By Barb Pert Templeton
The Algonac City Council held their regular bi-monthly meeting on Nov. 19. The meeting lasted just under 30 minutes and all of the officials were present.
Here are a few highlights:
City manager’s report
Algonac City Manager Denice Gerstenberg has a place on each meeting agenda where she updates officials about ongoing projects. At the recent meeting she said the Algonac Activity Center still awaits funding promised from the state before they can award a contract for roofing but the HVAC work has begun. As to the city pool, she said contractors are continuing to work on that project because the weather has been very cooperative. The contractor is currently trying to make a sanitary sewer tap but the line is about 13-feet down and the high water-table is not making it viable to create a tap. They have started to investigate dewatering solutions but the more likely solution is to tap into the manhole at Blauvelt and Dixie Blvd.
Water Service Verification Notices
The Bridge to Bay Trail is a system that extends over 50 miles of shoreline across St. Clair County including along the waterfront in Algonac.
On Oct. 25 EGL notified all communities that all water suppliers must notify customers if their water service lines material is unknown and may contain lead. City Manager Denice Gerstenberg said notifications were sent to 600 plus customers and the notifications will be an annual requirement. Gerstenberg said she knows council members Michael Bembas and Cathy Harris plus Mayor Rocky Gillis got their postcards over the weekend.
“We had to scramble very quickly as well as other communities across the state also had too,” she said. “And notifications were mailed out to 600 residents.”
The postcards residents received was originally three pages long so the city condescend it down, maybe not far enough Gerstenberg said, but it was condensed down as far as they could. Mayor Rocky Gillis asked if the residents can verify their lines through the water department.
“They can and they can call the water department for further details if they have any questions,” Gerstenberg said.
Amendment to fire ordinance
An amendment to Chapter 20 Fire Prevention and Protection, an existing ordinance and to Article IV Fireworks to add Section 60 entitled: Remittance of Fine to Enforcing Agency, was approved by the council. The city attorney recently noticed that the existing ordinance did not include statutorily- required language that would require the District Court to reimburse the first $500 or a $1,000 fine imposed to the issuing agency. In this case, the St. Clair County Sherrif’s Department, would be the agency should any tickets be written. Without the inclusion of the new language the court would keep the entirety of any fine imposed. The council unanimously approved the amendment to the Article IV Fireworks.
Bridge to Bay kiosks approved
The council approved the purchase of two kiosks and one panel for the Bridge to Bay Trail.
The Bridge to Bay Trail is a system that extends over 50 miles of shoreline across St. Clair County. In 2022 Friend of the St. Clair Watershed received a grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation to support the purchase of kiosks and signs for 14 of the Bridge to Bay communities.
The City of Algonac will be installing two blue roofed kiosks, one by Seafarers and one at Lions Field by the bike path and one wall mounted panel by the former chamber of commerce building by the boat ramp. Two-thirds of the kiosks and panel are funded by the grant. The original estimated cost of this project was $21,850 but the final costs would now be $17,353, with a grant share of $11,568 and a city share of $5,785. The city portion was budget for in the 2023-2024 budget.
Mayor Rocky Gillis said he’s seen similar kiosks installed in St. Clair and he’s pretty excited to see the nautical kiosks in his own community.
“It’s good for tourism and anything we can do is a plus,” Gillis said.
