Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes from January 12, 2026

CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING - proposed January 12, 2026 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, Peterson and Stanton. Absent: None. Others Present: City Manager Cummins, Zoning Director Moore, Treasurer Bredeweg, DPW Superintendent Herbert, DPW Admin/Project Coordinator Gibson, Attorney Witte and Clerk Wolters. Mayor’s Comments: Mayor Holly Anderson expressed excitement about the two guest speakers (to present on assessing and the city audit), shared positive news about the city’s recent audit with strong financial results, credited both past and present councils for prudent financial resource management. She also previewed a proclamation in honor of David Swan for his environmental service. City Manager Comments: City Manager Ryan Cummins reminded the council about their upcoming strategic planning meeting on Wednesday at the Saugatuck Yacht Club. Cummins reported that department heads would review 2025 accomplishments and ongoing fiscal year priorities, then the group would discuss goals for fiscal years 2026/2027. He also shared that social media influencers Josh and Jace are visiting Saugatuck and showcasing the town, encouraging council members to check out their content for a visitor’s perspective on the community. Agenda Changes: None. Guest Speakers: Ken Berthiaume, the city’s auditor, presented the audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. He reported the audit process went smoothly, with no difficulties or issues, and credited city staff for excellent cooperation and recordkeeping. The audit resulted in a standard, unmodified (clean) opinion, indicating the city’s financial statements fairly represent its financial position. The assessor presentation explained how property values are determined in Saugatuck, Michigan. The assessor described the three primary valuation methods: sales, cost, and income. Because every property must be valued each year, mass appraisal using the cost approach is common. State-published assessor manuals are used to estimate costs, but local Economic Condition Factors (ECF) are also calculated by analyzing local property sales to better reflect market conditions in various neighborhoods.

102 Butler St. ★

PO Box 86

★ (269) 857-2603

www.SaugatuckCity.com