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The following program was produced by

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CTV Community Television.

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The Marine City Council meeting

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is scheduled for

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Thursday, October 1, 2026 at

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7:00 p.m. m. We will observe a moment of

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silence to send our

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positive thoughts and prayers to

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those in our community who

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need our support. Please

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join me for the Pledge of Allegiance

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. I pledge allegiance

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to the flag of the United States of

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America and to the republic for which it

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stands, one nation under God,

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indivisible, with liberty and justice

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for all.

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And when you're ready, can we take

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attendance, please?

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Yes.

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Commissioner Bryson.

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Here.

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Commissioner Hendrick. Here.

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Commissioner Clausen. Here. Commissioner

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May. Commissioner O'Brien. Here.

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Commissioner Warik.

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Here.

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Mayor VandenBosch.

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Here.

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City Manager Wood.

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Here.

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Can I have a motion to excuse

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Commissioner May?

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I propose.

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Support.

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Any discussion? Everyone in favor?

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Yes. Against?

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OK. Fourth, approval

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of the agenda. Can I approve the

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agenda with a motion?

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I propose. Support.

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Any discussion? Everyone in favor?

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Yes.

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Against? OK. Let's move on to number

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five, presentations, proclamations and

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recognitions. We have 5A, the

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Historical Society presentation

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on the sale of 300 Broadway.

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Hi, I'm Georgia Baylan. I'm so

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happy to be here tonight and

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so excited. I'll try to speak

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slowly. I know Heather

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specifically asked me to do it. When I get excited, I

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speak quickly. Anyway, I'm here to

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represent the

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Marine City Historical Society, specifically regarding the

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proposed purchase of the historic

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Town Hall. As you know, we have probably been

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investing in

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this building for many years. And as many of

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us also know, the cost of

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preserving the building has become

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unsustainable for the city. And the

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building was put up for sale. And I say

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some of these things that you already know,

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but I think the general public doesn't

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always know everything or doesn't remember what

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happened. It has been on sale for 2 years. And

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that brings us to today. The city

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now has a proposal and a

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highly qualified buyer with

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extensive planning resources and

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commitment to the

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Marine City building and community. Dan Brennan and

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Carry Town Development propose what

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is needed to bring all our

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efforts and large

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financial investments over the years to

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the finish line. This is

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why we know this sale is the

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best thing for everyone. The city

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would no longer own this property nor would it

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have a substantial financial obligation

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on its books. That

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would disappear. All costs

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associated with maintenance,

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repair and liability

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would become the responsibility of

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Carry Town Development. However,

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this cultural asset would remain in

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the city because the building and its

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architecture are still in place.

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Furthermore, the

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city's historic district commission and its objectives

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remain in place with their

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purpose enhanced by the actual use of

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Marine City's only historic district

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, which is Heritage Square, where

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the building is located. Although Heritage

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Square would no longer be a city park

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by formal agreement, its use would still be

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available to

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city residents and groups. Carry

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Town Development wants the space to

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not only remain a

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town center with the traditional community events

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that have been held

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there. But to improve the

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community space, what is currently a

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park will remain available for

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public and organizational use when not

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being used for a private event. This

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would be very similar to when someone

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rents the pavilion on the beach for

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a private party. When the party

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ends, the public can re-

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enter. With a landscaping plan of

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nearly half a million dollars, these

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improvements to Heritage Square will enhance

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not only the private events

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held there, but also our

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use by the general public,

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both from a practical and aesthetic point of view

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. And the building itself,

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with its historic architecture repaired

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and, in some cases, restored to its

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original state, which is not what it is

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at the moment and which is still

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protected, would still meet

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the requirements to be part of the

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historic district of the city in which it is

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located. The

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historic district commission, one member of which

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sits on the

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Historical Society's Board of Directors,

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will continue to oversee the block

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known as Heritage Square and will have

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a renewed purpose. The interior of the

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building would be transformed into a

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lively venue for special events,

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with an emphasis on preserving

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the historic structure and

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interior design. Along with all this,

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the building will comply with the ADA. The

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grand ballroom will be

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magnificent again. Other spaces will be repaired and improved

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, and all will be put into

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use. The notable exception will be the

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prison cells, which will

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remain as they are. I know we

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're all relieved to hear that, so

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...Yeah, I can't imagine

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people spending time

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locked up in something so horrible these days. As a

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venue for special events of a

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very special kind, the historic

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Town Hall would be a destination for

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many. The destinations attract

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people for several days. As such,

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it becomes a multiplier for

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supporting local businesses,

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including local restaurants and pubs,

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florists, gift shops,

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other retailers and our theaters. Just

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yesterday I saw, I think on Facebook, that

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someone was worried that the venue

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would compete with our

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current event venues here. And

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this will not be the case. As different as the

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River Place Art Pavilion is

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from the Marine City Events Center

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, it will also be in a

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completely different category.

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Those interested in one event or

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place will not be particularly

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interested in one of the others. The

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difference in size, services, and

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costs would create options for

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event organizers, which is a

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beautiful thing because it offers more

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diversity to more people, thus

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improving the offerings and appeal of

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Marine City. I would like to say a few

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words about Carriage House

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Development and Dan Brennan. They are neighbors,

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both as a St. Clair company and as

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residents there. They have a commitment

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to our small towns and their

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place in them. A foreign buyer may

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not have our interests

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as their top priority, as

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this neighbor does. This is something real and,

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although it may seem like a utopia to some of us

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, it is not. Places

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like this exist successfully in other

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places, many of them

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small communities like ours, and we

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could have this too. The

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Historical Society is eager

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to partner with Carriage House. We

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have committed $90,000 of the

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funds we raise and receive from

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donors for restoration and

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reuse, specifically for

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the historic City Hall. In addition,

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members of the

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Friends of the Town Hall board have joined

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the Historical Society board

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to help in this task,

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contributing their knowledge and support. We

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all look forward to being active partners in

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this project, sharing our

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knowledge,

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financial contributions, and support. And this

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partial collaboration can be

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particularly useful in

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grant applications,

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especially for those related to

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historical restoration. We all know that the city

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cannot continue spending

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tax money month after month, year after year,

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as it has had to do. This sale

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would continue until

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a buyer could be found, if

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a different buyer could be found

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. Carriage House is

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ready to solve this dilemma for

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us today. From

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financial responsibility to tax-paying asset,

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this is a city challenge that

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can be solved now. To put it

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succinctly, this property goes from

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being an abandoned,

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decaying, and vandalized financial burden to a

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vibrant, useful, and, most

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importantly, tax-paying property. This is

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beneficial for everyone. I joined the

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Historical Society in 1999 with the

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express purpose of achieving this

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goal: the care and

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reuse of

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Marine City's iconic Town Hall. That was

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27 years ago. Now is the time for us to

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do it, and this is very likely

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the opportunity of a lifetime for

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Marine City. Thank you. Thank you. Point

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two six for public comments.

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This is the moment for

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audience comments. Anyone from the

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public can contact the

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city commission. Please come up to the podium,

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state your name so it is recorded,

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and be heard. No commissioner,

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department head, or

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city staff will respond, and the

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city manager will follow up on

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public comments as

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needed. Limit your comments to

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five minutes. Please direct your comments to

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me as the meeting chair.

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Refrain from using profanity. Do not

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direct any comments to any

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other member of the public. Is there

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anyone who wants to talk?

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Good evening, Mayor and commissioners.

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My name is Paul Merchant. I am a

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resident, a local business owner,

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and a member of the

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Economic and Community Development Board.

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I want to express my strong support for the

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sale and remodeling of the old

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town hall. As a

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business owner, I understand what it means to

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invest in a property and a

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community. Money is needed, but so is

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vision, confidence, commitment,

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and a willingness to take risks. And that's what I

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see happening here.

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We have a beautiful historic building

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that has been empty for years, and

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now we have an experienced developer

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who is looking at the building and sees

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possibilities. He also looks at Marine

284
00:09:10,424 --> 00:09:12,218
City and sees a community worth

285
00:09:12,218 --> 00:09:16,151
investing in. And that says a lot.

286
00:09:16,151 --> 00:09:18,402
Converting the old town hall into a

287
00:09:18,402 --> 00:09:20,428
wedding or event venue would create

288
00:09:20,428 --> 00:09:22,341
something unique, not just for our

289
00:09:22,341 --> 00:09:24,086
center, but for our entire

290
00:09:24,086 --> 00:09:26,481
community. When people come to

291
00:09:26,481 --> 00:09:27,996
Marine City for weddings and

292
00:09:27,996 --> 00:09:29,832
special events, the impact doesn't stop at

293
00:09:29,832 --> 00:09:31,796
one building or one block. It stays in

294
00:09:31,796 --> 00:09:33,932
our area. People eat at our

295
00:09:33,932 --> 00:09:36,185
restaurants. Buys. Visit other

296
00:09:36,185 --> 00:09:38,536
attractions. They may hire other

297
00:09:38,536 --> 00:09:40,376
services and discover a community they

298
00:09:40,376 --> 00:09:42,836
may never have visited before. There is

299
00:09:42,836 --> 00:09:45,834
a domino effect. And beyond the

300
00:09:45,834 --> 00:09:47,482
economic impact,

301
00:09:47,482 --> 00:09:50,619
something equally important is happening here.

302
00:09:50,619 --> 00:09:52,131
We are preserving a part of

303
00:09:52,131 --> 00:09:53,812
Marine City's history instead of watching

304
00:09:53,812 --> 00:09:55,114
another historic building

305
00:09:55,114 --> 00:09:57,626
stand empty and deteriorate. As a

306
00:09:57,626 --> 00:09:59,706
resident, I want Marine City to continue moving forward

307
00:09:59,706 --> 00:10:03,254
. I want people to invest

308
00:10:03,254 --> 00:10:05,909
here. I want new businesses and new

309
00:10:05,909 --> 00:10:08,196
ideas. I want

310
00:10:08,196 --> 00:10:10,250
historic buildings to be preserved and used. And

311
00:10:10,250 --> 00:10:12,081
I want people from outside our

312
00:10:12,081 --> 00:10:13,911
community to come here and discover what

313
00:10:13,911 --> 00:10:16,653
those who live here already know. It's a

314
00:10:16,653 --> 00:10:19,334
great place. That's why projects like

315
00:10:19,334 --> 00:10:22,027
this excite me. They create momentum and

316
00:10:22,027 --> 00:10:23,750
send a message to Marine City that it

317
00:10:23,750 --> 00:10:25,472
is a community worth

318
00:10:25,472 --> 00:10:28,268
investing in. It's not just about the old

319
00:10:28,268 --> 00:10:30,556
town hall. This is about what the

320
00:10:30,556 --> 00:10:31,893
project can mean for all of

321
00:10:31,893 --> 00:10:34,006
Marine City. I believe we have an

322
00:10:34,006 --> 00:10:35,539
incredible opportunity in front of

323
00:10:35,539 --> 00:10:37,759
us and I hope we take advantage of it.

324
00:10:37,759 --> 00:10:39,440
Thank you.

325
00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:54,215
Well, I haven't grown any taller,

326
00:10:54,215 --> 00:10:56,548
but I can still see over

327
00:10:56,548 --> 00:10:59,867
the top. Good night. I'll be very brief

328
00:10:59,867 --> 00:11:02,735
. I am Heather Bockram and I am here

329
00:11:02,735 --> 00:11:06,120
as a member of the Historical Society.

330
00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,371
When one of our partners, Georgia

331
00:11:08,371 --> 00:11:10,565
Fallon, learned that Dan Brannan

332
00:11:10,565 --> 00:11:12,874
was interested in our historic

333
00:11:12,874 --> 00:11:14,779
City Hall, we were all

334
00:11:14,779 --> 00:11:16,511
incredibly excited and

335
00:11:16,511 --> 00:11:19,011
thrilled. Dan was not only

336
00:11:19,011 --> 00:11:21,115
interested, he had done his

337
00:11:21,115 --> 00:11:24,493
homework. He had also created a

338
00:11:24,493 --> 00:11:27,204
very detailed and comprehensive plan on how to

339
00:11:27,204 --> 00:11:29,775
restore the building for future

340
00:11:29,775 --> 00:11:32,208
reuse and turn it into a

341
00:11:32,208 --> 00:11:36,014
profitable project. We all recognize

342
00:11:36,014 --> 00:11:38,480
Dan Watts and knew that he was a

343
00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:40,497
well-known

344
00:11:40,497 --> 00:11:42,813
construction contractor specializing in

345
00:11:42,813 --> 00:11:45,503
restoring historic buildings with

346
00:11:45,503 --> 00:11:49,025
great success. We know that Dan has made

347
00:11:49,025 --> 00:11:51,107
an offer to the city and it couldn't have

348
00:11:51,107 --> 00:11:54,358
come at a better time. It is

349
00:11:54,358 --> 00:11:56,626
public knowledge that Marine City

350
00:11:56,626 --> 00:11:58,894
has had to undertake some very

351
00:11:58,894 --> 00:12:01,162
costly works this year, which are still

352
00:12:01,162 --> 00:12:03,072
ongoing, to replace all the

353
00:12:03,072 --> 00:12:05,341
old water pipes throughout the

354
00:12:05,341 --> 00:12:09,595
city. The historic Town Hall has

355
00:12:09,595 --> 00:12:12,063
been on the market for almost 2

356
00:12:12,063 --> 00:12:14,805
years without any offers and is costing

357
00:12:14,805 --> 00:12:17,479
the city every month in insurance and

358
00:12:17,479 --> 00:12:20,084
security services, funding

359
00:12:20,084 --> 00:12:22,758
some roofing issues, as well as

360
00:12:22,758 --> 00:12:25,157
other costs including keeping

361
00:12:25,157 --> 00:12:27,899
all doors and windows closed and

362
00:12:27,899 --> 00:12:31,904
sealed to prevent vandalism. The

363
00:12:31,904 --> 00:12:34,608
historical society knows very well

364
00:12:34,608 --> 00:12:37,387
why all this is happening, since we have

365
00:12:37,387 --> 00:12:40,317
investigated all the costs of taking care of

366
00:12:40,317 --> 00:12:43,096
the historic Town Hall and leaving it

367
00:12:43,096 --> 00:12:47,639
completely inactive. All of you

368
00:12:47,639 --> 00:12:50,966
commissioners are intelligent people,

369
00:12:50,966 --> 00:12:53,795
and that's why you're here on our

370
00:12:53,795 --> 00:12:57,705
municipal commission. But I just want to

371
00:12:57,705 --> 00:13:00,271
give a small warning: don't

372
00:13:00,271 --> 00:13:03,055
fall into the temptation of thinking that

373
00:13:03,055 --> 00:13:05,181
the building is worth more money

374
00:13:05,181 --> 00:13:09,665
considering its current condition.

375
00:13:09,665 --> 00:13:12,535
Consider how much Mr. Brennan will invest

376
00:13:12,535 --> 00:13:15,327
in this building along with

377
00:13:15,327 --> 00:13:18,357
how much money the city

378
00:13:18,357 --> 00:13:21,467
of Marine City will save by selling him the building

379
00:13:21,467 --> 00:13:25,759
. Look to the future, when this

380
00:13:25,759 --> 00:13:28,387
building will become an asset for

381
00:13:28,387 --> 00:13:30,687
the city and, over time, generate

382
00:13:30,687 --> 00:13:33,119
taxes and more business in our

383
00:13:33,119 --> 00:13:37,052
city. Don't let this good man

384
00:13:37,052 --> 00:13:41,456
leave. If they do the right thing and accept

385
00:13:41,456 --> 00:13:44,019
his offer, they will go down in history as

386
00:13:44,019 --> 00:13:46,450
the heroes who made the

387
00:13:46,450 --> 00:13:48,749
right decision to help Marine City

388
00:13:48,749 --> 00:13:50,852
save this incredible piece of

389
00:13:50,852 --> 00:13:53,348
history and see it continue with a

390
00:13:53,348 --> 00:13:55,845
new purpose serving all

391
00:13:55,845 --> 00:13:58,144
the residents of Marine City and

392
00:13:58,144 --> 00:14:02,700
those who visit us. Thank you so much.

393
00:14:02,700 --> 00:14:07,311
Thank you.

394
00:14:07,311 --> 00:14:08,780
Who would like to speak next?

395
00:14:08,780 --> 00:14:17,030
Clear. Hi, I'm Cheryl Devereaux. And

396
00:14:17,030 --> 00:14:19,631
I'm also on the board of

397
00:14:19,631 --> 00:14:22,103
the historical society, but I've also

398
00:14:22,103 --> 00:14:24,509
worked in taxation for 36

399
00:14:24,509 --> 00:14:27,517
years. So I see it from a different

400
00:14:27,517 --> 00:14:31,527
angle. I am in favor of the city

401
00:14:31,527 --> 00:14:33,405
approving the sale of the old

402
00:14:33,405 --> 00:14:35,737
town hall and also giving them

403
00:14:35,737 --> 00:14:38,198
tax breaks with the purchase

404
00:14:38,198 --> 00:14:41,153
of the building. Most of you

405
00:14:41,153 --> 00:14:42,824
probably already know this, but I

406
00:14:42,824 --> 00:14:44,542
looked it up just to make sure I

407
00:14:44,542 --> 00:14:48,182
had the correct wording. A

408
00:14:48,182 --> 00:14:49,969
tax relief is a

409
00:14:49,969 --> 00:14:51,389
government-approved reduction or

410
00:14:51,389 --> 00:14:52,718
temporary elimination of a

411
00:14:52,718 --> 00:14:54,185
tax obligation on

412
00:14:54,185 --> 00:14:58,448
property or business. It is generally

413
00:14:58,448 --> 00:15:00,445
designed to encourage

414
00:15:00,445 --> 00:15:04,069
development and investment. And that's the

415
00:15:04,069 --> 00:15:06,078
part I want us all to

416
00:15:06,078 --> 00:15:08,331
think about; this is definitely what we

417
00:15:08,331 --> 00:15:10,705
all want to consider: the

418
00:15:10,705 --> 00:15:13,140
development of the building and the investment

419
00:15:13,140 --> 00:15:17,240
in our community. I think all of

420
00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:19,727
this, even thinking about the

421
00:15:19,727 --> 00:15:22,878
workers who will be working in the

422
00:15:22,878 --> 00:15:25,862
building and who will want lunches and

423
00:15:25,862 --> 00:15:28,184
dinners and possibly bring their families

424
00:15:28,184 --> 00:15:33,134
, you know, to the hotel. It's going to

425
00:15:33,134 --> 00:15:35,583
help our whole city, so I

426
00:15:35,583 --> 00:15:37,907
hope we can all agree that we

427
00:15:37,907 --> 00:15:41,500
should be a part of it.

428
00:15:41,500 --> 00:15:42,780
Thank you so much.

429
00:15:42,780 --> 00:15:46,174
Thank you.

430
00:15:46,174 --> 00:15:47,650
Can I clarify?

431
00:15:47,650 --> 00:15:53,199
Could we clarify something? Well,

432
00:15:53,199 --> 00:15:55,112
Madam Mayor, there has been

433
00:15:55,112 --> 00:15:57,185
talk tonight of a tax reduction,

434
00:15:57,185 --> 00:15:59,311
and I just wanted to clarify that this is not

435
00:15:59,311 --> 00:16:01,383
part of the proposal the city has

436
00:16:01,383 --> 00:16:03,297
received for any

437
00:16:03,297 --> 00:16:06,292
tax reduction at this time. Okay

438
00:16:06,292 --> 00:16:10,225
?

439
00:16:10,225 --> 00:16:19,679
Who wants to speak next?

440
00:16:19,679 --> 00:16:21,933
Good evening everyone. My name is

441
00:16:21,933 --> 00:16:23,642
Scott Pascoe and I am here to

442
00:16:23,642 --> 00:16:25,725
express my support for the approval of

443
00:16:25,725 --> 00:16:27,435
item 11 on the agenda, the

444
00:16:27,435 --> 00:16:29,358
consideration of the purchase of 300

445
00:16:29,358 --> 00:16:34,215
Broadway. I moved to Marine City in

446
00:16:34,215 --> 00:16:36,344
April 2022, and it wasn't until I

447
00:16:36,344 --> 00:16:38,645
settled in here that I began to discover

448
00:16:38,645 --> 00:16:40,773
Marine City's old-world charm

449
00:16:40,773 --> 00:16:43,016
, highlighted by the

450
00:16:43,016 --> 00:16:45,260
late 19th and early

451
00:16:45,260 --> 00:16:47,503
20th century architecture and

452
00:16:47,503 --> 00:16:49,996
the city's small-town feel. I could see why people

453
00:16:49,996 --> 00:16:51,982
love living here and why

454
00:16:51,982 --> 00:16:54,822
outsiders enjoy visiting it.

455
00:16:54,822 --> 00:16:56,555
Historic buildings, excellent

456
00:16:56,555 --> 00:16:58,334
restaurants and unparalleled views

457
00:16:58,334 --> 00:17:00,021
of the Saint Clair River make Marine

458
00:17:00,021 --> 00:17:02,599
City the envy of the Thumb Coast.

459
00:17:02,599 --> 00:17:04,349
The historic building that soon

460
00:17:04,349 --> 00:17:06,409
sparked my interest was the historic

461
00:17:06,409 --> 00:17:08,781
Town Hall. A majestic

462
00:17:08,781 --> 00:17:10,380
masterpiece that stands empty on the

463
00:17:10,380 --> 00:17:12,540
corner of Broadway and Main streets. I

464
00:17:12,540 --> 00:17:14,333
could feel it was desperately crying out for a

465
00:17:14,333 --> 00:17:16,725
makeover. So why

466
00:17:16,725 --> 00:17:18,110
should a historic building be restored or preserved

467
00:17:18,110 --> 00:17:20,802
? Because

468
00:17:20,802 --> 00:17:22,444
historic buildings are a

469
00:17:22,444 --> 00:17:24,415
tangible representation of our

470
00:17:24,415 --> 00:17:27,035
past. By preserving them, we protect

471
00:17:27,035 --> 00:17:29,457
our cultural heritage, boost

472
00:17:29,457 --> 00:17:31,818
our local economy, and showcase the

473
00:17:31,818 --> 00:17:35,000
superior craftsmanship of these buildings. They

474
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:36,926
also serve as a

475
00:17:36,926 --> 00:17:38,598
physical reminder of past generations,

476
00:17:38,598 --> 00:17:40,221
incredible stories, and

477
00:17:40,221 --> 00:17:43,432
community roots. Just by mentioning these

478
00:17:43,432 --> 00:17:44,863
reasons, one can see that the

479
00:17:44,863 --> 00:17:46,676
historic Town Hall is a

480
00:17:46,676 --> 00:17:48,012
perfect example of restoration and

481
00:17:48,012 --> 00:17:50,873
conservation. However, there he is,

482
00:17:50,873 --> 00:17:52,578
still waiting for his new purpose

483
00:17:52,578 --> 00:17:55,372
in life. Finding a new

484
00:17:55,372 --> 00:17:57,461
purpose in the life of the historic

485
00:17:57,461 --> 00:17:59,438
Town Hall is what the

486
00:17:59,438 --> 00:18:01,245
Marine City Historical Society has

487
00:18:01,245 --> 00:18:04,659
recently set out to do. Thanks

488
00:18:04,659 --> 00:18:06,656
to a lot of dedication and perseverance, the

489
00:18:06,656 --> 00:18:08,353
HSMC was able to find someone

490
00:18:08,353 --> 00:18:10,250
interested in restoring the historic

491
00:18:10,250 --> 00:18:13,200
Town Hall. A unique set of

492
00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:15,222
circumstances led an

493
00:18:15,222 --> 00:18:17,037
HSMC member to contact Dan

494
00:18:17,037 --> 00:18:20,020
Brennan of Carriage House Developments.

495
00:18:20,020 --> 00:18:21,824
So, who is Dan Brennan? And is he up

496
00:18:21,824 --> 00:18:23,014
to the task of

497
00:18:23,014 --> 00:18:25,539
restoration? Rest assured

498
00:18:25,539 --> 00:18:27,641
that if anyone has any doubts about

499
00:18:27,641 --> 00:18:29,635
the qualifications of Dan Brennan and

500
00:18:29,635 --> 00:18:31,737
Carriage House Developments, I urge them

501
00:18:31,737 --> 00:18:34,417
to review his resume. Among the

502
00:18:34,417 --> 00:18:35,823
highlights is

503
00:18:35,823 --> 00:18:37,266
the restoration of his current home, the

504
00:18:37,266 --> 00:18:39,365
Samuel Hopkins House in St. Clair. They've

505
00:18:39,365 --> 00:18:40,825
seen her. It's the big house on the

506
00:18:40,825 --> 00:18:42,221
left when you're driving

507
00:18:42,221 --> 00:18:44,734
north from St. Clair. It is always

508
00:18:44,734 --> 00:18:46,832
spectacularly decorated for every

509
00:18:46,832 --> 00:18:49,294
holiday of the year. You can't miss it,

510
00:18:49,294 --> 00:18:50,546
but if you've seen it, it's because you haven't been

511
00:18:50,546 --> 00:18:53,257
paying attention.

512
00:18:53,257 --> 00:18:55,028
His resume also includes the renovation of the

513
00:18:55,028 --> 00:18:56,703
St. Clair Inn and the

514
00:18:56,703 --> 00:18:59,384
recently opened Coco Bella's bakery. The

515
00:18:59,384 --> 00:19:01,803
results speak for themselves. Dan

516
00:19:01,803 --> 00:19:03,545
Brennan is the right man for the

517
00:19:03,545 --> 00:19:05,334
right job at the right time

518
00:19:05,334 --> 00:19:07,883
. I urge you all to vote

519
00:19:07,883 --> 00:19:09,677
unanimously in favor of the

520
00:19:09,677 --> 00:19:11,574
purchase offer that has been presented to you so

521
00:19:11,574 --> 00:19:13,625
that Dan and Kerrisdale Developments

522
00:19:13,625 --> 00:19:15,266
can quickly begin the

523
00:19:15,266 --> 00:19:16,753
restoration of the historic

524
00:19:16,753 --> 00:19:19,100
Town Hall. Thank you.

525
00:19:19,100 --> 00:19:24,146
Who would like to speak

526
00:19:24,146 --> 00:19:32,399
next?

527
00:19:32,399 --> 00:19:33,949
Well, basically everything I

528
00:19:33,949 --> 00:19:36,547
wrote has already been said. So I have

529
00:19:36,547 --> 00:19:40,184
nothing. So I echo all of this

530
00:19:40,184 --> 00:19:43,559
. The only thing I would like to add as

531
00:19:43,559 --> 00:19:45,772
director of the Chamber of Commerce is

532
00:19:45,772 --> 00:19:47,810
that a successful new business can

533
00:19:47,810 --> 00:19:49,965
strengthen our local economy and

534
00:19:49,965 --> 00:19:52,236
bring renewed energy to our entire

535
00:19:52,236 --> 00:19:54,746
community. This is beneficial for

536
00:19:54,746 --> 00:19:57,400
both of us and I think it's amazing. But

537
00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:00,479
I want to add something. On another

538
00:20:00,479 --> 00:20:02,556
note, I would like to congratulate the

539
00:20:02,556 --> 00:20:04,805
winners of our Michigan

540
00:20:04,805 --> 00:20:06,881
Blue Water Magazine or Blue Magazine

541
00:20:06,881 --> 00:20:08,785
2026 Best of Blue Awards for

542
00:20:08,785 --> 00:20:12,244
Southeast Michigan. I don't know if anyone

543
00:20:12,244 --> 00:20:14,003
has ever seen it, but Michigan

544
00:20:14,003 --> 00:20:15,668
Blue Magazine is a great magazine

545
00:20:15,668 --> 00:20:17,426
for all our areas along

546
00:20:17,426 --> 00:20:19,427
the waterways. All the way to Lake

547
00:20:19,427 --> 00:20:21,285
Michigan, all the way north to

548
00:20:21,285 --> 00:20:24,100
Superior, and down to Lake Erie.

549
00:20:24,100 --> 00:20:26,950
Well, we received seven awards, which are

550
00:20:26,950 --> 00:20:30,886
the following. Gord's Bar received the

551
00:20:30,886 --> 00:20:33,681
award for best beach bar. Mad

552
00:20:33,681 --> 00:20:36,420
Hatter Coffee, the best coffee shop.

553
00:20:36,420 --> 00:20:38,811
Marine City is the best

554
00:20:38,811 --> 00:20:42,042
holiday city. Marine City was once

555
00:20:42,042 --> 00:20:44,620
again named the best shopping city.

556
00:20:44,620 --> 00:20:46,427
Marine City Beach, the best beach

557
00:20:46,427 --> 00:20:49,292
for swimming. Maritime Days, the best

558
00:20:49,292 --> 00:20:51,501
festival in Southeast Michigan. I mean

559
00:20:51,501 --> 00:20:54,030
, that's huge. And Sweet

560
00:20:54,030 --> 00:20:57,089
Tooth won the best fudge. And best of all,

561
00:20:57,089 --> 00:20:59,783
the Saint Clair River received the award

562
00:20:59,783 --> 00:21:03,260
for best river for fishing. So

563
00:21:03,260 --> 00:21:05,203
congratulations to all the winners,

564
00:21:05,203 --> 00:21:12,360
this is huge for Marine City.

565
00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:13,892
Thank you. Okay, who wants to

566
00:21:13,892 --> 00:21:20,740
speak next?

567
00:21:20,740 --> 00:21:23,086
Mark Posey, from Board Street. Yes,

568
00:21:23,086 --> 00:21:26,999
sell it. Although 100% of the

569
00:21:26,999 --> 00:21:29,639
profits should go to our

570
00:21:29,639 --> 00:21:33,035
water project. No

571
00:21:33,035 --> 00:21:34,364
new office furniture or

572
00:21:34,364 --> 00:21:36,235
new electronics that will break down in

573
00:21:36,235 --> 00:21:41,216
a month. Secondly, the disaster

574
00:21:41,216 --> 00:21:43,708
on the M-29 here, in front of the two

575
00:21:43,708 --> 00:21:47,139
stone courtyards, was horrific today.

576
00:21:47,139 --> 00:21:48,639
The yellow no-entry lines are not yet visible

577
00:21:48,639 --> 00:21:52,162
. And

578
00:21:52,162 --> 00:21:53,915
third, sorry Jason, but we don't have

579
00:21:53,915 --> 00:21:55,617
container ships in the

580
00:21:55,617 --> 00:21:58,814
Great Lakes. That new logo is not

581
00:21:58,814 --> 00:22:01,099
enough. Thank you.

582
00:22:01,099 --> 00:22:03,956
Okay, who wants to

583
00:22:03,956 --> 00:22:11,879
speak next? Heather?

584
00:22:11,879 --> 00:22:15,097
Hello, Heather Warner. I am also in

585
00:22:15,097 --> 00:22:19,139
favor of selling 300 Broadway.

586
00:22:19,139 --> 00:22:22,480
However, I have a couple of questions.

587
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:24,548
The last building we sold is still

588
00:22:24,548 --> 00:22:28,312
empty. It would be good to know if we have

589
00:22:28,312 --> 00:22:30,475
some kind of timeline for when

590
00:22:30,475 --> 00:22:34,992
we expect the work to be completed. And

591
00:22:34,992 --> 00:22:37,138
the only other concern, I know, is

592
00:22:37,138 --> 00:22:39,396
part of the paperwork being

593
00:22:39,396 --> 00:22:40,864
drawn up with a

594
00:22:40,864 --> 00:22:43,066
parking plan where

595
00:22:43,066 --> 00:22:46,673
75 to 100 cars will be parked for a wedding. Apart

596
00:22:46,673 --> 00:22:48,217
from that, I completely agree. I'm

597
00:22:48,217 --> 00:22:50,050
glad the city has been spared from all of this

598
00:22:50,050 --> 00:22:52,439
. We no longer have to worry

599
00:22:52,439 --> 00:22:54,348
about any liability for that

600
00:22:54,348 --> 00:22:56,257
building, and it's a good time to

601
00:22:56,257 --> 00:22:58,378
get rid of it if all

602
00:22:58,378 --> 00:23:00,447
these good things are going to happen, it's time to do it

603
00:23:00,447 --> 00:23:02,568
now; But we need to have a couple of

604
00:23:02,568 --> 00:23:04,530
things planned about how they're going to be

605
00:23:04,530 --> 00:23:06,340
handled. Thank you.

606
00:23:06,340 --> 00:23:09,405
Does

607
00:23:09,405 --> 00:23:21,499
anyone else want to talk? Sir?

608
00:23:21,499 --> 00:23:23,576
Norman Rhodes, Mayor and Commissioners, I

609
00:23:23,576 --> 00:23:25,653
am not here to argue for

610
00:23:25,653 --> 00:23:27,464
or against the

611
00:23:27,464 --> 00:23:29,221
Carriage House developments or against the

612
00:23:29,221 --> 00:23:30,766
restoration of the historic

613
00:23:30,766 --> 00:23:36,515
City Hall. But the proposal could

614
00:23:36,515 --> 00:23:40,980
prove beneficial for Marine City.

615
00:23:40,980 --> 00:23:43,088
My concern is whether the city

616
00:23:43,088 --> 00:23:45,452
can currently legally approve

617
00:23:45,452 --> 00:23:47,816
this letter of intent in its

618
00:23:47,816 --> 00:23:50,308
current form and at this specific stage of the

619
00:23:50,308 --> 00:23:54,572
process. I have identified a couple of

620
00:23:54,572 --> 00:23:56,132
basic questions that should be

621
00:23:56,132 --> 00:23:57,875
answered before the city

622
00:23:57,875 --> 00:24:02,792
commits. First, MCL 117.5

623
00:24:02,792 --> 00:24:06,794
imposes a special restriction on the

624
00:24:06,794 --> 00:24:10,901
sale of park properties when

625
00:24:10,901 --> 00:24:14,903
the park is required under the

626
00:24:14,903 --> 00:24:19,337
official master plan. And I understand that it's a

627
00:24:19,337 --> 00:24:21,633
park in the master plan, which

628
00:24:21,633 --> 00:24:24,131
means it can't be sold without

629
00:24:24,131 --> 00:24:26,832
removing it from the master plan, which is

630
00:24:26,832 --> 00:24:29,128
done through the

631
00:24:29,128 --> 00:24:31,829
planning commission, and I understand that it's on

632
00:24:31,829 --> 00:24:33,787
the planning commission's agenda

633
00:24:33,787 --> 00:24:39,913
. Which is fine. My

634
00:24:39,913 --> 00:24:46,212
concern is that signing that letter

635
00:24:46,212 --> 00:24:50,217
of intent before it is removed

636
00:24:50,217 --> 00:24:53,907
as a park is inappropriate at this

637
00:24:53,907 --> 00:24:59,169
stage. Another point that concerns me is

638
00:24:59,169 --> 00:25:01,798
paragraph nine of your proposal, which

639
00:25:01,798 --> 00:25:04,646
discusses the continued community use of

640
00:25:04,646 --> 00:25:07,276
Heritage Square, but states that such

641
00:25:07,276 --> 00:25:09,540
statements do not create any easement deed

642
00:25:09,540 --> 00:25:11,658
restrictions

643
00:25:11,658 --> 00:25:13,776
or

644
00:25:13,776 --> 00:25:17,904
transfer conditions. Therefore, the letter

645
00:25:17,904 --> 00:25:19,996
of intent does not

646
00:25:19,996 --> 00:25:23,092
permanently protect Heritage Square for

647
00:25:23,092 --> 00:25:27,949
public use. As soon as it is

648
00:25:27,949 --> 00:25:31,119
handed over to them, it becomes a

649
00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:34,370
commercial property, basically, which the

650
00:25:34,370 --> 00:25:37,540
owners control, and if there is no

651
00:25:37,540 --> 00:25:40,628
agreement on its use by the

652
00:25:40,628 --> 00:25:46,314
public, they might allow it from time to

653
00:25:46,314 --> 00:25:48,575
time, or they might restrict or

654
00:25:48,575 --> 00:25:51,993
deny it. And especially if they go and

655
00:25:51,993 --> 00:25:54,232
transfer ownership to someone else

656
00:25:54,232 --> 00:25:56,355
, they might decide that no, we no longer

657
00:25:56,355 --> 00:26:00,520
want the public there.

658
00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:06,678
I think that needs to be addressed. These

659
00:26:06,678 --> 00:26:08,737
are not objections to the developer, they are

660
00:26:08,737 --> 00:26:10,732
questions to the city about the

661
00:26:10,732 --> 00:26:13,178
authority and procedure by

662
00:26:13,178 --> 00:26:15,559
which this public property is transferred

663
00:26:15,559 --> 00:26:19,319
. Before approving this,

664
00:26:19,319 --> 00:26:21,477
I respectfully request that the commission

665
00:26:21,477 --> 00:26:23,580
post

666
00:26:23,580 --> 00:26:32,540
the answers to those questions in the public record. I've

667
00:26:32,540 --> 00:26:37,299
learned a lot here tonight that I didn't

668
00:26:37,299 --> 00:26:41,701
know about all this, but

669
00:26:41,701 --> 00:26:49,680
the state of Heritage Square needs to be addressed.

670
00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:53,018
From what I understand, the entire

671
00:26:53,018 --> 00:26:56,543
block is going to be transferred through

672
00:26:56,543 --> 00:27:05,759
a sale to the people at Carriage House.

673
00:27:05,759 --> 00:27:13,133
Currently, that is the park. That would be

674
00:27:13,133 --> 00:27:15,666
fine, although I have already said that it would be

675
00:27:15,666 --> 00:27:17,848
inappropriate to sign the letter of

676
00:27:17,848 --> 00:27:20,662
intent as it stands right now

677
00:27:20,662 --> 00:27:22,703
before the

678
00:27:22,703 --> 00:27:25,377
Planning Commission does what it needs to do

679
00:27:25,377 --> 00:27:28,939
to remove it from the master plan. And

680
00:27:28,939 --> 00:27:32,539
after that, I think there has to be

681
00:27:32,539 --> 00:27:38,722
a resolution, and not

682
00:27:38,722 --> 00:27:41,869
necessarily a public hearing,

683
00:27:41,869 --> 00:27:44,532
but a public statement

684
00:27:44,532 --> 00:27:51,360
specifying that the commission approves the

685
00:27:51,360 --> 00:27:53,573
sale of the property and why it is being

686
00:27:53,573 --> 00:27:57,175
sold. Why is the city

687
00:27:57,175 --> 00:28:01,335
letting that property go? Because of the

688
00:28:01,335 --> 00:28:03,947
costs, or whatever the reason may be, that needs to be

689
00:28:03,947 --> 00:28:06,358
defined and there needs to be a

690
00:28:06,358 --> 00:28:08,568
resolution, in my opinion, a

691
00:28:08,568 --> 00:28:10,911
resolution that states what it is

692
00:28:10,911 --> 00:28:20,768
about and what that fact is. An

693
00:28:20,768 --> 00:28:24,184
additional point with the letter of intent is

694
00:28:24,184 --> 00:28:27,258
that the buyer's obligation to

695
00:28:27,258 --> 00:28:30,674
close is contingent upon obtaining

696
00:28:30,674 --> 00:28:33,406
approval for the uses

697
00:28:33,406 --> 00:28:36,480
contemplated as an event venue,

698
00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:39,213
for its kitchen and

699
00:28:39,213 --> 00:28:42,458
catering operations, bar and related matters,

700
00:28:42,458 --> 00:28:52,038
etc. The city will be the owner and

701
00:28:52,038 --> 00:28:55,594
the seller. And the

702
00:28:55,594 --> 00:28:57,895
Marine City Planning Commission exercises

703
00:28:57,895 --> 00:29:00,023
government authority over

704
00:29:00,023 --> 00:29:04,303
land use. The signing of the letter of

705
00:29:04,303 --> 00:29:08,984
intent will predetermine

706
00:29:08,984 --> 00:29:11,212
subsequent discretionary zoning

707
00:29:11,212 --> 00:29:13,500
of the site plan and related

708
00:29:13,500 --> 00:29:15,246
historic preservation and

709
00:29:15,246 --> 00:29:17,354
building codes and other

710
00:29:17,354 --> 00:29:20,403
government decisions. In other

711
00:29:20,403 --> 00:29:22,618
words, a letter of intent

712
00:29:22,618 --> 00:29:25,101
signed before the

713
00:29:25,101 --> 00:29:27,181
Planning Commission does its work

714
00:29:27,181 --> 00:29:29,061
would burden the

715
00:29:29,061 --> 00:29:31,342
Planning Commission with

716
00:29:31,342 --> 00:29:35,560
undue influence to approve land use.

717
00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:37,326
I think that's a conflict at that

718
00:29:37,326 --> 00:29:43,821
moment. Is that what it is? 1 minute?

719
00:29:43,821 --> 00:29:49,360
5 minutes.

720
00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,671
Other things that I think should have been done

721
00:29:51,671 --> 00:29:53,982
... I don't know if there was a

722
00:29:53,982 --> 00:29:57,099
property appraisal by an appraiser.

723
00:29:57,099 --> 00:29:59,592
I believe an independent appraiser

724
00:29:59,592 --> 00:30:02,085
should examine that property and

725
00:30:02,085 --> 00:30:05,042
value it. And that should be

726
00:30:05,042 --> 00:30:06,443
recorded so that everyone knows

727
00:30:06,443 --> 00:30:08,195
exactly where this is all headed and

728
00:30:08,195 --> 00:30:09,684
what the intention of the whole

729
00:30:09,684 --> 00:30:11,064
project is.

730
00:30:11,064 --> 00:30:12,579
Mr. Rhodes,

731
00:30:12,579 --> 00:30:15,820
But I'm not against it.

732
00:30:15,820 --> 00:30:16,900
Thank you.

733
00:30:16,900 --> 00:30:19,263
Madam Mayor, I would also like to

734
00:30:19,263 --> 00:30:21,964
point out that the letter of intent being

735
00:30:21,964 --> 00:30:24,597
proposed tonight is a non-

736
00:30:24,597 --> 00:30:27,338
binding agreement. By signing the letter of

737
00:30:27,338 --> 00:30:29,532
intent, the city can move

738
00:30:29,532 --> 00:30:31,726
forward with preparing a

739
00:30:31,726 --> 00:30:33,731
purchase contract that would

740
00:30:33,731 --> 00:30:36,175
address all of those points before

741
00:30:36,175 --> 00:30:38,557
the purchase contract goes back to the

742
00:30:38,557 --> 00:30:40,380
City Commission.

743
00:30:40,380 --> 00:30:43,278
The second problem, if I may,

744
00:30:43,278 --> 00:30:46,028
is that we have already prepared

745
00:30:46,028 --> 00:30:48,778
legal memoranda that describe the

746
00:30:48,778 --> 00:30:52,991
park process in detail and by timeline. And we

747
00:30:52,991 --> 00:30:54,406
've done it before because the

748
00:30:54,406 --> 00:30:56,233
property in question on

749
00:30:56,233 --> 00:30:58,059
Water Street had a park attached

750
00:30:58,059 --> 00:31:00,815
to it. We had to remove it from the

751
00:31:00,815 --> 00:31:02,873
master plan before it was sold. So

752
00:31:02,873 --> 00:31:05,290
I appreciate you mentioning it. But

753
00:31:05,290 --> 00:31:08,916
we will continue that process. Again, there is no

754
00:31:08,916 --> 00:31:11,122
tax reduction

755
00:31:11,122 --> 00:31:14,589
involved in this proposal. The letter

756
00:31:14,589 --> 00:31:16,730
of intent initiates a process, and

757
00:31:16,730 --> 00:31:19,177
perhaps you want to talk about this,

758
00:31:19,177 --> 00:31:21,624
but it initiates a process through which we

759
00:31:21,624 --> 00:31:23,948
move to the concept of a

760
00:31:23,948 --> 00:31:26,273
purchase contract, which will contain much more than

761
00:31:26,273 --> 00:31:29,586
the letter of intent. And Mr.

762
00:31:29,586 --> 00:31:31,858
Brennan will be entitled to his due

763
00:31:31,858 --> 00:31:34,318
diligence, we will be entitled

764
00:31:34,318 --> 00:31:37,440
to ours. The

765
00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:39,633
planning commission will fulfill its functions

766
00:31:39,633 --> 00:31:41,321
as an agency that analyzes

767
00:31:41,321 --> 00:31:44,575
development. And paragraph 13

768
00:31:44,575 --> 00:31:47,114
expressly makes it a

769
00:31:47,114 --> 00:31:49,787
non-binding contract and subject to the approval

770
00:31:49,787 --> 00:31:52,260
of a purchase agreement, something I

771
00:31:52,260 --> 00:31:55,521
think Dan is very aware of.

772
00:31:55,521 --> 00:31:57,631
Therefore, this will be returned to you in the

773
00:31:57,631 --> 00:32:01,132
form of a purchase contract. What

774
00:32:01,132 --> 00:32:03,251
we will do, Mr. Rhodes, in accordance with

775
00:32:03,251 --> 00:32:05,546
some of the things you mentioned, is

776
00:32:05,546 --> 00:32:07,842
that we will schedule the park's removal

777
00:32:07,842 --> 00:32:10,197
from the master plan to be consistent

778
00:32:10,197 --> 00:32:12,375
with the approval of a

779
00:32:12,375 --> 00:32:15,874
final purchase contract and not before that. So

780
00:32:15,874 --> 00:32:17,751
that the park doesn't fall out of the plan and then

781
00:32:17,751 --> 00:32:19,960
have to be included again.

782
00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:21,520
Therefore, we will schedule it as we

783
00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:22,800
have done before, following the

784
00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:24,856
procedures. There is a

785
00:32:24,856 --> 00:32:26,883
62-day notice requirement, a

786
00:32:26,883 --> 00:32:28,555
15-day notice requirement, and a

787
00:32:28,555 --> 00:32:30,480
public hearing requirement on

788
00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:33,043
the park issue. Everyone present is welcome to

789
00:32:33,043 --> 00:32:35,171
come and discuss the park and

790
00:32:35,171 --> 00:32:37,245
whether it should be removed from the master plan

791
00:32:37,245 --> 00:32:39,880
. We will follow all those procedures. I

792
00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:43,980
already sent the legal memorandum to the

793
00:32:43,980 --> 00:32:46,455
city manager describing

794
00:32:46,455 --> 00:32:48,745
those procedures and attaching the

795
00:32:48,745 --> 00:32:51,140
relevant laws.

796
00:32:51,140 --> 00:32:55,582
Thank you. Thanks for clarifying. Does anyone

797
00:32:55,582 --> 00:32:57,841
else want to speak next?

798
00:32:57,841 --> 00:33:02,575
Mr. Haas? It was

799
00:33:02,575 --> 00:33:06,250
203 Broadway. The first thing I want to

800
00:33:06,250 --> 00:33:08,058
say is that at the last meeting

801
00:33:08,058 --> 00:33:09,815
I said that I had called Jennifer

802
00:33:09,815 --> 00:33:11,965
Goodrich Godrich. If I had called her

803
00:33:11,965 --> 00:33:13,076
, I wouldn't have received her email.

804
00:33:13,076 --> 00:33:14,144
Then, an email was sent

805
00:33:14,144 --> 00:33:16,240
to the city.

806
00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:18,071
Secondly, I had a question for

807
00:33:18,071 --> 00:33:19,901
Mr. Woods today and they answered me by email;

808
00:33:19,901 --> 00:33:21,685
Then I did some research and, as long as

809
00:33:21,685 --> 00:33:23,328
the sales tax was being collected

810
00:33:23,328 --> 00:33:25,206
, well, no matter what, you have to

811
00:33:25,206 --> 00:33:27,037
pay the tax on those items

812
00:33:27,037 --> 00:33:31,643
. Let's look at the sale of 300 Broadway.

813
00:33:31,643 --> 00:33:33,285
Let's get rid of that dog. He has been

814
00:33:33,285 --> 00:33:34,991
absent for too long. We should

815
00:33:34,991 --> 00:33:37,493
have done it in '87. When it

816
00:33:37,493 --> 00:33:42,055
first came out, don't save it, save it, They weren't going to demolish it back then

817
00:33:42,055 --> 00:33:44,439
. They spent millions of dollars

818
00:33:44,439 --> 00:33:48,719
there. Let's see. What do I want to talk about?

819
00:33:48,719 --> 00:33:50,012
300 Broadway, let's get rid of it

820
00:33:50,012 --> 00:33:51,782
. I think we need to fence off the

821
00:33:51,782 --> 00:33:54,036
beach. We need to do something about the

822
00:33:54,036 --> 00:33:56,204
beach, our pavilion, and our

823
00:33:56,204 --> 00:33:59,905
bathroom. Shall we go? If anyone has

824
00:33:59,905 --> 00:34:02,374
read the newspapers, at

825
00:34:02,374 --> 00:34:04,715
Lake Port beach up there, they are

826
00:34:04,715 --> 00:34:06,993
charging people $30 to

827
00:34:06,993 --> 00:34:08,891
park. We're not going to achieve anything

828
00:34:08,891 --> 00:34:11,060
in our city. Everything is free.

829
00:34:11,060 --> 00:34:12,491
for everyone. Some

830
00:34:12,491 --> 00:34:14,144
people have gotten angry about my poster. There's

831
00:34:14,144 --> 00:34:15,481
nothing in that poster that I haven't already

832
00:34:15,481 --> 00:34:18,615
said in my poster. Speaking of

833
00:34:18,615 --> 00:34:20,123
which, now we have the problem, you

834
00:34:20,123 --> 00:34:21,545
know, because my sign needs to be

835
00:34:21,545 --> 00:34:23,182
changed now because I have a

836
00:34:23,182 --> 00:34:24,863
problem with two cities, St. Clair and

837
00:34:24,863 --> 00:34:27,013
Marine City. Because we have a problem

838
00:34:27,013 --> 00:34:28,443
. We have the people in the middle, the

839
00:34:28,443 --> 00:34:30,074
East China School District. He

840
00:34:30,074 --> 00:34:31,679
likes to cover up for predators.

841
00:34:31,679 --> 00:34:35,900
Home of one of the alleged Cornells.

842
00:34:35,900 --> 00:34:37,512
It's time for two cities to start putting

843
00:34:37,512 --> 00:34:39,084
pressure on the people in the middle who are

844
00:34:39,084 --> 00:34:40,531
supposed to be taking care of our

845
00:34:40,531 --> 00:34:43,412
children. My daughter, my daughter texted me on

846
00:34:43,412 --> 00:34:45,096
Monday, as soon as it broke down, because she

847
00:34:45,096 --> 00:34:47,812
knows I'm going to take action. I don't mind

848
00:34:47,812 --> 00:34:49,579
. My truck and my sign, that

849
00:34:49,579 --> 00:34:52,101
's legal. I can do it. I'm in a

850
00:34:52,101 --> 00:34:54,230
pub, on public property. We're going to

851
00:34:54,230 --> 00:34:56,037
tell everyone that our

852
00:34:56,037 --> 00:34:57,844
school district is letting

853
00:34:57,844 --> 00:35:00,033
our children down with these things.

854
00:35:00,033 --> 00:35:03,578
Drunk Suzie. What a nickname for her. You

855
00:35:03,578 --> 00:35:05,916
know, Josephine Margaret Peel. And

856
00:35:05,916 --> 00:35:08,341
when my first daughter went to Marine

857
00:35:08,341 --> 00:35:10,833
City in 2015, I pulled a

858
00:35:10,833 --> 00:35:13,392
high school diploma from 1898 out of the trash. And she

859
00:35:13,392 --> 00:35:17,540
went. I was supposed to take care of

860
00:35:17,540 --> 00:35:20,519
my daughter. Number four in 2018, my

861
00:35:20,519 --> 00:35:23,249
daughter in 2020, when she finished, 1.60 m,

862
00:35:23,249 --> 00:35:25,904
was supposed to go to the museum. Now

863
00:35:25,904 --> 00:35:28,094
we are here in 2026, it is not in the

864
00:35:28,094 --> 00:35:29,806
museum. He had been pressuring her for three weeks

865
00:35:29,806 --> 00:35:31,238
before this

866
00:35:31,238 --> 00:35:33,928
Cornell broke down. So now, you

867
00:35:33,928 --> 00:35:34,744
know, the powers that be are

868
00:35:34,744 --> 00:35:37,423
there. I have some things, you know,

869
00:35:37,423 --> 00:35:41,300
timelines. I'm going to say it. You have the

870
00:35:41,300 --> 00:35:42,899
guy who would deliver the

871
00:35:42,899 --> 00:35:45,286
popcorn between the two cities. Marine

872
00:35:45,286 --> 00:35:47,421
City Sandburg. The big guy took it

873
00:35:47,421 --> 00:35:49,561
in December. In December,

874
00:35:49,561 --> 00:35:51,674
Mother Nature took the ferry away in

875
00:35:51,674 --> 00:35:55,179
January. What a coincidence, perhaps. Now let

876
00:35:55,179 --> 00:35:56,903
's look at the ship you brought. The

877
00:35:56,903 --> 00:36:03,377
city's Mr. Santa Claus, Dan. He helped

878
00:36:03,377 --> 00:36:05,273
bring him here. He has the small

879
00:36:05,273 --> 00:36:08,199
monument with him and Miss Claus.

880
00:36:08,199 --> 00:36:10,270
Santa Claus Dan set sail on that ship in

881
00:36:10,270 --> 00:36:12,820
three or four days. Coincidence?

882
00:36:12,820 --> 00:36:14,606
Hmm. Many spirits in this old

883
00:36:14,606 --> 00:36:16,739
town. Josephine Margaret Peel is going to

884
00:36:16,739 --> 00:36:19,254
tear down a lot of things. Sabula opened

885
00:36:19,254 --> 00:36:23,602
a huge Pandora's box. But if.

886
00:36:23,602 --> 00:36:25,248
Jennifer Vandenbosch, you have to leave.

887
00:36:25,248 --> 00:36:27,122
Whoever the mayor of Saint Clair is, you

888
00:36:27,122 --> 00:36:28,808
know, we come and bring our

889
00:36:28,808 --> 00:36:30,533
children to this. My children don't even

890
00:36:30,533 --> 00:36:32,059
go to school anymore. And here I am

891
00:36:32,059 --> 00:36:33,757
complaining about people with a

892
00:36:33,757 --> 00:36:35,578
troubled school district. Football The

893
00:36:35,578 --> 00:36:37,804
football team does nothing wrong.

894
00:36:37,804 --> 00:36:39,326
Who remembers when the

895
00:36:39,326 --> 00:36:40,806
football team used to steal, break into

896
00:36:40,806 --> 00:36:42,202
cars, wear their shirts at

897
00:36:42,202 --> 00:36:44,192
Meijer's and get caught shoplifting? Does

898
00:36:44,192 --> 00:36:45,425
anyone remember all those

899
00:36:45,425 --> 00:36:48,599
good times? I don't forget anything.

900
00:36:48,599 --> 00:36:50,817
Historical complaints without foundation. I know the

901
00:36:50,817 --> 00:36:55,660
timelines. Have a good day.

902
00:36:55,660 --> 00:36:57,139
OK. Does anyone else want to

903
00:36:57,139 --> 00:37:06,140
talk?

904
00:37:06,140 --> 00:37:10,200
Hello, Gabby Bestie, 816 Scott Street.

905
00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:12,047
Just a few words about

906
00:37:12,047 --> 00:37:15,483
data centers. Well, I guess there will

907
00:37:15,483 --> 00:37:19,007
be another online meeting in Port

908
00:37:19,007 --> 00:37:24,564
Huron on October 12th. It's another workshop. It

909
00:37:24,564 --> 00:37:26,570
was very informative last month. I

910
00:37:26,570 --> 00:37:28,811
highly recommend listening to it

911
00:37:28,811 --> 00:37:31,301
online or going there. Very good

912
00:37:31,301 --> 00:37:34,662
information. East China is trying

913
00:37:34,662 --> 00:37:36,605
to do its best, but we all

914
00:37:36,605 --> 00:37:38,451
need to listen to this because it's going to

915
00:37:38,451 --> 00:37:41,129
affect us. Therefore, I would

916
00:37:41,129 --> 00:37:43,064
strongly recommend that we investigate this and

917
00:37:43,064 --> 00:37:44,900
see if we can fight against it

918
00:37:44,900 --> 00:37:48,090
because they are coming for us. So,

919
00:37:48,090 --> 00:37:50,360
we have to fight against this,

920
00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:55,040
please. Thank you. Thank you.

921
00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:57,645
Okay. Begin. It

922
00:37:57,645 --> 00:37:58,939
wasn't in the public commentary

923
00:37:58,939 --> 00:38:02,007
before.

924
00:38:02,007 --> 00:38:03,369
Let me change my hat here and

925
00:38:03,369 --> 00:38:04,664
head to the Garden Club, Marine City

926
00:38:04,664 --> 00:38:05,957
Garden Club. And I would just like to

927
00:38:05,957 --> 00:38:07,248
announce that we have started our

928
00:38:07,248 --> 00:38:08,640
sale of green Christmas products.

929
00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:10,585
So, your wreaths and your strings and

930
00:38:10,585 --> 00:38:12,582
your patio and porch planters and

931
00:38:12,582 --> 00:38:14,425
poinsettias and all that, we have all

932
00:38:14,425 --> 00:38:16,739
those things available for sale.

933
00:38:16,739 --> 00:38:19,113
This is one of two

934
00:38:19,113 --> 00:38:21,072
fundraising activities we do to

935
00:38:21,072 --> 00:38:23,269
raise money to put flowers in

936
00:38:23,269 --> 00:38:25,643
hanging baskets and buy plants for

937
00:38:25,643 --> 00:38:27,781
the urban landscape and other things we

938
00:38:27,781 --> 00:38:30,493
do with public gardens. And

939
00:38:30,493 --> 00:38:32,321
if anyone didn't weed enough

940
00:38:32,321 --> 00:38:34,055
in their life last summer, we

941
00:38:34,055 --> 00:38:35,836
're always looking for people who

942
00:38:35,836 --> 00:38:38,761
enjoy doing it. Let us know.

943
00:38:38,761 --> 00:38:42,686
Thank you. Does

944
00:38:42,686 --> 00:38:45,719
anyone else want to talk? Anyone

945
00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:53,721
else?

946
00:38:53,721 --> 00:38:55,610
Good evening everyone. Good evening,

947
00:38:55,610 --> 00:38:58,279
Mayor and members of the committee. And

948
00:38:58,279 --> 00:39:00,382
good night, citizens of Marine

949
00:39:00,382 --> 00:39:02,848
City. My name is John Dela Cruz, I am

950
00:39:02,848 --> 00:39:04,384
the owner and operator, and I

951
00:39:04,384 --> 00:39:06,450
currently reside at Heather House at

952
00:39:06,450 --> 00:39:08,516
409 North Main Street with my fiancée

953
00:39:08,516 --> 00:39:12,411
Mallory. I will soon be Mrs. Dela Cruz

954
00:39:12,411 --> 00:39:18,002
for the 10th. I mention this as a

955
00:39:18,002 --> 00:39:20,898
transition to talk about our

956
00:39:20,898 --> 00:39:23,463
overwhelming support for the sale of

957
00:39:23,463 --> 00:39:27,885
City Hall. We have lived here since

958
00:39:27,885 --> 00:39:30,437
2024 and tonight we have heard a lot of

959
00:39:30,437 --> 00:39:32,670
support from residents for the sale

960
00:39:32,670 --> 00:39:34,904
because of how important it is to

961
00:39:34,904 --> 00:39:37,265
us as a community, as a

962
00:39:37,265 --> 00:39:42,499
cultural icon, as an architectural icon.

963
00:39:42,499 --> 00:39:43,981
But I also wanted to express on

964
00:39:43,981 --> 00:39:45,638
their behalf the fact that we have

965
00:39:45,638 --> 00:39:47,339
had the privilege over the past 2

966
00:39:47,339 --> 00:39:48,952
years of hosting and accommodating

967
00:39:48,952 --> 00:39:50,610
hundreds of guests who have come to

968
00:39:50,610 --> 00:39:52,354
Marine City and enjoyed everything

969
00:39:52,354 --> 00:39:54,775
Thumb has to offer. We have

970
00:39:54,775 --> 00:39:56,805
people who come to the theaters, to the

971
00:39:56,805 --> 00:40:00,328
restaurants, to the shops. But something

972
00:40:00,328 --> 00:40:02,602
that many people support and tend to

973
00:40:02,602 --> 00:40:05,358
fall in love with about this part of Thumb's coast

974
00:40:05,358 --> 00:40:08,718
is its historic architecture. And

975
00:40:08,718 --> 00:40:11,072
those who come during our

976
00:40:11,072 --> 00:40:13,703
community events love that

977
00:40:13,703 --> 00:40:16,264
these spaces are used when they can be

978
00:40:16,264 --> 00:40:18,964
, and I saw that this was a very

979
00:40:18,964 --> 00:40:21,664
important part of this sale to keep

980
00:40:21,664 --> 00:40:24,087
Heritage Square usable for the

981
00:40:24,087 --> 00:40:27,188
community. Well, as you know, as we

982
00:40:27,188 --> 00:40:29,426
wrap up our peak season

983
00:40:29,426 --> 00:40:31,546
for all of us and head into the

984
00:40:31,546 --> 00:40:33,725
winter season, my fiancé,

985
00:40:33,725 --> 00:40:35,846
who couldn't be here tonight,

986
00:40:35,846 --> 00:40:37,907
wanted to express how great it was to

987
00:40:37,907 --> 00:40:40,086
have that space for

988
00:40:40,086 --> 00:40:42,148
off-season community things, like

989
00:40:42,148 --> 00:40:44,209
having the ice rink and bringing

990
00:40:44,209 --> 00:40:48,510
back the chili contest. It was

991
00:40:48,510 --> 00:40:50,408
nice to have those things out of

992
00:40:50,408 --> 00:40:52,517
season for our local community,

993
00:40:52,517 --> 00:40:54,626
whereas in the summers, when there is a

994
00:40:54,626 --> 00:40:56,577
lot of activity with art fairs and

995
00:40:56,577 --> 00:40:58,633
things like that, people who come can not only

996
00:40:58,633 --> 00:41:00,742
shop in those squares and support

997
00:41:00,742 --> 00:41:02,482
these local businesses, but they can

998
00:41:02,482 --> 00:41:04,432
also be part of these

999
00:41:04,432 --> 00:41:07,133
historic spaces. A

1000
00:41:07,133 --> 00:41:09,254
great deal of work is required to ensure

1001
00:41:09,254 --> 00:41:11,319
that these spaces are simply

1002
00:41:11,319 --> 00:41:13,554
preserved and restored. But I know for a fact

1003
00:41:13,554 --> 00:41:15,724
that you don't have to look far

1004
00:41:15,724 --> 00:41:18,069
to see the brilliant work

1005
00:41:18,069 --> 00:41:20,179
that Dan and his team have done in the

1006
00:41:20,179 --> 00:41:22,580
past. Although I haven't met them

1007
00:41:22,580 --> 00:41:24,440
personally, many of our

1008
00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:26,409
guests have been part of those

1009
00:41:26,409 --> 00:41:29,688
experiences. So, once again, I speak

1010
00:41:29,688 --> 00:41:32,233
on their behalf whenever I can, to

1011
00:41:32,233 --> 00:41:36,218
repay them for all our support.

1012
00:41:36,218 --> 00:41:40,119
Thank you very much for your time, and yes, thank you.

1013
00:41:40,119 --> 00:41:45,620
Okay. Does anyone else want

1014
00:41:45,620 --> 00:41:50,199
to talk? Anyone else? Okay.

1015
00:41:50,199 --> 00:41:50,704
Having heard and seen nothing, let's

1016
00:41:50,704 --> 00:41:51,236
move on to point seven, the approval of

1017
00:41:51,236 --> 00:41:57,711
the minutes. We have item 7A, the

1018
00:41:57,711 --> 00:41:58,885
minutes of the Commission meeting of

1019
00:41:58,885 --> 00:42:00,095
September 17, 2026. I

1020
00:42:00,095 --> 00:42:01,453
move to approve the minutes of the

1021
00:42:01,453 --> 00:42:02,663
City Commission meeting of

1022
00:42:02,663 --> 00:42:04,411
September 17, 2026. Approved. Support.

1023
00:42:04,411 --> 00:42:06,609
Any discussion? Everyone in favor? Yes.

1024
00:42:06,609 --> 00:42:07,638
Against? It

1025
00:42:07,638 --> 00:42:11,179
is approved. Regarding item B, the

1026
00:42:11,179 --> 00:42:12,782
minutes of the closed-door meeting

1027
00:42:12,782 --> 00:42:14,428
of the City Commission on

1028
00:42:14,428 --> 00:42:16,032
September 17, 2026. Can I have a

1029
00:42:16,032 --> 00:42:17,593
motion to approve the minutes of the

1030
00:42:17,593 --> 00:42:18,944
closed-door meeting of the

1031
00:42:18,944 --> 00:42:20,632
City Commission on that date,

1032
00:42:20,632 --> 00:42:21,661
September 17, 2026?

1033
00:42:21,661 --> 00:42:22,386
I propose.

1034
00:42:22,386 --> 00:42:23,301
Support. Is

1035
00:42:23,301 --> 00:42:24,096
everyone in favor?

1036
00:42:24,096 --> 00:42:24,853
Yes.

1037
00:42:24,853 --> 00:42:26,884
Against? OK. Let's move on to item eight,

1038
00:42:26,884 --> 00:42:28,274
the consent agenda.

1039
00:42:28,274 --> 00:42:30,407
We have 8A, the minutes of the

1040
00:42:30,407 --> 00:42:32,487
pension board meeting of April 14, 2026. The

1041
00:42:32,487 --> 00:42:34,354
minutes of the special session of the

1042
00:42:34,354 --> 00:42:36,327
pension board meeting of May 12,

1043
00:42:36,327 --> 00:42:38,300
2026. The minutes of the meeting on

1044
00:42:38,300 --> 00:42:40,434
healthcare for retirees of

1045
00:42:40,434 --> 00:42:42,354
April 14, 2026, and the application for

1046
00:42:42,354 --> 00:42:44,380
permission for the special trunk

1047
00:42:44,380 --> 00:42:46,526
or treat event on Water Street. The application

1048
00:42:46,526 --> 00:42:48,053
for a special event permit for

1049
00:42:48,053 --> 00:42:49,428
Our Lady of the

1050
00:42:49,428 --> 00:42:51,781
River Parish on T Roll Drive. And F, the

1051
00:42:51,781 --> 00:42:53,830
special event permit application for

1052
00:42:53,830 --> 00:42:56,083
a Cupid Dash with reindeer. Could

1053
00:42:56,083 --> 00:42:57,499
someone please make a motion to

1054
00:42:57,499 --> 00:42:59,116
approve items A through F on the

1055
00:42:59,116 --> 00:43:00,469
agenda? Proposal approved.

1056
00:43:00,469 --> 00:43:01,320
Support.

1057
00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:04,219
Please take attendance. Mr. Bryson?

1058
00:43:04,219 --> 00:43:05,075
Yes.

1059
00:43:05,075 --> 00:43:06,045
Mr. Hendrix? Yes.

1060
00:43:06,045 --> 00:43:07,352
Mr. Clausen? Yes. Mr.

1061
00:43:07,352 --> 00:43:07,992
O'Brien?

1062
00:43:07,992 --> 00:43:08,766
Yes.

1063
00:43:08,766 --> 00:43:09,481
Mr. Warwick?

1064
00:43:09,481 --> 00:43:10,234
Yes.

1065
00:43:10,234 --> 00:43:11,186
Mayor VandenBosch?

1066
00:43:11,186 --> 00:43:11,754
Yes.

1067
00:43:11,754 --> 00:43:13,249
Approved. OK. In item nine,

1068
00:43:13,249 --> 00:43:14,737
regarding points removed from the

1069
00:43:14,737 --> 00:43:17,110
consensus agenda, there is nothing. In item 10,

1070
00:43:17,110 --> 00:43:19,516
for financial matters, we have

1071
00:43:19,516 --> 00:43:22,062
expenses that include payroll in the

1072
00:43:22,062 --> 00:43:25,315
amount of $801,755.84. Can I have

1073
00:43:25,315 --> 00:43:27,800
a motion to approve the improvement of

1074
00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:30,219
expenses that include payroll for

1075
00:43:30,219 --> 00:43:32,640
that amount of $801,755.84?

1076
00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:35,933
Present a motion to approve

1077
00:43:35,933 --> 00:43:38,966
expenditures including payroll for $

1078
00:43:38,966 --> 00:43:40,060
801,755.84.

1079
00:43:40,060 --> 00:43:41,360
Support.

1080
00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:43,950
Any discussion? Please take attendance

1081
00:43:43,950 --> 00:43:45,245
. Mr. Hendrix?

1082
00:43:45,245 --> 00:43:45,916
Yes.

1083
00:43:45,916 --> 00:43:46,912
Mr. Clausen? Yes.

1084
00:43:46,912 --> 00:43:47,661
Mr. O'Brien?

1085
00:43:47,661 --> 00:43:48,431
Yes.

1086
00:43:48,431 --> 00:43:49,403
Mr. Warwick? Yes.

1087
00:43:49,403 --> 00:43:50,302
Mayor VandenBosch?

1088
00:43:50,302 --> 00:43:50,887
Yes. Mr.

1089
00:43:50,887 --> 00:43:51,506
Bryson?

1090
00:43:51,506 --> 00:43:52,006
Yes.

1091
00:43:52,006 --> 00:43:54,661
Approved. OK. In item 11A,

1092
00:43:54,661 --> 00:43:56,914
the consideration for the purchase of

1093
00:43:56,914 --> 00:43:59,859
300 Broadway. I would like to introduce

1094
00:43:59,859 --> 00:44:01,188
a motion to authorize the

1095
00:44:01,188 --> 00:44:02,871
city manager to execute

1096
00:44:02,871 --> 00:44:04,510
the letter of intent for the

1097
00:44:04,510 --> 00:44:06,017
proposed sale of 300 Broadway for $

1098
00:44:06,017 --> 00:44:07,700
160,000, subject to the removal of

1099
00:44:07,700 --> 00:44:09,428
Heritage Square Park from the master plan

1100
00:44:09,428 --> 00:44:11,200
, with the final purchase agreement subject

1101
00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:12,928
to approval by the

1102
00:44:12,928 --> 00:44:13,820
City Commission.

1103
00:44:13,820 --> 00:44:14,640
Support.

1104
00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:16,619
OK. And I would like to open the debate

1105
00:44:16,619 --> 00:44:20,640
. And Commissioner Wood?

1106
00:44:20,640 --> 00:44:22,278
Well, this is an

1107
00:44:22,278 --> 00:44:24,340
exciting opportunity for the city, and Mr.

1108
00:44:24,340 --> 00:44:26,401
Brennan is here this afternoon and may be able to

1109
00:44:26,401 --> 00:44:28,410
answer some

1110
00:44:28,410 --> 00:44:30,418
additional questions you may have about his

1111
00:44:30,418 --> 00:44:32,057
proposal for Historic City Hall

1112
00:44:32,057 --> 00:44:45,280
.

1113
00:44:45,280 --> 00:44:47,427
Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, council.

1114
00:44:47,427 --> 00:44:48,548
Thank you for the kind words,

1115
00:44:48,548 --> 00:44:50,417
Rodney. Thank you.

1116
00:44:50,417 --> 00:44:54,784
Historical Commission, thank you. I'm going to apologize.

1117
00:44:54,784 --> 00:44:56,550
Yesterday I had an upper respiratory problem

1118
00:44:56,550 --> 00:44:58,570
, so I'm going to strain my voice,

1119
00:44:58,570 --> 00:45:00,488
so I really apologize for my

1120
00:45:00,488 --> 00:45:02,356
voice because I don't normally sound like

1121
00:45:02,356 --> 00:45:04,325
something out of a cartoon character

1122
00:45:04,325 --> 00:45:09,360
, but it's obvious that you've been

1123
00:45:09,360 --> 00:45:10,963
part of the community for

1124
00:45:10,963 --> 00:45:13,886
quite some time. You know, my love for its

1125
00:45:13,886 --> 00:45:16,414
historic architecture began at a

1126
00:45:16,414 --> 00:45:21,099
very young age. And you know, I was lucky enough to be able to

1127
00:45:21,099 --> 00:45:24,532
dedicate myself to a career

1128
00:45:24,532 --> 00:45:30,120
that, you know, I enjoy with so much passion.

1129
00:45:30,120 --> 00:45:31,680
I like to say that I believe that when you

1130
00:45:31,680 --> 00:45:33,280
enjoy something and feel a real

1131
00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:34,640
passion for it, that ends up

1132
00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:37,651
showing clearly. Well, you know,

1133
00:45:37,651 --> 00:45:40,675
historical architecture is interesting

1134
00:45:40,675 --> 00:45:44,458
because it's really just a building. There is

1135
00:45:44,458 --> 00:45:47,173
nothing that makes it special except

1136
00:45:47,173 --> 00:45:49,888
for the stories and history that

1137
00:45:49,888 --> 00:45:53,751
accompany that building. Without them,

1138
00:45:53,751 --> 00:45:56,667
it's just brick, mortar, and wood. It

1139
00:45:56,667 --> 00:45:59,907
has nothing. 300 Broadway is

1140
00:45:59,907 --> 00:46:02,054
interesting because it's a

1141
00:46:02,054 --> 00:46:05,177
beautiful building. And we could recreate that

1142
00:46:05,177 --> 00:46:07,490
building right now. We could cross

1143
00:46:07,490 --> 00:46:09,065
the city, buy a property, and

1144
00:46:09,065 --> 00:46:10,775
we have the capability and technology

1145
00:46:10,775 --> 00:46:12,395
to build the exact same

1146
00:46:12,395 --> 00:46:16,066
beautiful building. Without a doubt. But what

1147
00:46:16,066 --> 00:46:17,487
surprises me is that what cannot be

1148
00:46:17,487 --> 00:46:20,695
replicated is history. There is

1149
00:46:20,695 --> 00:46:22,999
nothing in this world that can capture and

1150
00:46:22,999 --> 00:46:25,490
replicate the stories that accompany

1151
00:46:25,490 --> 00:46:29,221
that building. And for us, and for

1152
00:46:29,221 --> 00:46:32,134
me as the promoter, that is the value. The

1153
00:46:32,134 --> 00:46:33,552
value is not in the bricks and

1154
00:46:33,552 --> 00:46:35,699
mortar. It is not on the property. It's

1155
00:46:35,699 --> 00:46:39,582
in the stories. That's why I'm telling you

1156
00:46:39,582 --> 00:46:41,829
this, because as a promoter I

1157
00:46:41,829 --> 00:46:44,015
perfectly understand the risk involved in

1158
00:46:44,015 --> 00:46:46,512
being in your place, sitting in your chair,

1159
00:46:46,512 --> 00:46:48,885
thinking: what are they going to do

1160
00:46:48,885 --> 00:46:53,940
with this place? Right? I want to dispel

1161
00:46:53,940 --> 00:46:56,656
your fears that without that history,

1162
00:46:56,656 --> 00:46:59,592
without those stories, that property is not

1163
00:46:59,592 --> 00:47:02,006
valuable to me. And it's not

1164
00:47:02,006 --> 00:47:06,400
marketable. It needs history. It

1165
00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:08,736
needs stories to be

1166
00:47:08,736 --> 00:47:12,326
successful and marketable. That's why we would

1167
00:47:12,326 --> 00:47:14,267
never go in there and

1168
00:47:14,267 --> 00:47:17,070
destroy or take something

1169
00:47:17,070 --> 00:47:19,371
that is, literally, the

1170
00:47:19,371 --> 00:47:22,922
absolute asset of that property. I couldn't

1171
00:47:22,922 --> 00:47:25,471
help but sit here and think that, you

1172
00:47:25,471 --> 00:47:27,889
know, everyone knows I'm from

1173
00:47:27,889 --> 00:47:30,503
Saint Clair and I learned a lot about urban renewal during the

1174
00:47:30,503 --> 00:47:33,117
restoration of the Saint Clair Inn

1175
00:47:33,117 --> 00:47:36,554
. And I couldn't help

1176
00:47:36,554 --> 00:47:39,023
sitting here and thinking that,

1177
00:47:39,023 --> 00:47:41,928
many years ago, in the 1970s, there was a

1178
00:47:41,928 --> 00:47:44,833
meeting, I'm sure, very similar with

1179
00:47:44,833 --> 00:47:48,533
similar residents. And

1180
00:47:48,533 --> 00:47:50,541
somehow, they made the decision to

1181
00:47:50,541 --> 00:47:54,817
destroy their history. It is unfathomable

1182
00:47:54,817 --> 00:47:58,925
to me. And in one fell swoop they erased

1183
00:47:58,925 --> 00:48:02,858
the stories. I brought something, the name of

1184
00:48:02,858 --> 00:48:05,295
the promoting company. As you know,

1185
00:48:05,295 --> 00:48:08,752
we bought the beautiful lady at the top of

1186
00:48:08,752 --> 00:48:12,122
the hill on the left with a

1187
00:48:12,122 --> 00:48:16,277
very historic past. With the

1188
00:48:16,277 --> 00:48:18,141
express purpose not only of living there, but of

1189
00:48:18,141 --> 00:48:20,781
restoring it to its original glory.

1190
00:48:20,781 --> 00:48:24,008
Which is a long process. But

1191
00:48:24,008 --> 00:48:25,876
we also bought the property in the

1192
00:48:25,876 --> 00:48:29,150
back where the garage was. And that

1193
00:48:29,150 --> 00:48:31,070
is, in fact, the place from which

1194
00:48:31,070 --> 00:48:32,894
the name of

1195
00:48:32,894 --> 00:48:37,367
the carriage house development comes. And that's how

1196
00:48:37,367 --> 00:48:39,570
we began the restoration of that

1197
00:48:39,570 --> 00:48:43,603
first building. And, in the process of

1198
00:48:43,603 --> 00:48:49,175
that restoration, something emerged from the

1199
00:48:49,175 --> 00:48:50,435
walls that I think is very

1200
00:48:50,435 --> 00:48:52,235
significant and really speaks to this

1201
00:48:52,235 --> 00:48:56,962
moment for me. As you can see, and I'll

1202
00:48:56,962 --> 00:48:59,380
send this to you so you can see it.

1203
00:48:59,380 --> 00:49:02,157
These are glasses. Now, my

1204
00:49:02,157 --> 00:49:04,440
garage was built in 1880. They were

1205
00:49:04,440 --> 00:49:06,745
on the walls. The only way

1206
00:49:06,745 --> 00:49:08,777
these walls weren't touched. So,

1207
00:49:08,777 --> 00:49:10,377
the only way these glasses

1208
00:49:10,377 --> 00:49:11,931
got there is if they came from the

1209
00:49:11,931 --> 00:49:13,531
man or the man who

1210
00:49:13,531 --> 00:49:17,053
physically built that building. This is a

1211
00:49:17,053 --> 00:49:19,133
very special piece for me because it

1212
00:49:19,133 --> 00:49:22,575
has a human element. The stories

1213
00:49:22,575 --> 00:49:24,362
that come to mind are that the

1214
00:49:24,362 --> 00:49:26,149
woman was probably angry

1215
00:49:26,149 --> 00:49:28,135
because he lost his glasses and they had to

1216
00:49:28,135 --> 00:49:32,040
replace them. In other words,

1217
00:49:32,040 --> 00:49:36,309
this cannot be recreated. And I think that's

1218
00:49:36,309 --> 00:49:40,859
significant. They can transmit it.

1219
00:49:40,859 --> 00:49:43,951
I think it's significant for this

1220
00:49:43,951 --> 00:49:48,993
moment because I've followed the story

1221
00:49:48,993 --> 00:49:50,958
for the last 20, 15 years, I

1222
00:49:50,958 --> 00:49:55,243
would say. And the tug-of-war, and the tug-of-

1223
00:49:55,243 --> 00:49:58,046
war. And I saw the posters on

1224
00:49:58,046 --> 00:50:00,740
King Road that said "Save our

1225
00:50:00,740 --> 00:50:03,596
town hall". And I didn't really

1226
00:50:03,596 --> 00:50:06,039
understand it completely until I started to

1227
00:50:06,039 --> 00:50:08,547
really investigate it in the last

1228
00:50:08,547 --> 00:50:12,027
6 or 8 months. And it has a story, and it

1229
00:50:12,027 --> 00:50:14,977
wants to be told. I'll leave you with one

1230
00:50:14,977 --> 00:50:16,287
last thing, and then I'll open

1231
00:50:16,287 --> 00:50:19,350
this space for your questions. Well,

1232
00:50:19,350 --> 00:50:21,822
one of our projects that's

1233
00:50:21,822 --> 00:50:24,231
currently underway, and that many of you

1234
00:50:24,231 --> 00:50:26,449
may not be aware of, is the

1235
00:50:26,449 --> 00:50:28,858
high school in the center of St. Clair,

1236
00:50:28,858 --> 00:50:34,420
which was built, I believe, in 1920. For

1237
00:50:34,420 --> 00:50:35,660
the last three years, it's been

1238
00:50:35,660 --> 00:50:38,580
basically abandoned and neglected.

1239
00:50:38,580 --> 00:50:40,272
I walked past that building in 2020 and it

1240
00:50:40,272 --> 00:50:43,499
was in perfect condition.

1241
00:50:43,499 --> 00:50:45,949
I walked past that building a year ago and was

1242
00:50:45,949 --> 00:50:48,399
horrified by what happened in 3 and a

1243
00:50:48,399 --> 00:50:51,987
half or 4 years. Without heating, without

1244
00:50:51,987 --> 00:50:54,690
electricity, without maintenance, the

1245
00:50:54,690 --> 00:50:58,460
ceilings were collapsing everywhere.

1246
00:50:58,460 --> 00:51:00,544
The basement that housed the

1247
00:51:00,544 --> 00:51:03,875
steam boilers had 20 feet of water. He was

1248
00:51:03,875 --> 00:51:08,560
dead. The building was dead.

1249
00:51:08,560 --> 00:51:11,163
Someone similar to me with a vision

1250
00:51:11,163 --> 00:51:13,766
and an idea decided to turn it into an

1251
00:51:13,766 --> 00:51:16,436
academy and hired us to do the

1252
00:51:16,436 --> 00:51:20,380
building restoration work.

1253
00:51:20,380 --> 00:51:22,565
And we've been working there for about 3

1254
00:51:22,565 --> 00:51:26,529
months. And I was there a

1255
00:51:26,529 --> 00:51:29,331
few nights ago and walked down to the

1256
00:51:29,331 --> 00:51:32,050
basement, which was basically the

1257
00:51:32,050 --> 00:51:35,264
beating heart of the entire

1258
00:51:35,264 --> 00:51:38,374
building. It housed all the

1259
00:51:38,374 --> 00:51:40,844
infrastructure. And it was also the

1260
00:51:40,844 --> 00:51:42,418
place where probably 20

1261
00:51:42,418 --> 00:51:44,034
feet of water fell, washing away every

1262
00:51:44,034 --> 00:51:45,736
last bit of the building's infrastructure

1263
00:51:45,736 --> 00:51:50,671
. I walked to the

1264
00:51:50,671 --> 00:51:52,353
back of the building and there was a

1265
00:51:52,353 --> 00:51:54,240
warm glow coming from the

1266
00:51:54,240 --> 00:51:56,424
windows. I took a picture and sent it

1267
00:51:56,424 --> 00:51:59,499
to the owners. And I said, "It's

1268
00:51:59,499 --> 00:52:02,238
coming back to life. That's the heart

1269
00:52:02,238 --> 00:52:03,794
of this building coming back to life, and it

1270
00:52:03,794 --> 00:52:07,627
starts there." There is simply something about

1271
00:52:07,627 --> 00:52:10,799
these buildings that, when you combine

1272
00:52:10,799 --> 00:52:13,177
history, architecture,

1273
00:52:13,177 --> 00:52:15,635
structure, and stories, makes them

1274
00:52:15,635 --> 00:52:18,410
a living,

1275
00:52:18,410 --> 00:52:21,880
breathing entity. It's incredible. And rest

1276
00:52:21,880 --> 00:52:23,780
assured that's what I want to

1277
00:52:23,780 --> 00:52:26,279
do with the old town hall.

1278
00:52:26,279 --> 00:52:28,433
I want them to go there and see the

1279
00:52:28,433 --> 00:52:30,763
warm glow that comes from the basement

1280
00:52:30,763 --> 00:52:33,034
or the dome and know that it is alive

1281
00:52:33,034 --> 00:52:38,299
again. Nothing would excite me more than

1282
00:52:38,299 --> 00:52:40,916
doing that. So, with that, I'll open

1283
00:52:40,916 --> 00:52:42,530
the session with questions.

1284
00:52:42,530 --> 00:52:50,939
Thank you so much for this.

1285
00:52:50,939 --> 00:52:52,558
I would like to thank you for this

1286
00:52:52,558 --> 00:52:54,595
wonderful opportunity to preserve and

1287
00:52:54,595 --> 00:52:57,739
protect that building and property.

1288
00:52:57,739 --> 00:52:59,492
This means a lot to us and we

1289
00:52:59,492 --> 00:53:02,850
know you can achieve it. I also really

1290
00:53:02,850 --> 00:53:05,207
respect the fact that you approached

1291
00:53:05,207 --> 00:53:07,564
the Historical Society on your own,

1292
00:53:07,564 --> 00:53:09,214
gave them your vision, and

1293
00:53:09,214 --> 00:53:11,513
involved them in everything, because that makes all

1294
00:53:11,513 --> 00:53:13,870
the difference to us, as you have

1295
00:53:13,870 --> 00:53:15,991
been the guardians of that building

1296
00:53:15,991 --> 00:53:18,348
for so long, and the fact that you

1297
00:53:18,348 --> 00:53:20,470
took the initiative to involve them and

1298
00:53:20,470 --> 00:53:22,827
get their approval before it

1299
00:53:22,827 --> 00:53:24,020
came

1300
00:53:24,020 --> 00:53:25,137
to us, that means a lot to

1301
00:53:25,137 --> 00:53:26,330
you. It is also very important

1302
00:53:26,330 --> 00:53:27,483
for our decision-making.

1303
00:53:27,483 --> 00:53:33,400
Thank you so much for that.

1304
00:53:33,400 --> 00:53:38,859
OK. I

1305
00:53:38,859 --> 00:53:41,931
work in other communities and I know that,

1306
00:53:41,931 --> 00:53:44,849
when working with the other community, he not

1307
00:53:44,849 --> 00:53:47,921
only does what he says he's going to do, but he also

1308
00:53:47,921 --> 00:53:50,639
does what he says he's going to do.

1309
00:53:50,639 --> 00:53:52,551
Yes,

1310
00:53:52,551 --> 00:53:53,050
thanks.

1311
00:53:53,050 --> 00:53:55,761
Thank you. Yes, and the fact that

1312
00:53:55,761 --> 00:53:57,341
you already have a proposal that I think...

1313
00:53:57,341 --> 00:53:58,966
correct me if I'm wrong, you already have

1314
00:53:58,966 --> 00:54:00,283
$600,000 in

1315
00:54:00,283 --> 00:54:02,519
private investment money ready to use. I

1316
00:54:02,519 --> 00:54:04,013
mean, you're ready to start

1317
00:54:04,013 --> 00:54:05,508
and ready to move forward with this project, and

1318
00:54:05,508 --> 00:54:06,891
almost half a million for the

1319
00:54:06,891 --> 00:54:07,860
park ownership as well.

1320
00:54:07,860 --> 00:54:08,459
Yes.

1321
00:54:08,459 --> 00:54:20,081
That's huge. Anything else? Okay. Okay.

1322
00:54:20,081 --> 00:54:20,970
Take attendance.

1323
00:54:20,970 --> 00:54:22,386
Thank you.

1324
00:54:22,386 --> 00:54:23,845
I think apart from that point about the

1325
00:54:23,845 --> 00:54:24,564
switch... I

1326
00:54:24,564 --> 00:54:26,693
don't have it for you. No no. Thanks,

1327
00:54:26,693 --> 00:54:30,907
Dan. Thank you. I just want...

1328
00:54:30,907 --> 00:54:33,920
your glasses? Do you need them?

1329
00:54:33,920 --> 00:54:37,000
Oh, they're back here.

1330
00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:38,021
They are very small.

1331
00:54:38,021 --> 00:54:45,125
Yes, they are small. It's not up for

1332
00:54:45,125 --> 00:54:45,819
debate.

1333
00:54:45,819 --> 00:54:46,700
Okay.

1334
00:54:46,700 --> 00:54:47,540
Take attendance.

1335
00:54:47,540 --> 00:54:49,925
OK. The only thing I wanted to

1336
00:54:49,925 --> 00:54:51,954
mention is that I want to thank

1337
00:54:51,954 --> 00:54:55,132
Mr. Rhodes for coming as well. And if there are

1338
00:54:55,132 --> 00:54:56,388
any questions that haven't been

1339
00:54:56,388 --> 00:54:57,762
answered, be sure to send them

1340
00:54:57,762 --> 00:55:01,097
because your time is up. But rest

1341
00:55:01,097 --> 00:55:03,748
assured that we will all

1342
00:55:03,748 --> 00:55:06,112
make sure that everything is done

1343
00:55:06,112 --> 00:55:08,907
correctly with our lawyer and all that

1344
00:55:08,907 --> 00:55:10,519
. I mean, I had my list of

1345
00:55:10,519 --> 00:55:12,661
questions. He is reviewing them and has

1346
00:55:12,661 --> 00:55:14,306
responded to some of them, but

1347
00:55:14,306 --> 00:55:16,192
we will address each of those issues

1348
00:55:16,192 --> 00:55:17,981
to make sure everything is done

1349
00:55:17,981 --> 00:55:19,915
correctly. I just wanted to

1350
00:55:19,915 --> 00:55:21,140
reassure them.

1351
00:55:21,140 --> 00:55:21,519
Thank you.

1352
00:55:21,519 --> 00:55:24,683
OK.

1353
00:55:24,683 --> 00:55:26,841
Any further discussion? Please take attendance

1354
00:55:26,841 --> 00:55:28,760
. Commissioner Klassen.

1355
00:55:28,760 --> 00:55:29,660
Yes.

1356
00:55:29,660 --> 00:55:31,580
Commissioner O'Brien. Yes.

1357
00:55:31,580 --> 00:55:32,627
Commissioner Borg.

1358
00:55:32,627 --> 00:55:33,206
Yes.

1359
00:55:33,206 --> 00:55:34,951
Mayor VandenBosch. Yes.

1360
00:55:34,951 --> 00:55:35,991
Commissioner Bryson.

1361
00:55:35,991 --> 00:55:36,368
Yes.

1362
00:55:36,368 --> 00:55:37,181
Commissioner Hendrick.

1363
00:55:37,181 --> 00:55:37,719
Yes. Go

1364
00:55:37,719 --> 00:55:52,898
ahead. In item 12A, under new

1365
00:55:52,898 --> 00:55:54,427
matters, we have the purchase of

1366
00:55:54,427 --> 00:55:56,263
furniture for the Guy

1367
00:55:56,263 --> 00:55:58,912
Center project. City manager,

1368
00:55:58,912 --> 00:56:00,880
what? I don't

1369
00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:05,385
have anything for that. I'm sorry. Is

1370
00:56:05,385 --> 00:56:06,800
this only for the backyard?

1371
00:56:06,800 --> 00:56:08,221
Yes.

1372
00:56:08,221 --> 00:56:09,434
I have a quick question. I have a

1373
00:56:09,434 --> 00:56:10,009
quick question.

1374
00:56:10,009 --> 00:56:11,400
OK.

1375
00:56:11,400 --> 00:56:13,027
When we bought all these benches and

1376
00:56:13,027 --> 00:56:14,654
chairs and stuff, did anyone actually sit

1377
00:56:14,654 --> 00:56:16,209
on them? Because sometimes

1378
00:56:16,209 --> 00:56:18,135
we get them in parks and they're the

1379
00:56:18,135 --> 00:56:20,114
most uncomfortable things, and we pay thousands

1380
00:56:20,114 --> 00:56:23,073
of dollars for them. I'd like to

1381
00:56:23,073 --> 00:56:24,569
know if they're comfortable.

1382
00:56:24,569 --> 00:56:27,335
Yes, they are the same. They match the

1383
00:56:27,335 --> 00:56:28,127
same furniture.

1384
00:56:28,127 --> 00:56:29,023
Okay.

1385
00:56:29,023 --> 00:56:30,619
They match the same furniture found

1386
00:56:30,619 --> 00:56:31,800
in the marina.

1387
00:56:31,800 --> 00:56:34,679
Okay. OK. Thank you.

1388
00:56:34,679 --> 00:56:36,186
I think we have two things to do

1389
00:56:36,186 --> 00:56:37,820
here tonight. This is a

1390
00:56:37,820 --> 00:56:39,603
continuation of the former

1391
00:56:39,603 --> 00:56:41,385
city manager, Reeves, when we were

1392
00:56:41,385 --> 00:56:42,856
looking at grants for

1393
00:56:42,856 --> 00:56:44,639
furniture, and I believe this is also the

1394
00:56:44,639 --> 00:56:46,243
same furniture company from which

1395
00:56:46,243 --> 00:56:47,981
we received the discount because we also

1396
00:56:47,981 --> 00:56:49,719
used them for the marina project

1397
00:56:49,719 --> 00:56:50,540
.

1398
00:56:50,540 --> 00:56:52,447
Yes. So we have to forgo

1399
00:56:52,447 --> 00:56:53,876
competitive bidding and then

1400
00:56:53,876 --> 00:56:56,719
proceed with the actual purchase. Yes.

1401
00:56:56,719 --> 00:56:58,097
So I request the motion to

1402
00:56:58,097 --> 00:56:59,679
waive the competitive bidding

1403
00:56:59,679 --> 00:57:01,057
for the purchase of furniture for the

1404
00:57:01,057 --> 00:57:02,871
Backyard Living Guy Center project.

1405
00:57:02,871 --> 00:57:03,729
I propose.

1406
00:57:03,729 --> 00:57:04,980
Support.

1407
00:57:04,980 --> 00:57:07,218
Any further discussion? Please take attendance

1408
00:57:07,218 --> 00:57:09,619
. Commissioner O'Brien.

1409
00:57:09,619 --> 00:57:10,194
Yes.

1410
00:57:10,194 --> 00:57:11,247
Commissioner Rorick.

1411
00:57:11,247 --> 00:57:11,939
Yes.

1412
00:57:11,939 --> 00:57:13,403
Mayor VandenBosch. Yes.

1413
00:57:13,403 --> 00:57:14,451
Commissioner Bryson.

1414
00:57:14,451 --> 00:57:14,946
Yes.

1415
00:57:14,946 --> 00:57:15,826
Commissioner Hendrick.

1416
00:57:15,826 --> 00:57:16,359
Yes.

1417
00:57:16,359 --> 00:57:17,171
Commissioner Clausen.

1418
00:57:17,171 --> 00:57:17,750
Yes.

1419
00:57:17,750 --> 00:57:19,955
Approved. And I request the motion to

1420
00:57:19,955 --> 00:57:21,665
approve the purchase of furniture for

1421
00:57:21,665 --> 00:57:23,332
Backyard Living's Guy Center project

1422
00:57:23,332 --> 00:57:26,474
in the amount of $36,218 using

1423
00:57:26,474 --> 00:57:28,600
grant funds.

1424
00:57:28,600 --> 00:57:29,659
I propose.

1425
00:57:29,659 --> 00:57:31,005
Support.

1426
00:57:31,005 --> 00:57:33,698
Any other questions? Please take attendance

1427
00:57:33,698 --> 00:57:35,600
. Mr. Rory.

1428
00:57:35,600 --> 00:57:36,020
Yes.

1429
00:57:36,020 --> 00:57:37,120
Mayor VandenBosch.

1430
00:57:37,120 --> 00:57:37,640
Yes,

1431
00:57:37,640 --> 00:57:38,480
Mr. Bryson.

1432
00:57:38,480 --> 00:57:39,055
Yes,

1433
00:57:39,055 --> 00:57:39,912
Mr. Hendrick.

1434
00:57:39,912 --> 00:57:40,490
Yes,

1435
00:57:40,490 --> 00:57:41,919
Mr. Classen. Yes,

1436
00:57:41,919 --> 00:57:42,780
Mr. O'Brien.

1437
00:57:42,780 --> 00:57:43,380
Yes.

1438
00:57:43,380 --> 00:57:47,316
Approved. Okay, let's move on to point B, the

1439
00:57:47,358 --> 00:57:50,679
HydroCorp Service Renewal Agreement. City Manager, would you

1440
00:57:50,679 --> 00:57:52,481
like to add anything?

1441
00:57:52,481 --> 00:57:56,843
Yes, HydroCorp is a company we've

1442
00:57:56,843 --> 00:57:58,657
been using for a couple of

1443
00:57:58,657 --> 00:58:02,264
years. I didn't see the proposal

1444
00:58:02,264 --> 00:58:04,215
reach the committee in the past,

1445
00:58:04,215 --> 00:58:05,956
even though it's a

1446
00:58:05,956 --> 00:58:10,765
renewal agreement. Renewing this agreement for

1447
00:58:10,765 --> 00:58:12,651
the next 2 years will save us a

1448
00:58:12,651 --> 00:58:14,690
considerable amount of money in

1449
00:58:14,690 --> 00:58:19,127
the future. Well, actually it reduces the

1450
00:58:19,127 --> 00:58:23,159
cost by almost half. Well,

1451
00:58:23,159 --> 00:58:25,164
this is a company that provides

1452
00:58:25,164 --> 00:58:27,169
services to most

1453
00:58:27,169 --> 00:58:29,756
municipalities for backflow inspections

1454
00:58:29,756 --> 00:58:32,085
and water protection, so that there is no

1455
00:58:32,085 --> 00:58:34,479
backflow of contamination into the

1456
00:58:34,479 --> 00:58:35,939
drinking water. And

1457
00:58:35,939 --> 00:58:37,800
correct. They are

1458
00:58:37,800 --> 00:58:39,816
very respectable and I think the reason they have

1459
00:58:39,816 --> 00:58:41,724
n't received it in the

1460
00:58:41,724 --> 00:58:43,795
past is because it's below the

1461
00:58:43,795 --> 00:58:45,649
purchase threshold; But I told the

1462
00:58:45,649 --> 00:58:47,829
city manager that I think

1463
00:58:47,829 --> 00:58:49,682
we should inform them who

1464
00:58:49,682 --> 00:58:51,753
HydroCorp is, what they do, and their important

1465
00:58:51,753 --> 00:58:54,019
role in the water system.

1466
00:58:54,019 --> 00:58:56,829
And it's something that's required. This is an

1467
00:58:56,829 --> 00:58:59,540
annual legal requirement, so.

1468
00:58:59,540 --> 00:59:01,939
Yes.

1469
00:59:01,939 --> 00:59:04,104
Although I know that sometimes they send the

1470
00:59:04,104 --> 00:59:06,516
letters and some people receive them,

1471
00:59:06,516 --> 00:59:08,990
and I've had to explain it to them because the

1472
00:59:08,990 --> 00:59:11,217
letter doesn't make it very clear what the

1473
00:59:11,217 --> 00:59:13,560
intention is and why we do it.

1474
00:59:13,560 --> 00:59:16,080
We'll work on that. We receive the

1475
00:59:16,080 --> 00:59:17,877
same criticism everywhere, that

1476
00:59:17,877 --> 00:59:21,445
the letters we write are not

1477
00:59:21,445 --> 00:59:23,518
easy to read. So we'll work

1478
00:59:23,518 --> 00:59:27,833
on that. We'll work on that.

1479
00:59:27,833 --> 00:59:31,117
Anything else? Is there no discussion?

1480
00:59:31,117 --> 00:59:33,823
Please take attendance. We need a

1481
00:59:33,823 --> 00:59:34,238
motion. I will make

1482
00:59:34,238 --> 00:59:35,000
a motion.

1483
00:59:35,000 --> 00:59:36,150
to approve the renewal of

1484
00:59:36,150 --> 00:59:38,668
HydroCorp. Motion to approve

1485
00:59:38,702 --> 00:59:39,263
HydroCorp's renewal service agreements.

1486
00:59:39,263 --> 00:59:39,862
Support.

1487
00:59:39,862 --> 00:59:40,860
Connection.

1488
00:59:40,860 --> 00:59:42,301
I propose.

1489
00:59:42,301 --> 00:59:43,382
Support.

1490
00:59:43,382 --> 00:59:44,882
Okay, please take attendance.

1491
00:59:44,882 --> 00:59:45,738
Commissioner Bryson.

1492
00:59:45,738 --> 00:59:46,235
Yes,

1493
00:59:46,235 --> 00:59:47,043
Mr. Hendrick.

1494
00:59:47,043 --> 00:59:47,692
Yes,

1495
00:59:47,692 --> 00:59:48,615
Mr. Claussen.

1496
00:59:48,615 --> 00:59:49,150
Yes,

1497
00:59:49,150 --> 00:59:50,153
Mr. O'Brien.

1498
00:59:50,153 --> 00:59:50,839
Yes,

1499
00:59:50,839 --> 00:59:51,526
Mr. Warwick.

1500
00:59:51,526 --> 00:59:52,018
Yes.

1501
00:59:52,018 --> 00:59:53,046
Mayor VandenBosch.

1502
00:59:53,046 --> 00:59:54,349
Yes. Approved. Approved.

1503
00:59:54,349 --> 00:59:57,361
Let's move on to point C, the

1504
00:59:57,361 --> 01:00:00,225
cell tower rental.

1505
01:00:00,225 --> 01:00:01,800
City administrator.

1506
01:00:01,800 --> 01:00:03,482
Well, the city manager's office

1507
01:00:03,482 --> 01:00:04,863
has received a couple of

1508
01:00:04,863 --> 01:00:06,503
inquiries about interest in selling

1509
01:00:06,503 --> 01:00:08,143
the mobile phone tower located

1510
01:00:08,143 --> 01:00:11,361
in King Road Park. The city

1511
01:00:11,361 --> 01:00:13,596
currently has a 50-

1512
01:00:13,596 --> 01:00:15,768
year lease for the cell phone tower

1513
01:00:15,768 --> 01:00:17,939
that was signed in 1996, which

1514
01:00:17,939 --> 01:00:20,174
generates approximately $12,000 in

1515
01:00:20,174 --> 01:00:23,305
annual revenue. Therefore, it

1516
01:00:23,305 --> 01:00:25,507
essentially generates a total of $240,000 over

1517
01:00:25,507 --> 01:00:27,426
the next 20 years, which is the

1518
01:00:27,426 --> 01:00:30,397
lease maturity. Before

1519
01:00:30,397 --> 01:00:32,697
proceeding with negotiations with

1520
01:00:32,697 --> 01:00:34,882
potential buyers, I wanted to obtain

1521
01:00:34,882 --> 01:00:37,182
information from this organization to see

1522
01:00:37,182 --> 01:00:39,789
if there is significant interest. I believe

1523
01:00:39,789 --> 01:00:42,208
that one of the current offers of

1524
01:00:42,208 --> 01:00:44,566
275,000 is a very good offer given the

1525
01:00:44,566 --> 01:00:46,985
ongoing changes in the wireless industry and

1526
01:00:46,985 --> 01:00:49,821
technology. The city

1527
01:00:49,821 --> 01:00:51,302
would continue to own the

1528
01:00:51,302 --> 01:00:52,825
property on which the tower is located

1529
01:00:52,825 --> 01:00:56,747
. And if this is of interest to

1530
01:00:56,747 --> 01:00:59,077
this body, I would like to receive

1531
01:00:59,077 --> 01:01:01,407
that address this afternoon so that we can

1532
01:01:01,407 --> 01:01:03,611
continue negotiating and prepare an

1533
01:01:03,611 --> 01:01:06,004
agreement for your consideration at a

1534
01:01:06,004 --> 01:01:11,860
future committee meeting.

1535
01:01:11,860 --> 01:01:14,167
This is not an unusual request

1536
01:01:14,167 --> 01:01:16,967
in municipalities either. What you're up against

1537
01:01:16,967 --> 01:01:20,625
here is that, you know,

1538
01:01:20,625 --> 01:01:21,954
technology in this area is

1539
01:01:21,954 --> 01:01:24,412
changing rapidly. It is probably

1540
01:01:24,412 --> 01:01:26,451
questionable whether there will be a

1541
01:01:26,451 --> 01:01:29,679
cell phone tower in 20 years.

1542
01:01:29,679 --> 01:01:31,913
Therefore, these purchase programs exist,

1543
01:01:31,913 --> 01:01:34,015
and we have one for

1544
01:01:34,015 --> 01:01:36,380
$275,000, and that's just money in your

1545
01:01:36,380 --> 01:01:40,306
bottom line. And it's actually more than you'd

1546
01:01:40,306 --> 01:01:43,339
earn from leasing.

1547
01:01:43,339 --> 01:01:44,721
So, what kind of motion do

1548
01:01:44,721 --> 01:01:45,860
you need?

1549
01:01:45,860 --> 01:01:47,956
We just need a motion that will

1550
01:01:47,956 --> 01:01:50,110
allow us to move forward and draw up a

1551
01:01:50,110 --> 01:01:52,901
contract and terms. I still want to

1552
01:01:52,901 --> 01:01:54,978
work on co-location, where they would

1553
01:01:54,978 --> 01:01:56,662
charge us a fee for

1554
01:01:56,662 --> 01:01:58,234
co-locators in the future and

1555
01:01:58,234 --> 01:02:00,722
pay it back. We just want support

1556
01:02:00,722 --> 01:02:02,233
before we dedicate time to this.

1557
01:02:02,233 --> 01:02:04,233
Okay.

1558
01:02:04,233 --> 01:02:05,488
There are many questions that would need to be

1559
01:02:05,488 --> 01:02:06,573
answered, so it would be...

1560
01:02:06,573 --> 01:02:07,112
Yes.

1561
01:02:07,112 --> 01:02:08,440
Developing proposals and a lot of

1562
01:02:08,440 --> 01:02:09,755
information. Yes.

1563
01:02:09,755 --> 01:02:11,355
So, it would definitely be returned to the

1564
01:02:11,355 --> 01:02:14,369
commission. We just wanted to know if the

1565
01:02:14,369 --> 01:02:16,522
committee is leaning towards

1566
01:02:16,522 --> 01:02:18,915
this and wants us to continue working on

1567
01:02:18,915 --> 01:02:19,960
it, or...

1568
01:02:19,960 --> 01:02:20,566
Yes,

1569
01:02:20,566 --> 01:02:22,498
right? Because there are many other things we

1570
01:02:22,498 --> 01:02:25,404
could focus on. So

1571
01:02:25,404 --> 01:02:27,121
...Okay. I will make

1572
01:02:27,121 --> 01:02:28,135
that motion that we support the

1573
01:02:28,135 --> 01:02:29,444
city manager and

1574
01:02:29,444 --> 01:02:30,654
city attorney to continue

1575
01:02:30,654 --> 01:02:31,832
discussions regarding the sale of the

1576
01:02:31,832 --> 01:02:33,160
cell phone tower.

1577
01:02:33,160 --> 01:02:36,441
Support. Do

1578
01:02:36,441 --> 01:02:37,765
they need us to take attendance for that?

1579
01:02:37,765 --> 01:02:39,036
No, just all of you. Is

1580
01:02:39,036 --> 01:02:39,747
everyone in favor?

1581
01:02:39,747 --> 01:02:41,466
Yes. Against?

1582
01:02:41,466 --> 01:02:44,441
Continue. Let's move on to the

1583
01:02:44,441 --> 01:02:45,884
administrative reports. First, we have the

1584
01:02:45,884 --> 01:02:47,860
city attorney's report. I don't

1585
01:02:47,860 --> 01:02:50,139
have anything. I was, uh, just Dan,

1586
01:02:50,139 --> 01:02:52,357
I want to tell you that I was surprised to learn

1587
01:02:52,357 --> 01:02:54,298
that women yelled at

1588
01:02:54,298 --> 01:02:58,519
men in 1880 for wearing glasses, but

1589
01:02:58,519 --> 01:03:00,523
thanks for sharing. By the way, it

1590
01:03:00,523 --> 01:03:01,814
was a great presentation. I don't

1591
01:03:01,814 --> 01:03:04,615
deny that happened, but I just

1592
01:03:04,615 --> 01:03:06,573
want to tell you that I think I made

1593
01:03:06,573 --> 01:03:08,042
some people cry during your

1594
01:03:08,042 --> 01:03:09,856
presentation, very, very moving.

1595
01:03:09,856 --> 01:03:14,744
Thank you. It was you.

1596
01:03:14,744 --> 01:03:15,953
Okay, city manager's report

1597
01:03:15,953 --> 01:03:17,739
. Well,

1598
01:03:17,739 --> 01:03:21,583
go out and meet the firefighters. The

1599
01:03:21,634 --> 01:03:23,548
Marine City Area Fire Authority will hold an

1600
01:03:23,548 --> 01:03:25,210
open day on Sunday,

1601
01:03:25,210 --> 01:03:27,349
October 4, from 12 to 4 p.m. m. They will have an

1602
01:03:27,349 --> 01:03:29,165
inflatable castle, a smokehouse for

1603
01:03:29,165 --> 01:03:31,129
the children, and safety brochures for

1604
01:03:31,129 --> 01:03:34,145
the adults. At the last meeting,

1605
01:03:34,145 --> 01:03:36,363
there were questions about the

1606
01:03:36,363 --> 01:03:38,638
kayak launch and, unfortunately, the

1607
01:03:38,638 --> 01:03:40,799
current kayak launch was removed because it does not

1608
01:03:40,799 --> 01:03:42,562
comply with the ADA and created an

1609
01:03:42,562 --> 01:03:45,176
unsafe condition.

1610
01:03:45,176 --> 01:03:47,326
Municipal staff applied for a grant

1611
01:03:47,326 --> 01:03:49,536
for a new kayak ramp, but have

1612
01:03:49,536 --> 01:03:51,805
not yet received any updates on its

1613
01:03:51,805 --> 01:03:54,082
status. We will keep

1614
01:03:54,082 --> 01:03:55,700
everyone informed about the status of the

1615
01:03:55,700 --> 01:03:56,944
grant as

1616
01:03:56,944 --> 01:03:59,998
information becomes available. There were also

1617
01:03:59,998 --> 01:04:02,096
questions about the ownership of a

1618
01:04:02,096 --> 01:04:04,654
small property on North Main Street

1619
01:04:04,654 --> 01:04:07,570
. Upon investigating this and reviewing some

1620
01:04:07,570 --> 01:04:10,273
documents dating back to 1959, there

1621
01:04:10,273 --> 01:04:13,054
is no clear answer. Therefore,

1622
01:04:13,054 --> 01:04:15,100
the only way to know for sure

1623
01:04:15,100 --> 01:04:17,042
would be for the city to hire an

1624
01:04:17,042 --> 01:04:18,773
expensive real estate lawyer and

1625
01:04:18,773 --> 01:04:20,820
appraisers, something we will not do at this

1626
01:04:20,820 --> 01:04:23,431
time. As the

1627
01:04:23,431 --> 01:04:25,331
first quarter of the

1628
01:04:25,331 --> 01:04:27,281
city budget comes to a close, staff are beginning the

1629
01:04:27,281 --> 01:04:28,743
process of updating

1630
01:04:28,743 --> 01:04:30,302
this city's budget to

1631
01:04:30,302 --> 01:04:32,252
reflect current revenues, expenditures, and

1632
01:04:32,252 --> 01:04:34,152
projected needs for the

1633
01:04:34,152 --> 01:04:36,597
remainder of the fiscal year. These changes will be

1634
01:04:36,597 --> 01:04:38,572
presented to the committee for

1635
01:04:38,572 --> 01:04:40,711
discussion before the amendments are approved,

1636
01:04:40,711 --> 01:04:42,740
and then we will publish them on the

1637
01:04:42,740 --> 01:04:45,966
website. I've been working with

1638
01:04:45,966 --> 01:04:47,848
union representatives from both the

1639
01:04:47,848 --> 01:04:49,830
police and the DPW to extend the

1640
01:04:49,830 --> 01:04:51,811
contracts that were due to expire in June, to

1641
01:04:51,811 --> 01:04:53,743
June 30, 2026. And we have letters to

1642
01:04:53,743 --> 01:04:55,476
send to retirees to

1643
01:04:55,476 --> 01:04:57,309
apply to fill a position on the

1644
01:04:57,309 --> 01:04:59,191
pensions board, as the last

1645
01:04:59,191 --> 01:05:01,123
employee who was part of the

1646
01:05:01,123 --> 01:05:03,055
pension scheme has retired,

1647
01:05:03,055 --> 01:05:04,590
creating a vacancy from

1648
01:05:04,590 --> 01:05:07,032
December of this year. That's all I

1649
01:05:07,032 --> 01:05:09,694
have as an administrator. And thank you,

1650
01:05:09,694 --> 01:05:12,703
Mr. Brennan.

1651
01:05:12,703 --> 01:05:14,046
Very well, and now for the department heads' reports

1652
01:05:14,046 --> 01:05:15,288
, we'll start with the

1653
01:05:15,288 --> 01:05:18,463
Lancaster fire chief. Very good

1654
01:05:18,463 --> 01:05:21,220
. Thank you. And Chief Hustler.

1655
01:05:21,220 --> 01:05:23,006
Yes, I would like to kindly thank

1656
01:05:23,006 --> 01:05:24,390
the fire authority for

1657
01:05:24,390 --> 01:05:25,863
organizing an

1658
01:05:25,863 --> 01:05:27,292
open house with the

1659
01:05:27,292 --> 01:05:29,700
police department on Saturday from 12:00 to 4:00.

1660
01:05:29,700 --> 01:05:30,685
Come and meet the

1661
01:05:30,685 --> 01:05:33,613
police officers.

1662
01:05:33,613 --> 01:05:34,859
In the bouncy castle?

1663
01:05:34,859 --> 01:05:36,649
And we'll have an inflatable castle.

1664
01:05:36,649 --> 01:05:37,862
We'll have a patrol car there. The

1665
01:05:37,862 --> 01:05:39,130
agents will be there and Anthony

1666
01:05:39,130 --> 01:05:44,179
will be there.

1667
01:05:44,179 --> 01:05:45,032
Yes.

1668
01:05:45,032 --> 01:05:45,930
Assistant Secretary Brown.

1669
01:05:45,930 --> 01:05:47,879
Nothing this afternoon. Thank you.

1670
01:05:47,879 --> 01:05:49,556
OK. Those are the

1671
01:05:49,556 --> 01:05:50,886
department heads for tonight. And now

1672
01:05:50,886 --> 01:05:52,321
let's move on to the Commissioner's privilege and

1673
01:05:52,321 --> 01:05:53,725
liaison reports. We'll start with

1674
01:05:53,725 --> 01:05:55,005
Commissioner Claussen.

1675
01:05:55,005 --> 01:05:57,940
Yes. The planning committee hasn't

1676
01:05:57,940 --> 01:06:00,994
met recently, but it looks like

1677
01:06:00,994 --> 01:06:03,818
, as we move forward, we're going to

1678
01:06:03,818 --> 01:06:06,872
start holding meetings again and

1679
01:06:06,872 --> 01:06:09,797
make sure everything is done properly.

1680
01:06:09,797 --> 01:06:13,421
So, thank you.

1681
01:06:13,421 --> 01:06:15,460
Nothing tonight. Thank you.

1682
01:06:15,460 --> 01:06:16,419
Commissioner Bryan.

1683
01:06:16,419 --> 01:06:17,941
This is one of my last meetings,

1684
01:06:17,941 --> 01:06:19,347
so I have a couple of points to

1685
01:06:19,347 --> 01:06:21,472
start with. First, I just want to

1686
01:06:21,472 --> 01:06:23,210
thank everyone for coming out

1687
01:06:23,210 --> 01:06:25,443
tonight. This is so impressive, and it's

1688
01:06:25,443 --> 01:06:27,689
such a nice feeling to walk into

1689
01:06:27,689 --> 01:06:29,820
a room full of energy, a

1690
01:06:29,820 --> 01:06:31,836
happy room, to see the community united

1691
01:06:31,836 --> 01:06:34,140
around something so positive; it's truly

1692
01:06:34,140 --> 01:06:36,214
rewarding to be a part of it and to

1693
01:06:36,214 --> 01:06:38,084
see it. So, thank you all for

1694
01:06:38,084 --> 01:06:39,967
that. Brenda, thank you for your interest in

1695
01:06:39,967 --> 01:06:42,690
presenting this to us. And I also want to

1696
01:06:42,690 --> 01:06:44,492
emphasize that this has been a struggle that has

1697
01:06:44,492 --> 01:06:46,204
lasted for decades in this community, which

1698
01:06:46,204 --> 01:06:47,961
has made us distrust each other,

1699
01:06:47,961 --> 01:06:49,402
angry with each other, and

1700
01:06:49,402 --> 01:06:51,114
annoyed with the different ideas that have been

1701
01:06:51,114 --> 01:06:53,584
proposed. And we've seen many

1702
01:06:53,584 --> 01:06:54,942
different committees trying to

1703
01:06:54,942 --> 01:06:58,288
manage this. And Madam Mayor,

1704
01:06:58,288 --> 01:07:00,656
you have a form of patience in

1705
01:07:00,656 --> 01:07:02,837
a storm that has been really

1706
01:07:02,837 --> 01:07:05,267
important in what we have had, a

1707
01:07:05,267 --> 01:07:07,720
fiscal crisis. We have had to

1708
01:07:07,720 --> 01:07:08,819
rush to try to resolve

1709
01:07:08,819 --> 01:07:09,857
this crisis, which may have

1710
01:07:09,857 --> 01:07:11,507
precipitated this decision. Being able to

1711
01:07:11,507 --> 01:07:13,249
stay there and find the

1712
01:07:13,249 --> 01:07:14,947
right path for this community and save

1713
01:07:14,947 --> 01:07:16,735
such a historic building is something I

1714
01:07:16,735 --> 01:07:18,477
am incredibly grateful for and

1715
01:07:18,477 --> 01:07:20,041
very proud to be a part of

1716
01:07:20,041 --> 01:07:24,971
. Thank you for that. Less flowery

1717
01:07:24,971 --> 01:07:27,269
. There are elections just around the

1718
01:07:27,269 --> 01:07:29,140
corner, in about 33 days.

1719
01:07:29,140 --> 01:07:31,038
Our excellent city staff

1720
01:07:31,038 --> 01:07:32,699
will be here conducting elections,

1721
01:07:32,699 --> 01:07:34,407
early voting, and

1722
01:07:34,407 --> 01:07:36,079
mail-in voting. Please come out and participate

1723
01:07:36,079 --> 01:07:38,047
in this. It's always wonderful when

1724
01:07:38,047 --> 01:07:39,918
Marine City can make its voice heard in

1725
01:07:39,918 --> 01:07:41,789
massive elections that will make a

1726
01:07:41,789 --> 01:07:44,452
difference. And my last point of the

1727
01:07:44,452 --> 01:07:46,300
afternoon, as you all know, we

1728
01:07:46,300 --> 01:07:48,504
currently have an

1729
01:07:48,504 --> 01:07:50,661
interim municipal administrator. We know that at

1730
01:07:50,661 --> 01:07:52,202
some point soon we will have to

1731
01:07:52,202 --> 01:07:53,922
make a decision. Mr. Wood, you

1732
01:07:53,922 --> 01:07:55,892
have to make a decision. As you know

1733
01:07:55,892 --> 01:07:57,291
, the pressure is mounting on

1734
01:07:57,291 --> 01:08:00,510
how this will play out. We have

1735
01:08:00,510 --> 01:08:01,935
done this in a somewhat

1736
01:08:01,935 --> 01:08:03,444
unusual way, as has been pointed out, but

1737
01:08:03,444 --> 01:08:04,953
this interim process has been a

1738
01:08:04,953 --> 01:08:06,629
trial period for us,

1739
01:08:06,629 --> 01:08:08,138
the city staff, as well as for

1740
01:08:08,138 --> 01:08:09,772
our city manager and for

1741
01:08:09,772 --> 01:08:11,155
all of you in experiencing

1742
01:08:11,155 --> 01:08:16,372
Manager Wood's leadership. I implore you to

1743
01:08:16,420 --> 01:08:18,311
call and write to the offices during the next week or two,

1744
01:08:18,311 --> 01:08:20,105
contact each of us and

1745
01:08:20,105 --> 01:08:22,780
write to us. Let us know what you

1746
01:08:22,780 --> 01:08:25,427
think. Make it known, and if you want

1747
01:08:25,427 --> 01:08:27,576
this man to stay, you need to

1748
01:08:27,576 --> 01:08:29,899
speak up right now.

1749
01:08:29,899 --> 01:08:32,018
We need you to feel welcome and

1750
01:08:32,018 --> 01:08:34,299
needed in this community.

1751
01:08:34,299 --> 01:08:35,732
We need stability in the future and

1752
01:08:35,732 --> 01:08:37,165
Jeff, you've been the right man

1753
01:08:37,165 --> 01:08:38,598
for the job and we appreciate your time

1754
01:08:38,598 --> 01:08:39,697
here. So thank you.

1755
01:08:39,697 --> 01:08:40,980
That's all.

1756
01:08:40,980 --> 01:08:42,800
Thank you.

1757
01:08:42,800 --> 01:08:44,140
Mr. Wood. I would

1758
01:08:44,140 --> 01:08:46,309
also like to urge everyone to make

1759
01:08:46,309 --> 01:08:48,533
sure they register and go out and

1760
01:08:48,533 --> 01:08:51,581
vote on November 4th. Thank you.

1761
01:08:51,581 --> 01:08:52,335
Mr. Hedrick.

1762
01:08:52,335 --> 01:08:53,585
Nothing tonight.

1763
01:08:53,585 --> 01:08:55,480
Oh. Oh.

1764
01:08:55,480 --> 01:08:57,980
Write it down, Buzz.

1765
01:08:57,980 --> 01:09:01,269
Yes. A couple of quick things. Thank you,

1766
01:09:01,269 --> 01:09:04,532
Dan and Heather Brennan. Thank you for your

1767
01:09:04,532 --> 01:09:06,311
generous and kind offer and for all you are

1768
01:09:06,311 --> 01:09:08,135
going to do to help save

1769
01:09:08,135 --> 01:09:09,960
300 Broadway for our community,

1770
01:09:09,960 --> 01:09:12,282
our residents, and our city.

1771
01:09:12,282 --> 01:09:13,695
Thank you so much for that. We look forward to

1772
01:09:13,695 --> 01:09:16,380
working with you during this.

1773
01:09:16,380 --> 01:09:18,667
Last week I had a CED meeting

1774
01:09:18,667 --> 01:09:20,896
and we talked about a couple of things: we have

1775
01:09:20,896 --> 01:09:23,182
some groups and some people

1776
01:09:23,182 --> 01:09:25,240
who like to volunteer, but we

1777
01:09:25,240 --> 01:09:27,241
also have, or are about to

1778
01:09:27,241 --> 01:09:28,842
volunteer, some

1779
01:09:28,842 --> 01:09:30,899
associated community groups that

1780
01:09:30,899 --> 01:09:33,033
are also looking for members. We have

1781
01:09:33,033 --> 01:09:34,579
discussed ways in which, if

1782
01:09:34,579 --> 01:09:36,298
people had a certain amount

1783
01:09:36,298 --> 01:09:37,672
of time, they could do

1784
01:09:37,672 --> 01:09:39,347
strict volunteering, but also

1785
01:09:39,347 --> 01:09:40,979
if they wished to join some of these

1786
01:09:40,979 --> 01:09:42,612
other groups, since today we are talking

1787
01:09:42,612 --> 01:09:44,158
about the gardening club

1788
01:09:44,158 --> 01:09:45,921
tonight. We have Old Newsboys, we have

1789
01:09:45,921 --> 01:09:47,194
Rotary, we have all these

1790
01:09:47,194 --> 01:09:48,330
different groups that might also

1791
01:09:48,330 --> 01:09:49,723
need some members. So,

1792
01:09:49,723 --> 01:09:51,178
if some have extra time, maybe they'll

1793
01:09:51,178 --> 01:09:52,938
join groups. But

1794
01:09:52,938 --> 01:09:55,019
we also consider it an enrichment.

1795
01:09:55,019 --> 01:09:56,628
First, we were thinking about a

1796
01:09:56,628 --> 01:09:58,282
committee, but we came to the decision

1797
01:09:58,282 --> 01:09:59,979
of a liaison: someone who can act

1798
01:09:59,979 --> 01:10:01,545
as a conduit for any of

1799
01:10:01,545 --> 01:10:03,112
these volunteers and groups while they

1800
01:10:03,112 --> 01:10:04,852
all meet, just to make sure

1801
01:10:04,852 --> 01:10:06,549
everyone focuses and gets

1802
01:10:06,549 --> 01:10:08,246
things done, and so we don't miss too much in the

1803
01:10:08,246 --> 01:10:10,975
meantime. And then Cheryl Ross,

1804
01:10:10,975 --> 01:10:12,509
who is the chair of the

1805
01:10:12,509 --> 01:10:14,172
economic development board, the CD board,

1806
01:10:14,172 --> 01:10:15,749
has volunteered to do

1807
01:10:15,749 --> 01:10:18,759
that. Well, hopefully we'll get more

1808
01:10:18,759 --> 01:10:20,409
information, we'll make

1809
01:10:20,409 --> 01:10:22,108
Cheryl's information public so that

1810
01:10:22,108 --> 01:10:24,002
people from all these different groups

1811
01:10:24,002 --> 01:10:25,895
can organize and meet, and can

1812
01:10:25,895 --> 01:10:27,594
use it as a conduit to help

1813
01:10:27,594 --> 01:10:29,880
do those things. I will also talk about

1814
01:10:29,880 --> 01:10:31,974
Community Heart&Soul. It's a new

1815
01:10:31,974 --> 01:10:34,109
program that came to us through

1816
01:10:34,109 --> 01:10:36,244
a community foundation, Ralph C.

1817
01:10:36,244 --> 01:10:38,380
Wilson, and it's a program that helps

1818
01:10:38,380 --> 01:10:40,284
community residents to

1819
01:10:40,284 --> 01:10:42,562
organize and reach an agreement.

1820
01:10:42,562 --> 01:10:44,281
What do we love about our community?

1821
01:10:44,281 --> 01:10:45,499
What excites us about our

1822
01:10:45,499 --> 01:10:46,933
community? What would we like to see in

1823
01:10:46,933 --> 01:10:48,172
the future planning of our

1824
01:10:48,172 --> 01:10:50,960
community? Well, our

1825
01:10:50,960 --> 01:10:52,501
community leader, and I know there's a big

1826
01:10:52,501 --> 01:10:54,042
name, that I just mentioned, is

1827
01:10:54,042 --> 01:10:55,671
Laura Merchant, who is working

1828
01:10:55,671 --> 01:10:59,287
with them. It's a free program for

1829
01:10:59,287 --> 01:11:01,210
our city, and I think it was about

1830
01:11:01,210 --> 01:11:02,932
$11,000 in grants

1831
01:11:02,932 --> 01:11:06,104
through Ralph C. Wilson. Only

1832
01:11:06,104 --> 01:11:08,069
three cities in the state were chosen

1833
01:11:08,069 --> 01:11:11,482
for this. Yes. It was Marine City, it was

1834
01:11:11,482 --> 01:11:13,372
Yale, and, I'm sorry, but I can't

1835
01:11:13,372 --> 01:11:16,186
remember what the other city was. Yes.

1836
01:11:16,186 --> 01:11:17,923
So it's very specific. We were

1837
01:11:17,923 --> 01:11:20,359
chosen by them for this program. You

1838
01:11:20,359 --> 01:11:22,030
may have seen their tent in

1839
01:11:22,030 --> 01:11:23,404
Maritime Days. They gave a

1840
01:11:23,404 --> 01:11:24,914
presentation. We will have

1841
01:11:24,914 --> 01:11:27,060
more information soon. They gave us some

1842
01:11:27,060 --> 01:11:28,660
leaflets with QR codes that

1843
01:11:28,660 --> 01:11:30,060
people can use to get more

1844
01:11:30,060 --> 01:11:31,930
information. So we'll give more

1845
01:11:31,930 --> 01:11:33,708
information about that. We are in the

1846
01:11:33,708 --> 01:11:37,646
early stages of this program. Another

1847
01:11:37,646 --> 01:11:39,479
thing I wanted to mention is that

1848
01:11:39,479 --> 01:11:41,634
we talked about the Maritime Days Trunk or Treat event,

1849
01:11:41,634 --> 01:11:43,790
which will be held on Sunday,

1850
01:11:43,790 --> 01:11:46,047
October 25th. They requested that the

1851
01:11:46,047 --> 01:11:48,107
registration deadline be

1852
01:11:48,107 --> 01:11:50,221
October 12. You can send them the

1853
01:11:50,221 --> 01:11:51,565
information by email by

1854
01:11:51,565 --> 01:11:53,035
contacting their members. I'm sure they

1855
01:11:53,035 --> 01:11:54,651
can register you. So the

1856
01:11:54,651 --> 01:11:57,317
deadline for that is ticking. Another

1857
01:11:57,317 --> 01:11:58,979
thing I discovered through the

1858
01:11:58,979 --> 01:12:00,830
camera is that the first weekend

1859
01:12:00,830 --> 01:12:02,540
of October is declared a

1860
01:12:02,540 --> 01:12:05,109
near weekend. The House of Representatives

1861
01:12:05,109 --> 01:12:07,247
passed a bipartisan bill,

1862
01:12:07,247 --> 01:12:09,118
HR 367, that recognizes the

1863
01:12:09,118 --> 01:12:12,470
near weekend. Therefore, it encourages

1864
01:12:12,470 --> 01:12:14,354
people to buy

1865
01:12:14,354 --> 01:12:16,581
local products in their communities, to support

1866
01:12:16,581 --> 01:12:18,751
their local stores, and what I also

1867
01:12:18,751 --> 01:12:20,464
found interesting about this

1868
01:12:20,464 --> 01:12:22,691
information is that they actually have

1869
01:12:22,691 --> 01:12:24,860
a mascot and it's a blue mascot

1870
01:12:24,860 --> 01:12:28,388
shaped like Michigan. And they chose three

1871
01:12:28,388 --> 01:12:32,040
cities to visit in the state.

1872
01:12:32,040 --> 01:12:36,229
Port Huron, Marine City and Elk Rapids.

1873
01:12:36,229 --> 01:12:38,280
The mascot will be here starting with this

1874
01:12:38,280 --> 01:12:40,503
program, and Marine City will be here tomorrow,

1875
01:12:40,503 --> 01:12:42,769
Friday, October 2nd, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

1876
01:12:42,769 --> 01:12:44,741
m. Therefore, it would be great if everyone

1877
01:12:44,741 --> 01:12:46,080
could come, visit our

1878
01:12:46,080 --> 01:12:47,379
businesses, and help support this

1879
01:12:47,379 --> 01:12:50,001
initiative for our community.

1880
01:12:50,001 --> 01:12:52,050
OK. I think that's all I

1881
01:12:52,050 --> 01:12:53,011
have right now. I will

1882
01:12:53,011 --> 01:12:54,080
make a motion to adjourn the

1883
01:12:54,080 --> 01:12:54,425
session.

1884
01:12:54,425 --> 01:12:55,332
Support. Is

1885
01:12:55,332 --> 01:12:56,089
everyone in favor?

1886
01:12:56,089 --> 01:12:56,804
I.

1887
01:12:56,804 --> 01:13:00,900
Against?

1888
01:13:00,900 --> 01:13:03,732
The previous program was produced by

1889
01:13:03,732 --> 01:13:06,930
CTV, Community Television. CTV,

1890
01:13:06,930 --> 01:13:08,824
Community Television is

1891
01:13:08,824 --> 01:13:10,934
supported by the cities of Marine City and

1892
01:13:10,934 --> 01:13:12,666
St. Clair, East China Township,

1893
01:13:12,666 --> 01:13:14,668
Cottrellville Township and the

1894
01:13:14,668 --> 01:13:16,859
East China School District.