By John Hummer
Editor
Two seats will be available on the November 3 ballot for Grass Lake Village Council members as reported at the Aug. 18 council meeting.
“Nobody has submitted any paperwork to indicate that they’re running as a write-in candidate for either of those positions,” said Village Manager David Trent.
Councilmember Joel Grimm suggested possibly reducing the size of the council to five members if necessary.
“It’s just something to think about,” he said.
Anyone interested in one of the two seats should contact the village office.
In other business, the council approved the awarding of one component of the village’s water infrastructure projects. Council approved a SCADA system, including hardware for $48,783 and installation for $17,850.
“This is a key component in our improvement to the wellhead system and the communication between the wellhead and the tower,” said Trent, adding that the project also includes the acquisition and installation of several pumps.
The council tabled a decision on a potable water circulation mixer and a cathodic anode protection system until more quotes can be obtained for the installation of both components.
Trent said that all three components fall within the budget parameters outlined several months ago when the village acquired $200,000 in bond proceeds.
In other news, a road construction project is taking place this week in the village from the west end of Michigan Avenue to the east end and North Union Street.
The Jackson County Department of Transportation is working with Michigan Paving to facilitate minimal disruption to the start of the school year, Trent said.
Trent also reported that the Grass Lake Downtown Development Authority is looking into the installation of Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalks from Brown Street north to the Events Park pavilion. He added that additional funding for the project could come from 5 Healthy Towns.
The DDA is also allocating up to $25,000 in grant dollars to help local businesses in Grass Lake address COVID-19 issues.
“Other communities have taken a similar approach to help their small businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19,” said Trent. The DDA approved an application form and identified eligible businesses to receive applications. Trent noted that grants will have a $1,000 cap. “That will hinge on how many businesses apply for a grant,” Trent continued. “We appreciate the DDA stepping up to help support those businesses,” A deadline to return applications has yet to be set.
Village President Joe DeBoe reported that the 5 Healthy Towns initiative will once again be providing $75,000 to Grass Lake for community events and services, including the Grass Lake Events Park, Farmers Market, Project Graduation, the Grass Lake Senior Center, Yoga in the Park, sports trails, the Grass Lake Road Runners, and more.
Dawn Cuddie, Grass Lake chairperson of the initiative, said the group meets the third Monday of each month and approves what is termed “interventions” that meet the tenets of the 5 Healthy Towns initiative. Member towns must attend 50 percent of the meetings to be voting members. She added that new ideas are welcome now for interventions whose funding will be decided in January.
“Kudos to 5 Healthy Towns for helping us out and continuing to bring healthy living [into Grass Lake],” DeBoe said.
He also reported that a car show will be held Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Events Park.
