By Barb Pert Templeton
The most recent meeting of the Algonac City Council on Oct. 15 had a light agenda and was 28 minutes in length. Council members Dawn Davey and Dale Williams were absent from the meeting.
Here are some highlights:
Shelton honored for service
Mayor Pro Tem Raymond Martin honored Roger Shelton with an Algonac Asset Award for the many years he served the residents of the city as a member of the Algonac Fire Department. Shelton began his fire career with the Clay Township Fire Department in August, 1987. He later joined the Algonac Fire Department on February 6, 1995. Over the years, Shelton served as Fire Fighter/EMT, Sergeant and Engineer. He is also a member of Downriver Goodfellows and the Algonac VFW Post 3901. After 37 years of dedicated service, Shelton hung up his helmet for the last time on September 3, 2024. A post on the City of Algonac Government and Community Service Facebook page stated: “The significant contributions he has given to the residents of the city for so many years are greatly appreciated, and will never be forgotten.”
Algonac resident and now retired fire fighter Roger Shelton was given a large plaque with a giant ax and his name engraved on it after stepping down from the department after 37 years.
“We are proud to call you one of our own and congratulations on your retirement,” Martin said. “Thank you for all you’ve done, spending time, thank you Roger.”
The Algonac Fire Department presented Shelton with a large plaque with a big ax attached to it and also thanked him for his dedication to the department.
“I’d like to thank Roger Shelton for his time and effort on behalf of the citizens of Algonac to keep us safe so thank you Roger,” Martin added.
“I would also like to give a big congratulations to Roger Shelton his retirement is well deserved and his dedication is well noted,” Mayor Rocky Gillis added. “Thirty-seven years of getting up in the middle of the night to serve this community that’s a long time and you’ve got to give a lot of respect to our firemen that do that.”
City manager updates council on projects
A regular agenda item at council meetings is a section that has Algonac City Manager Denice Gerstenberg updating officials on recent projects. She said the old Algonac Elementary School has received several bids for the roof, the windows and the demolition work but the city is still awaiting the funding agreement from the state. As to the city pool, the city has received a work order from Detroit Edison and that work should be done during the winter months. The city has submitted a pool permit to the state of Michigan and are waiting for it to come in too.
Update on Algonac State Park
City Manager Denice Gerstenberg said she fields lots of questions about the status of the Algonac State Park so she decided to provide a brief update. She said the $4.1 million project to install full hookup sites and repaving of the roads is ongoing. The park’s day use area will be closed through October and the Riverfront Campground will not reopen until March 22, 2025. The Wagon Wheel modern campground will be closed until May 15, 2025.
Meter reading software approved
The Algonac City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6 p.m.
Members of the city council approved a new one-year contract with Ferguson for 360 Neptune meter reading software utilized throughout the city. A request to renew the contract was made by Water Plan Supervisor Joshua Stewart who, in a memo to officials, noted that the city has 1,870 meters and they are charged an annual fee based on the number of meters installed. The cost for the contract, which will run from Sept. 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2025, was $3,517.
Appointments to library board okayed
Two appointments to the Algonac Library Board were approved by the city council at its recent meeting. Annette Seestedt will serve a partial-term that will end on Oct. 1, 2025. Debra Scruggs was reappointed to serve a new term that will expire on Oct. 1, 2027. Councilman Michael Bembas stated that in the future he would like to talk to the people the council is appointing to the various boards and commissions. “I want to make sure we’re doing our due diligence, not a slam against anybody, but in order to keep this council and the city as professional as possible I just want to see what the person thinks of the position and where they see this taking the board they’re going to be on; I would ask in the future if we could do that, please.” Mayor Rocky Gillis said Bembas’ request is duly noted.
Next council meeting set for Weds. Nov. 6
The next regular meeting of the Algonac City Council will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 6 due to the Tuesday, Nov. 5 general election in the city. Mayor Rocky Gillis said the Nov. 6 meeting will be the last with the current council members and then an organizational meeting with the new council members (elected on Nov. 5) will be on Monday, Nov. 11 when the mayor and mayor pro tem will be selected.
