Lake Linden Village Council
Regular Meeting
November 12th, 2009
The Lake Linden Village Council met on the above date at the Village Hall at 6:30pm. President Fisher presided. The following Trustees responded to roll call: Hamlin, Aittama, Frendewey, Frohmader, Schuldt and Hoffman.
Approval of Minutes:
A motion was made by Trustee Frendewey and supported by Trustee Schuldt to approve the October regular meeting minutes as presented. All were in favor. Motion was carried.
Approval of Agenda:
A brief discussion of the agenda resulted in a motion from Trustee Schuldt and supported by Trustee Aittama to approve as submitted. All were in favor. Motion was carried.
Public Comments:
Two residents were on hand to protest the outdoor wood furnace that was constructed at the new De La Terre Restaurant along 9th Street. They said that the furnace had been in use for about three weeks and already they could not open their windows. One of the residents inquired about the ordinance pertaining to the furnaces and wondered if it had been passed yet. President Fisher said that he thought the furnace had only been operating for about one week and that it was premature to take any action until the owners had become familiar with it’s use and operation. He said that he was aware of extensions for the chimney of the structure that would perhaps alleviate any problems for the nearby residents. After they complained that they did not think that was the case President Fisher pointed out that if the changes were made and the structure was still a nuisance the Council could consider addressing the issue via the terms of the newly-passed ordinance. He stressed that the restaurant’s owners did not seek to alienate residents by the use of the structure and assured the residents present that they would work with them to find an amenable solution.
Bills and Financial Statement:
The bills and financials were introduced. Clerk Poirier pointed out that the Houghton County payment for the delinquent taxes was reflected in the cash flow statement. He also pointed out the sheet that listed the revenue sharing decrease facing the Village in the next fiscal year. After a brief discussion a motion was made by Trustee Frendewey and supported by Trustee Hamlin to approve the bills as presented. Poll Vote: Yes: Frendewey, Hamlin, Aittama, Hoffman, Schuldt, Frohmader and Fisher. No; None. Motion was carried.
Correspondence:
Clerk Poirier informed the Council of two significant retirements in the community. Randy Roberts, the Lake Linden School Superintendent for 14 years, and Fran Bessner, who had been at the Torch Lake Area Sewage Authority for about 28 years. The Council directed that letters of recognition be sent to the two thanking them for their long service to the community.
Clerk Poirier presented the Blue Cross Blue Shield rate schedule for 2010. He said it showed an increase of 13.3% over the 2009 rates. After a brief discussion the Council directed the clerk to seek possible alternatives in the coming weeks and to present findings at an upcoming meeting.
Committee Reports:
Executive (Chair:Trustee Fisher):
President Fisher informed the Council that MSHDA had awarded a grant to the Village for $350,000 for improvements to downtown rental and single-family homeowners. Fisher briefly outlined the program and said that sources of the funds were a major factor in limitations and uses of the money and that those details would be explained in a meeting conducted by a representative from MSHDA on Wednesday, November 18th, at 7:00pm at the Village Hall. He said letters were mailed to everyone in the district outlined in the proposal. He said the hope was that this phase of funding was successful so that future proposals could be expanded to other areas of the Village.
President Fisher introduced a revised version of the Strategic plan passed by the Council earlier in the year. He said he thought it was essential to amend the Plan to include the new emphasis on housing improvements in the village and also to include the creation of the President’s Youth Council. After a brief discussion it was decided to include something about the proposed rustic cabins in the campground as well. A motion was then made by Trustee Schuldt and supported by Trustee Frendewey to approve the proposed amendments to the Village Strategic Plan. All were in favor. Motion was carried.
President Fisher said that the 2009 Americana grant work had been completed for this year and presented the cover letter of the final report to the Americana Foundation. He said he had thought that restoring the woodwork in the main entrance of the Hall was a worthwhile project for 2010 since the Americana Foundation got its start restoring old woodwork and furniture. Trustee Hamlin said he thought putting an elevator in to allow use of the old Council chambers was a good project but the obviously greater cost would mean seeking additional funds from other sources.
President Fisher introduced an updated draft of the Water agreement with Schoolcraft Township. He said the terms and conditions of the agreement were unchanged but that a clause required that it be renewed every five years. He said the only change was the updated rates and fees section. After a brief discussion a motion was made by Trustee Hamlin and supported by trustee Schuldt to approve renewing the agreement under the current terms and revised rates. All were in favor. Motion was carried.
Utilities/Services (Chair: Trustee Hamlin):
There was a brief discussion about the recycling center run by Waste management. President Fisher said he had heard no new report from the student group that had been looking at the issue.
Clerk Poirier said he spoke to Jude Kalcich regarding instituting a water meter replacement program since many of the meters were well past the 10-year accuracy warranty.
Buildings & Parks(Chair: Trustee Frendewey):
Clerk Poirier updated the Council on French-Canadian Christmas celebration preparations and said a Christmas tree would be placed in the new pavilion in the park.
Equipment(Chair: Trustee Frohmader):
Clerk Poirier said that estimates were being sought for garbage truck tires and would be purchased before winter.
Trustee Frohmader said that he had been approached by the crew about purchasing a new chain saw. After a brief discussion a motion was made by trustee Frohmader and supported by Trustee Frendewey to approve up to $500 for the purchase of a saw. Poll vote: Yes; Frohmader, Frendewey, Hoffman, Hamlin, Schuldt and Fisher. No; None. Motion was carried.
Trustee Frohmader said Jude would get costs to the Council for the eventual repair of the sno blower.
Streets(Chair: Schuldt):
No report.
Public Safety(Chair: Trustee Hoffman):
Clerk Poirier read the police report into the record. A motion was made by Trustee Hamlin and supported by Trustee Schuldt to approve the report. All were in favor. Motion was carried.
Zoning Task Force:
Clerk Poirier said that he had not yet looked at further changes in the Red Flag Rules policy draft pertaining to identity theft of water customers. He hoped to have a final draft available for the next meeting.
Downtown Development Authority:
Chairman Pummill was on hand to issue a report to the Council. He also said that preparations for the French-Canadian Christmas were progressing. He said the organizers of the 5k-a0k race attended the last DDA meeting with a report that the event exceeded expectations and that a 2010 event was already being planned.
The re-appointment process for DDA members was discussed and Clerk Poirier said that he would develop a written policy for this purpose and have a draft by the next meeting.
He also talked briefly about lighting the Village Hall tower, looking at trees planted in pots for the streets, and the trail map on the snowmobile trails.
No report.
Lake Linden Housing Commission
No report.
Late Agenda Items:
None.
New Business:
None.
Old Business:
None.
Announcements:
None
Adjournment:
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Trustee Hamlin and supported by Trustee Schuldt. All were in favor. Meeting was adjourned at 7:27pm. There were 6 members of the public in attendance.
_____________________________ __________________________
Edward R Fisher, President Robert A. Poirier, Village Clerk
[Posted on the website of the Village of Lake Linden]