[0:00] The following program was produced by
[0:02] CTV Community Television.
[0:04] The Marine City Council meeting
[0:06] is scheduled for
[0:07] Thursday, October 1, 2026 at
[0:09] 7:00 p.m. m. We will observe a moment of
[0:11] silence to send our
[0:12] positive thoughts and prayers to
[0:13] those in our community who
[0:14] need our support. Please
[0:24] join me for the Pledge of Allegiance
[0:25] . I pledge allegiance
[0:30] to the flag of the United States of
[0:33] America and to the republic for which it
[0:35] stands, one nation under God,
[0:37] indivisible, with liberty and justice
[0:40] for all.
[0:45] And when you're ready, can we take
[0:46] attendance, please?
[0:47] Yes.
[0:47] Commissioner Bryson.
[0:48] Here.
[0:49] Commissioner Hendrick. Here.
[0:50] Commissioner Clausen. Here. Commissioner
[0:52] May. Commissioner O'Brien. Here.
[0:55] Commissioner Warik.
[0:56] Here.
[0:56] Mayor VandenBosch.
[0:58] Here.
[0:58] City Manager Wood.
[0:59] Here.
[1:00] Can I have a motion to excuse
[1:02] Commissioner May?
[1:03] I propose.
[1:04] Support.
[1:05] Any discussion? Everyone in favor?
[1:08] Yes. Against?
[1:09] OK. Fourth, approval
[1:11] of the agenda. Can I approve the
[1:12] agenda with a motion?
[1:14] I propose. Support.
[1:16] Any discussion? Everyone in favor?
[1:18] Yes.
[1:19] Against? OK. Let's move on to number
[1:21] five, presentations, proclamations and
[1:23] recognitions. We have 5A, the
[1:25] Historical Society presentation
[1:26] on the sale of 300 Broadway.
[1:34] Hi, I'm Georgia Baylan. I'm so
[1:37] happy to be here tonight and
[1:39] so excited. I'll try to speak
[1:41] slowly. I know Heather
[1:43] specifically asked me to do it. When I get excited, I
[1:45] speak quickly. Anyway, I'm here to
[1:48] represent the
[1:50] Marine City Historical Society, specifically regarding the
[1:52] proposed purchase of the historic
[1:53] Town Hall. As you know, we have probably been
[1:59] investing in
[2:02] this building for many years. And as many of
[2:05] us also know, the cost of
[2:07] preserving the building has become
[2:09] unsustainable for the city. And the
[2:12] building was put up for sale. And I say
[2:14] some of these things that you already know,
[2:16] but I think the general public doesn't
[2:18] always know everything or doesn't remember what
[2:20] happened. It has been on sale for 2 years. And
[2:24] that brings us to today. The city
[2:26] now has a proposal and a
[2:28] highly qualified buyer with
[2:29] extensive planning resources and
[2:31] commitment to the
[2:33] Marine City building and community. Dan Brennan and
[2:35] Carry Town Development propose what
[2:37] is needed to bring all our
[2:39] efforts and large
[2:41] financial investments over the years to
[2:43] the finish line. This is
[2:45] why we know this sale is the
[2:47] best thing for everyone. The city
[2:49] would no longer own this property nor would it
[2:50] have a substantial financial obligation
[2:52] on its books. That
[2:53] would disappear. All costs
[2:55] associated with maintenance,
[2:56] repair and liability
[2:57] would become the responsibility of
[2:59] Carry Town Development. However,
[3:00] this cultural asset would remain in
[3:02] the city because the building and its
[3:04] architecture are still in place.
[3:06] Furthermore, the
[3:07] city's historic district commission and its objectives
[3:09] remain in place with their
[3:10] purpose enhanced by the actual use of
[3:12] Marine City's only historic district
[3:14] , which is Heritage Square, where
[3:15] the building is located. Although Heritage
[3:18] Square would no longer be a city park
[3:20] by formal agreement, its use would still be
[3:21] available to
[3:23] city residents and groups. Carry
[3:25] Town Development wants the space to
[3:26] not only remain a
[3:28] town center with the traditional community events
[3:29] that have been held
[3:31] there. But to improve the
[3:33] community space, what is currently a
[3:34] park will remain available for
[3:36] public and organizational use when not
[3:38] being used for a private event. This
[3:40] would be very similar to when someone
[3:41] rents the pavilion on the beach for
[3:43] a private party. When the party
[3:45] ends, the public can re-
[3:47] enter. With a landscaping plan of
[3:49] nearly half a million dollars, these
[3:50] improvements to Heritage Square will enhance
[3:51] not only the private events
[3:53] held there, but also our
[3:54] use by the general public,
[3:55] both from a practical and aesthetic point of view
[3:57] . And the building itself,
[3:59] with its historic architecture repaired
[4:01] and, in some cases, restored to its
[4:02] original state, which is not what it is
[4:04] at the moment and which is still
[4:05] protected, would still meet
[4:07] the requirements to be part of the
[4:09] historic district of the city in which it is
[4:10] located. The
[4:12] historic district commission, one member of which
[4:14] sits on the
[4:15] Historical Society's Board of Directors,
[4:16] will continue to oversee the block
[4:17] known as Heritage Square and will have
[4:19] a renewed purpose. The interior of the
[4:21] building would be transformed into a
[4:22] lively venue for special events,
[4:24] with an emphasis on preserving
[4:25] the historic structure and
[4:27] interior design. Along with all this,
[4:29] the building will comply with the ADA. The
[4:31] grand ballroom will be
[4:32] magnificent again. Other spaces will be repaired and improved
[4:35] , and all will be put into
[4:37] use. The notable exception will be the
[4:39] prison cells, which will
[4:40] remain as they are. I know we
[4:44] 're all relieved to hear that, so
[4:46] ...Yeah, I can't imagine
[4:48] people spending time
[4:50] locked up in something so horrible these days. As a
[4:53] venue for special events of a
[4:54] very special kind, the historic
[4:56] Town Hall would be a destination for
[4:58] many. The destinations attract
[5:00] people for several days. As such,
[5:02] it becomes a multiplier for
[5:04] supporting local businesses,
[5:05] including local restaurants and pubs,
[5:07] florists, gift shops,
[5:08] other retailers and our theaters. Just
[5:11] yesterday I saw, I think on Facebook, that
[5:13] someone was worried that the venue
[5:15] would compete with our
[5:17] current event venues here. And
[5:19] this will not be the case. As different as the
[5:22] River Place Art Pavilion is
[5:23] from the Marine City Events Center
[5:25] , it will also be in a
[5:26] completely different category.
[5:28] Those interested in one event or
[5:30] place will not be particularly
[5:31] interested in one of the others. The
[5:34] difference in size, services, and
[5:36] costs would create options for
[5:37] event organizers, which is a
[5:39] beautiful thing because it offers more
[5:40] diversity to more people, thus
[5:42] improving the offerings and appeal of
[5:44] Marine City. I would like to say a few
[5:47] words about Carriage House
[5:48] Development and Dan Brennan. They are neighbors,
[5:50] both as a St. Clair company and as
[5:52] residents there. They have a commitment
[5:54] to our small towns and their
[5:55] place in them. A foreign buyer may
[5:58] not have our interests
[5:59] as their top priority, as
[6:01] this neighbor does. This is something real and,
[6:03] although it may seem like a utopia to some of us
[6:05] , it is not. Places
[6:07] like this exist successfully in other
[6:09] places, many of them
[6:10] small communities like ours, and we
[6:12] could have this too. The
[6:14] Historical Society is eager
[6:16] to partner with Carriage House. We
[6:18] have committed $90,000 of the
[6:20] funds we raise and receive from
[6:22] donors for restoration and
[6:23] reuse, specifically for
[6:25] the historic City Hall. In addition,
[6:28] members of the
[6:29] Friends of the Town Hall board have joined
[6:31] the Historical Society board
[6:32] to help in this task,
[6:33] contributing their knowledge and support. We
[6:36] all look forward to being active partners in
[6:38] this project, sharing our
[6:39] knowledge,
[6:41] financial contributions, and support. And this
[6:42] partial collaboration can be
[6:44] particularly useful in
[6:45] grant applications,
[6:46] especially for those related to
[6:48] historical restoration. We all know that the city
[6:51] cannot continue spending
[6:52] tax money month after month, year after year,
[6:54] as it has had to do. This sale
[6:56] would continue until
[6:58] a buyer could be found, if
[6:59] a different buyer could be found
[7:00] . Carriage House is
[7:02] ready to solve this dilemma for
[7:04] us today. From
[7:05] financial responsibility to tax-paying asset,
[7:07] this is a city challenge that
[7:09] can be solved now. To put it
[7:11] succinctly, this property goes from
[7:13] being an abandoned,
[7:14] decaying, and vandalized financial burden to a
[7:16] vibrant, useful, and, most
[7:18] importantly, tax-paying property. This is
[7:20] beneficial for everyone. I joined the
[7:23] Historical Society in 1999 with the
[7:24] express purpose of achieving this
[7:26] goal: the care and
[7:27] reuse of
[7:28] Marine City's iconic Town Hall. That was
[7:30] 27 years ago. Now is the time for us to
[7:33] do it, and this is very likely
[7:35] the opportunity of a lifetime for
[7:37] Marine City. Thank you. Thank you. Point
[7:53] two six for public comments.
[7:54] This is the moment for
[7:55] audience comments. Anyone from the
[7:57] public can contact the
[7:58] city commission. Please come up to the podium,
[8:00] state your name so it is recorded,
[8:01] and be heard. No commissioner,
[8:02] department head, or
[8:03] city staff will respond, and the
[8:05] city manager will follow up on
[8:06] public comments as
[8:07] needed. Limit your comments to
[8:09] five minutes. Please direct your comments to
[8:10] me as the meeting chair.
[8:12] Refrain from using profanity. Do not
[8:14] direct any comments to any
[8:15] other member of the public. Is there
[8:17] anyone who wants to talk?
[8:29] Good evening, Mayor and commissioners.
[8:31] My name is Paul Merchant. I am a
[8:33] resident, a local business owner,
[8:35] and a member of the
[8:36] Economic and Community Development Board.
[8:38] I want to express my strong support for the
[8:41] sale and remodeling of the old
[8:43] town hall. As a
[8:46] business owner, I understand what it means to
[8:48] invest in a property and a
[8:50] community. Money is needed, but so is
[8:52] vision, confidence, commitment,
[8:55] and a willingness to take risks. And that's what I
[8:58] see happening here.
[9:00] We have a beautiful historic building
[9:01] that has been empty for years, and
[9:03] now we have an experienced developer
[9:05] who is looking at the building and sees
[9:07] possibilities. He also looks at Marine
[9:10] City and sees a community worth
[9:12] investing in. And that says a lot.
[9:16] Converting the old town hall into a
[9:18] wedding or event venue would create
[9:20] something unique, not just for our
[9:22] center, but for our entire
[9:24] community. When people come to
[9:26] Marine City for weddings and
[9:27] special events, the impact doesn't stop at
[9:29] one building or one block. It stays in
[9:31] our area. People eat at our
[9:33] restaurants. Buys. Visit other
[9:36] attractions. They may hire other
[9:38] services and discover a community they
[9:40] may never have visited before. There is
[9:42] a domino effect. And beyond the
[9:45] economic impact,
[9:47] something equally important is happening here.
[9:50] We are preserving a part of
[9:52] Marine City's history instead of watching
[9:53] another historic building
[9:55] stand empty and deteriorate. As a
[9:57] resident, I want Marine City to continue moving forward
[9:59] . I want people to invest
[10:03] here. I want new businesses and new
[10:05] ideas. I want
[10:08] historic buildings to be preserved and used. And
[10:10] I want people from outside our
[10:12] community to come here and discover what
[10:13] those who live here already know. It's a
[10:16] great place. That's why projects like
[10:19] this excite me. They create momentum and
[10:22] send a message to Marine City that it
[10:23] is a community worth
[10:25] investing in. It's not just about the old
[10:28] town hall. This is about what the
[10:30] project can mean for all of
[10:31] Marine City. I believe we have an
[10:34] incredible opportunity in front of
[10:35] us and I hope we take advantage of it.
[10:37] Thank you.
[10:39] Well, I haven't grown any taller,
[10:54] but I can still see over
[10:56] the top. Good night. I'll be very brief
[10:59] . I am Heather Bockram and I am here
[11:02] as a member of the Historical Society.
[11:06] When one of our partners, Georgia
[11:08] Fallon, learned that Dan Brannan
[11:10] was interested in our historic
[11:12] City Hall, we were all
[11:14] incredibly excited and
[11:16] thrilled. Dan was not only
[11:19] interested, he had done his
[11:21] homework. He had also created a
[11:24] very detailed and comprehensive plan on how to
[11:27] restore the building for future
[11:29] reuse and turn it into a
[11:32] profitable project. We all recognize
[11:36] Dan Watts and knew that he was a
[11:38] well-known
[11:40] construction contractor specializing in
[11:42] restoring historic buildings with
[11:45] great success. We know that Dan has made
[11:49] an offer to the city and it couldn't have
[11:51] come at a better time. It is
[11:54] public knowledge that Marine City
[11:56] has had to undertake some very
[11:58] costly works this year, which are still
[12:01] ongoing, to replace all the
[12:03] old water pipes throughout the
[12:05] city. The historic Town Hall has
[12:09] been on the market for almost 2
[12:12] years without any offers and is costing
[12:14] the city every month in insurance and
[12:17] security services, funding
[12:20] some roofing issues, as well as
[12:22] other costs including keeping
[12:25] all doors and windows closed and
[12:27] sealed to prevent vandalism. The
[12:31] historical society knows very well
[12:34] why all this is happening, since we have
[12:37] investigated all the costs of taking care of
[12:40] the historic Town Hall and leaving it
[12:43] completely inactive. All of you
[12:47] commissioners are intelligent people,
[12:50] and that's why you're here on our
[12:53] municipal commission. But I just want to
[12:57] give a small warning: don't
[13:00] fall into the temptation of thinking that
[13:03] the building is worth more money
[13:05] considering its current condition.
[13:09] Consider how much Mr. Brennan will invest
[13:12] in this building along with
[13:15] how much money the city
[13:18] of Marine City will save by selling him the building
[13:21] . Look to the future, when this
[13:25] building will become an asset for
[13:28] the city and, over time, generate
[13:30] taxes and more business in our
[13:33] city. Don't let this good man
[13:37] leave. If they do the right thing and accept
[13:41] his offer, they will go down in history as
[13:44] the heroes who made the
[13:46] right decision to help Marine City
[13:48] save this incredible piece of
[13:50] history and see it continue with a
[13:53] new purpose serving all
[13:55] the residents of Marine City and
[13:58] those who visit us. Thank you so much.
[14:02] Thank you.
[14:07] Who would like to speak next?
[14:08] Clear. Hi, I'm Cheryl Devereaux. And
[14:17] I'm also on the board of
[14:19] the historical society, but I've also
[14:22] worked in taxation for 36
[14:24] years. So I see it from a different
[14:27] angle. I am in favor of the city
[14:31] approving the sale of the old
[14:33] town hall and also giving them
[14:35] tax breaks with the purchase
[14:38] of the building. Most of you
[14:41] probably already know this, but I
[14:42] looked it up just to make sure I
[14:44] had the correct wording. A
[14:48] tax relief is a
[14:49] government-approved reduction or
[14:51] temporary elimination of a
[14:52] tax obligation on
[14:54] property or business. It is generally
[14:58] designed to encourage
[15:00] development and investment. And that's the
[15:04] part I want us all to
[15:06] think about; this is definitely what we
[15:08] all want to consider: the
[15:10] development of the building and the investment
[15:13] in our community. I think all of
[15:17] this, even thinking about the
[15:19] workers who will be working in the
[15:22] building and who will want lunches and
[15:25] dinners and possibly bring their families
[15:28] , you know, to the hotel. It's going to
[15:33] help our whole city, so I
[15:35] hope we can all agree that we
[15:37] should be a part of it.
[15:41] Thank you so much.
[15:42] Thank you.
[15:46] Can I clarify?
[15:47] Could we clarify something? Well,
[15:53] Madam Mayor, there has been
[15:55] talk tonight of a tax reduction,
[15:57] and I just wanted to clarify that this is not
[15:59] part of the proposal the city has
[16:01] received for any
[16:03] tax reduction at this time. Okay
[16:06] ?
[16:10] Who wants to speak next?
[16:19] Good evening everyone. My name is
[16:21] Scott Pascoe and I am here to
[16:23] express my support for the approval of
[16:25] item 11 on the agenda, the
[16:27] consideration of the purchase of 300
[16:29] Broadway. I moved to Marine City in
[16:34] April 2022, and it wasn't until I
[16:36] settled in here that I began to discover
[16:38] Marine City's old-world charm
[16:40] , highlighted by the
[16:43] late 19th and early
[16:45] 20th century architecture and
[16:47] the city's small-town feel. I could see why people
[16:49] love living here and why
[16:51] outsiders enjoy visiting it.
[16:54] Historic buildings, excellent
[16:56] restaurants and unparalleled views
[16:58] of the Saint Clair River make Marine
[17:00] City the envy of the Thumb Coast.
[17:02] The historic building that soon
[17:04] sparked my interest was the historic
[17:06] Town Hall. A majestic
[17:08] masterpiece that stands empty on the
[17:10] corner of Broadway and Main streets. I
[17:12] could feel it was desperately crying out for a
[17:14] makeover. So why
[17:16] should a historic building be restored or preserved
[17:18] ? Because
[17:20] historic buildings are a
[17:22] tangible representation of our
[17:24] past. By preserving them, we protect
[17:27] our cultural heritage, boost
[17:29] our local economy, and showcase the
[17:31] superior craftsmanship of these buildings. They
[17:35] also serve as a
[17:36] physical reminder of past generations,
[17:38] incredible stories, and
[17:40] community roots. Just by mentioning these
[17:43] reasons, one can see that the
[17:44] historic Town Hall is a
[17:46] perfect example of restoration and
[17:48] conservation. However, there he is,
[17:50] still waiting for his new purpose
[17:52] in life. Finding a new
[17:55] purpose in the life of the historic
[17:57] Town Hall is what the
[17:59] Marine City Historical Society has
[18:01] recently set out to do. Thanks
[18:04] to a lot of dedication and perseverance, the
[18:06] HSMC was able to find someone
[18:08] interested in restoring the historic
[18:10] Town Hall. A unique set of
[18:13] circumstances led an
[18:15] HSMC member to contact Dan
[18:17] Brennan of Carriage House Developments.
[18:20] So, who is Dan Brennan? And is he up
[18:21] to the task of
[18:23] restoration? Rest assured
[18:25] that if anyone has any doubts about
[18:27] the qualifications of Dan Brennan and
[18:29] Carriage House Developments, I urge them
[18:31] to review his resume. Among the
[18:34] highlights is
[18:35] the restoration of his current home, the
[18:37] Samuel Hopkins House in St. Clair. They've
[18:39] seen her. It's the big house on the
[18:40] left when you're driving
[18:42] north from St. Clair. It is always
[18:44] spectacularly decorated for every
[18:46] holiday of the year. You can't miss it,
[18:49] but if you've seen it, it's because you haven't been
[18:50] paying attention.
[18:53] His resume also includes the renovation of the
[18:55] St. Clair Inn and the
[18:56] recently opened Coco Bella's bakery. The
[18:59] results speak for themselves. Dan
[19:01] Brennan is the right man for the
[19:03] right job at the right time
[19:05] . I urge you all to vote
[19:07] unanimously in favor of the
[19:09] purchase offer that has been presented to you so
[19:11] that Dan and Kerrisdale Developments
[19:13] can quickly begin the
[19:15] restoration of the historic
[19:16] Town Hall. Thank you.
[19:19] Who would like to speak
[19:24] next?
[19:32] Well, basically everything I
[19:33] wrote has already been said. So I have
[19:36] nothing. So I echo all of this
[19:40] . The only thing I would like to add as
[19:43] director of the Chamber of Commerce is
[19:45] that a successful new business can
[19:47] strengthen our local economy and
[19:49] bring renewed energy to our entire
[19:52] community. This is beneficial for
[19:54] both of us and I think it's amazing. But
[19:57] I want to add something. On another
[20:00] note, I would like to congratulate the
[20:02] winners of our Michigan
[20:04] Blue Water Magazine or Blue Magazine
[20:06] 2026 Best of Blue Awards for
[20:08] Southeast Michigan. I don't know if anyone
[20:12] has ever seen it, but Michigan
[20:14] Blue Magazine is a great magazine
[20:15] for all our areas along
[20:17] the waterways. All the way to Lake
[20:19] Michigan, all the way north to
[20:21] Superior, and down to Lake Erie.
[20:24] Well, we received seven awards, which are
[20:26] the following. Gord's Bar received the
[20:30] award for best beach bar. Mad
[20:33] Hatter Coffee, the best coffee shop.
[20:36] Marine City is the best
[20:38] holiday city. Marine City was once
[20:42] again named the best shopping city.
[20:44] Marine City Beach, the best beach
[20:46] for swimming. Maritime Days, the best
[20:49] festival in Southeast Michigan. I mean
[20:51] , that's huge. And Sweet
[20:54] Tooth won the best fudge. And best of all,
[20:57] the Saint Clair River received the award
[20:59] for best river for fishing. So
[21:03] congratulations to all the winners,
[21:05] this is huge for Marine City.
[21:12] Thank you. Okay, who wants to
[21:13] speak next?
[21:20] Mark Posey, from Board Street. Yes,
[21:23] sell it. Although 100% of the
[21:26] profits should go to our
[21:29] water project. No
[21:33] new office furniture or
[21:34] new electronics that will break down in
[21:36] a month. Secondly, the disaster
[21:41] on the M-29 here, in front of the two
[21:43] stone courtyards, was horrific today.
[21:47] The yellow no-entry lines are not yet visible
[21:48] . And
[21:52] third, sorry Jason, but we don't have
[21:53] container ships in the
[21:55] Great Lakes. That new logo is not
[21:58] enough. Thank you.
[22:01] Okay, who wants to
[22:03] speak next? Heather?
[22:11] Hello, Heather Warner. I am also in
[22:15] favor of selling 300 Broadway.
[22:19] However, I have a couple of questions.
[22:22] The last building we sold is still
[22:24] empty. It would be good to know if we have
[22:28] some kind of timeline for when
[22:30] we expect the work to be completed. And
[22:34] the only other concern, I know, is
[22:37] part of the paperwork being
[22:39] drawn up with a
[22:40] parking plan where
[22:43] 75 to 100 cars will be parked for a wedding. Apart
[22:46] from that, I completely agree. I'm
[22:48] glad the city has been spared from all of this
[22:50] . We no longer have to worry
[22:52] about any liability for that
[22:54] building, and it's a good time to
[22:56] get rid of it if all
[22:58] these good things are going to happen, it's time to do it
[23:00] now; But we need to have a couple of
[23:02] things planned about how they're going to be
[23:04] handled. Thank you.
[23:06] Does
[23:09] anyone else want to talk? Sir?
[23:21] Norman Rhodes, Mayor and Commissioners, I
[23:23] am not here to argue for
[23:25] or against the
[23:27] Carriage House developments or against the
[23:29] restoration of the historic
[23:30] City Hall. But the proposal could
[23:36] prove beneficial for Marine City.
[23:40] My concern is whether the city
[23:43] can currently legally approve
[23:45] this letter of intent in its
[23:47] current form and at this specific stage of the
[23:50] process. I have identified a couple of
[23:54] basic questions that should be
[23:56] answered before the city
[23:57] commits. First, MCL 117.5
[24:02] imposes a special restriction on the
[24:06] sale of park properties when
[24:10] the park is required under the
[24:14] official master plan. And I understand that it's a
[24:19] park in the master plan, which
[24:21] means it can't be sold without
[24:24] removing it from the master plan, which is
[24:26] done through the
[24:29] planning commission, and I understand that it's on
[24:31] the planning commission's agenda
[24:33] . Which is fine. My
[24:39] concern is that signing that letter
[24:46] of intent before it is removed
[24:50] as a park is inappropriate at this
[24:53] stage. Another point that concerns me is
[24:59] paragraph nine of your proposal, which
[25:01] discusses the continued community use of
[25:04] Heritage Square, but states that such
[25:07] statements do not create any easement deed
[25:09] restrictions
[25:11] or
[25:13] transfer conditions. Therefore, the letter
[25:17] of intent does not
[25:19] permanently protect Heritage Square for
[25:23] public use. As soon as it is
[25:27] handed over to them, it becomes a
[25:31] commercial property, basically, which the
[25:34] owners control, and if there is no
[25:37] agreement on its use by the
[25:40] public, they might allow it from time to
[25:46] time, or they might restrict or
[25:48] deny it. And especially if they go and
[25:51] transfer ownership to someone else
[25:54] , they might decide that no, we no longer
[25:56] want the public there.
[26:00] I think that needs to be addressed. These
[26:06] are not objections to the developer, they are
[26:08] questions to the city about the
[26:10] authority and procedure by
[26:13] which this public property is transferred
[26:15] . Before approving this,
[26:19] I respectfully request that the commission
[26:21] post
[26:23] the answers to those questions in the public record. I've
[26:32] learned a lot here tonight that I didn't
[26:37] know about all this, but
[26:41] the state of Heritage Square needs to be addressed.
[26:49] From what I understand, the entire
[26:53] block is going to be transferred through
[26:56] a sale to the people at Carriage House.
[27:05] Currently, that is the park. That would be
[27:13] fine, although I have already said that it would be
[27:15] inappropriate to sign the letter of
[27:17] intent as it stands right now
[27:20] before the
[27:22] Planning Commission does what it needs to do
[27:25] to remove it from the master plan. And
[27:28] after that, I think there has to be
[27:32] a resolution, and not
[27:38] necessarily a public hearing,
[27:41] but a public statement
[27:44] specifying that the commission approves the
[27:51] sale of the property and why it is being
[27:53] sold. Why is the city
[27:57] letting that property go? Because of the
[28:01] costs, or whatever the reason may be, that needs to be
[28:03] defined and there needs to be a
[28:06] resolution, in my opinion, a
[28:08] resolution that states what it is
[28:10] about and what that fact is. An
[28:20] additional point with the letter of intent is
[28:24] that the buyer's obligation to
[28:27] close is contingent upon obtaining
[28:30] approval for the uses
[28:33] contemplated as an event venue,
[28:36] for its kitchen and
[28:39] catering operations, bar and related matters,
[28:42] etc. The city will be the owner and
[28:52] the seller. And the
[28:55] Marine City Planning Commission exercises
[28:57] government authority over
[29:00] land use. The signing of the letter of
[29:04] intent will predetermine
[29:08] subsequent discretionary zoning
[29:11] of the site plan and related
[29:13] historic preservation and
[29:15] building codes and other
[29:17] government decisions. In other
[29:20] words, a letter of intent
[29:22] signed before the
[29:25] Planning Commission does its work
[29:27] would burden the
[29:29] Planning Commission with
[29:31] undue influence to approve land use.
[29:35] I think that's a conflict at that
[29:37] moment. Is that what it is? 1 minute?
[29:43] 5 minutes.
[29:49] Other things that I think should have been done
[29:51] ... I don't know if there was a
[29:53] property appraisal by an appraiser.
[29:57] I believe an independent appraiser
[29:59] should examine that property and
[30:02] value it. And that should be
[30:05] recorded so that everyone knows
[30:06] exactly where this is all headed and
[30:08] what the intention of the whole
[30:09] project is.
[30:11] Mr. Rhodes,
[30:12] But I'm not against it.
[30:15] Thank you.
[30:16] Madam Mayor, I would also like to
[30:19] point out that the letter of intent being
[30:21] proposed tonight is a non-
[30:24] binding agreement. By signing the letter of
[30:27] intent, the city can move
[30:29] forward with preparing a
[30:31] purchase contract that would
[30:33] address all of those points before
[30:36] the purchase contract goes back to the
[30:38] City Commission.
[30:40] The second problem, if I may,
[30:43] is that we have already prepared
[30:46] legal memoranda that describe the
[30:48] park process in detail and by timeline. And we
[30:52] 've done it before because the
[30:54] property in question on
[30:56] Water Street had a park attached
[30:58] to it. We had to remove it from the
[31:00] master plan before it was sold. So
[31:02] I appreciate you mentioning it. But
[31:05] we will continue that process. Again, there is no
[31:08] tax reduction
[31:11] involved in this proposal. The letter
[31:14] of intent initiates a process, and
[31:16] perhaps you want to talk about this,
[31:19] but it initiates a process through which we
[31:21] move to the concept of a
[31:23] purchase contract, which will contain much more than
[31:26] the letter of intent. And Mr.
[31:29] Brennan will be entitled to his due
[31:31] diligence, we will be entitled
[31:34] to ours. The
[31:37] planning commission will fulfill its functions
[31:39] as an agency that analyzes
[31:41] development. And paragraph 13
[31:44] expressly makes it a
[31:47] non-binding contract and subject to the approval
[31:49] of a purchase agreement, something I
[31:52] think Dan is very aware of.
[31:55] Therefore, this will be returned to you in the
[31:57] form of a purchase contract. What
[32:01] we will do, Mr. Rhodes, in accordance with
[32:03] some of the things you mentioned, is
[32:05] that we will schedule the park's removal
[32:07] from the master plan to be consistent
[32:10] with the approval of a
[32:12] final purchase contract and not before that. So
[32:15] that the park doesn't fall out of the plan and then
[32:17] have to be included again.
[32:19] Therefore, we will schedule it as we
[32:21] have done before, following the
[32:22] procedures. There is a
[32:24] 62-day notice requirement, a
[32:26] 15-day notice requirement, and a
[32:28] public hearing requirement on
[32:30] the park issue. Everyone present is welcome to
[32:33] come and discuss the park and
[32:35] whether it should be removed from the master plan
[32:37] . We will follow all those procedures. I
[32:39] already sent the legal memorandum to the
[32:43] city manager describing
[32:46] those procedures and attaching the
[32:48] relevant laws.
[32:51] Thank you. Thanks for clarifying. Does anyone
[32:55] else want to speak next?
[32:57] Mr. Haas? It was
[33:02] 203 Broadway. The first thing I want to
[33:06] say is that at the last meeting
[33:08] I said that I had called Jennifer
[33:09] Goodrich Godrich. If I had called her
[33:11] , I wouldn't have received her email.
[33:13] Then, an email was sent
[33:14] to the city.
[33:16] Secondly, I had a question for
[33:18] Mr. Woods today and they answered me by email;
[33:19] Then I did some research and, as long as
[33:21] the sales tax was being collected
[33:23] , well, no matter what, you have to
[33:25] pay the tax on those items
[33:27] . Let's look at the sale of 300 Broadway.
[33:31] Let's get rid of that dog. He has been
[33:33] absent for too long. We should
[33:34] have done it in '87. When it
[33:37] first came out, don't save it, save it, They weren't going to demolish it back then
[33:42] . They spent millions of dollars
[33:44] there. Let's see. What do I want to talk about?
[33:48] 300 Broadway, let's get rid of it
[33:50] . I think we need to fence off the
[33:51] beach. We need to do something about the
[33:54] beach, our pavilion, and our
[33:56] bathroom. Shall we go? If anyone has
[33:59] read the newspapers, at
[34:02] Lake Port beach up there, they are
[34:04] charging people $30 to
[34:06] park. We're not going to achieve anything
[34:08] in our city. Everything is free.
[34:11] for everyone. Some
[34:12] people have gotten angry about my poster. There's
[34:14] nothing in that poster that I haven't already
[34:15] said in my poster. Speaking of
[34:18] which, now we have the problem, you
[34:20] know, because my sign needs to be
[34:21] changed now because I have a
[34:23] problem with two cities, St. Clair and
[34:24] Marine City. Because we have a problem
[34:27] . We have the people in the middle, the
[34:28] East China School District. He
[34:30] likes to cover up for predators.
[34:31] Home of one of the alleged Cornells.
[34:35] It's time for two cities to start putting
[34:37] pressure on the people in the middle who are
[34:39] supposed to be taking care of our
[34:40] children. My daughter, my daughter texted me on
[34:43] Monday, as soon as it broke down, because she
[34:45] knows I'm going to take action. I don't mind
[34:47] . My truck and my sign, that
[34:49] 's legal. I can do it. I'm in a
[34:52] pub, on public property. We're going to
[34:54] tell everyone that our
[34:56] school district is letting
[34:57] our children down with these things.
[35:00] Drunk Suzie. What a nickname for her. You
[35:03] know, Josephine Margaret Peel. And
[35:05] when my first daughter went to Marine
[35:08] City in 2015, I pulled a
[35:10] high school diploma from 1898 out of the trash. And she
[35:13] went. I was supposed to take care of
[35:17] my daughter. Number four in 2018, my
[35:20] daughter in 2020, when she finished, 1.60 m,
[35:23] was supposed to go to the museum. Now
[35:25] we are here in 2026, it is not in the
[35:28] museum. He had been pressuring her for three weeks
[35:29] before this
[35:31] Cornell broke down. So now, you
[35:33] know, the powers that be are
[35:34] there. I have some things, you know,
[35:37] timelines. I'm going to say it. You have the
[35:41] guy who would deliver the
[35:42] popcorn between the two cities. Marine
[35:45] City Sandburg. The big guy took it
[35:47] in December. In December,
[35:49] Mother Nature took the ferry away in
[35:51] January. What a coincidence, perhaps. Now let
[35:55] 's look at the ship you brought. The
[35:56] city's Mr. Santa Claus, Dan. He helped
[36:03] bring him here. He has the small
[36:05] monument with him and Miss Claus.
[36:08] Santa Claus Dan set sail on that ship in
[36:10] three or four days. Coincidence?
[36:12] Hmm. Many spirits in this old
[36:14] town. Josephine Margaret Peel is going to
[36:16] tear down a lot of things. Sabula opened
[36:19] a huge Pandora's box. But if.
[36:23] Jennifer Vandenbosch, you have to leave.
[36:25] Whoever the mayor of Saint Clair is, you
[36:27] know, we come and bring our
[36:28] children to this. My children don't even
[36:30] go to school anymore. And here I am
[36:32] complaining about people with a
[36:33] troubled school district. Football The
[36:35] football team does nothing wrong.
[36:37] Who remembers when the
[36:39] football team used to steal, break into
[36:40] cars, wear their shirts at
[36:42] Meijer's and get caught shoplifting? Does
[36:44] anyone remember all those
[36:45] good times? I don't forget anything.
[36:48] Historical complaints without foundation. I know the
[36:50] timelines. Have a good day.
[36:55] OK. Does anyone else want to
[36:57] talk?
[37:06] Hello, Gabby Bestie, 816 Scott Street.
[37:10] Just a few words about
[37:12] data centers. Well, I guess there will
[37:15] be another online meeting in Port
[37:19] Huron on October 12th. It's another workshop. It
[37:24] was very informative last month. I
[37:26] highly recommend listening to it
[37:28] online or going there. Very good
[37:31] information. East China is trying
[37:34] to do its best, but we all
[37:36] need to listen to this because it's going to
[37:38] affect us. Therefore, I would
[37:41] strongly recommend that we investigate this and
[37:43] see if we can fight against it
[37:44] because they are coming for us. So,
[37:48] we have to fight against this,
[37:50] please. Thank you. Thank you.
[37:55] Okay. Begin. It
[37:57] wasn't in the public commentary
[37:58] before.
[38:02] Let me change my hat here and
[38:03] head to the Garden Club, Marine City
[38:04] Garden Club. And I would just like to
[38:05] announce that we have started our
[38:07] sale of green Christmas products.
[38:08] So, your wreaths and your strings and
[38:10] your patio and porch planters and
[38:12] poinsettias and all that, we have all
[38:14] those things available for sale.
[38:16] This is one of two
[38:19] fundraising activities we do to
[38:21] raise money to put flowers in
[38:23] hanging baskets and buy plants for
[38:25] the urban landscape and other things we
[38:27] do with public gardens. And
[38:30] if anyone didn't weed enough
[38:32] in their life last summer, we
[38:34] 're always looking for people who
[38:35] enjoy doing it. Let us know.
[38:38] Thank you. Does
[38:42] anyone else want to talk? Anyone
[38:45] else?
[38:53] Good evening everyone. Good evening,
[38:55] Mayor and members of the committee. And
[38:58] good night, citizens of Marine
[39:00] City. My name is John Dela Cruz, I am
[39:02] the owner and operator, and I
[39:04] currently reside at Heather House at
[39:06] 409 North Main Street with my fiancée
[39:08] Mallory. I will soon be Mrs. Dela Cruz
[39:12] for the 10th. I mention this as a
[39:18] transition to talk about our
[39:20] overwhelming support for the sale of
[39:23] City Hall. We have lived here since
[39:27] 2024 and tonight we have heard a lot of
[39:30] support from residents for the sale
[39:32] because of how important it is to
[39:34] us as a community, as a
[39:37] cultural icon, as an architectural icon.
[39:42] But I also wanted to express on
[39:43] their behalf the fact that we have
[39:45] had the privilege over the past 2
[39:47] years of hosting and accommodating
[39:48] hundreds of guests who have come to
[39:50] Marine City and enjoyed everything
[39:52] Thumb has to offer. We have
[39:54] people who come to the theaters, to the
[39:56] restaurants, to the shops. But something
[40:00] that many people support and tend to
[40:02] fall in love with about this part of Thumb's coast
[40:05] is its historic architecture. And
[40:08] those who come during our
[40:11] community events love that
[40:13] these spaces are used when they can be
[40:16] , and I saw that this was a very
[40:18] important part of this sale to keep
[40:21] Heritage Square usable for the
[40:24] community. Well, as you know, as we
[40:27] wrap up our peak season
[40:29] for all of us and head into the
[40:31] winter season, my fiancé,
[40:33] who couldn't be here tonight,
[40:35] wanted to express how great it was to
[40:37] have that space for
[40:40] off-season community things, like
[40:42] having the ice rink and bringing
[40:44] back the chili contest. It was
[40:48] nice to have those things out of
[40:50] season for our local community,
[40:52] whereas in the summers, when there is a
[40:54] lot of activity with art fairs and
[40:56] things like that, people who come can not only
[40:58] shop in those squares and support
[41:00] these local businesses, but they can
[41:02] also be part of these
[41:04] historic spaces. A
[41:07] great deal of work is required to ensure
[41:09] that these spaces are simply
[41:11] preserved and restored. But I know for a fact
[41:13] that you don't have to look far
[41:15] to see the brilliant work
[41:18] that Dan and his team have done in the
[41:20] past. Although I haven't met them
[41:22] personally, many of our
[41:24] guests have been part of those
[41:26] experiences. So, once again, I speak
[41:29] on their behalf whenever I can, to
[41:32] repay them for all our support.
[41:36] Thank you very much for your time, and yes, thank you.
[41:40] Okay. Does anyone else want
[41:45] to talk? Anyone else? Okay.
[41:50] Having heard and seen nothing, let's
[41:50] move on to point seven, the approval of
[41:51] the minutes. We have item 7A, the
[41:57] minutes of the Commission meeting of
[41:58] September 17, 2026. I
[42:00] move to approve the minutes of the
[42:01] City Commission meeting of
[42:02] September 17, 2026. Approved. Support.
[42:04] Any discussion? Everyone in favor? Yes.
[42:06] Against? It
[42:07] is approved. Regarding item B, the
[42:11] minutes of the closed-door meeting
[42:12] of the City Commission on
[42:14] September 17, 2026. Can I have a
[42:16] motion to approve the minutes of the
[42:17] closed-door meeting of the
[42:18] City Commission on that date,
[42:20] September 17, 2026?
[42:21] I propose.
[42:22] Support. Is
[42:23] everyone in favor?
[42:24] Yes.
[42:24] Against? OK. Let's move on to item eight,
[42:26] the consent agenda.
[42:28] We have 8A, the minutes of the
[42:30] pension board meeting of April 14, 2026. The
[42:32] minutes of the special session of the
[42:34] pension board meeting of May 12,
[42:36] 2026. The minutes of the meeting on
[42:38] healthcare for retirees of
[42:40] April 14, 2026, and the application for
[42:42] permission for the special trunk
[42:44] or treat event on Water Street. The application
[42:46] for a special event permit for
[42:48] Our Lady of the
[42:49] River Parish on T Roll Drive. And F, the
[42:51] special event permit application for
[42:53] a Cupid Dash with reindeer. Could
[42:56] someone please make a motion to
[42:57] approve items A through F on the
[42:59] agenda? Proposal approved.
[43:00] Support.
[43:01] Please take attendance. Mr. Bryson?
[43:04] Yes.
[43:05] Mr. Hendrix? Yes.
[43:06] Mr. Clausen? Yes. Mr.
[43:07] O'Brien?
[43:07] Yes.
[43:08] Mr. Warwick?
[43:09] Yes.
[43:10] Mayor VandenBosch?
[43:11] Yes.
[43:11] Approved. OK. In item nine,
[43:13] regarding points removed from the
[43:14] consensus agenda, there is nothing. In item 10,
[43:17] for financial matters, we have
[43:19] expenses that include payroll in the
[43:22] amount of $801,755.84. Can I have
[43:25] a motion to approve the improvement of
[43:27] expenses that include payroll for
[43:30] that amount of $801,755.84?
[43:32] Present a motion to approve
[43:35] expenditures including payroll for $
[43:38] 801,755.84.
[43:40] Support.
[43:41] Any discussion? Please take attendance
[43:43] . Mr. Hendrix?
[43:45] Yes.
[43:45] Mr. Clausen? Yes.
[43:46] Mr. O'Brien?
[43:47] Yes.
[43:48] Mr. Warwick? Yes.
[43:49] Mayor VandenBosch?
[43:50] Yes. Mr.
[43:50] Bryson?
[43:51] Yes.
[43:52] Approved. OK. In item 11A,
[43:54] the consideration for the purchase of
[43:56] 300 Broadway. I would like to introduce
[43:59] a motion to authorize the
[44:01] city manager to execute
[44:02] the letter of intent for the
[44:04] proposed sale of 300 Broadway for $
[44:06] 160,000, subject to the removal of
[44:07] Heritage Square Park from the master plan
[44:09] , with the final purchase agreement subject
[44:11] to approval by the
[44:12] City Commission.
[44:13] Support.
[44:14] OK. And I would like to open the debate
[44:16] . And Commissioner Wood?
[44:20] Well, this is an
[44:22] exciting opportunity for the city, and Mr.
[44:24] Brennan is here this afternoon and may be able to
[44:26] answer some
[44:28] additional questions you may have about his
[44:30] proposal for Historic City Hall
[44:32] .
[44:45] Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, council.
[44:47] Thank you for the kind words,
[44:48] Rodney. Thank you.
[44:50] Historical Commission, thank you. I'm going to apologize.
[44:54] Yesterday I had an upper respiratory problem
[44:56] , so I'm going to strain my voice,
[44:58] so I really apologize for my
[45:00] voice because I don't normally sound like
[45:02] something out of a cartoon character
[45:04] , but it's obvious that you've been
[45:09] part of the community for
[45:10] quite some time. You know, my love for its
[45:13] historic architecture began at a
[45:16] very young age. And you know, I was lucky enough to be able to
[45:21] dedicate myself to a career
[45:24] that, you know, I enjoy with so much passion.
[45:30] I like to say that I believe that when you
[45:31] enjoy something and feel a real
[45:33] passion for it, that ends up
[45:34] showing clearly. Well, you know,
[45:37] historical architecture is interesting
[45:40] because it's really just a building. There is
[45:44] nothing that makes it special except
[45:47] for the stories and history that
[45:49] accompany that building. Without them,
[45:53] it's just brick, mortar, and wood. It
[45:56] has nothing. 300 Broadway is
[45:59] interesting because it's a
[46:02] beautiful building. And we could recreate that
[46:05] building right now. We could cross
[46:07] the city, buy a property, and
[46:09] we have the capability and technology
[46:10] to build the exact same
[46:12] beautiful building. Without a doubt. But what
[46:16] surprises me is that what cannot be
[46:17] replicated is history. There is
[46:20] nothing in this world that can capture and
[46:22] replicate the stories that accompany
[46:25] that building. And for us, and for
[46:29] me as the promoter, that is the value. The
[46:32] value is not in the bricks and
[46:33] mortar. It is not on the property. It's
[46:35] in the stories. That's why I'm telling you
[46:39] this, because as a promoter I
[46:41] perfectly understand the risk involved in
[46:44] being in your place, sitting in your chair,
[46:46] thinking: what are they going to do
[46:48] with this place? Right? I want to dispel
[46:53] your fears that without that history,
[46:56] without those stories, that property is not
[46:59] valuable to me. And it's not
[47:02] marketable. It needs history. It
[47:06] needs stories to be
[47:08] successful and marketable. That's why we would
[47:12] never go in there and
[47:14] destroy or take something
[47:17] that is, literally, the
[47:19] absolute asset of that property. I couldn't
[47:22] help but sit here and think that, you
[47:25] know, everyone knows I'm from
[47:27] Saint Clair and I learned a lot about urban renewal during the
[47:30] restoration of the Saint Clair Inn
[47:33] . And I couldn't help
[47:36] sitting here and thinking that,
[47:39] many years ago, in the 1970s, there was a
[47:41] meeting, I'm sure, very similar with
[47:44] similar residents. And
[47:48] somehow, they made the decision to
[47:50] destroy their history. It is unfathomable
[47:54] to me. And in one fell swoop they erased
[47:58] the stories. I brought something, the name of
[48:02] the promoting company. As you know,
[48:05] we bought the beautiful lady at the top of
[48:08] the hill on the left with a
[48:12] very historic past. With the
[48:16] express purpose not only of living there, but of
[48:18] restoring it to its original glory.
[48:20] Which is a long process. But
[48:24] we also bought the property in the
[48:25] back where the garage was. And that
[48:29] is, in fact, the place from which
[48:31] the name of
[48:32] the carriage house development comes. And that's how
[48:37] we began the restoration of that
[48:39] first building. And, in the process of
[48:43] that restoration, something emerged from the
[48:49] walls that I think is very
[48:50] significant and really speaks to this
[48:52] moment for me. As you can see, and I'll
[48:56] send this to you so you can see it.
[48:59] These are glasses. Now, my
[49:02] garage was built in 1880. They were
[49:04] on the walls. The only way
[49:06] these walls weren't touched. So,
[49:08] the only way these glasses
[49:10] got there is if they came from the
[49:11] man or the man who
[49:13] physically built that building. This is a
[49:17] very special piece for me because it
[49:19] has a human element. The stories
[49:22] that come to mind are that the
[49:24] woman was probably angry
[49:26] because he lost his glasses and they had to
[49:28] replace them. In other words,
[49:32] this cannot be recreated. And I think that's
[49:36] significant. They can transmit it.
[49:40] I think it's significant for this
[49:43] moment because I've followed the story
[49:48] for the last 20, 15 years, I
[49:50] would say. And the tug-of-war, and the tug-of-
[49:55] war. And I saw the posters on
[49:58] King Road that said "Save our
[50:00] town hall". And I didn't really
[50:03] understand it completely until I started to
[50:06] really investigate it in the last
[50:08] 6 or 8 months. And it has a story, and it
[50:12] wants to be told. I'll leave you with one
[50:14] last thing, and then I'll open
[50:16] this space for your questions. Well,
[50:19] one of our projects that's
[50:21] currently underway, and that many of you
[50:24] may not be aware of, is the
[50:26] high school in the center of St. Clair,
[50:28] which was built, I believe, in 1920. For
[50:34] the last three years, it's been
[50:35] basically abandoned and neglected.
[50:38] I walked past that building in 2020 and it
[50:40] was in perfect condition.
[50:43] I walked past that building a year ago and was
[50:45] horrified by what happened in 3 and a
[50:48] half or 4 years. Without heating, without
[50:51] electricity, without maintenance, the
[50:54] ceilings were collapsing everywhere.
[50:58] The basement that housed the
[51:00] steam boilers had 20 feet of water. He was
[51:03] dead. The building was dead.
[51:08] Someone similar to me with a vision
[51:11] and an idea decided to turn it into an
[51:13] academy and hired us to do the
[51:16] building restoration work.
[51:20] And we've been working there for about 3
[51:22] months. And I was there a
[51:26] few nights ago and walked down to the
[51:29] basement, which was basically the
[51:32] beating heart of the entire
[51:35] building. It housed all the
[51:38] infrastructure. And it was also the
[51:40] place where probably 20
[51:42] feet of water fell, washing away every
[51:44] last bit of the building's infrastructure
[51:45] . I walked to the
[51:50] back of the building and there was a
[51:52] warm glow coming from the
[51:54] windows. I took a picture and sent it
[51:56] to the owners. And I said, "It's
[51:59] coming back to life. That's the heart
[52:02] of this building coming back to life, and it
[52:03] starts there." There is simply something about
[52:07] these buildings that, when you combine
[52:10] history, architecture,
[52:13] structure, and stories, makes them
[52:15] a living,
[52:18] breathing entity. It's incredible. And rest
[52:21] assured that's what I want to
[52:23] do with the old town hall.
[52:26] I want them to go there and see the
[52:28] warm glow that comes from the basement
[52:30] or the dome and know that it is alive
[52:33] again. Nothing would excite me more than
[52:38] doing that. So, with that, I'll open
[52:40] the session with questions.
[52:42] Thank you so much for this.
[52:50] I would like to thank you for this
[52:52] wonderful opportunity to preserve and
[52:54] protect that building and property.
[52:57] This means a lot to us and we
[52:59] know you can achieve it. I also really
[53:02] respect the fact that you approached
[53:05] the Historical Society on your own,
[53:07] gave them your vision, and
[53:09] involved them in everything, because that makes all
[53:11] the difference to us, as you have
[53:13] been the guardians of that building
[53:15] for so long, and the fact that you
[53:18] took the initiative to involve them and
[53:20] get their approval before it
[53:22] came
[53:24] to us, that means a lot to
[53:25] you. It is also very important
[53:26] for our decision-making.
[53:27] Thank you so much for that.
[53:33] OK. I
[53:38] work in other communities and I know that,
[53:41] when working with the other community, he not
[53:44] only does what he says he's going to do, but he also
[53:47] does what he says he's going to do.
[53:50] Yes,
[53:52] thanks.
[53:53] Thank you. Yes, and the fact that
[53:55] you already have a proposal that I think...
[53:57] correct me if I'm wrong, you already have
[53:58] $600,000 in
[54:00] private investment money ready to use. I
[54:02] mean, you're ready to start
[54:04] and ready to move forward with this project, and
[54:05] almost half a million for the
[54:06] park ownership as well.
[54:07] Yes.
[54:08] That's huge. Anything else? Okay. Okay.
[54:20] Take attendance.
[54:20] Thank you.
[54:22] I think apart from that point about the
[54:23] switch... I
[54:24] don't have it for you. No no. Thanks,
[54:26] Dan. Thank you. I just want...
[54:30] your glasses? Do you need them?
[54:33] Oh, they're back here.
[54:37] They are very small.
[54:38] Yes, they are small. It's not up for
[54:45] debate.
[54:45] Okay.
[54:46] Take attendance.
[54:47] OK. The only thing I wanted to
[54:49] mention is that I want to thank
[54:51] Mr. Rhodes for coming as well. And if there are
[54:55] any questions that haven't been
[54:56] answered, be sure to send them
[54:57] because your time is up. But rest
[55:01] assured that we will all
[55:03] make sure that everything is done
[55:06] correctly with our lawyer and all that
[55:08] . I mean, I had my list of
[55:10] questions. He is reviewing them and has
[55:12] responded to some of them, but
[55:14] we will address each of those issues
[55:16] to make sure everything is done
[55:17] correctly. I just wanted to
[55:19] reassure them.
[55:21] Thank you.
[55:21] OK.
[55:24] Any further discussion? Please take attendance
[55:26] . Commissioner Klassen.
[55:28] Yes.
[55:29] Commissioner O'Brien. Yes.
[55:31] Commissioner Borg.
[55:32] Yes.
[55:33] Mayor VandenBosch. Yes.
[55:34] Commissioner Bryson.
[55:35] Yes.
[55:36] Commissioner Hendrick.
[55:37] Yes. Go
[55:37] ahead. In item 12A, under new
[55:52] matters, we have the purchase of
[55:54] furniture for the Guy
[55:56] Center project. City manager,
[55:58] what? I don't
[56:00] have anything for that. I'm sorry. Is
[56:05] this only for the backyard?
[56:06] Yes.
[56:08] I have a quick question. I have a
[56:09] quick question.
[56:10] OK.
[56:11] When we bought all these benches and
[56:13] chairs and stuff, did anyone actually sit
[56:14] on them? Because sometimes
[56:16] we get them in parks and they're the
[56:18] most uncomfortable things, and we pay thousands
[56:20] of dollars for them. I'd like to
[56:23] know if they're comfortable.
[56:24] Yes, they are the same. They match the
[56:27] same furniture.
[56:28] Okay.
[56:29] They match the same furniture found
[56:30] in the marina.
[56:31] Okay. OK. Thank you.
[56:34] I think we have two things to do
[56:36] here tonight. This is a
[56:37] continuation of the former
[56:39] city manager, Reeves, when we were
[56:41] looking at grants for
[56:42] furniture, and I believe this is also the
[56:44] same furniture company from which
[56:46] we received the discount because we also
[56:47] used them for the marina project
[56:49] .
[56:50] Yes. So we have to forgo
[56:52] competitive bidding and then
[56:53] proceed with the actual purchase. Yes.
[56:56] So I request the motion to
[56:58] waive the competitive bidding
[56:59] for the purchase of furniture for the
[57:01] Backyard Living Guy Center project.
[57:02] I propose.
[57:03] Support.
[57:04] Any further discussion? Please take attendance
[57:07] . Commissioner O'Brien.
[57:09] Yes.
[57:10] Commissioner Rorick.
[57:11] Yes.
[57:11] Mayor VandenBosch. Yes.
[57:13] Commissioner Bryson.
[57:14] Yes.
[57:14] Commissioner Hendrick.
[57:15] Yes.
[57:16] Commissioner Clausen.
[57:17] Yes.
[57:17] Approved. And I request the motion to
[57:19] approve the purchase of furniture for
[57:21] Backyard Living's Guy Center project
[57:23] in the amount of $36,218 using
[57:26] grant funds.
[57:28] I propose.
[57:29] Support.
[57:31] Any other questions? Please take attendance
[57:33] . Mr. Rory.
[57:35] Yes.
[57:36] Mayor VandenBosch.
[57:37] Yes,
[57:37] Mr. Bryson.
[57:38] Yes,
[57:39] Mr. Hendrick.
[57:39] Yes,
[57:40] Mr. Classen. Yes,
[57:41] Mr. O'Brien.
[57:42] Yes.
[57:43] Approved. Okay, let's move on to point B, the
[57:47] HydroCorp Service Renewal Agreement. City Manager, would you
[57:50] like to add anything?
[57:52] Yes, HydroCorp is a company we've
[57:56] been using for a couple of
[57:58] years. I didn't see the proposal
[58:02] reach the committee in the past,
[58:04] even though it's a
[58:05] renewal agreement. Renewing this agreement for
[58:10] the next 2 years will save us a
[58:12] considerable amount of money in
[58:14] the future. Well, actually it reduces the
[58:19] cost by almost half. Well,
[58:23] this is a company that provides
[58:25] services to most
[58:27] municipalities for backflow inspections
[58:29] and water protection, so that there is no
[58:32] backflow of contamination into the
[58:34] drinking water. And
[58:35] correct. They are
[58:37] very respectable and I think the reason they have
[58:39] n't received it in the
[58:41] past is because it's below the
[58:43] purchase threshold; But I told the
[58:45] city manager that I think
[58:47] we should inform them who
[58:49] HydroCorp is, what they do, and their important
[58:51] role in the water system.
[58:54] And it's something that's required. This is an
[58:56] annual legal requirement, so.
[58:59] Yes.
[59:01] Although I know that sometimes they send the
[59:04] letters and some people receive them,
[59:06] and I've had to explain it to them because the
[59:08] letter doesn't make it very clear what the
[59:11] intention is and why we do it.
[59:13] We'll work on that. We receive the
[59:16] same criticism everywhere, that
[59:17] the letters we write are not
[59:21] easy to read. So we'll work
[59:23] on that. We'll work on that.
[59:27] Anything else? Is there no discussion?
[59:31] Please take attendance. We need a
[59:33] motion. I will make
[59:34] a motion.
[59:35] to approve the renewal of
[59:36] HydroCorp. Motion to approve
[59:38] HydroCorp's renewal service agreements.
[59:39] Support.
[59:39] Connection.
[59:40] I propose.
[59:42] Support.
[59:43] Okay, please take attendance.
[59:44] Commissioner Bryson.
[59:45] Yes,
[59:46] Mr. Hendrick.
[59:47] Yes,
[59:47] Mr. Claussen.
[59:48] Yes,
[59:49] Mr. O'Brien.
[59:50] Yes,
[59:50] Mr. Warwick.
[59:51] Yes.
[59:52] Mayor VandenBosch.
[59:53] Yes. Approved. Approved.
[59:54] Let's move on to point C, the
[59:57] cell tower rental.
[1:00:00] City administrator.
[1:00:01] Well, the city manager's office
[1:00:03] has received a couple of
[1:00:04] inquiries about interest in selling
[1:00:06] the mobile phone tower located
[1:00:08] in King Road Park. The city
[1:00:11] currently has a 50-
[1:00:13] year lease for the cell phone tower
[1:00:15] that was signed in 1996, which
[1:00:17] generates approximately $12,000 in
[1:00:20] annual revenue. Therefore, it
[1:00:23] essentially generates a total of $240,000 over
[1:00:25] the next 20 years, which is the
[1:00:27] lease maturity. Before
[1:00:30] proceeding with negotiations with
[1:00:32] potential buyers, I wanted to obtain
[1:00:34] information from this organization to see
[1:00:37] if there is significant interest. I believe
[1:00:39] that one of the current offers of
[1:00:42] 275,000 is a very good offer given the
[1:00:44] ongoing changes in the wireless industry and
[1:00:46] technology. The city
[1:00:49] would continue to own the
[1:00:51] property on which the tower is located
[1:00:52] . And if this is of interest to
[1:00:56] this body, I would like to receive
[1:00:59] that address this afternoon so that we can
[1:01:01] continue negotiating and prepare an
[1:01:03] agreement for your consideration at a
[1:01:06] future committee meeting.
[1:01:11] This is not an unusual request
[1:01:14] in municipalities either. What you're up against
[1:01:16] here is that, you know,
[1:01:20] technology in this area is
[1:01:21] changing rapidly. It is probably
[1:01:24] questionable whether there will be a
[1:01:26] cell phone tower in 20 years.
[1:01:29] Therefore, these purchase programs exist,
[1:01:31] and we have one for
[1:01:34] $275,000, and that's just money in your
[1:01:36] bottom line. And it's actually more than you'd
[1:01:40] earn from leasing.
[1:01:43] So, what kind of motion do
[1:01:44] you need?
[1:01:45] We just need a motion that will
[1:01:47] allow us to move forward and draw up a
[1:01:50] contract and terms. I still want to
[1:01:52] work on co-location, where they would
[1:01:54] charge us a fee for
[1:01:56] co-locators in the future and
[1:01:58] pay it back. We just want support
[1:02:00] before we dedicate time to this.
[1:02:02] Okay.
[1:02:04] There are many questions that would need to be
[1:02:05] answered, so it would be...
[1:02:06] Yes.
[1:02:07] Developing proposals and a lot of
[1:02:08] information. Yes.
[1:02:09] So, it would definitely be returned to the
[1:02:11] commission. We just wanted to know if the
[1:02:14] committee is leaning towards
[1:02:16] this and wants us to continue working on
[1:02:18] it, or...
[1:02:19] Yes,
[1:02:20] right? Because there are many other things we
[1:02:22] could focus on. So
[1:02:25] ...Okay. I will make
[1:02:27] that motion that we support the
[1:02:28] city manager and
[1:02:29] city attorney to continue
[1:02:30] discussions regarding the sale of the
[1:02:31] cell phone tower.
[1:02:33] Support. Do
[1:02:36] they need us to take attendance for that?
[1:02:37] No, just all of you. Is
[1:02:39] everyone in favor?
[1:02:39] Yes. Against?
[1:02:41] Continue. Let's move on to the
[1:02:44] administrative reports. First, we have the
[1:02:45] city attorney's report. I don't
[1:02:47] have anything. I was, uh, just Dan,
[1:02:50] I want to tell you that I was surprised to learn
[1:02:52] that women yelled at
[1:02:54] men in 1880 for wearing glasses, but
[1:02:58] thanks for sharing. By the way, it
[1:03:00] was a great presentation. I don't
[1:03:01] deny that happened, but I just
[1:03:04] want to tell you that I think I made
[1:03:06] some people cry during your
[1:03:08] presentation, very, very moving.
[1:03:09] Thank you. It was you.
[1:03:14] Okay, city manager's report
[1:03:15] . Well,
[1:03:17] go out and meet the firefighters. The
[1:03:21] Marine City Area Fire Authority will hold an
[1:03:23] open day on Sunday,
[1:03:25] October 4, from 12 to 4 p.m. m. They will have an
[1:03:27] inflatable castle, a smokehouse for
[1:03:29] the children, and safety brochures for
[1:03:31] the adults. At the last meeting,
[1:03:34] there were questions about the
[1:03:36] kayak launch and, unfortunately, the
[1:03:38] current kayak launch was removed because it does not
[1:03:40] comply with the ADA and created an
[1:03:42] unsafe condition.
[1:03:45] Municipal staff applied for a grant
[1:03:47] for a new kayak ramp, but have
[1:03:49] not yet received any updates on its
[1:03:51] status. We will keep
[1:03:54] everyone informed about the status of the
[1:03:55] grant as
[1:03:56] information becomes available. There were also
[1:03:59] questions about the ownership of a
[1:04:02] small property on North Main Street
[1:04:04] . Upon investigating this and reviewing some
[1:04:07] documents dating back to 1959, there
[1:04:10] is no clear answer. Therefore,
[1:04:13] the only way to know for sure
[1:04:15] would be for the city to hire an
[1:04:17] expensive real estate lawyer and
[1:04:18] appraisers, something we will not do at this
[1:04:20] time. As the
[1:04:23] first quarter of the
[1:04:25] city budget comes to a close, staff are beginning the
[1:04:27] process of updating
[1:04:28] this city's budget to
[1:04:30] reflect current revenues, expenditures, and
[1:04:32] projected needs for the
[1:04:34] remainder of the fiscal year. These changes will be
[1:04:36] presented to the committee for
[1:04:38] discussion before the amendments are approved,
[1:04:40] and then we will publish them on the
[1:04:42] website. I've been working with
[1:04:45] union representatives from both the
[1:04:47] police and the DPW to extend the
[1:04:49] contracts that were due to expire in June, to
[1:04:51] June 30, 2026. And we have letters to
[1:04:53] send to retirees to
[1:04:55] apply to fill a position on the
[1:04:57] pensions board, as the last
[1:04:59] employee who was part of the
[1:05:01] pension scheme has retired,
[1:05:03] creating a vacancy from
[1:05:04] December of this year. That's all I
[1:05:07] have as an administrator. And thank you,
[1:05:09] Mr. Brennan.
[1:05:12] Very well, and now for the department heads' reports
[1:05:14] , we'll start with the
[1:05:15] Lancaster fire chief. Very good
[1:05:18] . Thank you. And Chief Hustler.
[1:05:21] Yes, I would like to kindly thank
[1:05:23] the fire authority for
[1:05:24] organizing an
[1:05:25] open house with the
[1:05:27] police department on Saturday from 12:00 to 4:00.
[1:05:29] Come and meet the
[1:05:30] police officers.
[1:05:33] In the bouncy castle?
[1:05:34] And we'll have an inflatable castle.
[1:05:36] We'll have a patrol car there. The
[1:05:37] agents will be there and Anthony
[1:05:39] will be there.
[1:05:44] Yes.
[1:05:45] Assistant Secretary Brown.
[1:05:45] Nothing this afternoon. Thank you.
[1:05:47] OK. Those are the
[1:05:49] department heads for tonight. And now
[1:05:50] let's move on to the Commissioner's privilege and
[1:05:52] liaison reports. We'll start with
[1:05:53] Commissioner Claussen.
[1:05:55] Yes. The planning committee hasn't
[1:05:57] met recently, but it looks like
[1:06:00] , as we move forward, we're going to
[1:06:03] start holding meetings again and
[1:06:06] make sure everything is done properly.
[1:06:09] So, thank you.
[1:06:13] Nothing tonight. Thank you.
[1:06:15] Commissioner Bryan.
[1:06:16] This is one of my last meetings,
[1:06:17] so I have a couple of points to
[1:06:19] start with. First, I just want to
[1:06:21] thank everyone for coming out
[1:06:23] tonight. This is so impressive, and it's
[1:06:25] such a nice feeling to walk into
[1:06:27] a room full of energy, a
[1:06:29] happy room, to see the community united
[1:06:31] around something so positive; it's truly
[1:06:34] rewarding to be a part of it and to
[1:06:36] see it. So, thank you all for
[1:06:38] that. Brenda, thank you for your interest in
[1:06:39] presenting this to us. And I also want to
[1:06:42] emphasize that this has been a struggle that has
[1:06:44] lasted for decades in this community, which
[1:06:46] has made us distrust each other,
[1:06:47] angry with each other, and
[1:06:49] annoyed with the different ideas that have been
[1:06:51] proposed. And we've seen many
[1:06:53] different committees trying to
[1:06:54] manage this. And Madam Mayor,
[1:06:58] you have a form of patience in
[1:07:00] a storm that has been really
[1:07:02] important in what we have had, a
[1:07:05] fiscal crisis. We have had to
[1:07:07] rush to try to resolve
[1:07:08] this crisis, which may have
[1:07:09] precipitated this decision. Being able to
[1:07:11] stay there and find the
[1:07:13] right path for this community and save
[1:07:14] such a historic building is something I
[1:07:16] am incredibly grateful for and
[1:07:18] very proud to be a part of
[1:07:20] . Thank you for that. Less flowery
[1:07:24] . There are elections just around the
[1:07:27] corner, in about 33 days.
[1:07:29] Our excellent city staff
[1:07:31] will be here conducting elections,
[1:07:32] early voting, and
[1:07:34] mail-in voting. Please come out and participate
[1:07:36] in this. It's always wonderful when
[1:07:38] Marine City can make its voice heard in
[1:07:39] massive elections that will make a
[1:07:41] difference. And my last point of the
[1:07:44] afternoon, as you all know, we
[1:07:46] currently have an
[1:07:48] interim municipal administrator. We know that at
[1:07:50] some point soon we will have to
[1:07:52] make a decision. Mr. Wood, you
[1:07:53] have to make a decision. As you know
[1:07:55] , the pressure is mounting on
[1:07:57] how this will play out. We have
[1:08:00] done this in a somewhat
[1:08:01] unusual way, as has been pointed out, but
[1:08:03] this interim process has been a
[1:08:04] trial period for us,
[1:08:06] the city staff, as well as for
[1:08:08] our city manager and for
[1:08:09] all of you in experiencing
[1:08:11] Manager Wood's leadership. I implore you to
[1:08:16] call and write to the offices during the next week or two,
[1:08:18] contact each of us and
[1:08:20] write to us. Let us know what you
[1:08:22] think. Make it known, and if you want
[1:08:25] this man to stay, you need to
[1:08:27] speak up right now.
[1:08:29] We need you to feel welcome and
[1:08:32] needed in this community.
[1:08:34] We need stability in the future and
[1:08:35] Jeff, you've been the right man
[1:08:37] for the job and we appreciate your time
[1:08:38] here. So thank you.
[1:08:39] That's all.
[1:08:40] Thank you.
[1:08:42] Mr. Wood. I would
[1:08:44] also like to urge everyone to make
[1:08:46] sure they register and go out and
[1:08:48] vote on November 4th. Thank you.
[1:08:51] Mr. Hedrick.
[1:08:52] Nothing tonight.
[1:08:53] Oh. Oh.
[1:08:55] Write it down, Buzz.
[1:08:57] Yes. A couple of quick things. Thank you,
[1:09:01] Dan and Heather Brennan. Thank you for your
[1:09:04] generous and kind offer and for all you are
[1:09:06] going to do to help save
[1:09:08] 300 Broadway for our community,
[1:09:09] our residents, and our city.
[1:09:12] Thank you so much for that. We look forward to
[1:09:13] working with you during this.
[1:09:16] Last week I had a CED meeting
[1:09:18] and we talked about a couple of things: we have
[1:09:20] some groups and some people
[1:09:23] who like to volunteer, but we
[1:09:25] also have, or are about to
[1:09:27] volunteer, some
[1:09:28] associated community groups that
[1:09:30] are also looking for members. We have
[1:09:33] discussed ways in which, if
[1:09:34] people had a certain amount
[1:09:36] of time, they could do
[1:09:37] strict volunteering, but also
[1:09:39] if they wished to join some of these
[1:09:40] other groups, since today we are talking
[1:09:42] about the gardening club
[1:09:44] tonight. We have Old Newsboys, we have
[1:09:45] Rotary, we have all these
[1:09:47] different groups that might also
[1:09:48] need some members. So,
[1:09:49] if some have extra time, maybe they'll
[1:09:51] join groups. But
[1:09:52] we also consider it an enrichment.
[1:09:55] First, we were thinking about a
[1:09:56] committee, but we came to the decision
[1:09:58] of a liaison: someone who can act
[1:09:59] as a conduit for any of
[1:10:01] these volunteers and groups while they
[1:10:03] all meet, just to make sure
[1:10:04] everyone focuses and gets
[1:10:06] things done, and so we don't miss too much in the
[1:10:08] meantime. And then Cheryl Ross,
[1:10:10] who is the chair of the
[1:10:12] economic development board, the CD board,
[1:10:14] has volunteered to do
[1:10:15] that. Well, hopefully we'll get more
[1:10:18] information, we'll make
[1:10:20] Cheryl's information public so that
[1:10:22] people from all these different groups
[1:10:24] can organize and meet, and can
[1:10:25] use it as a conduit to help
[1:10:27] do those things. I will also talk about
[1:10:29] Community Heart&Soul. It's a new
[1:10:31] program that came to us through
[1:10:34] a community foundation, Ralph C.
[1:10:36] Wilson, and it's a program that helps
[1:10:38] community residents to
[1:10:40] organize and reach an agreement.
[1:10:42] What do we love about our community?
[1:10:44] What excites us about our
[1:10:45] community? What would we like to see in
[1:10:46] the future planning of our
[1:10:48] community? Well, our
[1:10:50] community leader, and I know there's a big
[1:10:52] name, that I just mentioned, is
[1:10:54] Laura Merchant, who is working
[1:10:55] with them. It's a free program for
[1:10:59] our city, and I think it was about
[1:11:01] $11,000 in grants
[1:11:02] through Ralph C. Wilson. Only
[1:11:06] three cities in the state were chosen
[1:11:08] for this. Yes. It was Marine City, it was
[1:11:11] Yale, and, I'm sorry, but I can't
[1:11:13] remember what the other city was. Yes.
[1:11:16] So it's very specific. We were
[1:11:17] chosen by them for this program. You
[1:11:20] may have seen their tent in
[1:11:22] Maritime Days. They gave a
[1:11:23] presentation. We will have
[1:11:24] more information soon. They gave us some
[1:11:27] leaflets with QR codes that
[1:11:28] people can use to get more
[1:11:30] information. So we'll give more
[1:11:31] information about that. We are in the
[1:11:33] early stages of this program. Another
[1:11:37] thing I wanted to mention is that
[1:11:39] we talked about the Maritime Days Trunk or Treat event,
[1:11:41] which will be held on Sunday,
[1:11:43] October 25th. They requested that the
[1:11:46] registration deadline be
[1:11:48] October 12. You can send them the
[1:11:50] information by email by
[1:11:51] contacting their members. I'm sure they
[1:11:53] can register you. So the
[1:11:54] deadline for that is ticking. Another
[1:11:57] thing I discovered through the
[1:11:58] camera is that the first weekend
[1:12:00] of October is declared a
[1:12:02] near weekend. The House of Representatives
[1:12:05] passed a bipartisan bill,
[1:12:07] HR 367, that recognizes the
[1:12:09] near weekend. Therefore, it encourages
[1:12:12] people to buy
[1:12:14] local products in their communities, to support
[1:12:16] their local stores, and what I also
[1:12:18] found interesting about this
[1:12:20] information is that they actually have
[1:12:22] a mascot and it's a blue mascot
[1:12:24] shaped like Michigan. And they chose three
[1:12:28] cities to visit in the state.
[1:12:32] Port Huron, Marine City and Elk Rapids.
[1:12:36] The mascot will be here starting with this
[1:12:38] program, and Marine City will be here tomorrow,
[1:12:40] Friday, October 2nd, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
[1:12:42] m. Therefore, it would be great if everyone
[1:12:44] could come, visit our
[1:12:46] businesses, and help support this
[1:12:47] initiative for our community.
[1:12:50] OK. I think that's all I
[1:12:52] have right now. I will
[1:12:53] make a motion to adjourn the
[1:12:54] session.
[1:12:54] Support. Is
[1:12:55] everyone in favor?
[1:12:56] I.
[1:12:56] Against?
[1:13:00] The previous program was produced by
[1:13:03] CTV, Community Television. CTV,
[1:13:06] Community Television is
[1:13:08] supported by the cities of Marine City and
[1:13:10] St. Clair, East China Township,
[1:13:12] Cottrellville Township and the
[1:13:14] East China School District.