City Council Minutes

CITY OF GRANDVILLE

REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2007

The Grandville City Council Regular Meeting of March 12, 2007 was called to order by Mayor James Buck at 7:02 p.m.

The City Clerk called the roll. Present were Council Members Randal Gelderloos, Steve Maas, Carole Pettijohn, Stan Ponstein, Joe Sierawski and Mayor James Buck. Absent: Council Members Ken Gates.

Also attending: Matthew Butts, Assistant to the City Manager; Thomas Guinther, Treasurer/Finance Director; Randy Kraker, City Attorney; Ken Krombeen, City Manager; Mary Meines, City Clerk; and Vern Snyder, Police Chief.

Rev. Dave Balicki, Grandville/Jenison Congregational Church, gave the invocation; and was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Motion made by Council Member Maas, supported by Council Member Ponstein, to approve the amended March 12, 2007 agenda as provided. The motion was APPROVED.

Motion made by Council Member Ponstein, supported by Council Member Pettijohn, to waive the reading of the minutes of the Regular Meeting of February 26, 2007 and to approve as presented. The motion was APPROVED.

Motion made by Council Member Pettijohn, supported by Council Member Maas, that Fiscal Year 2006-2007 bills totaling $271,060.59 presented by the City Manager, be allowed and authorize the Treasurer to pay the same. The motion was unanimously APPROVED by roll call vote.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Comments regarding the Downtown Streetscape Project were made by:

- Cal Matthysse, 4145 Chicago Dr., stated the downtown merchants and the DDA want the streetscape project to improve Grandville. Concerns regarding financing, traffic, and on-street parking are issues that have been addressed by the DDA with the downtown merchants. The DDA is asking City Council to work toward accomplishing the project. He pointed out the Chicago Dr. property owners have been paying tax money for DDA improvements since the DDA was formed.

- Gene LaSarge, 4130 Grandview Terrace, supports the DDA and what they are proposing. He recommended the advantages of the project be publicized.

- Dennis Engels, 4031 Chicago Dr., supports the project and trusts the City Council and the people who are engineering the project. It is important to get started as soon as possible.

- Rick Mellema, Royal Securities, 4095 Chicago Dr., feels the project would make the downtown corridor more pedestrian friendly to support retail and destination traffic. Traffic would be slower bringing people to a downtown destination instead of just traveling thru to another destination.

- Brian Stoffer, 3891 Macrace, spoke from a citizen’s viewpoint and feels the project would be a wonderful thing for Grandville and would help property values.

- Heath Jurgens, 4015-21 Chicago Dr., thanked the City for what has been done to the downtown in the past and is in favor of the proposed streetscape. He feels it will bring new merchants into the downtown.

- Joel Baar, one of the owners of the Grandville State Bank Building, hopes the DDA and City Council will work together.

- Steve Jurgens, 4015 Chicago Dr., has seen downtown Grandville change and businesses leave. He would like to make the downtown more pedestrian friendly and bring more businesses in.

- Ken Noorman, 3085 Dixie, feels the project is critical to the success of the downtown Grandville. The City should take the recommendations of consultants and return Chicago Dr. to a local street providing on-street parking and making downtown Grandville businesses thrive. He also pointed out that the dollars that the DDA spends are generated by tax payers within the DDA boundaries.

- Sandy La Blanc, 3796 Blackhawk, supports the downtown merchants and the DDA; and would like to see small hometown businesses in the downtown.

Council Members are concerned how the traffic flow be handled with fewer lanes and asked the DDA for clarification of the project to the general public.

Scott Edwards, from Carlin, Edwards, Brown & Howe; Ed Garcia, Managing Partner in the Grandville Texas Roadhouse; Dan Mitchel, Marketing Partner; and David Obar, Real Estate Development gave a presentation for a Texas Roadhouse restaurant hoping to locate on property at Canal and 44^th Street. Texas Roadhouse, Inc. is a publicly-traded corporation with 242 restaurants in 43 states - 8 of these restaurants are located in Michigan. The estimated cost of putting up the restaurant locally is $1.7 million; and they are entering into a 15 year lease with the property owner. They have purchased the liquor license from Midway Motor Lodge in Kentwood and are requesting approval of the transfer to Grandville. Mr. Mitchel highlighted some of the more specific characteristics of Texas Roadhouse restaurants including theme, food from scratch, managing partners and indicated they do get involved in the community. They propose to construct a 7,200 square foot restaurant that seats 239 people. The representatives responded to Council questions.

CONSENT AGENDA

Items presented under the Consent Agenda included:

Reports: Police (quarterly), Fire/EMS (February), Treasurer’s (February)
Minutes: Library (February 22)
Proclamation: 95^th Anniversary of Girl Scouts
Set Public Hearings: Padnos Iron & Metal - IFT Certificate (March 26 @ 7:15 pm)

Grandville Printing - IFT Certificate (March 26 @ 7:20 pm)

Set Public Hearing: 2007 MDNR Trust Fund Grant Application

Buck Creek Trail Connection to Kent Trails (March 26 @ 7:30 pm)

Authorization: Waiver and Consent - 2001 Personal Property Taxes
Miscellaneous Purchase Orders and Requests:

a. Library: Displayer Slatwall

Gaylord Bros. Inc. - $1,552.14

Motion made by Council Member Maas, supported by Council Member Sierawski, to approve the Consent Agenda as presented in the best interest of the City. The motion was unanimously APPROVED by roll call vote.

CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Motion made by Council Member Maas, supported by Council Member Pettijohn, to excuse Council Member Ken Gates. The motion was APPROVED.

COMMENTS

Comments were made regarding:

· Sidewalk memo

· Recognition was given to Ken Krombeen for donating blood

· Address complaint from 30^th St. business owner

· Budget work session on March 19 at 6:00 pm

ADJOURNMENT

Motion made by Council Member Maas, supported by Council Member Gelderloos, to adjourn at 8:31 p.m. The motion was APPROVED.

Mary L. Meines

City Clerk