WHITEHALL — The Whitehall city council unanimously approved its
senior millage allocation of $17,245 at its regular Tuesday meeting,
though not without discussion regarding the Viking Athletic Center.
According
to council discussion, the allocation will no longer cover costs for
seniors who wish to walk at the VAC, a decision made because survey
results did not show that as a high priority for a large enough
percentage of seniors. Council member Scott Brown, who was on the
committee that made the recommendation, said it was unable to procure
numbers on the actual usage of the VAC, only who was registered there.
The
allocation will be distributed thus: $9,000 to White Lake Community
Education, $4,800 to the White Lake Senior Center, $2,445 to AgeWell
Services and $1,000 to the city. Council member Tanya Cabala
complimented the committee on its work and praised its focus on
combating social isolation among seniors and Meals on Wheels, both of
which are part of the AgeWell portion of the allocation.
The
council also unanimously approved a contract with Double Haul Solutions
for its Strong Start package to identify Scott Huebler's successor as
city manager (Huebler will retire in August). The contract will pay up
to $21,495 for services that will include support in identifying
candidates, 12 months of executive coaching for the successful
candidate, and a 24-month guarantee which will allow the city to procure
Double Haul's services again at no additional cost should the next city
manager not last at least 2 years in the position.
Mayor
Steven Salter was the last to vote and remarked that he felt the vote
should be unanimous given the importance of the city manager position,
but did not seem to be in favor of Double Haul or the additional $6,000
for the Strong Start package over its standard package. The rest of the
council, though, expressed support for the expenditure, noting the
24-month guarantee (the standard package offered six) and the 12 months
of executive coaching (three in the standard package). Council member
Tom Ziemer felt the package would help make it a smooth transition, and
Scott Brown said he felt it would be "money well spent." Huebler added
that in his experience, the region's city managers and county
administrators are a very supportive group and would also be a resource
for the next manager.
The council heard a presentation from
Amber Marks, a local resident who pitched the possibility of a community
garden. The concept has grown in popularity nationwide and would
establish an area in which produce would be grown by community members,
with the food usable by residents as well as, should participants choose
to donate, local food banks. Marks outlined how plots could be
allocated within the garden and communal maintenance procedures that
would be followed, and she also suggested several possible places such a
garden could go.
Marks' presentation was a starting point, as
no specific requests were made of the city. The council appeared
supportive of the idea, with Cabala suggesting a smaller pilot project
to test the concept out before launching a full-size garden. The council
also suggested other potential sites for the garden and organizations
with which Marks could partner to help get it going, such as the Dirt
Dauber club or the Montague school FFA group. Marks said she could
propose what the garden's budget might look like at a future meeting,
and Salter replied that the council could consider that in coming budget
discussions.
The council briefly discussed tourism, as Debi
Hillebrand stated she's asked the Visit Muskegon group to speak with the
council. "We
don't want to be a Grand Haven or a Traverse City," Hillebrand said,
but tourism is part of a healthy Whitehall. That led to a tangent about
short-term rentals, an issue that may come up in a future work session.
Currently there's no limit to the practice in Whitehall, but those who
participate are supposed to register with the city, which Salter is
skeptical is happening. Cabala added that it's a housing issue as well.
Salter's
recent Washington, D.C. visit as part of the Great Lakes Task Force was
discussed, with the council asking if the mayor's joining it had cost
the city money. Huebler said the city was given a no-cost membership for
the first year and that the council could explore the value of paying
for one in the future. Cabala said she remembers when that organization
was formed and is in favor of its mission of Great Lakes preservation.
