Where Your Taxes Go 2010
June 7, 2010
The attachment will reveal where and how your local tax dollars are distributed. Where Your Taxes Go – 2010
For those who might be interested in running for village council, I have prepared a Orientation document to help understand the workings of local government. This document is available in hard copy only and can be picked up at the Elk Rapids Governmental Center at 315 Bridge Street.
Federal Stimulus Fund Survey
May 25, 2010
See the attached recent U of M survey on local government and federal stimulus funding. mpps-fiscal-stimulus[1]
Governmental Budgeting in a Recession
April 6, 2010
BWD Spring 2010 – Governmental Budgeting in a Recession Printed with permission of Stephen Blann. Good, short article on governmental budgeting in this economy.
Public Hearing on Application for Funding from MDNR Trust Fund for Lake Michigan Beach Access Improvment Project
March 11, 2010
On Monday, March 15th at 7 pm the Elk Rapids Village Council will hold a public hearing and receive comments on a Application for the Lake Michigan Beach Access Improvements Project. No. 1 Full Site ViewNo. 2 Close in view park area
Learn more about state revenue sharing and other governmental functions through these Michigan Nunicipal League videos.
Public Meetings
January 22, 2010
Two important public meetings have been scheduled by the Village Council. One meeting is for the purpose of receiving comment on the proposed village budget for the year starting March 1, 2010. On January 25th the Village Council will hold a work session to discuss the budget as proposed by the Village Manager. Generally the public is not allowed to participate but is encouraged to attend. Please see the attachment for a schedule of the public hearing. At these hearings village council will discuss the millage to be levied next year.
The second notice is for a Community Work Session. The Harbor commission and Downtown Development Authority are working together on a project titled “Dam Beach Universal Access Project”. The site takes in the entire Dam Beach area. Last year the Downtown Development Authority applied to a Natural Resource grant for a smaller portion of this project, but the grant was denied.
Please try to attend these meetings as the result dictates the quality of life we can anticipate for our community.
Budget Summary 2010-2011
January 4, 2010
Attached is a budget summary (preliminary) for the Village Budget of March 1, 2010 through February 28, 2011. This budget was put together with the help of village staff and commissions and council. After a preliminary budget for sent to the me, I then made adjustments as I felt were necessary and based on previous direction by the Council. The Village Council in January will review and discuss the budget, and, most likely make several changes. In February the Council will hold two public hearings on the budget and at the second meeting in February they will approve a budget. During the budget process the Village Council will consider what millage rate levy. Should you wish, a copy of the entire budget is available at the governmental center. The governmental center is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. Your comments are encouraged.
Sewer Rate Increase
December 17, 2009
At the next Village Council meeting, Monday, December 21st, a resolution will appear before the council for a second reading to increase sanitary sewer rates. The proposal is to raise the base bill charge by $4 per month staring with the January billing. This $4 increase will be used initially to fund removal of heavy sludge deposits from two sewage lagoons next spring. The estimated cost for the sludge removal is $135,000. The year after next, one of the dikes will be repaired and another lagoon will have its slidge removed at an estimated cost of $70,000. Future cost to be incurred is the reduction of inflow and infiltration into the sewer system. During high ground water events we experience a lot of clean water flowing into the sanitary sewer system through bad pipe joints and broken pipes. This leakage limits the amount of sewage we can treat and is costly. There is also a cost increase of .05 per 1,000 gallons. This increase will cover annual increases in cost of operation.
Tidbits
December 9, 2009
HARBOR COMMISSION: With the economic outlook for the state not looking to improve in the near future, the Harbor Commission will not be bringing the conceptual expansion plan to the Village Council at this time. The Harbor Commission will continue to evaluate and discuss the various options of the plans during the upcoming months and determine what is going to be best for the Harbor and the Village; the Harbor Commisson will keep the Village Council informed.
BEAUTIFICATION COMMISSION: If there is a tree on your property that you want to trim or remove and there might be a question that it could be i the Village right-of-way or on Village property, please call teh village Department of Public Works Superintendent before you do anything.
A two month report from Antrim County revealed that the Elk Rapids recycling site was the leading site for the county in number of pulls for the months of October and November. Elk Rapids had 26 pulls out of a total of 73 in the county that included seven other site combined. It was estimated the Village site recycled over 11,000 pound during this period.
River Street Project
December 8, 2009
The River Street project near completion. While there are several changes to the design of River Street the most dramatic will be “reverse angle parking”. This parking scheme will be a change for most all of us, and it will take some getting use to. Next spring the Department of Public Works will install signs provide for directions on “how to” park. The police department will monitor the parking, and issue warnings for a period of time before issuing any tickets. It will be important for all of us to give this new parking scheme a chance. One of the primary reasons for considering this type of parking is to provide for the safety of park users, as loading and unloading from the rear of a vehicle is much safer from the sidewalk side then from street side. As the spring and summer progresses, and you have some time to use the parking, I am certain the village council would like to hear thoughts.
