[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.

City of Marine City- Commission Meeting, Thurs. Oct.1, 2026

Transcript