The Empire Village Council meeting on September 23, 2025, included a public hearing on the No-Wake designation for South Bar Lake, which garnered community support. The council approved multiple motions, including a resolution for the No-Wake designation and several infrastructure projects. Updates on the operational report highlighted upcoming improvements and community events.
Public comments
During the public hearing, several community members, including Marc Oberschulte, Steve Lewis, and Cheryl Clark, expressed their support for the No-Wake designation for South Bar Lake. A supportive letter from Carol and John Peterson was also read aloud. No public comments were made during the regular meeting.
Affordable housing initiatives
(No discussion or data regarding affordable housing was recorded in the meeting minutes.)
Parks and recreation matters
Davis reported on several initiatives, including a Master Plan for improving Shalda Park, which will be discussed at the October Work Session. Chase thanked volunteers for their efforts in cleaning up the park.
Infrastructure projects
The council passed several resolutions regarding infrastructure:
- A motion for the approval of Resolution No. 8 of 2025 concerning the No-Wake designation was approved unanimously.
- Street closures for the Trunk and Treat event were scheduled for Front Street on October 31.
- The DPW was authorized to proceed with repairs to the light house, including a temporary manual repair and a cost investigation for an LDR system.
- Approval was given to contact PowerVac for hydro excavation of ten water curb stops, ensuring timely inspections of service lines.
Other Business
No additional agenda items were discussed outside of the main topics during the meeting.
Financial Summary (if applicable)
The council approved consent agendas including bills totaling $23,898.97. Additionally, a resolution for expenditures regarding the tank vent was ratified with a limit of $3,000 for services from Michigan Pipe and Valve.
Action Items
- The Personnel Committee was directed to hold a meeting to address changes in the personnel policy based on recommendations from the Village Attorney.
- The DPW Superintendent was instructed to schedule a hydro excavation service upon his return from vacation.
- A follow-up regarding the light house assessment and any necessary future repairs is to be conducted next budget year.
Source Document
This summary was AI-generated from the official meeting record. The full source document is the authoritative version.