks may be allowed for special events or in areas where there aren’t restaurants, such as Jackson Street. Commissioner Domenico said this may be an opportunity for Kellogg’s to help by shutting down their cafeteria and gaining from the savings of not having to run an interior food service. Justification for food truck restrictions included the fact that brick- and-mortar businesses were hit during all the downtown construction and they may need some time to recover. NPC’s involvement in City Manager discussions – Some NPC’s are hosting meetings but we will provide information on the many opportunities for input. Suggestion for re-instituting satisfaction survey for city services City cleaned up snow debri and the neighborhood is looking really good. Commissioner Jim Haadsma: Not present. 7. Committee reports: • Beautiful Battle Creek Award – Ann Wyson was not present. Randall Champlin nominated Gerald and Elaine Ulrich, 344 Morningside Dr, Battle Creek, MI 49015-4674 for picking up trash in Riverside Park over many years • Neighborhoods and Land Use– John Godfrey not in attendance, but let us know there was no meeting on which to report • NPC 11 Programs – James Haadsma – to be determined 8. Old business: None 9. New business: • Nomination of NPC officer candidates for election in May – Tim and George agreed to be the nominating committee • Randall gave recruitment brochures for new NPC members. Beverly suggested meeting notices in the newspaper. 10. Public comments: None 11. Members’ comments: None 12. Next meeting: 7:00PM Wednesday May 28th, 2014 at Riverside Elementary School Library. Program: To be determined 13. Adjournment – 7:52 PM