Whitehall mayor Steven Salter vehemently defended city manager Scott Huebler at the conclusion of Tuesday's city council meeting, stating he is "embarrassed and ashamed" of the council for choosing not to renew Huebler's contract, which expires later this year.
Salter made the comments during the second public comment period of the meeting, outlining Huebler's accomplishments as city manager. He stated that over a third of the city's roads and over 8,000 feet of sidewalk had been replaced in the city during Huebler's over 20-year tenure, with more of each scheduled, and noted the large business expansions that have taken place in that time. He additionally cited that the city routinely receives clean audits, that it's considered a model of financial management in Muskegon County, and that Huebler is well-respected among his colleagues.
"Yet this council has decided Mr. Huebler is unfit to continue to serve," Salter said. "I disagree."
At the end of Salter's comment, he flatly stated, "We're adjourned," as the second public comment period was the last thing on the council agenda.
Earlier in the meeting, the council unanimously approved a rezoning request from the Local Development Finance Authority, with provisions. The LDFA recently split an authority-owned parcel into four separate ones and sold them to local businesses Bob's Roofing, Scheid Heating Plumbing and Cooling, Conrad Machine, and Whitehall Products to allow for expansion, having been approached by one of the businesses about purchasing a parcel for that purpose. The final step of the process was the council rezoning the land from open space to industrial.
After some discussion, the council decided to unanimously approve councilman Scott Brown's request to include a wooded buffer of at least 50 feet so residents who lived across the street would not have their views affected, as well as to require the new building would not have an entrance on Benston Road for the same reason, as three residents of that road had expressed dislike of the idea at a planning commission meeting. Once that provision was added, the council approved the rezoning request.
