Lilacs Bloom in … September
Various change orders requested.
Draft minutes of the September 19 council meeting are posted.
((((((( Audio of the September 19, 2024 Regular Council Meeting )))))))
The Office: How the Turn Tables
The big hyperlocal news is that our Clerk-Treasurer, Katherine Ralston, resigned on September 17. Jennifer Wilkins and I will be picking up as many office duties as we can until we find help, but considering that the full-time Clerk-Treasurer position was too much work for one whole person who didn’t have another job, this situation is not going to be tenable for very long. We hope you’ll spread the word that we’re hiring a full-time Clerk-Treasurer Official, a part-time Utility Billing Clerk, and a part-time Deputy Clerk-Treasurer. The Clerk-Treasurer Official job pays $49,920 (minimum) plus a $500 per month health stipend. The part-time jobs start at $18 per hour (that’s what Jen and I will be making), but a person with experience who doesn’t need major training can make significantly more.
Please tell all the mathy types you know, specifically. We are willing to be flexible and creative about hours, and because of our new BS&A software, someone experienced with that could do a fair amount of work remotely. Interested parties can email clerk@villageofelberta.com or evotruba@villageofelberta.com (which is my official trustee and Personnel & Policy Committee chairperson email).
Because the juggling Jen and I do between our work schedules and Village work is now even jugglier:
The Village Office will be open by appointment only until further notice.
10/1 Update: Bye Street Resurfacing
Now (10/1) Elmer’s is saying work will begin Thursday, October 3.
Work that was supposed to begin September 30 on Bye Street will now begin October 7 and last about a week, weather permitting. If the road is ever completely closed it won't be for more than a couple of hours, Ken Mlcek says.
Bad Rumor Rising: “GTRLC Got a Huge Donation and Is Done Fundraising”
FACT-CHECK: Alas, no.
Jennifer Jay, the land conservancy’s communications director, told me on Friday that there’s a rumor going around that GTRLC has raised more than the necessary amount for the $19.5 million purchase price (deadline December 15). This is not true. Indeed, as of Sunday afternoon (9/29), the website donation page, which Jay says updates automatically with online donations and is updated manually on occasion with larger gifts, is accurate, and it shows that $15,126,929 has been raised total. This means they are still short $4,373,071.
Perhaps the confusion comes from the overall goal, which is $27.5 million. This includes endowment money that would help the Village cover park maintenance and property tax revenue until we realize revenue from new development on the 9 acre portion of the property. This 9-acre portion is currently the only part of the 35 acres with any development at all (and it’s pretty minimal), so the tax revenue is bound to rise sharply once redevelopment begins. In the meantime, if the deal goes through, there will be no loss of revenue.
Pavilioned in Splendor
The latest on the beach: Chief Engineer Ken Mlcek said at the September meeting that the project is on track for completion on schedule. There is some concrete work (meaning work with concrete) still to do, and the walkways to the pier need to be installed. Dune grass will be planted later in October, and some type of hardwood tree(s) will go in the center of the roundabout. The bathrooms will probably be finished just in time to be closed up for the winter, Wilkins says, so look forward to giving those a first whirl in spring of 2025. During the Parks & Rec report, Brett McGregor said interpretive signage and a footwashing station are coming. The signage will include descriptions of native plant and animal species on the beach, provided by Cheryl Gross of PlantItWild.
Invasive Japanese Knotweed Treatment
The Village paid for treatment of invasive Japanese knotweed this spring on Village property shown in red above. The plants were mostly on Village property, but abutted private property, so it made sense to treat that area too. Luke Kreykes, a habitat management specialist at Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network, says his services are booked for the rest of this year, but if you want your property treated you can reach out to him in early 2025 by email (lkreykes @habitatmatters.org) or call his office and leave a voicemail at 231-252-4148.
Knotweed has been identified on Narrow and Short Streets across Furnace from the patch shown above, and at the base of the dune bluff, but none of the affected properties are yet on Kreykes’s treatment list. Japanese knotweed spreads rapidly and forms a dense impenetrable mass that chokes out other plants and messes with habitat. It would be a major bummer if it started creeping up into the dune forest. Unfortunately, if it occurs on private property, it’s up to the owners to arrange for treatment. If you’re concerned that you might have knotweed, talk to Luke Kreykes and get a quote for treatment, then contact the Village office. We may be able to work something out if you really can’t afford it. Let’s nip this problem in the bud.
Water Usage, Bills, and Irrigation Meters
Wow, when people had the bright idea of installing irrigation meters, it sure would have been good to install them all the same way. For those who don’t know, some people have meters that measure water usage only, for plant-watering purposes, and no corresponding sewer usage (because the water doesn’t go down the household drain). These irrigation meters are separate from the main household meter and are meant to be cheaper. Unfortunately, some of those meters were installed in such a way that the reading still registers a sewer usage. There’s a way to fix this in the new BS&A system (and also physically—but that’s harder and more expensive), but it has taken some time to work out.
Rest assured, we will get to the bottom of it and you will be refunded if you overpaid.
In the meantime, you can now monitor your water usage online through EyeOnWater. I tried it today. Setup was quick and easy.
Lilacs
Lilacs have had a rough year, you may have noticed. Many of the large, beautiful shrubs in the Village and elsewhere in the county started looking poorly in July and were completely brown by the end of August. I asked MSU Extension for some advice and got the following response:
This has not been a kind year for lilacs in Michigan. We've received tens of reports of lilacs losing leaves and struggling. It is most likely due to a pathogen that has spread quickly. There isn't a fix to the issue at this time of year. On branches that are heavily affected, you could prune them back or even down to the ground. It is better to wait until late winter to prune shrubs.
Bacterial blight is one of the major reasons for lilac bush’s leaves turning brown and falling off. It is also known as shoot blight. Blight makes brown spots on the leaves and stems. The spots later get bigger. Later the whole leaf turns brown and starts curling. When severely infected by blight the lilac flowers also turn brown. White lilacs are most vulnerable to blight. It can be hard to get rid of.
These articles may be of help to you:
https://extension.psu.edu/lilac-diseases
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/how-recognize-treat-avoid-lilac-bacterial-blight
https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/lilac-issues-and-diseases
Curiously, it was the pale and deeper purple lilacs that seemed most affected in our area. But who knows. Pruning timing does seem to be important, and I speculate that the very wet spring played a role. I always wait until a stretch of cold, dry, sunny late winter days to do major pruning.
Then, even curiouslier, some of the affected shrubs started flowering again! Stuff in general is clearly going through changes, so let’s try to keep calm and stay hopeful.
Our New Betsie Valley Trail Representative: Steve Radionoff
We’re happy to say that a resident has stepped up to take Jon Ottinger’s place on the Betsie Valley Trail Committee. This is such an important position, especially as we make plans to extend the trail all the way to the beach. Thank you, Steve, and thank you, Jon. Your reports were awesome, and we’re glad your work schedule still works with your membership on our planning commission.
Village Master Plan Done. Now for Zoning …
Our planning commission adopted the final master plan at the beginning of the month. It’s viewable on our website on the Planning and Zoning page. This is the document that will guide the revamping of our zoning ordinance. A couple of years ago we hired the firm of Becket & Raeder to help us make long overdue upgrades, some of which were strongly suggested by MSU years and years ago during another flurry of reforming zeal, but it has gone more slowly than expected. Ryan Fiebing said at the September council meeting that Sara Kopriva, the B&R planner, would be at the commission’s October 2 meeting (5:30 pm). Everyone is encouraged to attend this (or any) planning commission meeting. Fiebing says they hope to have a draft of the new zoning ordinance by the end of the year!
Benzie County Master Plan and Public Hearing
You can review and comment on the county master plan until the public hearing on November 12 at 9 a.m.
Money Stuff
Wilkins submitted our deficit elimination plan for FY2024. The plan shows a realistic goal of paying off our remaining general fund balance deficit of $30,568 in 2025. This has been a long hard road, but we’re almost at the end of it. It will mean not being audited every year and not having to file frequent reports to State Treasury on our finances, which will save us time and money.
This year’s audit is complete and can be viewed on our website’s Village Finances page.
Sky News
The mini-moon, Asteroid 2024 PT5, joined our lunar team today. It’s only about the size of a bus, but I’d say if you’re feeling a bit off from now until November 25, go ahead and blame it on this little guy, or the succulent Moo Deng, or Pluto’s final transit through Capricorn — whatever you have to do.
Since I brought it up, did you know that Earth’s main codependent celestial body, aka the maxi-moon, has been getting a bit of distance from us every year? It’s about 18 miles farther away than it was when humans first appeared, 800,000 years ago (if you believe in that sort of thing). Personally, this is going to be my go-to excuse from now on.
Thinking about the two sided structure with a roof to shade people using the beach. I would suggest some sturdy seating for those needing relief from the sun.
Concerning lilacs being purple in the fall. Sounds like magic. Blooms twice a year. Water and sunshine. Will Benzie become tropical?