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Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024
The White Lake Mirror

Whitehall city council approves committee to aid Playhouse in revenue generation

WHITEHALL — After much discussion and public comment, the Whitehall city council tabled a request from The Playhouse at White Lake for a $100,000 loan atTuesday's regular meeting, moving instead to create a temporary committee to explore ways to help the Playhouse generate more revenue.
The committee, according to the motion made by councilwoman Tanya Cabala, will include representatives from both the Playhouse and the city. Most council members, and several public commenters, were in agreement that the Playhouse provides a "public good" and should be supported by the city, but the council decided against the loan, which would've called for annual repayments by the end of June each year and a 5% interest rate. It was noted during council discussion that the Playhouse received a loan in the past that ended up being partially forgiven by the city.
According to the board packet, the Playhouse has a current negative cash balance of over $76,000, which led to its request for the loan. Councilman Tom Ziemer claimed that the Playhouse has been managed poorly, though city manager Scott Huebler disputed this characterization and said staff there are dedicated and hardworking.
Cabala added during discussion that outside experts could be consulted to help the planned committee, and it would explore some potential funding sources and partnerships. She cited the need for a "well thought-out plan" to help all parties involved make "well-informed decisions."
The entire public comment period, which preceded the council's decision, revolved around the potential loan.  Seven of the nine commenters supported the loan, though one, Pitkin owner Ryan Briegel, felt oversight was necessary, leading to the discussion about a committee. One commenter, Frank Bednarek, said he was co-chair of the Friends of the Playhouse nonprofit, leading Put 'n Store owner Elie Ghazal to comment he was unaware of such an organization and believes the Playhouse could raise more funds if more people were made aware of it.
Also Tuesday, the council approved by a 6-1 vote the purchase of a 2024 model police interceptor from Emergency Services of Muskegon at a cost  of $46,760, about a third of which will be covered by the insurance check for the totaled vehicle it will replace. Councilman Scott Brown dissented and attempted to broach the possibility of either purchasing a less expensive older vehicle or letting the police department get by with three cruisers instead of four. Police chief Roger Squiers and the  rest of the council balked at these suggestions, and Squiers said if the department had three cruisers and one became unavailable, it would be in a bind. He added that older cruisers would run up the city's repair bill.
The council set a Dec. 10 public hearing to consider a tax abatement request from Howmet Aerospace, which is planning a 111,500 square foot expansion to its building. The company said the expansion will cost $100 million and will create 300 new full-time jobs.
The council also accepted the results of an audit made by Matthew Vredeveld from Vredeveld Heafner of the city's finances. Vredeveld said it was a "good clean audit" and no discrepancies were found, noting the city saw revenue increases due to increased home values and higher interest rates yielding more investment returns than in past years.