((((((( Audio of the meeting )))))))
The official draft minutes of the meeting are here.
Good-Bye Potholes
On October 20 we learned that President Wilkins, aided tremendously by Ken Mlcek of Fleis & VandenBrink, has succeeded with the Village’s most recent Category B infrastructure grant request. Elberta was among 47 communities with fewer than 10,000 residents to be awarded money for such improvements. We got $94,100 to resurface Bye Street, the road to the Overlook. In the meantime, the cold-patching work by DPW is serviceable, and I for one feel less as though I am taking my very life in my hands even when walking to a sunset. Thank you, Governor and local public servants, for fixing our damn road.
Gilmore Township’s Master Plan
The Township is updating its master plan. VOE will receive copies of the draft. The public are invited to attend meetings and participate in this important process! I will let you know when I find out when those are, but Gilmore Planning Commission meetings are listed on their (very nice looking) website. And here’s their 2014 Master Plan.
Can You Buy a Village Street?
Well, the short answer, per our Village attorney, is no. But a street can be vacated by request, and this has been done in the past; for example, the far west (dune) end of Acre Street was vacated in 2015 and the property was split between two residents. Council received a detailed letter from Mark Rains requesting to purchase the White St. extension beyond Robarge Street, adjacent to property he already owns, noting his plans to do due diligence related to state wetland regulations. Wilkins has asked for our attorney’s input on the proper procedure and implications of vacation.
Prom at the Life Saving Station Again in 2024
With the endorsement of LSS coordinator Kristi Mills, three students came to request a discounted rate of $500 to rent the ELSS for the Frankfort-Elberta High School prom on May 24, and council said yes. Julia Michalowski, Brody Burton, and Kate May are members of the Junior Leadership Board responsible for planning prom for the 35-student-strong senior class. The event has been held at the LSS before, and council approved a request for that rate in 2019, only to have prom canceled by the pandemic. Ken Holmes mentioned that his own prom, held in 1953, was at Elberta Methodist Church. I volunteered to chaperone and I was serious. Take me up on it.
The Perennial Request for $500 to Boost Area Sports
For at least a few years, Elberta donated $500 per year to the Frankfort-Elberta Athletic Association, an organization that supports area sports and related infrastructure. FEAA is apparently not the same as FEYSB, which Wilkins and I have been trying through several emails to reach and meet with regarding their use of the Community Building restrooms. Council received a letter from Andrew Johnson of FEAA—perhaps he was steered to us by FEYSB—regarding a contract to maintain what I have been affectionately calling Holmes Field, the softball field next to the Community Building. The reason Council discontinued this contract in the past was that it turns out we’re not really supposed to donate public funds to community organizations, however worthy they may be, per the Michigan Municipal League. What we can do is come to some sort of agreement about the extent to which we maintain the ballfield and other facilities ourselves by way of making it nice and being supportive. So hopefully sometime soon some of us will meet with Johnson and figure this out. The issue with the restroom use, and why we ended up taking the key back, was that several times after games the outside doors were left unlocked, lights on, and water running in the sinks.
Other Money Stuff
We paid $835,066.22 in bills and $10,588.97 in payroll (reflecting 2 pay periods) this month (see below). We looked at the Revenue and Expense Sheets, on which Wilkins had highlighted “watch” areas in yellow and future budget amendment areas in red (see pdf below).
One of the many unfun aspects of staff turnover is getting new staff logins to various accounts, including our Village municipal MiClass investment account. Council voted to add Wilkins to this in addition to Clerk-Treasurer Kat Ralston, since having just one person able to access this information seems like a bad idea. Former signatories had already been removed. Now that we have access again, information on the state of the account will be available to BFGAC and council.
Wilkins had spoken with Bill Sanders at Treasury about the delay in our Deficit Elimination Plan reporting. Council will be reviewing it at the November meeting. She has also put a PTO logging system in place so it’s easier for DPW especially, but also Ralston, to track the tremendous number of extra hours they’ve all been putting in. We don’t currently pay overtime, and so it is crucial that our staff be fairly compensated with some paid time off if work ever lightens up.
Zoning Ordinance Updates
We learned that Planning Commission Chair Janet Kennedy will be stepping down at the end of her term in December. This is a bummer, because she has done a terrific job, and it’s always hard to find even merely sentient planning commission members. The slight silver lining on this cloud is that Kennedy is a nonresident, so her departure leaves room for another nonresident member (there can only be one). Bill Shaw?
Beckett & Raeder Conservation Overlay Zoning Amendment Proposal
The proposal was to prepare language regarding a conservation overlay district for Elberta Beach, which under the current zoning map (scheduled to be updated, but that will take at least a year) is located in the Development District. Per our most recent adopted master plan, the community does not actually want to see commercial development on Elberta Beach, so something needs to be done to protect it. To make this bit of legal magic happen, Beckett & Raeder, our zoning ordinance consultants, have asked for an additional $4,000 and a time of 6 months. If approved, the overlay work would be the next task after the draft master plan is complete, which Ryan Fiebing says might be in January. The Budget, Grant, Finance, and Audit Committee needs to dig around in the budget for this $4,000, but it’s possible some or all of that cost can come out of next year’s budget.
Betsie Valley Trail
Here’s Jon Ottinger’s splendid report. Please read it! Commissioner Sauer added that the Friends of the Trail had received a $400K Spark grant to pave from Beulah to Case Road, and that someone had vandalized the service dog signs. Any vandalism or misuse of the trail can be reported to the DNR, he said.
The Water Project
A chonk of that accounts payable money we approved was for the water project, natch. We approved a USDA loan draw request in the amount of $835,123.75, with $68,671.89 to be paid to Fleis & VandenBrink and $766,451.86 to be paid to Elmer’s, and the DWSRF (Drinking Water State Revolving Fund) September disbursement request in the amount of $467,557, with $20,000 to be paid to Fleis & VandenBrink and $447,557.00 to be paid to Elmer’s.
Mike Smith (240 Furnace) commented at the end of the meeting about years-long constant basement flooding there which he believes is related to the water main, because it began when MDOT redid Old M168, and it suddently stopped recently when the main was repaired in conjunction with the water project. He mentioned that DPW Assistant Christopher Cervantes had been very helpful in listening to his concerns. By the way, Cervantes is overdue for his 90-day performance review, and we need to take care of that. If anyone is interested in serving on the Personnel and Policy Committee, which has yet to be fully formed, please email me!
Water Bills
Both the Office and DPW have been absorbed with the task of sorting out our truly abysmal water meter and water billing situation. DPW has been tackling manual reads on meters that have been not been accurately read in some cases in years. Because about half the meters in the Village are either broken or have not been read in a while, the process of issuing accurate bills is very time consuming. They are tackling it piecemeal, because it takes hours and hours, and the water project is taking up a huge amount of their time. So the first few accurate bills are being issued, and it’s an unpleasant surprise for people who have been receiving estimated bills until now. The truth hurts. And this painful truth will be used to create more accurate estimates for when DPW has to skip manual reads for those residences, until we can get ALL the meters in the Village replaced with the latest technology (right now we only have 8 new meters to replace broken ones). It’s unclear how long this will take. We’re also developing a formal policy for how to deal fairly with payments, including installment plans if necessary. More on this soon. One thing we really need? Email addresses for all residents/property owners. If you think we don’t have yours, please send an email to clerk@villageofelberta.com.
DPW
Justin Towle reported on DPW’s other activities. There’s a new fence around the water tower and some repaving where it washed out during the catastrophic water main break of February. Repaving on Washington is to be starting soon. The week before the meeting, someone drove into and knocked down a light pole in the Waterfront Park parking lot; a report was made to the Sheriff and an investigation begun. Public defecation had occurred on one of the Ness properties, indicating there may be more than one poopetrator. Someone has purchased property roughly coterminous with the current Village brush pile at the end of First Street, so the pile has been shifted and supervised hours will be established for brush dumping with a locked gate other times; Kerby and Smitty’s will have access because they are moving a lot of wood in the clearing of Robarge. Towle had the idea of cutting and seasoning some of this to sell as firewood for the Waterfront Park Pavilion fire pit. Towle is studying for his CDL but may need a better vehicle than the Village’s to take the test with. The flushers aren’t working at Penfold Park restroom; the restroom closes November 1; so enjoy the fountain in the men’s urinal while you can. The sprinkler system is shut down for winter.
Parks and Recreation
P&R Commission
There was no quorum for the October meeting. Officer elections are to be held at the next meeting, which will be held November 9 at Holmes Field (401 First Street) at 6 pm.
Bumper Sticker Fundraiser
The P&R President has spoken! Grace Williams says these amazing bumper stickers, designed by Jen Wilkins, are available at the Village Office for $12 each or 2 for $20. The ebeach sticker proceeds will fund a beach trash cleanup bucket station, and the eville sticker proceeds will go toward replacing the large bayside doors at the Elberta Life Saving Station.
Speaking of the LSS The Hallowedding of this weekend, October 27, 28, 29 (I really hope the weather is better for them tomorrow) is the first test of the new 3-day rentals. Most of next year’s rentals are already set as three-dayers. This contract period will hopefully mean less work and stress for Mills and DPW with cleaning and turnover. Mills mentioned, without naming any names or identifying details, that certain events at the LSS this year have involved an “excessive” use of marijuana. As in inescapable fogs of smoke and all-but-formally-designated weed zones at some weddings. Rental customers and their guests may need to be reminded in the contract that our park is public property, and it is still illegal to use cannabis on public property in Michigan.
Kayak Launch
The kayak launch extension will be in place for next season.
County Commissioner’s Report
Gary Sauer said the Benzie-Leelanau Health Department had received a $750,000 infrastructure grant to use for remodeling in the Leelanau and Benzie locations and for employees—and the new COVID-19 booster is available. Brownell Road erosion is being repaired. The DNR held a meeting in Benzonia regarding a no-wake ordinance at Grace Road boat launch; astonishingly, jet skis and power boats are being used there. Public comment on that can be submitted till October 28 (sorry I didn’t get this report out sooner). The County is looking at protection from ransomware. The elevator in the government center needs replaced/updated to comply with new regulations, and that will cost, I think he said $1 million; and good news: more and better signage is coming to direct the public around this complex, which is both Kafkaesque and M.C. Escheresque until you get the hang of it.
Frankfort Fire and Rescue — Halloween Safety Tips
You can see Chief Cederholm’s terrific array of detailed reports on our Village website. A sendoff was held for Cadet Rory O’Grady, who is leaving to join the U.S. Air Force. Attendance at the Fall Fest pancake breakfast was slightly down at 127, but funds raised were slightly up at $1,200. The Fire & Safety Millage is up for renewal and increase to 2.5 mils on November 7. I hope you all agree that we are getting tremendous value with this department. Plus, the 2022 Suburban requires a deer-related repair. These, our true first responders, are applying for a tribal grant for an automatic chest-compression machine; a recent incident required personnel to perform chest compressions on a cardiac victim by hand for 15 minutes while waiting for an ambulance. The firefolk were awarded a $40K grant for community relations. October has been Fire Prevention Education Month for elementary school kids, featuring grade-appropriate activities. Trick-or-treating hours on Tuesday in Frankfort are from 5pm to 8 pm, and the department provides some safety advice below. Here’s a great idea for something to hand out besides candy: friendship bracelets and origami bats! If I start now, maybe I’ll be ready for next year.