City Council

CITY OF CHARLOTTE Jodi Whitehead of 420 Horatio St. COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS Abdul-Ghani Mekkaoui, business owner of 640 Lansing St. Special Meeting William Thrush of 1015 N. Cochran Ave. May 24, 2021 Pat Lemon of 707 Treetop Trail CALL TO ORDER: By Mayor Armitage on Monday, May 24, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Leisa Eldred of 310 High St. PRESENT: Kristin Golding of 419 Pleasant St. Councilmembers: Baker, Weissenborn, VanStee, Dyer, McRae & Andrea Smith of 899 State St. Mayor Armitage. All reported their remote meeting location as being in the City of Charlotte, County of Eaton and State of Michigan. Angela Wardell of 447 N. Clinton St. Staff: Manager LaPere, Deputy Clerk Densmore Jessica Larkin of 1041 Northway Dr. EXCUSE ABSENT MEMBERS: Val Nelson of 405 Forest St. Councilmembers: Hoogstra Kathleen Huntley of 512 Foote St. Motion by Baker, second by Dyer to excuse absent member. Carried. 6 Yes. 0 No. 1 Absent Nicole Christenson of 317 E. Shaw St. PUBLIC COMMENT: Anthony Russo of 324 Beech St. No members of the public offered comment. The following are landlords who own within the City and are in APPROVAL OF AGENDA: opposition of Special Assessment: Motion by Weissenborn, second by Dyer to approve the agenda as Matt Bruch of 2217 Narrow Lake Rd. Charlotte, MI 48813 published. Carried. 6 Yes. 0 No. 1 Absent 312 E. Henry St. PUBLIC HEARING: 238 State St. A. Public Hearing on WRI Grant Application 116 W. Harris St. Manager LaPere gave brief overview of the grant. 617 Pleasant St. Public hearing opened at 7:10m 419 Pleasant St. Public hearing closed at 7:12pm 525 Warren Ave. B. Public Hearing on Special Assessment Roll 616 Warren Ave. Public hearing opened at 7:12pm 810 S. Clinton St. The following were in opposition of Special Assessment: 136 S. Clinton St. City Council Minutes 5-24-2021 Page 1 of 4  119 S. Clinton St. WHEREAS, the Michigan Strategic Fund has invited Units of 447 N. Clinton St. General Local Government to apply for its Water-Related Infrastructure (WRI) Competitive Funding Round; and 758 Pearl St. 436 S. Sheldon St. WHEREAS, the City of Charlotte desires to request $2,000,000 in CDBG funds to make improvements to the city’s water 217 S. Sheldon St. system along Lansing Street from Hall Street to a location 335 John St. approximately 300-feet northeast of Butternut Drive; and 323 E. Seminary St. WHEREAS, the City of Charlotte commits local funds from its 225 S. Oliver St. Water and Sewer Fund in the amount of $200,000; and Rod Auten of 4136 N. Shaytown Rd. Vermontville, MI 49096 WHEREAS, the proposed project is consistent with the local 123 Van Lieu Community Development Plan as described in the 634 S. Sheldon St. Application; and 640 S. Sheldon St. WHEREAS, the proposed project will benefit all residents of the 423 Pleasant St. project area and 51.76% percent of the residents of the City 425 Pleasant St. of Charlotte are low- and moderate-income persons as The following were in support of Special Assessment: determined by an income survey approved by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation; and Ben Phlegar of 425 Horatio St. Public hearing closed at 8:01pm WHEREAS, local funds and any other funds to be invested in the APPROVAL OF RESOLUTIONS: project have not been obligated/incurred and will not be obligated/incurred prior to a formal grant award, completion A. Consider Resolution No. 2021-075 Approving WRI of the environmental review procedures and a formal written Grant Application authorization to obligate/incur costs from the Michigan RESOLUTION NO. 2021-075 Economic Development Corporation. A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE A WATER RELATED THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Charlotte INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT APPLICATION hereby designates the Public Works Director as the Environmental Review Certifying Officer, the person authorized to certify the Michigan CDBG Application, the person authorized to sign the Grant Agreement and payment City Council Minutes 5-24-2021 Page 2 of 4  requests, and the person authorized to execute any additional maintenance of the Charlotte Fire documents required to carry out and complete the grant. Department. and The foregoing resolution offered by Council member Baker and supported by VanStee. Council discussed. Carried 6 Yes. 0 No. 1 WHEREAS, the City Council deems said special assessment roll to Absent. be fair and equitable as reported to it by the Assessor; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: B. Consider Resolution No. 2021-086 Confirming the Special Assessment Roll 1. Said special assessment roll shall be designated "Special Assessment Roll No. ____," and the district RESOLUTION NO. 2021-086 against which it is spread shall be designated "Special assessment A RESOLUTION TO CONFIRM THE SPECIAL District No. ____" ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR THE OPERATION AND 2. Said Special Assessment Roll No. ____, in MAINTENANCE OF THE CHARLOTTE FIRE the amount of $828,615, as prepared and reported to the City DEPARTMENT AND TO LEVY AND TO COLLECT THE Council, shall be and the same is hereby confirmed. TAXES AND TO PROVIDE FOR ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS 3. The special assessment will defray eighty- five percent (85%) of the estimated cost of $974,841 for the City’s WHEREAS, the City Council has initiated the process for and, in portion of the fire protection services. Each property subject to the adopting Resolution 2021-057, has established a district to assessment shall be assessed 3.745 mills per annum. The first 1.745 provide for the purchasing of equipment and for the mills shall be collected on the July 2021 tax roll and the remaining 2 operation and maintenance of the Charlotte Fire Department, mills shall be collected on the December 2021 tax roll. pursuant to 1951 P.A. 33, as amended; and 4. The assessments made in special WHEREAS, the City Council has caused the Assessor to prepare an assessments roll are hereby ordered and directed to be collected, and assessment roll spreading the total amount to be assessed the City Clerk shall deliver said special assessment roll to the City against each parcel for fire protection for the fiscal year Treasurer, with his warrants attached, commanding the Treasurer to 2021; and collect the assessments therein in accordance with the directions of WHEREAS, the City Council, after due and legal notice, has the City Council with respect thereto, and the Treasurer is directed to reviewed the special assessment roll prepared for the collect the amounts assessed as the same become due. purpose of defraying the cost of operating and maintaining 5. The City Council may appropriate annually the Charlotte Fire Department as follows: that sum necessary for the maintenance and operation of the fire For the purchase of fire motor department, as provided by law. vehicles, apparatus and equipment 6. All resolutions and parts of resolutions and for the funding, on an annual insofar as they conflict with the provisions of this resolution be and basis, for the operation and the same hereby are rescinded. City Council Minutes 5-24-2021 Page 3 of 4 The foregoing resolution offered by Council member VanStee and ________________________ supported by Baker. Council discussed. Carried 6 Yes. 0 No. 1 Absent. Mikayla Densmore, Deputy City Clerk PUBLIC COMMENT: Pat Lemon expressed feeling on reasoning for Special Assessment. Kathleen Huntley inquired about future plans to prevent the need for another Special Assessment. William Thrush expressed concern on budget and the way money is being moved around. Jessica Larkin inquired about possible pay freeze to help with budget issue. Abdul-Ghani Mekkaoui inquired about the financial plan the City has in place. Jeff Christenson expresses understanding of the decision needing to be made but now encourages City to move forward from here. Leisa Eldred wonders why the City doesn’t try to contract some services with Eaton County to cut even more costs. Expresses concern in regards of who is being assessed the Special Assessment. MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMENTS: Mayor Armitage addressed questions asked earlier in the meeting. City Manager LaPere addressed questions regarding budget concerns. ADJOURNMENT: Baker moved, supported by Dyer to adjourn the meeting at 9:12 p.m. Carried. 6 Yes. 0 No. 1 Absent. ___________________________ Mayor Armitage City Council Minutes 5-24-2021 Page 4 of 4