March, The Waters Of
A report on the March 7 council meeting and other news
Meeting audio
Selections from the Official Minutes
More on the Vacating of a Small, Wet, Partially Undeveloped Street
((( 00:04:15–00:12:20 ))) Mark and Cheryl Rains had written to petition Council to put vacating an undeveloped part of Robarge and White Street on the March or April agenda. Trustee Holmes opposed vacating any roads because of the loss of potential state money. Trustee McGregor asked how much money we get annually from the bit of street in question, vs. property tax revenue if a house were built there; he mentioned there were about 32 housing starts in Benzie County in the past five years and zero in Elberta.
Financials
((( 00:15:50 ))) Because of the early meeting, not all of February’s revenues were in, so budget amendments would wait till the April meeting. Wilkins was still searching for an auditing firm for FY23/24—firms apparently don’t love the fact that our BS&A software is cloud-based. (Our normal auditor, UHY, is helping us with other matters, so they are out of the running.) The General Fund deficit stood at $14,427.50, but that was expected to change as more revenues and expenditures were posted.
Paying for the Water Project
((( 00:20:56 ))) We voted to pay the USDA Draw Request Invoice from Fleis & Vandenbrink for the month of February, covered by the USDA grant, for the water project, in the amount of $8,934.50. The remaining water project work is expected to occur between Memorial Day and July 4. (The height of turtle crossing time.) Ken Mlcek expects minimal water service interruptions.
RJ Raven Estimate for Remaking LSS Doors
((( 00:24:00 ))) Wilkins had found some money in our MIClass investment account that could cover replacement of four front doors on the LSS, which are rotted, along with the ADA accessible back door. She noted the importance of doing regular maintenance on this significant revenue source for the general fund. The estimated total bid by RJ Raven was $36,616.14, of which $18,308.07 was already budgeted for FY2024-25; $17,380 of this is remaining ARPA funds and $928 comes from the Repairs and Maintenance line item in Waterfront Park Department. The rest would come from the MIClass investment account for the General Fund, which at the time of the meeting had a balance of $39,159.45. Fiebing and McGregor wanted to seek other bids, possibly with other wood sources (in case African mahogany is parahistorical), given the historical nature of the building and the ongoing quest for historic landmark status. Council voted to table item while Fiebing checked on other options.
The following Friday a contractor from Leelanau County came to take measurements and discuss the project. As of now (April 24) I don’t know if we’ve yet received a bid from that company.
The Investment Policy, aka how to use the MIClass account, is on the priority list for review by the Personnel and Policy Committee. If you’re an Elberta resident, you like government sausage, and you’d like to see it being made and perhaps contribute to that process, please contact me about membership in the Personnel and Policy Committee!
Seeking a Deputy Clerk-Treasurer
((( 00:38:25 ))) We approved a job description for the Deputy Clerk-Treasurer role, which combines the deputy clerk and deputy treasurer job descriptions. And ad for that position was posted on the website and in the Record-Patriot the week of April 16. The position is for up to 20 hours per week and, let’s just say it, you might make more at McDonald’s. And no fries with that.
Contract for Fire and First Response Services Between the City of Frankfort and Gilmore Township (Including Elberta)
((( 00:43:58 ))) The fire services contract commits Gilmore/Elberta to $52,886.00 total in quarterly installments. The amended contract is about $1,100 less than the contract presented in February. The contract for first response services is $19,456.00 in quarterly installments.
Strategy Session: Pacing
((( 00:47:41 ))) Wilkins had a list of discussion topics including ordinances, priorities for revamping certain policies and procedures, better communication, and upcoming projects (ongoing water system improvements, Elberta Beach project, Bye Street improvements, and a new roof and doors for the Village garage/workshop). Council discussed the need for positive community engagement, the potential use of the Life Saving Station by Parks and Rec, the goal of being a responsible and effective small government, and what motivates people to get involved. We talked about the need for a project calendar or timeline and remote access for Council members to policies, plans, and other materials. Holmes does not use email so is missing a lot of communication that occurs electronically; he would like to be notified by phone. McGregor is looking for grants to revise the Village code and is working on a nuisance ordinance now that compiles and streamlines a variety of more specific ordinances.
DPW
((( 01:27:52 )))Chris Cervantes had provided an informative and subtly humorous written report:
The contract with Smitty’s Tree Service was subsequently terminated due to unresponsiveness and repeated failure to clean up the job site as requested.
Credit Card and Online Billing and Payment Is Coming!
((( 01:29:50 ))) Clerk-Treasurer Kat Ralston reported that Elberta water/sewer-havers could now get bill notifications by email, and online payment is on the way. It will remain possible to pay in person at the office or by mailing in a check— so don’t worry if that’s the way you like to do it. There was some discussion of hiring a deputy specifically to take care of utility billing.
I think I mentioned this, but I said it at this meeting, too: We have an official Village newsletter you can sign up for on the Village website to be notified of developments. I will post about it there when the Point & Pay system is fully operational. Note that you need to confirm your subscription after you sign up for the Village website newsletter or you won’t get it. Check your spam folder if you don’t see a notification after signing up.
Elberta Beach Preconstruction Meeting
Wilkins was to attend a meeting for the Elberta Beach project on March 15.
Berberis thunbergii: Japanese barberry
In addition to Japanese knotweed, which is taking over parts of the ELHC property and coming perilously close to the dune forest, having been spotted on Narrow Street, McGregor says something thorny has started storming the fringe of the Overlook. He said he was planning to contact the Invasive Species Network about it.
You probably have seen barberry, another ornamental that folks often trim into shapes, in your grandmother’s yard (or heck, why are we blaming grandma? grandpas do Victorian-style oblivious gardening too!):
The Rising of the Turds
A price hike had been discussed at that morning’s BLUA sewer meeting.
The new 2024 Water and Sewer Rates were posted on the Village website and would be reflected in April’s bill.
Speaking of Water
In episode 13 of the Traversecityist podcast, titled “Nibi,” host Gretchen Carr profiled local water protectors who are members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. It’s a beautiful and inspiring piece of audio.
Sunset: Elbertians We’ll Miss
We note the passing on March 8 of Patrick James Acre, a native of Elberta born March 8, 1942. A street in the Village bears his family name.
So Long, Corner Drug, aka Community Drug
They still sometimes have incredible edible eggs though! And all the Playmobil stuff is up front now, and they have Gwen Frostic stationery sets, and I hear they will soon be doing some light printing services. Meanwhile, it’s off to the former ShopnSave (Family Fare Pharmacy) with your scrips.
Signs
Local Radio: WUWU
Elbertians are no stranger to riding the airwaves, whether it’s Paul Schram’s ham radio or signalers at the Overlook. We may soon be getting a deeply local low-power FM radio station, called WUWU, brought to you by a team headed by new residents David Beaton and Arlene Sweeting, veterans of LPFM broadcasting in Florida and cofounders of the new Elberta Labor Heritage Center. In a recent email, Beaton wrote, “We got an FCC radio license for community radio. At this point, we will have the station in our house and hope to get up this summer. We can connect the dots on community radio, bringing folks together.”
Do you have any memories of local radio stations? Please share in a comment.
Beaton already has his ear to the ground in the neighborhood. He’s the one who told me that our Village postmaster, Jerome Forde, is not only a friendly presence at the PO but a musical artist.
