001[Music] We're calling the meeting in order. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance and the invocation following. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Dear God, please bless our elected officials. Grant them the wisdom to know and the courage to do what is right for all citizens. Amen. Amen. Amen. Roll call, please. Allan here. Leaffor here. Mavich here. Ricks here. Schultz here. Warren here. Yellen here. Good to see everybody here tonight. Uh we need approval of the minutes from the regular council meeting of June 2nd. Is there a motion? I'll make the motion. Motion been made and supported. Is there any discussion on those minutes? Being not. All in favor of
002the motion signify by saying I. Against. Motion does pass. We move on to audience comments on any non-aggenda items. If you'd like to address council, we ask that you come to the podium. Uh, state your name and address. Uh, and you've got three minutes. We have a big meeting tonight. Thank you so much. My name is Lisa Bosa. My address is 34647 Wisteria and Swan Creek. I just wanted to come here and introduce myself. I've been a resident here for 6 and a half years. Uh about a year ago, I started a nonprofit called Compassionate Wings, and I help those that are unhoused, uh new to recovery, um and in the students in all of our districts in Mcome County. I just kind of wanted to introduce myself. I'm going to be having some fundraisers
003up at the Odd. Um I'm working with Lisa to get those scheduled and I just wanted to say hello. Well, hello. Thank you. And thank you. Thank you. Anybody else like to address the council at this time? We will move on. Adoption of agenda. Mr. City Manager. Any changes? No changes. City council. Any changes? Motion to accept the agenda as presented would be in order. I'll make the motion. Support. Most been made in support. Any discussion? Being not. All in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. Motion does pass. Is there a motion for the consent agenda? Make a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. Support. Motion been made and supported. There's no discussion according to our rules. All in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. Against. Motion
004does pass. We now have a public hearing for the consideration of adoption of the fiscal year 202526 budget. We need a motion to open that hearing. I'll make a motion to open the public hearing on the proposed f fiscal year 2025 2026 budget at 7:02 p.m. been made and support. Is there any discussion? Being not, all in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. Against. Motion does pass. The public hearing is open. Mr. City Manager. Uh the total city budget is 12.8 million including a 5.6 million general fund budget. The city council held three budget workshop meetings in April and May to review the budget and the proposed uh budget reflects the modifications made by city council during those uh workshops. The budget calls for a tax levy of 155039 mills for general
005operating purposes which includes funding from TIFFA and the general fund equal to a set aside of 1.17 mills for street improvements. The city does not currently levy any mills for debt. Uh the city will also levy a 1% administration fee on all tax collections and a flat fee of $232.76 annually per collection unit for refuse, yard waste, and curbside recycling services. Thank you. We open it to the floor. If anybody would like to speak to this, you guys want more money for your departments or anything, now would be the time. Okay, we move on. Mark, are your prices going up at all this year? Should we Well, they should, but for now, no. Okay. All right. Well, thank you, sir. Been a while since I've been here, so I don't think I should show up
006later, not for a while, and then ask for money. So, thank you very much, though. We appre appreciate that from our city attorney. Thank you very much. If there's no other public comments, motion to close would be in order. I'll make a motion to close the public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2025 2026 budget at 7:04 p.m. been made and supported. Is there any discussion? All in favor of the motion signify by saying I against. Motion does pass. Now we move on to our first item for consideration which we have six this evening. The first one being consideration of adoption of resolution 2025-4, approval of the fiscal year 202526 budget. Mr. City Manager, uh, as mentioned during the public hearing, uh, the, uh, city council and administration met several times in April and May
007to work on the city budget. Uh, our total funds uh, equal 12.8 million and there's a $5.6 million general fund budget. Um the resolution before you tonight that adopts the budget also uh sets the millage rate at 15.5039 mills which is the same uh mill rate as last year. We did not have a header roll back this year. Um, and the resolution also adopts the uh six-year uh capital outlay plan, the 2025 through 2031 uh capital improvement plan where we uh try and forecast major capital improvements uh in the coming six years. So, thank you sir. Is there a motion? I'll make a motion to adopt resolution number 2025-4 which adopts the city of Richmond physical 2025 2026 budget appropriates the necessary funds for each fund of the city. Adopts the 2025 to 2031 capital
008outlay program. Directs the levy of taxes fees for municipal purposes. Directs the preparation of the tax role and collection of taxes. Support. Motion been made and support. any discussion on this? Uh for public's knowledge, uh this city council along with the administration and every single director of every department met three different times uh to scrutinize the budget, which we've done for a number of years now. And um we're not uh those of us that are sitting here are not experts uh on budgeting, but we've gotten close because we've been uh over the years we've learned a lot about uh proper budgeting and looking into the future. Um so I want to take this opportunity to again thank the council for taking out their personal time uh to attend more meetings than what we normally would
009uh at any time of the year. This is something that we really put a lot of time and work into. Uh and this pretty much sets the tone for the next year. So um you know again I think we came up with a great budget. If everything remains the same uh again I take the opportunity uh amongst villages and cities when it comes to homestead uh property taxes. We are the second lowest in Mcome County. I'd like we just need to tell people more and more we we give a lot of services for the the tax money that we bring in and um we're constantly hearing from uh those people that uh look at our funds each year in in the audit who do many many other communities uh telling us that we uh have
010done a great job of utilizing what we do have here. So that's thanks to the administration and and uh Angel with the iron fist over there. our treasure and uh John and the rest of your your group and city council for going through line by line on this uh item. So, um we take this very seriously because it does set the tone for the rest of the year and we all live here and we all pay taxes. Some people think we don't pay taxes for some reason. We all pay taxes. So, um we we watch the money very closely. So, is there any other comments on this? Is there any audience comments on this? back to the table. All in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. Against. Motion does pass. Item number
011two is consideration approving fiscal year 202526 fee schedule. Mr. City Manager, council is scheduled to consider adopting the fiscal year 2025 through 2026 city fee schedule. Uh our fiscal year budget starts July 1st and ends June 30th. So each year after we adopt the budget, we then followed up with uh any fee schedule changes uh per the charter. Uh and so uh this year we have uh some changes in the police department uh mainly wording there. Uh the recreation department uh due to all the new uh minimum wage laws. There's some increases to camp and and the uh swim lessons uh as well as last year uh or the year before the council and rec board did set the rental rates for the odd that last year got inadvertently left off the city fee schedule.
012So, they're in there. uh the sewer service we we did change uh the summer sewer discount and then uh a slight uh change in water rates of only uh 9 cents per thousand gallons. So those are all the fee schedules changes that we have. Thank you. Is there a motion before discussion? I'll make a motion to approve the city of Richmond fiscal year 2025 to 2026 fech schedule as presented by the city manager. support. What's been made in support? Discussion uh the odd uh fees since uh somehow that didn't get put on the fee schedule. They didn't change. No, they didn't change. It was just we were adding them in from what council had previously approved. Okay. Okay. That was my We had talked about some some minor changes, but since we have not reviewed
013those, that'd be like a next year change. Yeah. Okay. Very good. Any other questions or comments? Any audience questions or comments on this? Back to the table. All in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. Against. Motion does pass. We move on to item number three, consideration of special event requests from the moose. Mr. City Manager Council is scheduled to consider a special event request from the Richmond Moose Lodge number 2575 to erect a 10x 20 uh tent to be set up in the back along the uh Lane Street Rideway, the undeveloped Lane Street Rideway that runs behind the Moose Lodge uh for a small wedding on Saturday, June 21st. Uh it was mentioned before the meeting that uh we accidentally put a 20 x 20 tent when it's actually 10 by 20.
014So, thank you. Uh, President MCO, would you like to address city? I'm Tammy Msco, president of the Richmond Moose Lodge. Better? Yeah. So, they can hear you at home, Tammy. They can't hear you at home unless you speak into the microphone. Thank you. I'm Tammy Msco, president of the Richmond Moose Lodge, 2575. It's located at 68230 Grand Trunk Avenue. We are having a small micro wedding, our first wedding at the Moose Lodge and uh approximately 50 to 60 people. We only um have um per fireaw room for 50 people in the back room. So, we're putting a tent that should support another 20 people. Um it is 10 by 20. It is on the Lane Street easement and we have been told that it is better to ask permission than beg forgiveness. So, we are
015asking permission. The tent will be put up by Friday afternoon and taken down Sunday evening and at the very latest Monday morning which would be the 22nd 23rd at the latest. Depends on the uh volunteers that we have and the availability but but at the very latest Monday morning the plan is to have it down Sunday afternoon. Very good. Is there a motion? I'll make a motion to approve the special event request from Richmond Moose Lodge to allow for the placement of a 10 by 20 tent partially into the lane Lane Lane Street right ofway on Friday, June 20th until Sunday, June 22nd. Support motion made and supported. Tammy, uh, does anybody have any questions of Tammy on this? You're good. Thank you all so much for your time. Thank you. take my grace and
016thank you for coming in and doing this because it is much better to let us know. I just I get happy to see y'all again. Merry summer. Have a great wedding. Thank you. I'm excited. Any audience participation on this item? Back to the table. All in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. Against. Motion does pass. Item number four, consideration of special event request from the Lois Wagner Memorial Library. Mr. City Manager, City Council is scheduled to consider a special event request for a mobile food vendor from the Lois Wagner Memorial Library to have one mobile food vendor, the Kona Ice Truck, on Thursday, July 31st from 1:00 p.m. to 2 p.m. uh as part of their end of the year party for their uh summer reading program. Uh council has previously approved
017this same request in the last few years. Thank you. Julianne, would you like to address this? Sure. Uh this is I think the fifth year um we've been doing this and the kids really love it. We had over a 100 finishers last year. So we always hope to, you know, increase those numbers and this is a a big motivator for them. So um and it's made possible by the friends and pretty much everyone who supports uh our sales throughout the year. So, this is uh what we get to do with that. So, good. Good. Is there a motion? I'll make a motion to approve the special event request for the mobile food vendor from the Lois Wagner Memorial Library to have Kona Ice Truck on Thursday, July 31st from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. for
018the summer reading program party. Support. Motion made and supported. Any discussion on this item? As stated, this has been a number of years uh that they've done this. Any audience participation participation on this? Chief is uh you guys going over there and get your ice cream or Yeah. Yeah. I figured I saw him putting on his calendar while we were talking about back to the table. All in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I against. Motion does pass. Okay. Item number five is consideration of screw press procurement. Mr. City Manager, council is scheduled to consider approving the purchase of a screw press for the wastewater treatment plant that is part of our EPA funding. The 2526 budget that was just approved uh includes funding for the installation of the screw press uh at
019the treatment plant. Um the uh lead time on the uh piece of equipment is considerable and so even though we just approved this and we haven't started our new budget, uh Jim has come to request that we approve this purchase uh so that we can get it ordered. I believe even even by getting it ordered now, it's still not going to be until uh likely April of next year. So, but we want to get that ordered as soon as possible. And Jim is here if you have questions. Jim, you like to add to that at all? Uh, so the the screw press is uh at the wastewater plant our solids byproduct if you will. We we most of the influent uh water liquid and that gets gets sent out and we store the rest. So
020we we currently have liquid sludge that we call it that we land apply. We also take some to a landfill. We've p the council's authorized purchase of those geo bags or geo tubes in the past. This is a third option which is intended to become our primary option. So the screw press dewaters that sludge which when it comes to the end of the treatment train is still significantly water. It's a you know 98% water. So this would reduce that water content drastically allow us to store it and then either dispose of it. uh initially will be the intention is at a landfill but it's again cheaper to haul solids than water. So that'll still reduce how much we take to a landfill but ultimately it may become classified where it doesn't have to go to
021landfill and so that'll further reduce our costs at the plant. So, this is a significant investment, but it uh we've run into issues with trying to dispose of these solids through land applica just cuz um things have changed our standards requirements at at the state and then also finding fields that we can that are willing to allow us to apply this. So, this is a a good uh change a good improvement to the wastewater plant for the long term and it will ultimately pay for itself. Of course, we have significant amount of grant money to do this, but even without the grant money, this would be a fairly quick turnaround based on our estimation of cost savings annually. So, very good. Thank you. Is there a motion? I'll make a motion to authorize the purchase
022of a screw press polymer blending unit and screw conveyor from Huber Technology Incorporated in amount of $495,000 with the expense charge the appropriate line item wastewater treatment equipment replacement fund. Motion made and supported. Any discussion on this item? I just wanted to uh remind the residents uh I've said in the past that um the plant is constantly needing maintenance uh upkeep and then improvements. Um so we don't have to do it all at one time. So we do this each year spending money to uh maintain it. And this is a great improvement that's going to pay for itself. Yep. Um, did I read some place that uh I'm not seeing it right now, but I thought I read some place where other communities are using the same uh so system Mount Clemens uh is has
023installed this same manufacturer screw press this unit or actually two of them and a little larger because they're bigger community but uh this is definitely becoming uh popular I'll say but there's quite a few communities in Michigan that have you that currently use this process. Good. Good. So, it's time tested somewhat. Yeah, for sure. Okay, great. Great. Any other comments, questions? Any audience participation in this item? Back to the table. All in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. Against. Motion does pass. Moving on. Last item is uh consideration establishing the quarterly workshop meeting date. Mr. City Manager Council is being asked to schedule its quarterly roundtable meeting date for July. The quarterly roundt provides the opportunity for the council to discuss specific areas of concern and detail in a workshop format without
024taking formal action on those matters. Roundt meetings are normally scheduled for the months of January, April, July, and October. Uh, one thing that you may want to consider when uh, scheduling this, uh, we normally do it the second meeting in July due to, uh, the Fourth of July holiday. Um, but the, uh, July and August meetings uh, for the city council have been moved forward to 6:00. So often our roundt meetings start at 5:30. That council may want to consider that. That may not be a lot of time to start discussions and then break for the regular meeting. We may want to consider just scheduling it for after the regular meeting if we do that same night. Thank you. Uh would council like to drop uh our rules and discuss this before a motion is
025made. Yes. Yes. Consensus. Okay. So, how's that 21st work for everybody? Okay, that sounds good. Right now, it works. So, works good. Would you like to uh do it following the meeting uh on the 21st? That sound good? Yeah. The the only question I had is I think we had an item that was postponed until that same night because we were going to potentially talk about that at the workshop the the item. Yeah. So, I don't know. Okay. Maybe we should start at 1:30. Or do we mo postpone that item till the first August meeting if we wanted to I see what you're saying. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've got you now. That's kind of what we Yes. talked to the Yeah. We talked about that we would have a decision at that time and
026I don't know but I thought we were Yeah. We wanted to look at that overall um having you know animals in the city and try to Yeah. Yeah. We could still do it. I just think we'd have to then makes sense to move that then to the August meeting. Mhm. Or else we potentially try to meet before the 21st on a off day. Yeah. But we could always do that possibly. Why don't we check with the administration, see if that's possible to do that uh where we would talk on just that subject um in a workshop setting after a regular meeting. Would you have time? Um, that would be the July 7th meeting, I believe. So, yeah. Okay. Because there was some issues there. There's some issues there. I was kind of planning on the
027timing here. Um, or a special we can date. I don't know. We we can try for the 7th. If it's not, then uh we can always call for a meeting before that 21st if you come up with the information. Council's pretty fluid as far as getting together on a another non, you know, Monday night. We we will definitely try our best to have it ready for the 7th and I think we can. I just Yep. if that's what it takes. Um otherwise, the 21st following the regular council meeting. Yep. Okay. that mayor the the 14th um prior to the off Monday Mhm. do the workshop and everything on that Monday. We could we could it's up to you guys. Good for everybody. I would like to see it on that on the 14th at 5:30.
028Yeah. Yeah. It's good for me. Make that work. Everybody's good with that. Mhm. No. Okay. Let's uh have a motion to that effect. Okay. I'll make a motion to schedule a special quarterly round table meeting of the city council on July 14th at 5:30. Must been made and supported. Any discussion on this? Any audience participation on this? This will be a workshop. It is open to the public. It'll be held right here at city hall at 5:30 on the 14th. Be talking about many different things uh including uh the request for uh animals other than birds in the city limits. All in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. Motion does pass. Okay, we move on to misc matters from the city manager. Sir, uh just the uh city parking lot was striped
029this morning. Uh last week it got uh the asphalt all put down. Uh the fencing uh the masonry columns are done. We're just waiting for uh the limestone caps and then they'll install the metal uh fencing panels in between after the caps are in. So uh wrapping that project up. Uh Oak and Prep did get the base course all paved so uh much easier to drive down those streets. Uh they'll eventually be adjusting manholes and doing the wearing course in the future. Uh the end of this month uh they are uh the contractors intended to come in and begin the main street water man replacement. Very good. Thank you, sir. Um council comments. Uh Michael, uh nothing tonight. Thank you. Yes, nothing. Jimmy just said the parking lot looks beautiful. It does, doesn't it? It
030truly does. Yeah. Yeah. Did a fine job. Emily, nothing tonight. Thank you, John. Nothing. Nick, all set. Congratulations, Richmond uh Blue Devils girls softball, winning the state championship. I talked to John. We will be uh uh inviting them here at our next regular meeting on the 7th uh to uh uh congratulate them uh and uh they did a great job. Uh worked very hard to get where they were. Uh team came together from what I was told at the right time and uh that uh that has a lot to do with the coaching there at uh Richmond. So uh congratulations to everybody that was involved with that championship. Um, all go to the calendar here. Where are we at? Uh, well, I got myself in July here already. Uh, it's coming soon enough. We have
031a TIFFA meeting on the 25th here at city hall at 7:00. The historical society will be having their annual uh festival on the 28th and the 29th. That's Saturday and Sunday. And that again is located uh at the uh historical society's uh area there in Bailey Park across from BB Park. Um Tuesday, July 1st at 7:00 will be the recreation board meeting. And of course uh the city hall library and community center will be uh closed on the 4th of July which falls on Friday. And they will be closed both Friday and Saturday, reopening on Monday. Uh the next regular city council meeting is going to be held on the 7th and the start time for the summer will be 6:00 right here at city hall. Is there anything else that we had to add
032to the calendar at this time? Okay, we move on. Uh we do have a closed session. We need a motion to go into that closed session. I'll make a motion to convene into close session in accordance with section 8C of the Michigan Open Meetings Act public act 267 of 1976 as amended for strategy and negotiation sessions connected with the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement as requested by administration support motion made and supported any discussion on that being not roll call please Mr. Ravich, yes. Yellanic, yes. Allan, yes. Ricks, yes. Schultz, yes. Leapor, yes. Warren, yes. Motion does pass. We'll take a 5m minute break before we go into close session. We need a need a motion here to move back into open session. Do we have one? I'll make a motion to reconvene into
033open session. Support. Motion been made and supported. Any discussion on the motion? Do not. All in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. Against. Motion does pass. We're back in open session. We move on to um other business. The first one being approval of tenative agreement with the teamsters. Mr. City Manager, uh we have reached a tenative agreement that we went over uh with the Teamsters Local 214 uh that uh represents our DPW and clerical staff at the uh library and city hall. Thank you. Is there a motion before discussion? I'll make a motion to approve the tenative agreement with the Teamsters Local 214 signed on June 4th, 2025. Support been made and supported. Is there any discussion on this item? Just like to thank administration uh in working with uh the Teamster
034employees and the Teamster employees too for having a a good uh negotiation uh with our administration. We appreciate everything uh that came out. It's a fair contract uh as council's looked at it this evening and um we're very happy that uh we were able to get that taken care of uh before the next contract is up. So yeah um thank you to your administration John. You're welcome. Thank you. Any other discussion being not all in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. Against. Motion does pass. We also have approval of nonaffiliated raises also. Is there a motion? I'll make a motion to provide the same raise to the full-time, non-affffiliated, and permanent part-time employees as approved for the team for fiscal year 2025 2026. Support motion been made and supported. Any discussion on
035this item? This is almost like a meto. Some people realize what metos are. It's it's it's kind of like a me too when we negotiate uh with uh our employees. We feel it's only fair to give our administrative uh department directors whatnot the same type of uh contract. So yeah, it's been past practice for department directors to be tied to the teamsters. Yeah, it's worked well and uh I think it's very fair. Uh any other comments on this? Being not. All in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. against motion does pass. Uh motion to adjourn be in order. I'll make a motion to adjurnn. Support. All all in support of the adjournment motion say I against motion does pass. We are adjourned. Thanks for being with us. [Music]