Regular City Council Meeting Minutes, December 8, 2025

CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETINGproposed December 8, 2025 The City Council met to have a Regular Council Meeting at City Hall at 6:30 p.m. 102 Butler St., Saugatuck, MI 49453. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Mayor Anderson at 6:30 p.m. Attendance: Present: Mayor Anderson, Mayor Pro-Tem Clark and Councilmembers Dean, Gardner, Muncey, and Peterson. Absent: Stanton. Motion by Muncey, second by Peterson to excuse councilmember Stanton. Via roll call vote, motion carried 6-0. Others Present: City Manager Cummins, Attorney Witte, Zoning Director Moore, Superintendent Herbert, DPW Admin/Project Coordinator Gibson and Clerk Wolters. Mayor’s Comments: Mayor Anderson expressed her appreciation for the recent holiday parade, highlighting the rich traditions and fun elements of the town, and gave thanks to city staff, the Department of Public Works, organizer, the sheriff, fire district, and all involved in organizing and participating in the event. She reflected on how enjoyable it is to live in a community with such traditions, especially during the beautiful winter days. City Manager Comments: City Manager Ryan Cummins expressed his gratitude for the holiday parade, echoing the mayor’s thanks to all involved, especially the visitors bureau. He provided an update on the initial Maple Street project meeting, confirming it was progressing as planned, with bidding scheduled for midDecember and construction targeted for spring 2026. Ryan also reported on the Mt. Baldhead restroom project, mentioning significant progress on interior work, ongoing delays due to door shipments, and considerations for temporary solutions to keep the facility functional over winter. Additionally, he thanked the Convention Visitors Bureau for their generous $20,000 donation towards expanding holiday lighting and described the efforts made to ensure the town was decorated in time for the holiday season. He thanked DPW Superintendent Herbert and DPW Admin/Project Coordinator Gibson for their coordination with new electrical work for the lighting to get it on and running on time.

Agenda Changes: None. Guest Speakers: None. Public Comment on Agenda Item Only: None. Consent Agenda: Approval of City Council Workshop Minutes from December 3, 2025. Memorandum of Agreement – Fee for Collection of 2026 Summer Taxes. National Geographic Release Form – Oval Beach. Motion by Peterson, second by Dean to approve consent agenda item A, B and C as shown. Via roll call vote, motion carried 5-0. YesAnderson, Clark, Dean, Gardner, Peterson. MunceyAbstain. Staff Reports, Boards, Commissions & Committees: Reports provided by the City Staff and the following board, commission and committee members. Fire District Administration: Dan Fox, representing the fire district administration board, reported on recent fire district activities, including educational outreach on ice safety and address memorization at Douglas Elementary. He shared insights from a major fire up north to a historical hotel, highlighting the importance of equipment like ladder trucks and mutual aid. Fox discussed the growing costs associated with fire district support for special events, noting how expenses differ by event and community and advocating for a clearer policy on cost allocation, particularly for privately organized or high-cost events. He emphasized understanding which event costs are truly incremental and responded to questions about specific event expenses. Fox also acknowledged that statistical reports for November were previously distributed, offering to address any questions on them. Interurban Board: Gregory Muncey reported that Interurban continues to work with the Community on Aging (COA) to provide medical rides for people outside its primary service area, with reimbursement from COA at $37 per hour. He highlighted increased ridership, recent participation in local parades, and ongoing construction for the Interurban building expansion. Muncey also announced that the next Interurban board meeting will likely be held at Douglas City Hall. Kalamazoo Lake Sewer & Water Authority: Mayor Pro Tem Clark noted the board held a special meeting last week and made strong progress on establishing bylaws, which are expected to be ready for a vote at Monday’s meeting. The hiring committee also provided an update: several candidates are now in the pipeline, and the board will go into closed session Monday to review seven or eight resumes received from Frank Walsh. More information will be available after the regular meeting. Kalamazoo Lake Harbor Authority: Councilmember Peterson noted the next meeting is December 9 at 6:00 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals: None.

Historic District Commission: None. Planning Commission: Councilmember Gardner noted the next meeting is December 18 at 6:30 p.m. Parks & Public Works Committee: None. Tri-Community Non-Motorized Trail Study Committee: None. Water Systems Operations Contract Advisory Committee: None. Parking Improvements Task Force Committee: None. Gregory Muncey reported that the parking task force held its initial meeting on October 28, where members discussed project scope, parking issues raised by local businesses and residents, and alternative transportation options. The consultant group Walker developed an online survey to gather community input, which will be reviewed at the next meeting and distributed to the public twice during the study period. Muncey noted that the task force’s work is just beginning and invited participation in the next meeting scheduled for December 9 at 3pm. Approval of Accounts Payable: Motion by Dean, second by Peterson, to approve the accounts payable in the amount of $140,141.49. Upon voice vote, motion carried 6-0. Public Hearing: None. Unfinished Business: None. New Business: Proposal for Planning of Elizabeth Street Improvements.: Motion by Dean, second by Muncey, to approve the proposal submitted by Fleis & Vandenbrink Engineering to assist with Elizabeth Street Improvement Planning in the amount of $32,000. Via roll call vote, motion carried 6-0. Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area - Invasive Species Management, Trail Assessment, and Ecological Evaluation: Motion by Gardner, second by Clark, to approve the proposal submitted by the Outdoor Discovery Center Network in the amount of $38,500 for invasive species management, trail assessment, ecological evaluation, and invasive species survey work. Via roll call vote, motion carried 6-0. Dock Repairs & Maintenance: Motion by Peterson, second by Clark, to waive competitive bidding due to the unique circumstances in the staff memo and approve the proposal submitted by DK Construction Inc. to repair the shopper dock, transient slips, and Willow Park deck in the amount of $33,725.00. Via roll call vote, motion carried 6-0.

Logo and Branding Refresh Project - Formation of a Branding Advisory Committee and Request for Proposals: Motion by Gardner, second by Clark to issue the request for proposals for the logo and branding refresh project, form a Branding Advisory Committee, suspend the Board and Commission Selection Policy for the committee, and appoint Chris Peterson, Lauren Stanton, Ryan Cummins, Tim Straker, and Kristin Armstrong to the committee. Via roll call vote, motion carried 6-0. Inflation Adjustments to Staff Wage Scale: Motion by Clark, second by Gardner to approve a 3% inflation adjustment to grades 2-8 of the staff step and wage scale and a 6% adjustment to grade 1, effective for the pay period starting December 27, 2025. Via roll call vote, motion carried 6-0. Public Comment: None. Closed Session: Motion by Peterson, second by Gardner to move into a closed session pursuant to MCL 15.268(e) to consult with legal counsel regarding trial or settlement strategy regarding a complaint to vacate White Alley, captioned Bradley D. Lidgard and Gabrielle E. Lidgard v. City of Saugatuck (Case No. 25-71294-CH), and pursuant to MCL 15.268(h) to discuss a confidential written legal opinion from the City Attorney. Via roll call vote, motion carried 6-0. Council entered closed session at 7:28 p.m. Motion by Muncey, second by Gardner to go back into open session. Via roll call vote, motion carried 6-0. Council entered open session at 8:34. Correspondence: Brian Elmore. Council Comments: Councilmember Muncey reflected on the recent parade, describing it as great fun while noting that both participation and the parade route were about half of what he remembered from previous years. He offered a special thanks to April and the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) for their contributions in maintaining the tradition. Gregory also shared a personal anecdote about his recent travels to Key West, humorously addressing the common comparison between Saugatuck and Key West. He asserted that Saugatuck stands out as its own unique community, not simply a "Key West of the Midwest," and expressed gratitude for being back home and part of such a special place. Councilmember Dean echoed others’ positive sentiments about the parade, emphasizing his appreciation for the Department of Public Works (DPW), city staff, fire department, sheriff, and

the CVB for their collective efforts in organizing the event. He remarked on the tremendous time everyone had and acknowledged the hard work that went into executing a successful and enjoyable parade for the community. Mayor Pro Tem Clark praised everyone for the parade, specifically highlighting the event’s strong attendance and the overwhelmingly positive reception it received from first-time visitors. He recounted hearing enthusiastic feedback from and expressed his heartfelt thanks to all who contributed to making the parade an outstanding experience. Councilmember Gardner also spoke about the parade, mentioning that this year he decided not to march with the snow shovel brigade and instead rode on the DPW parade truck. Gardner recalled giving shout-outs to people along the parade route and emphasized positive feedback he had received from multiple business owners. He noted that these owners especially appreciated the city council’s efforts to illuminate Water Street with seasonal lights, highlighting the value of council decisions in supporting and beautifying the business community. Councilmember Peterson expressed delight in the parade, she was sorry she missed the event. Adjournment: Motion by Peterson, second by Gardner to adjourn the meeting. Upon voice vote, motion carried unanimously. Mayor Anderson adjourned at 8:38 p.m. Respectfully Submitted ____________________ Jamie Wolters, City Clerk