Approval of Workshop Meeting Minutes for May 7, 2025

CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES May 7, 2025 The City Council met for a Workshop Meeting at 4:00 p.m. City Hall 102 Butler St., Saugatuck, MI 49453. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Mayor Anderson at 4:00 p.m. Attendance: Present: Mayor Anderson, Mayor Pro-Tem Stanton and Councilmembers Clark, Dean, Gardner, Muncey and Peterson. Absent: None. Others Present: DPW Superintendent Herbert, Attorney Witte, Clerk Wolters. Guest Speakers: None. Public Comment on Agenda Items Only: Dan Sheridan commented on item #6a. Nancy Kimble commented on item #6a. Jim Sellman commented on item #6a. Jim Bouck commented on item #6a. Karen Sheridan commented on item #6a. Laura Zangara commented on item #6d. Approval of Minutes, Regular City council Meeting Minutes – April 28, 2025: Peterson noted on page #6 to change “he” to “she” twice. Motion by Stanton, second by Muncey to approve the regular city council meeting minutes from April 28, 2025. Via voice vote, motion carried unanimously. Discussion Items: Streetlight Removal Request – Spear Street: DPW Superintendent Scott Herbert explained that the issue with the streetlight on Spear Street began when a resident reported an outage to Consumers Energy. Once Consumers fixed it, they replaced the old light with a much brighter LED version. This created concerns among neighbors. Herbert noted that this was the first streetlight removal request he’d dealt with and took time to research the origin of the light, discovering it had been city-ordered years ago. After gathering 102 Butler St. ★

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feedback, he sought a compromise by requesting a directional shroud from Consumers, but it was never installed by Consumers. He also confirmed that the current LED is the lowest wattage available. Because there is no clear city policy on streetlight removal, Herbert presented the issue to council for their input and direction. Council discussed and the topic will be voted on at the next regular meeting. Replication of the Chain Ferry Arbors: Scott Herbert explained that the iconic Saugatuck chain ferry is in need of significant repair and outlined a multi-phase plan to restore it carefully and respectfully. • Phase 1 (Underway): Focused on short-term safety to ensure the ferry is operational this summer. The DPW removed the decking, identified minor structural repairs (which they completed), and is now pressure washing and applying a non-slip surface to the deck, as requested by the ferry operator, Star of Saugatuck. • Phase 2 (Planned): Involves replacing the two arbor arches. After struggling to find a suitable fabricator, DPW contracted with Diversified Welding of Holland. The proposal includes replicating the current design using more durable 3/16-inch angle iron at the base and applying a marinegrade epoxy coating to prevent rust—totaling $17,000. • Phase 3 (Future): Will address the ferry's ramp structures, which currently appear to be makeshift or improvised. The goal is to develop a more intentional and functional design with the help of Fleis & Vandenbrink to reflect the ferry’s historic and aesthetic value. Herbert concluded by opening the floor for questions and discussion from council. Addendum to Trash Services Agreement: Republic Services has proposed a flat-fee pricing structure for waste hauling at the Department of Public Works and Oval Beach, by incorporating these services into the city’s existing residential singlehauler agreement. This integration is intended to improve pricing stability and predictability. • 30-Yard Dumpster: $480 flat rate per haul • Recycle Roll-off Dumpsters: $385 flat rate per haul • Four 95/96-Gallon Recycle Carts (bi-weekly): $25 per month Oval Beach Services: • 2-Yard Dumpster (weekly service): $185 flat rate per week Annual Price Adjustments: • Starting January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. • Rates will increase by the greater of: o The CPI Index for Water, Sewer, Trash (12-month July change), or o 4.5% The council discussed and the item will be voted on at the next regular meeting. Special Event Request – Street Closure for Wedding on Main Street: A request was submitted to close down Main Street for a period of 6 hours on June 21, 2025. The council discussed and a safety meeting will be held, and the item will be returned to a future regular meeting for vote.

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Front-End Loader Replacement: DPW Superintendent Scott Herbert addressed the need to replace the department's 1999 CAT frontend loader, which has over 9,000 hours of use and is showing significant signs of wear. It’s vital to operations such as brush and leaf collection and preparing Oval Beach for summer. • A repair quote from CAT for critical wear components (bushings, springs, etc.) came in at $16,000, but considering the machine’s age and usage, a replacement is more cost-effective long-term. • Several demo models were tested: o CAT 938 (direct replacement) o Volvo L90H o Hyundai HL940 Staff unanimously preferred the CAT 938 due to its performance and features. • After evaluating lease vs. purchase, outright purchase was deemed the best value, with rockbottom pricing secured through the state machine program. • This is a budgeted item, and funds are available in the Motor Pool Fund. The department is ready to proceed, pending council input. Mayor Pro-Tem Stanton left the meeting at 5:02 p.m. Public Comments: Dan Sheridan commented on the streetlight on Spear Street topic. Correspondence: None. Council Comments: • Councilmember Gardner is looking forward to the warm weather. • Councilmember Dean informed all of the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee meeting right after the council workshop. • Wished all a Happy Mother’s Day and he will be working hard to fulfill all the orders at Back to the Fuchsia Flower Shop. • Councilmember Clark enjoyed is interested in continuing the discussion on street lighting and re-visiting the dark sky topic. • Mayor Anderson thanked DPW Scott Herbert for filling in for City Manager Cummins. Adjournment: Motion by Peterson, second by Dean to adjourn the meeting. Upon voice vote, motion carried unanimously. Mayor Anderson adjourned the meeting at 5:06 p.m. Respectfully Submitted ____________________ Jamie Wolters, City Clerk

102 Butler St. ★

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