Held at Sparta Township Chambers, 160 East Division, Sparta MI

VILLAGE OF SPARTA

COUNCILBUSINESS SESSION OF JULY 10, 2017, 7:00 PM

Held at Sparta Township Chambers, 160 East Division, Sparta MI

1-2.The meeting was called to order by President Kristi Dougan at 7:00 pm followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

3. Roll Call: Council persons Gale Taylor,Robert Whalen, Brenda Braybrook, Betty VanPatten, Jayne Paasch, Christine Robinson, Kristi Dougan.

Also Present: Village Manager Julius Suchy, DPW Supervisor Dennis Brinks,Police Chief Andrew Milanowski, Village Engineer Brian Vilmont and Kevin Koster from Prein & Newhof.

4.Additions or corrections to Business and Consent Agendas:

Consent Agenda:

a. Approve Regular Village Council Meeting Minutes of June 12, 2017

b. Accept Regular Downtown DevelopmentAuthority Minutes of June 13, 2017

c. Accept Regular Fire Board Minutes of June 15, 2017

d. Accept Regular SRA Board Minutes of May 4, 2017

e. Accept Regular SRA Board Minutes of June 1, 2017

5.Approval of Consent AND Business Agendas:

Moved by Paasch, supported by Whalen, to approve Business and Consent Agendas. Motion carried 7-0.

6.Public Comment for Agenda Items:

Please note: This Public Comment portion of themeeting is reserved for comment on agenda items.

7.Public Hearing - None

8.Old Business -None

9.New Business:

a. Consider Recommendation from Prein & Newhof to approve Clay Street Change

Order #1 for increase of $17,156.11 and Clay Street Payment Application #1 to

Nagel Construction for the amount of $211,450.11.

Engineer Kevin Koster explained that the change order was a balancing change order

and was due to sanitary replacement on Martindale and a structure that was deeper

than anticipated.

Moved by Whalen, approved by VanPatten, toapprove from Prein & Newhof Clay

Street Change Order #1 for increase of $17,156.11 and Clay Street Payment

Application #1 to Nagel Construction for the amount of $211,450.11.

Motion carried 7-0.

b. Award Sidewalk Replacement Bid to AAA Concrete Construction for an amount not to

exceed $38,514.

Moved by Robinson, approved by Braybrook, to award Sidewalk Replacement Bid to

AAA Concrete Construction for an amount not to exceed $38,514.

Motion carried 7-0.

c. Award Rogers Park Fence Bid to Cedar Springs Fence LLC for an amount not to

exceed $5,840.

Moved by Paasch, approved by Robinson, to award Rogers Park Fence Bid to Cedar

Springs Fence LLC for an amount not to exceed $5,840. Motion carried 7-0.

d. Schedule Special Council Meeting to tour Waste Water Treatment Plant & Water

Plant.

The Council will tour Waste Water Treatment Plant and Water Plant on Thursday,

July 13th at 6:00 p.m. Everyone will be meeting at the Water Plant.

e. S. Union Chain Link Fence Discussion.

Councilmembers reviewed a memo from DPW Supervisor Dennis Brinks and

discussed removing the chain link fence on South Union St by East Spartan Drive.

The Council agreed with the concerns that the DPW has raised and agreed that it

needs to be removed. Some of the justification for removal of the fence is listed

below:

• Some GPS systems still route, or give directions to get to those houses to the north by driving on East Spartan drive then through the fence to reach the destination. When the driver approaches the fence they must figure out an alternative route. How frustrating.
• What happens if an ambulance is directed this way for a serious medical call and is blocked by a fence? What a huge life safety concern. Or the same thing for other safety calls or mutual aid calls like county sheriff, state police, or surrounding fire stations?
• Local utilities must also struggle with this same issue. Phone, Cable, Gas, Electric, Garbage services. Even contracted lawn care. With larger vehicles like a truck and trailer or a garbage truck, the vehicle and equipment needs to back in from a side street (which can’t be safe) to get to the fenced off area because there is no room to turn around.

• The DPW struggles with the fence often. Especially during snow plowing, brush pick up and leaf pick up. We cannot turn our large trucks on what is now a dead end. We need to either back all the way in, or use a private drive way and hope not to crack the cement by pulling into it to turn around.
• Sparta Area Schools has also asked on multiple occasions if the fence could be removed which would improve traffic flow and eliminate confusion.

Village Manager Suchy has spoken with MDOT and Kent County Road

Commission and was told, it’s the Village’s road – remove the fence or not, it’s

up to you. The Village will notify the residents in the surrounding area of the date

the fence is to be removed and the justification for removal.

10.Committee Reports

11.Village Manager Report

12. Communications:

a. Infrastructure Alternatives Moyno Sludge Pump Replacement Project Report

b. Infrastructure Alternatives Influent Pump #1 Replacement Project Report

c. GVMC Infrastructure Commission Update

13.Payment of Bills:

Approval of Accounts Payable and Fund Transfers.

Moved by VanPatten, supported by Paasch,to approve Accounts Payable and Fund Transfers. Motion carried 7-0.

14.Public Comment:

15.Executive Session - None

16.Council Member Announcements

17.Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned by President Dougan at 8:24p.m. by executive privilege.

Pam Buchanan

Sparta Village Clerk