At Monday's meeting Council heard presentations from applicants for the vacant seat, continued the discussion on the Griffith road closure, among other matters.
With the election of Councilmember Price to the Michigan House, there is a vacant seat on Council. On Wednesday, November 30, the Vacancy Ad Hoc Committee met to score the 12 applicants for the seat. Based on those results, the following six were invited to make a presentation to city council:
- Clarence Black
- Michael Dooley
- Erick McDonald
- Jacob Robinson
- Stacey Stevens
- Maria Ward
Mr. Robinson removed himself from consideration. The remaining five spoke. Council took no action but will make their final selection at their December 19 meeting.
Council discussed the use of parking spaces for outdoor dining and retail and the closure of streets like Griffith at 12 Mile. A $300 permit fee per month through April 30, 2023 was approved, at which time the special outdoor use will expire. This is now open to any business. This discussion will continue on if and how these outdoor dining and retail options might be made permanent.
The Tree Board presented the results of their Urban Tree Canopy Study identifying parts of the city in need of more trees and their recommendations. Berkley already has more tree coverage than most of its peers, but is aiming to do more.
Electric Vehicle chargers for four vehicles were approved for installation at the library. These are the first high speed chargers in the city. They will be available for free use to start with, but that will be re-evaluated in the future.
Council made the final approval of new ordinances on Short Term Rentals, Land Grading Standards, and the Downtown Design Guidelines.
The Berkley American Legion spoke about the many programs and services they provide in the city and the surrounding area. Several members were recognized for their good works.
Next year is Berkley's centennial of incorporation as a Village. Some things being considered to celebrate this include: historic plaques for the Historic Firehall, Angell Elementary, and Pattengill Elementary; a tour of Berkley's Kit Homes; a time capsule; a 100th anniversary magazine delivered to every home; affordable plaques for homes with the year they were built, and maybe even fireworks for Berkley Days.
Read the full agenda and meeting packet.