Regular Meeting (Packet)

The Old Art Building has graciously provided temporary meeting space for the township during the library’s renovation, and I extend my gratitude to Lillian and Sarah for their assistance and for providing a walk-through in advance. We will be utilizing this space for at least the next few months. In terms of the Firefighter Collective Bargaining Agreement, I am optimistic about our ongoing contract discussions with the fire department. Clerk Brookfield and I met with Chief Besson and the department’s bargaining team on January 29 to present the township’s proposal, and again on February 5 to receive their counter. The current contract is set to expire on April 1.

The initial draft of the FY 2025 general budget has been distributed for review. We are scheduled to hold our first general budget workshop this week, with subsequent meetings planned later this month with the sewer, harbor, and fire departments. My goal is to complete the budgeting process by early March. On the topic of sidewalks, I had a teleconference on January 29 with representatives from Gosling Czubak to finalize the construction details for Phase II. This phase, scheduled for May and June, will involve replacing and repairing sidewalks on Grand Avenue, as well as constructing a new stairway from Lake Street to the harbor parking lot along River. The harbor portion of the project will commence first to ensure completion in time for the wine festival. Project information and cost shares were mailed to affected property owners last week.