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Good evening. I call to order the August 11, 2026 ported city council meeting and honor of all denominations and personal beliefs. And as we recognize the importance of fair elections to our democracy, we also acknowledge our local poll workers. Please stand for a moment of personal introspection and remain standing for the pledge of allegiance.

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Please join me in the pledge.

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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands,

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one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

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And if I could please ask the clerk to call the roll.

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Yes, Madam Mayor, I'll start with Burns.

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You're led better.

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Here.

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Miller.

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Here.

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Homestead.

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Here.

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here. Randall here and young here. Thank you. All right. We have no

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proclamations this evening. So we'll move along to the opportunity for

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statement of citizens. If anyone would like to approach the council now is

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the appropriate time.

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Good evening and welcome.

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My first time here. I've been a

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40th resident for 48 years. I'm a retired manager from a new epistolic

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church on 3600 Westmellum. Last year and the springtime the city had sidewalk and road repair

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done from I know these from angling road to 131 bridge. They read did some of the sidewalks

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to drive ways and so forth and our church was one of them. My position in the church is I take

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of the building, the inside and the outside contractors, and what they did, I've been trying to

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get a hold of, I got a hold of Kendra from the city here, because a driveway is not right.

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There is a major, major dip in it, you pull in and it goes like this, and it was not like that before.

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I have been trying since August of last year to get somebody to come out and look at this.

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I've been down to the city of Portiture four times.

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I was here last month on July of the 14th and talked to Kendra, and she said,

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I'll have an engineer call you.

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I've heard that since August of last year,

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we had a funeral there, there's past Saturday

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a well of 750 people and every car that came out of that parking lot, hit that dip because

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I stopped the traffic and every car that hit it,

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that's why I'm here today.

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I'm asking on behalf of the church if somebody could kindly come out and meet me there

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to look at it and have a decision be made on what to do with.

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I'm the only church only driveway on Millum Road that has complained, but we're the only driveway

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that holds 150 cars at a time, 100 cars at a time.

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Once somebody sees what I'm talking about, you would justify it, I'm quite sure the problem.

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They indicated like a 2% grade, that doesn't mean anything to me, I don't know what 2%

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five percent, 10, 50, whatever it is. I don't know what that is. But I know it was not like

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that before they started. It was a perfectly dry incline. Now the plow comes in. He's got a

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his blade comes in. He does this number. I hope he can see the frustration, not just my part, but

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the whole congregation has asked me to do. They want to know when it's going to be fixed or somebody

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come and look at it.

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All right, that's my agenda.

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You did it.

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All right, we appreciate you coming in.

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I'm sorry, you've had a year of frustration

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with the city.

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The city council is a great place to come to get a media

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reaction.

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Or if you could leave your contact information

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with the city.

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Have a great regard to a main name, a number of questions.

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I'll take one.

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You'll give one to our interim.

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Good.

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I feel like I'm in court here.

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All right.

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You're not guilty.

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You are a victim.

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and we'll make it right.

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Yep, thanks for coming in.

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Thank you for your time.

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Still an opportunity for statement as citizens

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if anyone else would like to come forward.

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Good evening. Welcome.

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Hello.

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Hello, Portage City Council.

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I'm Chandra Kinney.

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I am the District Manager at the Kalamazoo Conservation District.

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Every five years, the Kalamazoo Conservation District

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seeks input on natural resources,

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conservation concerns within Kalamazoo County.

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And thus we have just launched our Kalamazoo County Natural Resource Assessment Survey,

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which I am working to get out into the community.

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This helps guide the strategic five year long range plan for the Kalamazoo Conservation District.

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And so we are gathering input from all residents, landowners, farmers, and municipalities across the county.

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And we would love for many residents and municipality members from the portage area to be included in this feedback.

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This helps to ensure that our conservation district is growing properly with our community.

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Thus I have brought some of these guys that has one that QR up code on this side has more information about the programs and services we currently offer.

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And then on this side here, it is a QR code to take our current survey and then I've also brought some paper versions.

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Anyone is also able to access this survey on our website at KalamazooConservation.org and I will go ahead and leave some behind as well for you guys to distribute.

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Thank you. You can leave those with our city clerk. We also have an environmental board that would be very interested in participating.

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I'm sure. So thank you for joining us this evening.

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Thank you so much.

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Still an opportunity for statement as citizens.

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Good evening.

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I've lived in forage for 51 years.

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And I love my city, but there's something that I don't love.

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And that's the amount of time it takes to get code enforcement issues corrected.

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The system you're using now was severely outdated.

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You're relying on the post office to deliver notices to individuals that have violations.

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And we all know that the post office is not adequate at the best right now.

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And may I reported a truck in our neighborhood?

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They had a flat tire.

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The city came out and made contact with the owner.

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The owner said the truck belonged to the sun.

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I don't care that this truck belongs to your son.

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It's in your driveway.

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That truck is still there in all.

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August. It now has two flat tires. The House across the street for me had a sewer repair and as a result a tree had to be taken out and the front lawn was totally destroyed. The lawn was seated, but the house belongs to renters. And without water, grass doesn't grow. Well weeds came in. And I reported the weeds. And in addition to the weeds, we had chairs that suddenly appeared in the parkway. There were three of them. They were there for three months before I ever notified the city.

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The 45 minutes before the city came out to look at the yard he went out and mowed the weeds.

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The chairs left today, they finally were gone, but the weeds are back.

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There's another house on Renberry that was reported for over a month.

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We looked at weeds that were that high in the front yard.

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It was mowed a week ago, but it had been that way for over a month.

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There's a house now that has four cars, two over and the driveway, two over and the side yard.

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I'm not even going to bother reporting it.

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It just takes too long.

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The house with the truck we fought four months last summer

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with a trailer with a boat on it in the road.

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The mailman got out of his car truck to put mail

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in their mailbox because the truck the boat was in the road

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that long.

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I don't know what the problem is.

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I know your procedure because I came to find out

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that you have to send registered letters,

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but we're in a digital society.

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And it seems to me there should be some way that it's more streamlined to get problems

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corrected than having to wait three, four, five months to get things taken care of.

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And I'm asking if the city would please look at the current process.

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Go to another municipality, Ann Arbor, where they have students with violations, I'm sure

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all the time.

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Grand Rapids, how do they handle these things?

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So we're not looking at them for four or five months.

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I just want my neighborhood to look nice.

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Thank you for joining us at the beginning of citizen comment time.

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I feel to say, but you need to state your name and address.

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Robin Bowley, 7116 Balfour Drive.

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Okay, thank you for joining us and we'll look into that process.

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Still an opportunity for statement of citizens, if anyone else.

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Good evening.

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Hello,

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my name is Justin Hasser.

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I live at 4-3-1-7 Fox Fire Trail, I'm just off of 12-3.

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I have lived in Portage since about 2012-2011 somewhere in there.

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I have two concerns today.

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My first concern is relatively small, but it is one that I am a little bit worried about.

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My second is a bit more severe.

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My first concern has to do with an intersection of a certain road that comes from a

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on 12th Street and goes to, I need you to just bring up the name of the street here because

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there is a bit of a blind hill that comes down to this particular road and I'm just wondering

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if it might be worth at least investigating to get a three-way stop there, even if it's a

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time-limited one perhaps because when I had a commute back from like pop-high or other places

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that were west of Portage, that left turn was always very nerve-wracking to say at least,

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I was always a bit worried about being teaboned on that turn, but you know, it's W on Avenue

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and 12th Street, that particular intersection. Again, it's not that they could deal. I just

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thought, bring your attention just as concerned. Maybe I'm maybe just me. The second concern

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is a bit more severe. It is one that I am feel a bit more strongly about. It has to do with

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contemporary police surveillance measures. It has to do with people say flock cameras, the flock

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is a brand of cameras that are commonly advertised as license plate readers, but they have a lot

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more functionality than that. My concern rests with some cases that are in the news about abuse

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of these systems, having to do with one that was used to look into a juvenile gymnastics room

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at a community center,

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and how insecure some of these cameras are, how people who have the skills

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knowledge could actually hack these cameras and get them to work for themselves.

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I do not feel safer about these cameras being used, especially without a warrant.

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As I have also been hearing accounts of people using these cameras to stalk their ex-partners,

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I have also been hearing accounts of microphones that are, I think they're called,

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a shot mic, perhaps, that can be set off with a car-back fire and can suddenly drop

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to them almost like a top priority, which if an organized crime group could probably use that as an exploit.

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And probably most concerning of all are systems that will utilize CCTV inside of businesses

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and my biggest concern is sting raise.

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Special devices used by police to intercept cellular data and examine it freely without a warrant

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and basically get access to someone's phone without any consent, knowledge, or notification.

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I am asking you guys here today, a very simple question.

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What is your position on this surveillance thing?

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Because we seem to have plenty of these cameras already up, and as since that's my time.

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Okay, if you could leave your contact information, we do have some information, the safeguards,

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supported to the Institute and around the flat cameras, and as far as

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ON and 12th Street, ON is on the side of Texas.

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So that's not the Portage Road.

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And I do understand what your blind spot is there.

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And the county is really not eager to put in three way

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stops.

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But thank you for coming this evening.

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Please leave your email up here so we can forward

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do that information.

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It's still an opportunity for statement of citizens.

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Good evening.

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I'm Al Hawkins, a live at 10, 5, 10 Sudan Street on a corner of Osterhout.

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I was here a month ago about the Patrick McKinnis, when you hear, so they look into

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Southwesternage to Osterhout.

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So when you go to turn right, it's okay, but when you go to turn left, you have to really

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pull out. So it's been at least two months. The sign was knocked down. I can

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early July. Maybe June. I can't remember. Pecks and gowns got flash and light,

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so everybody knows how to stop, but that got knocked over. And so then they put a

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stop sign with a saw horse, ground level. Well, what was it two weeks ago, Sunday,

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there was a pretty bad accident. Nobody was killed. So I'm so thankful, but what

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at my point is I don't know where we're at, whether he looked into it or not, so that's why I'm

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back up here again. I think it's a pretty bad intersection, and not only that, but I've lived on

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that street for 24 years on Sudan, and it's all double-line, so you're not supposed to pass.

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So I don't know what you can do as a count so I just want to be heard is can we put up

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no passing signs?

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Can we patrol it more? I know our police are always busy. I welcome you to set my drive. You'd probably meet your quality if there is one, because it's a 40 mile-hour speed zone, but it's definitely not that.

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People have constantly passed. There was a horrible accident back in April for it on my house where a vehicle was turning left and a motorcycle decided it wanted to turn left to pass. Fortunately, he wasn't killed, but it was pretty bad.

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I'm just seeing a more increase because of the new subdivisions going in, I'm not opposed

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to them and it gets great to have people, you know, I'm pretty social-first, but my

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point is I've asked to have these trees looked into, especially that intersection of

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Osterhallen and Westage because if you are going to turn left, you really do have to

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pull out and it's unfortunate that it took an accident to get the sign back up that needed

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be there a while ago. So just by concern, and I'll probably back up to something. Does it change?

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So not faulty new folks. I'm just saying it's just a concern that I've been having for quite a while.

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The speed restrictions don't seem to be adhered to. Anyway, thank you. Mr. Herringa, we'll get back to

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this week. We do a traffic engineer and look into that as well. Okay. And just see through our

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look safety what the traffic accidents have been since all that has

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transpired. Okay and I've given Erica my info. So thank you.

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Good evening.

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Hello John Paver. I'm in Kalamazoo now. So sorry. Fantastic job with the

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farmers market. It's wonderful. I'm really thrilled now that we have an

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farmer's market. So great job on that. I'm just here to really talk about just a few housekeeping

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things. One in particular is the creek. I don't know, it's the one that's behind

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ridders and kind of extends but behind there and there's, I think there's a green house back

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there. Since we had the hurricanes that came through, there has been more trees than I can count to

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fall it into the stream and have slowed its movement down that need to be removed from there

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and on really hot days I only know because my family and I every Sunday I take the kids up to

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go get ice cream to ridders and then we walk around the library and things like that and on

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some really hot days it smells like the living dead just because there's no movement in the stream

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00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:50,900
and that's just because there's just been a lot of debris that's falling down there that has been

222
00:17:50,900 --> 00:17:59,140
thing is that we see now more and more people using these e-bikes and e-scooters and

223
00:18:00,500 --> 00:18:04,820
I don't really agree with anything that Dearborn does but one of the things that they did is

224
00:18:04,820 --> 00:18:10,720
they banned e-bikes and e-scooters from public property because people were writing around them

225
00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:16,960
and like gangs of them and then they were just causing a big disturbance and I didn't really take

226
00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:24,160
to that until I was walking with my family and there's a lot of blind corners around those trails

227
00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:30,000
right there and a guy comes flying on this thing and I have to pull my little girl from that

228
00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:34,620
side because she's just like a six-year-old walking around looking up at the sky and I scream and

229
00:18:34,620 --> 00:18:40,280
the next thing I know, somebody comes flying through and he doesn't and I'm like whoa and I grab

230
00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:44,920
my little girl and he doesn't even take notice that anything was there and he continues on

231
00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:53,060
And so obviously there's already a sign or something that says no motorized things, but I don't know if there's something else that we can do or

232
00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,300
if that's a part of the ordinance of like no motorized things.

233
00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:58,180
Some of these things go up to 25 miles an hour.

234
00:18:58,720 --> 00:18:59,100
It's very scary.

235
00:18:59,220 --> 00:19:00,140
That 25 is fast.

236
00:19:00,340 --> 00:19:01,800
I wrote a scooter going 17.

237
00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:02,780
That's scary.

238
00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:09,920
And so the other thing was like the other young man that had brought up was.

239
00:19:11,100 --> 00:19:12,500
There's a lot of stuff with flock.

240
00:19:12,500 --> 00:19:17,000
And I support the, oh, I loved it.

241
00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:17,820
There's a timer here.

242
00:19:18,940 --> 00:19:21,980
And so I fully support, you know,

243
00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,400
our public safety and their ability to do things.

244
00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:29,400
My request is that any new features,

245
00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:32,020
because there are a lot of new features

246
00:19:32,020 --> 00:19:34,320
like being able to track people's devices

247
00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,420
through the use of those cameras that are coming through.

248
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:40,400
They're on like contract lists for the New York State now

249
00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:45,340
Maryland and so that's just some of my concerns that any of your features I get thrown on these things

250
00:19:45,340 --> 00:19:49,500
at least they be brought to you guys so that you can review them so that we know exactly what is going

251
00:19:49,500 --> 00:19:55,800
into these cameras and what is not in these cameras. So not against them I fully support them obviously

252
00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:02,500
because your favorite. Your time is up. Erica. So quick. Thanks, guys. Thanks for coming.

253
00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:06,380
Good evening,

254
00:20:06,740 --> 00:20:08,160
welcome. Thank you.

255
00:20:11,050 --> 00:20:14,870
My name is Eric Borses. I currently live in Madwan. Do you want that address?

256
00:20:16,220 --> 00:20:17,540
Got it.

257
00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:18,160
Got it.

258
00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:18,700
Thank you.

259
00:20:18,700 --> 00:20:19,700
Yeah, you bet.

260
00:20:20,260 --> 00:20:26,180
On it, today's agenda number seven, the demolition of 93-03, I'd like to possibly

261
00:20:26,180 --> 00:20:27,400
purchase that building.

262
00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,220
I've been in talks with the person who built it.

263
00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:33,020
And it is possible I've been talking to a mover.

264
00:20:33,260 --> 00:20:39,080
I just need time to figure out and how to move the lines and things to get it.

265
00:20:39,860 --> 00:20:43,280
But if possible, it would be interesting purchasing that building.

266
00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:51,320
already own a lot that we need to be approved to move it to in the city. So that's what I'm asking for today.

267
00:20:51,860 --> 00:20:53,460
All right. Thank you very much for coming in.

268
00:20:53,500 --> 00:20:54,520
Thank you.

269
00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:58,960
Still an opportunity for statement of citizens.

270
00:20:59,940 --> 00:21:05,040
Seeing no one come forward. I will ask if there are any callers on the line. There are no callers.

271
00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:13,780
All right. So we will move on with our meeting to the consent agenda. The consent agenda is available for review by visiting the city

272
00:21:13,780 --> 00:21:20,560
website where it can be found under the City Council agenda and minute section. At this time,

273
00:21:20,700 --> 00:21:26,360
does anyone on the council wish to have a consent agenda remove for individual consideration?

274
00:21:28,890 --> 00:21:29,850
Adam, please.

275
00:21:31,950 --> 00:21:37,030
Let's if we may remove havens so we could talk about that, even though I know a lot of

276
00:21:37,030 --> 00:21:42,170
in-depth study has been done on the property, but I think we should have a different

277
00:21:43,490 --> 00:21:45,850
Okay. Any other items.

278
00:21:48,180 --> 00:21:54,500
All right. I will entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented, excluding item number seven, so mode.

279
00:21:56,120 --> 00:21:57,600
And roll call please.

280
00:21:58,380 --> 00:21:59,340
Start with that better.

281
00:22:00,100 --> 00:22:01,280
Miller. Yes.

282
00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:02,280
Home set. Yes.

283
00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:03,440
Pearson. Yes.

284
00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:05,820
Randall. Yes. Young. Yes.

285
00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:06,980
And Burns. Yes.

286
00:22:07,220 --> 00:22:07,480
Okay.

287
00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:17,920
All right, the way that works is that we will be discussing the item under regular business items, which will be after our public hearing, so please stay here with us.

288
00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:19,760
We do have a public hearing this evening.

289
00:22:20,820 --> 00:22:29,820
It is to consider approving the rezoning amendment 26-27-1 to amend the code of ordinance of the city of Portage.

290
00:22:30,300 --> 00:22:40,100
Michigan article 4, zoning of chapter 42 and chapter 44 by adopting a zoning map, amendment to effectuate a citywide

291
00:22:40,100 --> 00:22:52,300
rezoning as more specifically described in ordinance 0-4-2026. I'd like to turn this over to our interim city manager, Mr. Adam Herringa.

292
00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:59,680
Thank you Madam Mayor, as Council will recall, a few meetings ago they adopted or we adopted

293
00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:06,860
the residential text amendment to alter the zoning for residential areas in the city of

294
00:23:06,860 --> 00:23:14,400
Portage. This is a follow-on to that. The Planning Commission did vote 602 to recommend

295
00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:20,320
approval to this. This is viewed just as a more of a formality as the map would follow the

296
00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:26,480
adoption of the of the text amendment. If City Council has any questions, I'm happy to answer

297
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:32,880
and the Chief Development Officer Dam is in the audience as well. But with that, I'd

298
00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,740
be fine to answer any questions or you can go ahead and open up the public hearing

299
00:23:35,740 --> 00:23:36,420
that a mayor.

300
00:23:36,700 --> 00:23:40,980
All right. I will currently open the public hearing. If anyone is here this evening and has

301
00:23:40,980 --> 00:23:44,840
questions about this item on our agenda, now is the appropriate time to come forward.

302
00:23:48,010 --> 00:23:51,490
All right. Seeing no one come forward. I will entertain a motion to close the public

303
00:23:51,490 --> 00:23:58,210
hearing. I moved to close the public hearing. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed

304
00:23:58,210 --> 00:24:02,770
same sign. We have been working on this for quite some time. Does anyone on council

305
00:24:02,770 --> 00:24:09,290
need any clarification before we take a vote? All right. What is the pleasure of the council?

306
00:24:09,630 --> 00:24:16,470
Thank you. Please. I move to adopt rezoning amendment 26271 to amend the code of ordinances of

307
00:24:16,470 --> 00:24:23,450
to be a part of Michigan article four zoning of chapter 42 in chapter 44 by adopting a zoning map

308
00:24:23,450 --> 00:24:28,350
amendment to effectuate a citywide rezoning as more specifically described in ordinance

309
00:24:28,350 --> 00:24:34,730
of four 2026. Support and roll call please start with Miller.

310
00:24:37,260 --> 00:24:39,240
Yes. Umstead. Yes.

311
00:24:39,580 --> 00:24:39,840
Pearson.

312
00:24:42,300 --> 00:24:49,380
Yes. Randall. Yes. Young. Yes. Burns. Yes. I'm led better. Yes. Thank you. All right.

313
00:24:49,380 --> 00:24:53,500
Now we move on to our regular business agenda items that were removed from the consent.

314
00:24:54,040 --> 00:25:00,500
I had Councilwoman Olmsted removed number seven, which was to authorize the demolition

315
00:25:00,500 --> 00:25:06,620
of 9303 Portage Road for the reconstruction of our Portage Road corridor and if timing

316
00:25:06,620 --> 00:25:11,500
is everything, this is the correct timing to be discussing this with the citizen.

317
00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,540
So I'll turn it over to Councilmember Olmsted at this time.

318
00:25:15,540 --> 00:25:17,380
Thank you, Madam Mayor.

319
00:25:18,100 --> 00:25:24,120
A lot of work has been done to this 93.03 property.

320
00:25:24,340 --> 00:25:26,480
It's just being rented right now for later.

321
00:25:27,860 --> 00:25:33,340
$2,000 a month, and the city says that we could make, you know,

322
00:25:33,340 --> 00:25:34,920
it's $10,000 a year.

323
00:25:35,580 --> 00:25:40,420
Have we ever thought as a city to sell it if there was a buyer,

324
00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:42,800
or was this something done back in 24?

325
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:49,920
I mean, is this an even an option just for this gentleman right here, the consider?

326
00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:54,120
So we've had a lot of discussion on it in previous years, but I'm always willing to look

327
00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:55,620
at something from a different perspective.

328
00:25:56,160 --> 00:26:02,660
So I want to turn it over to Mr. Herringa, who gave us a lot of detail in our packet about

329
00:26:02,660 --> 00:26:03,180
the property.

330
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,680
Thank you, Madam Mayor, and thank you council member, I'm stead.

331
00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:16,680
This is not the first time this property, it's been brought before the city council and every time it's come forward, it is resulted in significant discussion.

332
00:26:17,300 --> 00:26:23,000
Whether it was to purchase the property, there was a proposal to sell the property a few years ago.

333
00:26:24,300 --> 00:26:33,140
There was also a countervailing opinion that we should demolish the house then, and the council settled down trying to rent it until this day arrived.

334
00:26:33,140 --> 00:26:40,420
And the day that it arrived is, we are about to embark on reconstructing Portage Road in this area.

335
00:26:41,120 --> 00:26:48,400
And when the engineering was done, it was determined that if we want to maintain traffic in both directions while we do the culvert,

336
00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:55,140
if we want to have bike paths on both sides, this house cannot stay where it currently is.

337
00:26:56,100 --> 00:26:57,320
It needs to go.

338
00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:18,460
And the recommendation and this was why the House was purchased was because it was seen by the council and the administrator at that time that eventually this property where it's located is at a key a key point right on the right on the channel or drain whatever you want to call it and it's on both sides.

339
00:27:18,460 --> 00:27:30,180
So it allows us to redo the call bit and allows us to be able to put in the amenities in the infrastructure that have been proposed as part of the Portas Road 360 project.

340
00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:45,160
The reason for the recommendation to demolish is time is of the essence at this point where we are going to be designing this fall and putting in to engineering for bid this section of Portas Road.

341
00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:51,480
When it was reviewed by our staff, as far as the, the quality of the construction of the home,

342
00:27:51,940 --> 00:27:56,540
it was viewed as a home that usually when you see a building moved to relocated.

343
00:27:56,700 --> 00:27:58,600
It's historic structure. It's made out of bricks.

344
00:27:58,980 --> 00:28:01,280
It's easy to load up and transfer.

345
00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:07,180
This home is a split level with a walkout basement garage on slab.

346
00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:13,360
An individual would have to somehow brace the bottom, brace the walkout, secure the walls,

347
00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:20,020
get it lifted, move it down, portage road, get the permits from the individuals involved,

348
00:28:20,260 --> 00:28:23,960
that's located in an area right next to a creek, so there may be some wetlands,

349
00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:28,360
some other issues involved, and then get it relocated to a site where then you'd have

350
00:28:28,360 --> 00:28:32,180
to have the infrastructure to reconnect the house on the site.

351
00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:39,380
So it was viewed as a very unlikely or an overwhelming task to undertake in the time frame

352
00:28:39,380 --> 00:28:46,840
that was that were currently at, which is we are now in the process of designing and going out to bid

353
00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:52,780
for this particular section of roadway. Chief Officer Dame is here and he may have something else to

354
00:28:52,780 --> 00:28:58,880
add along with Director Guinn from our Transportation Newtills Department, Director Hoyle from Parks

355
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:06,700
and Recreation and we have an engineer from Adam Marsh. I'm sorry, Whiteman. I'm so sorry. I apologize,

356
00:29:09,340 --> 00:29:12,480
I'm working with the other company on another road project,

357
00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:15,040
since they both seem to work on road projects and my apologies,

358
00:29:15,260 --> 00:29:16,800
but we do have an engineer from Whiteman,

359
00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:22,100
who can also speak to more of the, not necessarily the sale of the property,

360
00:29:22,380 --> 00:29:24,180
but more along the need for the space.

361
00:29:24,380 --> 00:29:26,640
So with that, Director Dame, if you have anything to add.

362
00:29:28,140 --> 00:29:31,320
I did think you did an excellent job of summarizing the need.

363
00:29:31,820 --> 00:29:35,680
I honestly don't think that even if it were determined to be feasible

364
00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:44,780
to move the house that there's enough time to do it. What I wanted to do was share I had a very similar

365
00:29:44,780 --> 00:29:55,020
experience in my last meeting. We offered the house for free. Someone offered to take it. It was

366
00:29:55,020 --> 00:29:59,980
three years later the house got moved and I actually have

367
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:07,700
Talk to Eric on the phone, not about this, but he does have real estate background. So, I'm intrigued by the

368
00:30:07,700 --> 00:30:15,680
possibility. But just the logistics of trying to get a house moved, you basically have to have

369
00:30:16,220 --> 00:30:29,980
the next site all day now, it generally would have to be very close by, because otherwise you're going to

370
00:30:29,980 --> 00:30:34,660
and you pay the electric company to every time you lift it.

371
00:30:35,740 --> 00:30:37,540
It's a huge undertaking.

372
00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:39,940
It sounds really good,

373
00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:42,700
but when it comes down to actually doing it,

374
00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:46,920
it's if and I tend to think that

375
00:30:49,510 --> 00:30:50,370
it's not feasible

376
00:30:50,370 --> 00:30:52,730
to move this building, it's a newer construction.

377
00:30:53,190 --> 00:30:54,670
I've been in that house.

378
00:30:55,190 --> 00:30:58,350
The walls are, you can hear all the trucks

379
00:30:58,350 --> 00:31:06,130
from the inside the how it's light construction you're going to end up if even if you try to

380
00:31:06,130 --> 00:31:11,650
move it you have to have to redo all the drywall I mean it's I think it would be a nightmare

381
00:31:11,650 --> 00:31:22,050
and then we'd be stuck next spring delaying the project at the covert and so I wouldn't recommend

382
00:31:22,050 --> 00:31:28,330
it based on my past experience nor the advice that we've gotten about the feasibility of doing it

383
00:31:28,330 --> 00:31:32,210
So, that's my two cents they add.

384
00:31:32,930 --> 00:31:33,670
Madam Mayor.

385
00:31:35,130 --> 00:31:36,050
Question for you.

386
00:31:36,370 --> 00:31:41,410
The home is still currently rented and we need to give at least a 60 day notice is that

387
00:31:41,410 --> 00:31:42,650
the case is still occupied.

388
00:31:43,250 --> 00:31:43,270
Yeah.

389
00:31:43,850 --> 00:31:48,970
And it ended 60 months from the end of the current period.

390
00:31:49,170 --> 00:31:49,370
Okay.

391
00:31:50,410 --> 00:31:51,150
60 days and that month.

392
00:31:51,830 --> 00:31:57,750
So we can't even start getting anything happening on this house.

393
00:31:57,750 --> 00:32:00,070
for more than 60 days.

394
00:32:00,190 --> 00:32:01,610
So if we vote affirmatively tonight,

395
00:32:02,270 --> 00:32:03,810
when would you expect the demolition

396
00:32:03,810 --> 00:32:04,890
to occur actually?

397
00:32:07,850 --> 00:32:08,890
looking at Kendra,

398
00:32:09,030 --> 00:32:10,370
who's going to have to admit it out.

399
00:32:12,030 --> 00:32:12,470
Okay.

400
00:32:13,090 --> 00:32:13,710
So I guess,

401
00:32:14,310 --> 00:32:17,730
my preference would be to provide you

402
00:32:17,730 --> 00:32:20,250
that authorization to do the demolition

403
00:32:20,250 --> 00:32:21,690
and for you to continue

404
00:32:21,690 --> 00:32:23,010
that conversation to,

405
00:32:23,010 --> 00:32:24,490
as I don't know whether this home

406
00:32:24,490 --> 00:32:25,750
specifically has been,

407
00:32:25,910 --> 00:32:26,810
you've heard the proposal

408
00:32:26,810 --> 00:32:30,010
for the gentleman who might be interested in purchasing it.

409
00:32:30,110 --> 00:32:32,050
So I give you the authorization to demolish,

410
00:32:32,570 --> 00:32:34,810
but encourage you to have one more conversation with him

411
00:32:34,810 --> 00:32:37,190
to sound, see if it's easier than we imagine.

412
00:32:37,450 --> 00:32:38,930
It might be in reality.

413
00:32:39,950 --> 00:32:41,270
Have you happened to talk to him lately?

414
00:32:41,550 --> 00:32:42,090
Yeah, have a question.

415
00:32:43,050 --> 00:32:45,630
So we do sell to him the house and they decide he does want to do it.

416
00:32:45,630 --> 00:32:49,250
I would give it to him, frankly, because it's going to cost so much for him.

417
00:32:49,250 --> 00:32:52,250
Well, my question is, if he becomes the owner,

418
00:32:52,670 --> 00:32:56,250
and then decides not to do anything with it, where are we going to?

419
00:32:56,250 --> 00:33:00,030
like, yeah, so is that part two?

420
00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:03,000
If I may,

421
00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:07,480
it sounds like there's a lot of pieces

422
00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:09,080
that would go into moving this.

423
00:33:09,980 --> 00:33:12,080
And we need to keep things on track for the Portage Road

424
00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:12,620
Project.

425
00:33:13,580 --> 00:33:17,620
If, by some means, the gentleman might be able to move it

426
00:33:17,620 --> 00:33:22,780
by the date of the demolition, would that be a possibility?

427
00:33:23,100 --> 00:33:25,500
Not, because you have to get a site plan

428
00:33:25,500 --> 00:33:28,060
approved for the future location.

429
00:33:28,180 --> 00:33:29,700
You have to build the foundation.

430
00:33:29,700 --> 00:33:38,400
and you have to have everything ready to move the house on to, and that won't happen during

431
00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:44,600
the winter. So if you don't have everything all set to move the house on to a completed

432
00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:50,240
foundation, you're done. So we would be missing some vital deadlines to keep the ported road

433
00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:55,340
project. I just don't think it's possible, but I'd be happy to talk to them. I have a question, Mr.

434
00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:02,700
We all know that the construction is not going to start on this project until spring at best.

435
00:34:03,300 --> 00:34:09,000
Why would we evict a family instead of allowing them to stay there during the winter?

436
00:34:10,340 --> 00:34:14,160
I just don't understand the sense of urgency to demo this.

437
00:34:14,300 --> 00:34:15,780
You can still do the site plans.

438
00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:20,340
You can still do all that work with that structure on the property.

439
00:34:20,340 --> 00:34:30,460
because we want to have it demolished using the heavy trucks with the, in the spring there's a heavy truck prohibition.

440
00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:35,620
As soon as that is lifted is when the road construction would begin.

441
00:34:36,100 --> 00:34:45,460
So the heavy trucks that you would need to move the house in the spring, or demolish the house in the spring either,

442
00:34:46,820 --> 00:34:48,980
It would delay the start of the construction.

443
00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:56,360
This project is intended to start as soon as those truck restrictions are lifted in the spring.

444
00:34:56,740 --> 00:34:59,280
So we want to have all the work done this year.

445
00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:03,840
So just because the development is here, I would like to ask him some questions.

446
00:35:03,860 --> 00:35:12,100
If you could just come forward, I don't know how we approve a demolition and approve the opportunity to keep the door open.

447
00:35:12,100 --> 00:35:21,500
And we're either doing one or the other tonight, and so we could, if it's, if staff talks

448
00:35:21,500 --> 00:35:22,480
there.

449
00:35:24,380 --> 00:35:24,620
Good.

450
00:35:24,620 --> 00:35:25,480
Eric from Maddoğan.

451
00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:37,260
He's got another project on Portas Road that is interesting too, so I think it'll be possible

452
00:35:37,260 --> 00:35:44,980
if you're that we could explore it and give a staff a latitude to switch to Eric's plan if it

453
00:35:44,980 --> 00:35:51,960
proves to work and if it doesn't we would proceed with demolishing. I think you could structure

454
00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:58,260
your amendment that way. Okay so I guess my question to you is have you been in the structure? What

455
00:35:58,260 --> 00:36:05,320
your allegiance to the structure and have you had any experience moving homes before? I have no experience

456
00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:14,520
moving structures. I do know it's possible. I am at the phase where I have texted pictures to

457
00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:20,780
someone I found in line in Michigan who has awards for moving structures on rubber tires.

458
00:36:22,140 --> 00:36:30,560
So I'm new to this through what they saw over text message. They are optimistic. They said 60 days

459
00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:36,620
to move it and that's with moving all that. I assume their power wires I drove down from

460
00:36:36,620 --> 00:36:43,760
the structure I had or that land I have to this and I don't know if we need to move traffic lights

461
00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:52,070
anything like that but I'm very I'm at the very beginning stage of this but the person does this

462
00:36:52,070 --> 00:37:00,430
things, things we can do it, it's they're not scared of it, is the point that I think I get from them.

463
00:37:00,470 --> 00:37:01,830
How far away is your personal?

464
00:37:02,410 --> 00:37:04,630
One point, one miles,

465
00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:08,360
but I do need to...

466
00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:11,780
It's out the north. It's by the celery flats, so north.

467
00:37:12,980 --> 00:37:18,160
So I need to get that approved, of course, but there's also other lands available.

468
00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:29,980
and I just see it as an opportunity and demolishing it will be this will be a lot cheaper for the city than demolishing it so if I move it most

469
00:37:30,660 --> 00:37:32,520
That's a better deal for you guys.

470
00:37:33,860 --> 00:37:40,860
Madam Mayor, please. I have two questions. Did you make this determination when she saw this was on the Council's agenda?

471
00:37:42,540 --> 00:37:48,900
Okay. So, Madam Mayor, honestly, I am not comfortable making a decision like this.

472
00:37:49,540 --> 00:37:58,820
Because, honestly, I think it kind of sets a bad precedent for us that if at any point in time, the city is making a determination on a property, we could have a citizen who comes forward and says,

473
00:37:58,820 --> 00:38:06,720
I want to purchase this or I want to X, Y, Z, and this is not personally in the test to you, you happen to be here this evening.

474
00:38:07,860 --> 00:38:26,260
I am more comfortable conferring with Catherine, I don't know if this is understandable, if we can do this, if we simply hold the vote and ask for more time to give administration time to do more research.

475
00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:40,300
But I am not comfortable taking a vote that would in essence just kind of say, yes, demolish it, or if you find that he's not able to hold up his end of the bargain, then go ahead and demolish it anyway.

476
00:38:41,380 --> 00:38:49,920
It feels as though we need to have all of the information here, because if the vote was brought to us, then we still need to be a party to that.

477
00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:54,400
And what would your process be for the family living in the home?

478
00:38:55,600 --> 00:38:59,490
I think they are happy to stay until we move it.

479
00:39:02,020 --> 00:39:05,660
Yeah, I've got doesn't matter to me at all.

480
00:39:06,060 --> 00:39:10,700
So when it's available, I mean, I can wait six months to whatever makes sense for.

481
00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:15,080
I can take it and I'd say the short term would be 90 days,

482
00:39:15,500 --> 00:39:18,180
but I can come get it next year too.

483
00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,960
So whatever's best, I'm interested in the house.

484
00:39:21,980 --> 00:39:23,580
I don't have a timeline for it.

485
00:39:23,580 --> 00:39:27,820
I've got dirt available to put it, and that's not going anywhere.

486
00:39:28,660 --> 00:39:28,660
So,

487
00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:33,280
Madam Mayor, please.

488
00:39:33,500 --> 00:39:34,620
I've got a question.

489
00:39:35,140 --> 00:39:41,700
So, Mr. Dame has said that the timeline doesn't work because it would take you a long time

490
00:39:41,700 --> 00:39:46,720
to get a permit to hook up the house on whatever property you're at.

491
00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:53,280
Do you need to do that or could you move the house on the property you own and then go from there

492
00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:55,180
to get your permits or whatever you need?

493
00:39:55,180 --> 00:39:59,860
I can give you that answer in about next week, I don't know.

494
00:40:00,900 --> 00:40:04,100
I do have, I would have to talk to somebody at the city

495
00:40:04,100 --> 00:40:07,320
and get that detail figured out.

496
00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:12,060
So do you think that if the city just gave you the house,

497
00:40:12,700 --> 00:40:17,340
you could still make a profit on moving it to wherever it is,

498
00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:23,700
and you understand that Porta's road is going under construction.

499
00:40:23,700 --> 00:40:31,740
And I will say this, you know, the city probably just doesn't want to deal with it moving the house.

500
00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:34,140
Because it takes a time.

501
00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:41,920
But hey, you talked to the city about this or is this the first time you're coming here about it?

502
00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:43,500
This is my first time coming here.

503
00:40:43,540 --> 00:40:46,020
Okay, so you really need to talk to the city.

504
00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:52,520
You know, if we've gotten a memo about all the complications and I don't know if you know about that.

505
00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:56,480
But you know, I commend you for coming here,

506
00:40:56,860 --> 00:41:00,920
but you need to talk to the city to understand the rationale,

507
00:41:01,060 --> 00:41:04,240
besides what they just presented in a couple of minutes.

508
00:41:04,940 --> 00:41:05,900
Sure, I agree.

509
00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:07,440
Okay, thanks.

510
00:41:08,020 --> 00:41:12,360
Mr. Herringa, would it delay the process if we were to defer the vote for one month?

511
00:41:13,980 --> 00:41:15,160
I'm not necessarily.

512
00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:19,100
Madam Mayor, but we need to make a decision.

513
00:41:19,100 --> 00:41:22,840
and while I appreciate him coming forward here,

514
00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:27,680
once the property's been in the state's possession for quite some time.

515
00:41:28,500 --> 00:41:32,780
And here we are at the last minute and now we have a proposal which

516
00:41:32,780 --> 00:41:35,280
we're happy to look into.

517
00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:41,880
But there are a lot of bigger factors in here and that is

518
00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:47,280
the Portage Road project and the time effort and energy that has gone into that

519
00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:55,620
and to ensure the success of that project versus one singular property.

520
00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:58,160
What if we were to lay it two weeks?

521
00:42:00,060 --> 00:42:04,500
I guess the reason I feel about this is we are in a housing crisis.

522
00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:07,740
And this council of which many of us were on it.

523
00:42:07,740 --> 00:42:16,100
When we bought the place, I believe we paid about 400,000 for it.

524
00:42:16,100 --> 00:42:20,940
you're not doing anything with it, can't at least rent it. And so we rented it, and even though we

525
00:42:20,940 --> 00:42:25,720
were getting $2,500 a month, it seemed like the care and the maintenance and the management,

526
00:42:26,180 --> 00:42:31,260
it just wasn't yielding more than about $10,000 a year to the residents, so the taxpayers'

527
00:42:31,260 --> 00:42:38,580
of support age. So, I mean, I guess, I'm the eternal optimist and what I would expect

528
00:42:38,580 --> 00:42:46,640
would be some real definitive financing of availability that you can afford to do this

529
00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:51,960
and that you have an understanding of our time commitment and a commitment letter from people

530
00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:58,980
that can make this happen. I mean, if we can work with two weeks, I would be supportive of that.

531
00:42:58,980 --> 00:43:02,940
And we don't do this often Councilmember Young.

532
00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:06,040
This is a very rare situation when we bought this property.

533
00:43:06,460 --> 00:43:08,700
And it was not a unanimous vote.

534
00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:10,840
It was very, I mean, oh, you were here.

535
00:43:11,100 --> 00:43:14,000
I mean, we had talked a lot of being in ice cream stand.

536
00:43:14,260 --> 00:43:16,980
And it was too close to the road to draw kids.

537
00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:19,100
And it's right in the middle of our park.

538
00:43:20,740 --> 00:43:22,720
So anyway, Councilmember Burns.

539
00:43:22,780 --> 00:43:23,000
Thank you.

540
00:43:23,240 --> 00:43:25,280
Quick question for the city attorney.

541
00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:40,740
So assuming tonight we vote affirmatively to authorize the demolition, would that prohibit a subsequent action before the building is actually demolished, if better solution were to become available?

542
00:43:41,220 --> 00:43:44,760
Obviously, then Kendra or somebody's going to go out to bid, right?

543
00:43:44,840 --> 00:43:50,300
They're going to go out to bid and once a bid is led, then that would be the point where we could not turn back, right?

544
00:43:51,300 --> 00:43:56,820
So I don't know how long that would take, but, you know, obviously a couple weeks and something like that.

545
00:43:56,940 --> 00:43:59,000
So there is still, you know, time.

546
00:43:59,500 --> 00:44:05,220
But once a bid is led and a contract is executed, then there's no turning back to my opinion.

547
00:44:05,220 --> 00:44:11,860
So fundamentally, we may have two three weeks to assess the feasibility of moving the building or not.

548
00:44:12,180 --> 00:44:15,920
We'll probably know within that time frame just how much effort and trouble it might be.

549
00:44:16,040 --> 00:44:21,280
So my inclination is to vote tonight rather than delay things further so that we keep on track.

550
00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:26,180
And then let them investigate over the next couple of weeks if they come back and there's a miracle solution.

551
00:44:26,220 --> 00:44:29,600
Then we'll hear about that at our next meeting, or the meeting after that.

552
00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:33,820
but we'll have the surety of having made the decision that keeps the

553
00:44:33,820 --> 00:44:35,640
particular project going.

554
00:44:36,220 --> 00:44:36,780
Please.

555
00:44:37,640 --> 00:44:41,740
And if City Council does undertake that motion, you have a guarantee that we would

556
00:44:41,740 --> 00:44:45,860
knock a lot to bid until there's another presentation to City Council

557
00:44:45,860 --> 00:44:48,320
based on any information that we gather.

558
00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:53,000
While I wouldn't necessarily ask you for a vote to reauthorize,

559
00:44:53,060 --> 00:44:57,240
certainly would come back before you before we

560
00:44:57,240 --> 00:44:59,980
and go down the path of North North.

561
00:45:00,780 --> 00:45:02,280
Madam Mayor. Please.

562
00:45:03,720 --> 00:45:13,580
I have concerns on I applaud him in his vision. But he sent pictures about text. It's a somebody to move

563
00:45:13,580 --> 00:45:20,220
a house. Has the person been down to look at them? No, this is in infant stages, but

564
00:45:20,220 --> 00:45:25,580
and where are they located? There's somewhere in Michigan. It was the first number I

565
00:45:26,140 --> 00:45:32,820
as I said, I'm pretty new at this, but with an idea and it's not voted on yet, so I thought

566
00:45:32,820 --> 00:45:38,560
today was the data show up. I'm not appreciated, but it's just like a knee jerk reaction like,

567
00:45:38,820 --> 00:45:43,580
you know what I want to do this, and we on the timeline, you sent this somewhere and Michigan to

568
00:45:43,580 --> 00:45:48,920
somebody who you just found. You see how it looks to me. They know of the location, they know we're

569
00:45:48,920 --> 00:45:54,900
not, you know, in the city of Kalamazoo, which they were originally scared of. And I think if you

570
00:45:54,900 --> 00:46:03,100
did give me a timeline to check all my boxes if I can get three out of the five that's probably

571
00:46:03,100 --> 00:46:09,940
not going to happen and I'll bow out of it immediately, but I think I've got enough information

572
00:46:09,940 --> 00:46:17,000
that it was worth saving the demolition cost for you and something for me at the same time.

573
00:46:17,360 --> 00:46:22,680
And I appreciate it, but I think that we still should move forward and like Councilman Burns says

574
00:46:22,680 --> 00:46:27,600
become back with some concrete evidence like hey I can do this, then we should take you know

575
00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:32,440
look at it at that point, but right now I would vote to continue on the path that we have here

576
00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:38,620
just based on you have nothing in concrete. I understand. All right, thank you. Nothing to get you again.

577
00:46:39,020 --> 00:46:45,620
Thank you, but I understand. Madam Mayor, please. I do always appreciate an entrepreneur and somebody

578
00:46:45,620 --> 00:46:50,580
you know trying something new for the first time with some of the discussion that we've had up here

579
00:46:50,580 --> 00:46:56,040
about, you know, authorizing it today, but giving kind of that two weeks, I feel like I'm

580
00:46:56,040 --> 00:47:02,200
good with that. I do want to let, you know, about the urgency of it because as many of us have

581
00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:09,040
suffered through the Portage Road corridor to have the entire area be held up for something

582
00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:17,460
might not be beneficial to all the citizens. So, I'm good with what acting city manager,

583
00:47:17,460 --> 00:47:22,620
hearing a has said about the two weeks not putting out for bid to see if it is feasible,

584
00:47:23,140 --> 00:47:27,020
at least give you a little bit of time to talk more concrete, get some concrete numbers on

585
00:47:27,020 --> 00:47:34,690
what it would cost to move it, and then make that decision or get another report in two weeks.

586
00:47:37,800 --> 00:47:39,000
All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

587
00:47:39,040 --> 00:47:43,280
Joining us. Memory. Please. I'd like to make a motion to authorize the demolition of

588
00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:46,260
9303 Portage Road for the reconstruction of Portage Road.

589
00:47:47,760 --> 00:47:51,570
support and roll call please.

590
00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:55,240
Let's start with homestead. Yes.

591
00:47:55,700 --> 00:47:56,860
Here's some.

592
00:47:57,300 --> 00:48:00,800
No. Brando. Yes. Young. Yes.

593
00:48:01,300 --> 00:48:02,080
Burns. Yes.

594
00:48:02,460 --> 00:48:03,160
Lot better.

595
00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:06,680
So we voted to move forward with the amendment that we have.

596
00:48:07,160 --> 00:48:07,700
Okay.

597
00:48:08,820 --> 00:48:10,100
Was that a yes?

598
00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:12,720
Yes to move forward with what we have.

599
00:48:13,100 --> 00:48:13,220
Yes.

600
00:48:13,220 --> 00:48:14,240
And Miller. Yes.

601
00:48:14,500 --> 00:48:15,460
Thank you.

602
00:48:16,160 --> 00:48:16,600
All right.

603
00:48:16,940 --> 00:48:18,700
Motion passes six to one.

604
00:48:18,700 --> 00:48:27,020
I really hope if you can come back with some real concrete, maybe we'll all learn something.

605
00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:31,080
All right, time for council committee reports.

606
00:48:31,240 --> 00:48:35,900
I'd like to ask if there are any council members who attended a subcommittee that would

607
00:48:35,900 --> 00:48:38,760
like to share with the rest of council.

608
00:48:38,960 --> 00:48:44,920
Madam, may I have a subcommittee of a subcommittee meeting with the Discovery Council

609
00:48:44,920 --> 00:48:52,400
as a master plan, we are continuing to move forward on narrowing down the 19 focus areas

610
00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:57,380
and creating the criteria that we are going to use to help us narrow down those focus areas

611
00:48:57,380 --> 00:49:01,780
to develop the 10-year master plan going forward for our discovery council.

612
00:49:04,230 --> 00:49:06,430
All right. Thank you. Any other subcommittees?

613
00:49:06,730 --> 00:49:12,030
Madam Mayor, please. We had our small business committee meeting last week and today we have

614
00:49:12,030 --> 00:49:19,910
awarded $191,000 in facade grant improvement funds to small businesses within the city which is

615
00:49:19,910 --> 00:49:24,690
excellent over the and so we want to look to increase that number so I want to encourage

616
00:49:24,690 --> 00:49:29,270
all businesses to apply for that and then we also prepared for the South West Michigan First

617
00:49:29,270 --> 00:49:36,290
Town Hall which was held today myself come to remember Miller Mayor Randall Acting City Manager

618
00:49:36,290 --> 00:49:44,850
Mr. Herringa, C. Chief Development Officer, Pete Dame, Assistant to the City Manager at Tom

619
00:49:44,850 --> 00:49:51,370
Rossiter and Jonathan Hallberg. We're there and so it was a good time. We covered several

620
00:49:51,370 --> 00:50:01,470
topics from small businesses to commercial rezoning, the Portage Road corridor and our

621
00:50:01,470 --> 00:50:06,010
farmers market and others that we had been doing and so it was a good conversation piece.

622
00:50:06,010 --> 00:50:08,550
the greater air of Kalamazoo Reilters was there as well.

623
00:50:09,090 --> 00:50:13,450
So just rounding out that work on small businesses and speaking tomorrow and continuing to

624
00:50:13,450 --> 00:50:15,090
keep them active in the community.

625
00:50:17,900 --> 00:50:18,620
I'm here for that.

626
00:50:19,360 --> 00:50:19,960
Close member Burns.

627
00:50:20,220 --> 00:50:23,600
Quick one, attended the Central County Transportation Authority yesterday.

628
00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:29,040
I just wanted to post the board on the results of the millage election for the Kalamazoo

629
00:50:29,040 --> 00:50:35,720
County Transportation Authority Millage, which funds the Metro transit, dial a ride,

630
00:50:35,720 --> 00:50:41,800
the ADA service door-to-door throughout the county and out to the VA Hospital in Malacreek.

631
00:50:41,900 --> 00:50:48,600
Pass successfully, about 65% of the vote, 65-35, and was ahead in every precinct

632
00:50:48,600 --> 00:50:50,680
imported so good support for that service.

633
00:50:52,880 --> 00:50:54,420
Any other council committee reports?

634
00:50:55,240 --> 00:51:00,140
Hearing none, I will entertain a motion to approve the reports as presented.

635
00:51:00,460 --> 00:51:01,120
So move, Mayor.

636
00:51:01,640 --> 00:51:01,840
Second.

637
00:51:02,620 --> 00:51:03,820
All in favor say aye.

638
00:51:04,040 --> 00:51:04,460
Aye.

639
00:51:04,540 --> 00:51:18,400
post-same sign. Thank you all for representing the city outside of council chambers. All right. I'd like to start. I left this evening with statement of city council. And if I could please start with council member on set.

640
00:51:19,520 --> 00:51:20,440
Thank you, man. And mayor.

641
00:51:21,660 --> 00:51:29,820
I want to thank our city clerk's office for last Tuesday election day. A lot of work went into this month, even and her staff.

642
00:51:29,820 --> 00:51:35,820
We have Deputy Director, we have Clerk Erica Eclove, and we have Deputy City Clerk Tammy,

643
00:51:36,040 --> 00:51:41,340
and we have Erin, Mandy, Kara, and then some human resource person people.

644
00:51:41,860 --> 00:51:46,000
And also, it was so successful that the shortage should be proud.

645
00:51:46,140 --> 00:51:50,960
And I'm also thinking the public safety and all the other city departments that helped

646
00:51:50,960 --> 00:51:56,180
to make this run smoothly and efficiently, like public works, parks, and rack, and so forth.

647
00:51:56,760 --> 00:52:00,180
I greatly appreciate it. Now your dedication. Thank you so much.

648
00:52:01,700 --> 00:52:05,400
Thank you. Council member, um, led better.

649
00:52:05,660 --> 00:52:09,580
Yeah. Following her coat tells, um, I saw that it was the highest turnout in the

650
00:52:09,580 --> 00:52:14,660
Kalamazoo County with 36 percent. Um, that's the highest in the state.

651
00:52:14,960 --> 00:52:19,100
Was it? That I don't know. Yeah, I think it was.

652
00:52:19,100 --> 00:52:20,620
We're going to go with it. We're going to go with it. We're not going.

653
00:52:21,500 --> 00:52:24,080
That's how we roll down here. So good job.

654
00:52:25,680 --> 00:52:26,500
That's the night out.

655
00:52:26,680 --> 00:52:28,840
It was my first time attending the one in Portage.

656
00:52:29,340 --> 00:52:29,980
I didn't even know that.

657
00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:58,140
Had one, because when I worked in the city, we went to seven neighborhoods. So I had a good time. It was nice trying out here. So good job with that. And then with the flock, you know, I've always had concerns with that from a law enforcement perspective. And the stories keep coming out just recently in Georgia. And officers just got fired for stalking someone with flock.

658
00:52:58,140 --> 00:53:04,980
Matter of fact, I think it's like three or four people in the same department, so it has been very

659
00:53:06,320 --> 00:53:06,780
abused

660
00:53:08,300 --> 00:53:08,760
policies

661
00:53:10,420 --> 00:53:14,380
We got we have cameras and banks with banks still get robbed

662
00:53:15,420 --> 00:53:19,720
So just just think about it for a second people said what we got cameras, okay

663
00:53:20,380 --> 00:53:23,560
People still get robbed means to the happenings, so you have policies

664
00:53:24,300 --> 00:53:35,600
He still have violations, and it probably doesn't mean anything to you now, but if it was you or your loved one, somebody, you cared about who was the victim of that, it'd take on a different sense.

665
00:53:35,740 --> 00:53:44,360
So we really need to consider that and then with the new information about the cell phone data, I got to do more research with that.

666
00:53:44,460 --> 00:53:49,740
So I can be driving on our street on the phone and they can pick up my information without a search warrant, that's crazy.

667
00:53:50,460 --> 00:53:57,220
So, again, it's a good two for investigations, it's great for a lot of things, but then again,

668
00:53:57,300 --> 00:54:02,920
it can be abused in a lot of liberties that we have would be taken advantage of, so I think

669
00:54:02,920 --> 00:54:09,540
we really need to look at all the information that we can find out the stingray, so any more

670
00:54:09,540 --> 00:54:14,130
information that we get, I would love to have that come before the council, so we can make

671
00:54:14,130 --> 00:54:21,490
the determination, but research out of cases and police departments, where officers are getting

672
00:54:21,490 --> 00:54:28,470
convicted, not just tribe but convicted of tampering with the flock stuff.

673
00:54:29,330 --> 00:54:30,170
So some serious.

674
00:54:30,370 --> 00:54:31,530
Thank you.

675
00:54:31,770 --> 00:54:31,990
All right.

676
00:54:32,070 --> 00:54:32,830
Thank you, Vic.

677
00:54:33,150 --> 00:54:34,050
Council member Miller.

678
00:54:34,790 --> 00:54:35,070
Yes.

679
00:54:35,150 --> 00:54:35,510
Thank you.

680
00:54:35,930 --> 00:54:38,670
It was great to be at the Southwest Michigan First Portage Town Hall this morning.

681
00:54:38,850 --> 00:54:40,730
We did get an update from the mall.

682
00:54:40,730 --> 00:54:48,070
Steve, who's the new manager there about a store that's actually expanding within the mall that they're starting some new events

683
00:54:48,070 --> 00:54:55,930
for like a collector's market, bringing in, you know, people that collect the different trading cards and different,

684
00:54:55,930 --> 00:55:00,710
probably, you know, cars and different collectors items, so they're bringing in an event for that.

685
00:55:00,730 --> 00:55:06,850
And they're really reaching out to small businesses to offer them a place to start within the mall.

686
00:55:06,850 --> 00:55:14,990
I kind of see like in the business timeline if somebody's starting a business and maybe they are able to start through the farmers market and then we've up to a retail spot

687
00:55:14,990 --> 00:55:18,930
I think it could be a good almost like incubator for those small businesses

688
00:55:18,930 --> 00:55:27,070
So if you're looking for a storefront option, they said they've got very flexible terms and different openings and different ways to get you out there

689
00:55:27,070 --> 00:55:30,110
So make sure to continue to check out them all

690
00:55:31,050 --> 00:55:35,330
I did want to talk a little bit about we had a special meeting last week

691
00:55:35,330 --> 00:55:43,730
There was a new signature that came through to do a amendment to the city charter.

692
00:55:44,650 --> 00:55:49,090
It was put together by community action Michigan and it was in several cities within Michigan.

693
00:55:49,650 --> 00:55:55,070
That they went out and got petitions and people to sign to have amendments to their charters.

694
00:55:56,030 --> 00:56:05,310
So it's hard to find direct information about community action Michigan, but they want the different cities to amend their charters to put in a citizen health action.

695
00:56:05,310 --> 00:56:10,750
community. Well, I empathize with what they're trying to do and bringing attention to health care

696
00:56:10,750 --> 00:56:18,130
and health care costs at the city level. It's really not our realm. You know, and they went about

697
00:56:18,130 --> 00:56:23,270
creating this new verbage for our portage city charter with no input from the people in

698
00:56:23,270 --> 00:56:31,470
portage. They've done this also in Lansing, East Lansing, Kalamazoo. So it's just in Benton Harbor.

699
00:56:31,470 --> 00:56:36,650
It just doesn't seem very genuine to me.

700
00:56:37,770 --> 00:56:40,410
So we did, because they followed all of the legal actions

701
00:56:40,410 --> 00:56:44,250
we did have to put it on the ballot for this November.

702
00:56:45,350 --> 00:56:48,750
But it is something that personally I can't get behind the support

703
00:56:48,750 --> 00:56:50,250
as much as I do support healthcare.

704
00:56:51,530 --> 00:56:54,730
I don't think it's the right spot for it.

705
00:56:54,950 --> 00:56:57,950
There are places where it would work a lot more effectively.

706
00:56:59,010 --> 00:57:05,730
And I do want to thank Council and City staff for being flexible in working with the gentlemen that was talking about moving the house.

707
00:57:06,010 --> 00:57:14,950
It is a big ordeal and maybe a miracle can happen, but at least to give him that two weeks to see if we can continue to have somebody.

708
00:57:15,650 --> 00:57:22,170
Be in a house that wasn't in a house and see a let him discover if it's going to cost more than just building new.

709
00:57:22,870 --> 00:57:25,190
So thank you everyone for your time in it.

710
00:57:25,190 --> 00:57:27,610
Thank you, Council Member Young.

711
00:57:29,110 --> 00:57:29,910
Thank you, Madam Mayor.

712
00:57:30,470 --> 00:57:33,970
I have a few things I'd like to focus on.

713
00:57:34,150 --> 00:57:39,670
And first I want to start with some of our citizens received a piece of mail.

714
00:57:39,890 --> 00:57:42,030
And it's stated it was from the city of Portage.

715
00:57:42,210 --> 00:57:45,610
It called itself an annual water test notice,

716
00:57:45,910 --> 00:57:51,190
which included an offered in-home water test kits and free water quality analysis.

717
00:57:52,310 --> 00:57:53,070
This is a scam.

718
00:57:53,070 --> 00:58:03,530
This is not the city of Portage. Please do not open it leave it alone. We would not send something to you in this nature, and so please be alerted to it

719
00:58:03,530 --> 00:58:10,490
You can see a copy of what the scam notice looks like on the city of Portage is official Facebook page

720
00:58:10,490 --> 00:58:17,770
Again, do not contact the number if you ever have a question about any mail that states it's from the city of Portage

721
00:58:17,770 --> 00:58:22,290
Call the trusted number for the city of Portage if a number looks different to you

722
00:58:22,290 --> 00:58:27,450
send an email to any of the council members to our city manager, et cetera.

723
00:58:27,910 --> 00:58:32,750
But please be aware that this is targeting we don't know how this came up.

724
00:58:32,890 --> 00:58:36,550
It just be courted citizens, but we are not offering these water kids

725
00:58:36,550 --> 00:58:41,630
or testing that would typically be something that would come from the county

726
00:58:41,630 --> 00:58:43,250
departments that can help to do that.

727
00:58:43,250 --> 00:58:45,310
So we are not sending that out to you.

728
00:58:45,670 --> 00:58:47,290
So I just want to make sure you're aware of that.

729
00:58:47,290 --> 00:58:51,050
I want to thank you to our Youth Advisory Committee,

730
00:58:51,330 --> 00:58:53,790
Porter's Public Safety and the Porter's Public Safety Foundation,

731
00:58:54,430 --> 00:58:57,350
for a very successful back-to-school batch that they had.

732
00:58:57,490 --> 00:58:59,150
They call it their pickout with Public Safety.

733
00:58:59,470 --> 00:59:02,370
It was really wonderful. They handed out backpacks and

734
00:59:02,870 --> 00:59:05,570
the kids got to play on rise, get face painting,

735
00:59:06,130 --> 00:59:08,330
and the administrators for Porter's Public Schools

736
00:59:08,330 --> 00:59:11,370
set in the dunk tank. So the kids got to dunk some of their

737
00:59:12,030 --> 00:59:15,170
teachers. It was a really wonderful opportunity to see

738
00:59:15,170 --> 00:59:21,390
The community come out. The weather was perfect and so just very appreciative of everything that we do.

739
00:59:21,410 --> 00:59:25,450
If you didn't get a back act, but you still need one. If you are a family who is a need,

740
00:59:26,270 --> 00:59:30,710
please be sure to contact public safety and they'll do their part to take care of you as always.

741
00:59:31,990 --> 00:59:35,730
One who encourages our citizens to reach out to City Council if you have concerns.

742
00:59:35,750 --> 00:59:38,810
If you are finding that you are attempting to reach a department,

743
00:59:40,010 --> 00:59:51,310
It is not, we do not have any ability to handle employees, but we can see what we can do about sending an email forward or trying to see if we can make a phone call for you.

744
00:59:51,550 --> 00:59:59,970
So please be sure to reach out to us if there is a concern that you have in the city to try to assist you and so that we can just figure out how we can.

745
01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:04,740
Connect you, maybe you're calling the wrong department or you just need to figure out how to keep things going.

746
01:00:05,160 --> 01:00:11,020
I want to remind citizens of our city manager search and that next week, on Wednesday, we will have

747
01:00:11,020 --> 01:00:16,740
that starting at 3 p.m. So if you are interested in hearing those candidates, we have four candidates coming.

748
01:00:17,780 --> 01:00:24,240
Please be sure to come out. It would be who view if you want to learn a little bit more about each of those candidates.

749
01:00:24,240 --> 01:00:28,700
It'll be a long day for us as council, but that'll be a part of us doing our job.

750
01:00:29,260 --> 01:00:33,160
And as always, thank you to our Acting City Manager Adam.

751
01:00:33,400 --> 01:00:34,540
We're doing a wonderful job.

752
01:00:34,660 --> 01:00:36,960
We appreciate you and everything that you're doing.

753
01:00:37,260 --> 01:00:38,520
So, thanks so much for doing this.

754
01:00:40,240 --> 01:00:41,480
Thank you, Council Member Burns.

755
01:00:41,900 --> 01:00:44,820
Yeah, very quick shout out for the August Portageer.

756
01:00:44,820 --> 01:00:50,420
I don't know which departments may have been involved in the half-page of the full page.

757
01:00:51,480 --> 01:01:01,900
Right up of the new residential zoning ordinance, but took two hundred and twelve pages of pretty dense ordinance tax and condensed it and do an FAQ and a very understandable

758
01:01:03,240 --> 01:01:07,560
Digest of what we did as a council, so I just thought that was really well done. I want to say thanks.

759
01:01:09,260 --> 01:01:12,660
Thank you, Acting City Manager, Mr. Herringa.

760
01:01:13,120 --> 01:01:20,200
Thank you, Madam Mayor. One of the things, and I'm sure that I'm not sure how many school kids are watching this right now, but

761
01:01:20,200 --> 01:01:22,180
are with all of our real construction projects,

762
01:01:22,520 --> 01:01:25,200
we do have the opening of school on the mind.

763
01:01:26,020 --> 01:01:28,280
And yes, there will be some conflicts with some of the areas,

764
01:01:28,460 --> 01:01:31,060
but please to report that West Nages

765
01:01:31,060 --> 01:01:33,360
is open from Senator South Melody,

766
01:01:33,940 --> 01:01:36,880
South Melody, angling roads should be open

767
01:01:36,880 --> 01:01:39,040
and the other projects we are working as quickly

768
01:01:39,040 --> 01:01:41,440
as we can to get those wrapped up

769
01:01:41,440 --> 01:01:43,460
and also coordinating with public safety

770
01:01:43,460 --> 01:01:46,720
to make sure that the first week of school

771
01:01:46,720 --> 01:01:48,140
goes to smooth as possible.

772
01:01:48,140 --> 01:01:53,360
Speaking of public safety, this past week, they not only placed in fire rescued people,

773
01:01:54,020 --> 01:01:55,680
property, but also a cat in a chicken.

774
01:01:58,620 --> 01:02:03,900
So many thanks to them for being the multi-disciplinary approach.

775
01:02:05,760 --> 01:02:10,400
Since Friday, we talked about housing in the material I provided City Council, we indicated

776
01:02:10,400 --> 01:02:12,860
that we had closed on five homes.

777
01:02:14,020 --> 01:02:16,820
Since Friday, we've closed on two more at Stanwood Crossings.

778
01:02:16,820 --> 01:02:25,160
So I would put our housing efforts up against any community in the state of Michigan and finally just a little bit of good news.

779
01:02:25,600 --> 01:02:32,880
Recently in the budget city council authorized us to hire an additional mechanic at our Department of Public Works.

780
01:02:33,920 --> 01:02:36,420
The mechanic that we hired was an intern for us.

781
01:02:36,420 --> 01:02:44,160
It's a recent graduate of Portas Northern High School and it's just finishing up the K-Risa Career Tech program in their mechanic divisions.

782
01:02:44,460 --> 01:02:53,580
So this is a story as to why and how the vocational education and technical education programs and partnerships with them work.

783
01:02:54,140 --> 01:03:00,480
Where our new mechanic went through that program and we extended an offer to him this past week and he signed.

784
01:03:01,060 --> 01:03:03,700
So hopefully he'll be permanent employee here very soon.

785
01:03:03,940 --> 01:03:04,540
Thank you Madam Mayor.

786
01:03:05,020 --> 01:03:05,700
Thank you.

787
01:03:05,700 --> 01:03:08,560
Mayor Potem, Dr. Pearson.

788
01:03:09,320 --> 01:03:09,760
Thank you, Mayor.

789
01:03:10,780 --> 01:03:15,680
I want to add to what council member led better.

790
01:03:15,900 --> 01:03:20,740
It's said about a falk camera surveillance.

791
01:03:21,060 --> 01:03:24,860
He's always been wondering if this is a good thing.

792
01:03:26,400 --> 01:03:29,860
And we had a presentation from the Portage Public Safety

793
01:03:29,860 --> 01:03:32,320
saying all the safeguards we have.

794
01:03:32,320 --> 01:03:37,760
But I will say this to Council, you know, there's a lot of reports on the news, and we should

795
01:03:37,760 --> 01:03:43,560
monitor those reports because, you know, it's coming out that even though the report is

796
01:03:43,560 --> 01:03:51,960
public safety has a lot of standards in checking the public safety can share the information

797
01:03:51,960 --> 01:04:01,080
with other cities and other states, and they may not have the safeguards that the public safety

798
01:04:01,080 --> 01:04:06,840
has. So I'm not taking a stand right now, but I would encourage city council members just

799
01:04:06,840 --> 01:04:11,860
to monitor what's going on in the public eye of Fox camera systems. Thank you.

800
01:04:13,360 --> 01:04:16,940
All right. I'm checking things off. My list of already been said, but I do want to acknowledge

801
01:04:16,940 --> 01:04:23,380
the engaged citizens tree that we had come forward this evening. We had a wide range of issues.

802
01:04:23,480 --> 01:04:30,320
And usually it's a solo topic that we just get hammered on. So I would just ask Mr.

803
01:04:30,320 --> 01:04:37,220
hearing if you could just keep us all in the loop on how the the church driveway is addressed

804
01:04:37,220 --> 01:04:43,080
and I know you've sent things to me on flat cameras maybe just dispense that when you

805
01:04:43,080 --> 01:04:49,000
give it to the council speeding passing the conservation survey I'm sure would appeal to many

806
01:04:49,000 --> 01:04:56,100
people. Code violations are we addressing them in the manner that's appropriate for 2026 is there

807
01:04:56,100 --> 01:05:02,400
anything that we can do to make sure that what our goal is in neighborhoods is that we're

808
01:05:02,400 --> 01:05:07,440
maintaining it and not letting one house determine the rest for the street, especially if

809
01:05:07,440 --> 01:05:08,080
they're rentals.

810
01:05:08,720 --> 01:05:13,560
So, I guess all I'm asking is that all of Council be kept abreast on these and you always

811
01:05:13,560 --> 01:05:15,600
do a great job of that.

812
01:05:15,620 --> 01:05:20,040
I wanted to say that the Council should be extremely proud of Council members, young and

813
01:05:20,040 --> 01:05:29,100
They have really ran with the Small Business Committee and everything from our charge card program to the facade improvement.

814
01:05:29,580 --> 01:05:32,940
They both addressed a town hall at the mall this morning.

815
01:05:34,240 --> 01:05:38,280
And just very informative, very concise and you made me very proud.

816
01:05:39,300 --> 01:05:42,160
Councilmember Miller and I did attend a kindly place.

817
01:05:42,160 --> 01:05:47,260
It's a land-like piece of property developed by AVB.

818
01:05:47,740 --> 01:05:49,640
There are 49 new homes there.

819
01:05:50,160 --> 01:05:52,000
We'll be, whether time the project is done.

820
01:05:52,100 --> 01:05:54,500
And it just shows you that our builders are taking land

821
01:05:54,500 --> 01:05:58,320
that is not easily accessible to develop.

822
01:05:58,940 --> 01:06:02,120
And so we are doing our part with our zoning

823
01:06:02,120 --> 01:06:07,720
and with our development office to really make sure

824
01:06:07,720 --> 01:06:10,320
that we are using our land wisely.

825
01:06:10,920 --> 01:06:20,400
And in closing, I attended a mayor's conference last week in Farmington, and all I can say as I'm really glad that I live in Portage and the amenities that we have here.

826
01:06:20,760 --> 01:06:27,680
Many communities are struggling with some of the same things we are, but I think we really have a handle on what we're trying to do.

827
01:06:27,700 --> 01:06:38,180
Data centers was a big concern of flat cameras came up. Many subjects like that, but it always made me happy to know that when I came home, this is where I wanted to be.

828
01:06:38,180 --> 01:06:40,180
And with that, the meeting is adjourned.