MONTAGUE — The Montague city council voted Monday to change the mayoral term from two years to four. The official resolution will be distributed to Montague residents prior to the September election.
A Montague citizen spoke during public comment, sharing a personal story about her family moving here in 2020 and her neighbor’s dog killing their family dog. She said that recently her family adopted a new puppy and the same dog attacked the puppy. She said police are aware and have been involved, and there have been 12 citations involving dangerous dog behavior with these neighbors. She said the neighbor has been asked multiple times to keep their dog in their yard and they have failed to do so.
She stated the city currently does not have any official ordinances on dangerous dogs and she hopes by sharing her story, the council will change this. She also said she and other neighbors are very concerned about the small children who hang around their road, and them being injured by this dog.
City Manager Jeff Auch said he has talked with the city attorney and they are actively trying to find a resolution that fits within state law.
Councilwoman Laura LaGuire said she has received complaints from Montague citizens about the boat ramp being closed at 5 p.m. on a holiday due to the fireworks the evening on July 4. Currently the fireworks are launched from the Montague boat launch ramp and are enjoyed by both White Lake municipalities, along with four other surrounding communities. Auch suggested the White Lake Fireworks Committee agree to continue this until July 4, 2026, ensuring fireworks for the 250th anniversary of the United States, but look at different launch sites after that. This gives the committee two years to discuss and come up with an alternative location to launch the fireworks.
Montague Branch Library announced they now have a laptop kiosk, consisting of six laptops. Any library member can check out a laptop for three days. They are loaded with cellular data, allowing users to take them anywhere they want without needing to be connected to the internet. Training is available for anyone who requests it.
