Village of Constantine
Regualr Council Meeting
December 21, 2009
Village Hall 7:30 P.M.

President Weiss called the Regular December 21, 2009 Meeting of the Constantine Village Council to order at 7:30PM at the Village Hall.

ROLL CALL
Present at Roll Call: Trustees Brewer, Brown, Harder, LaFluer, Mathers, Moore and President Weiss. Also present: Manager Honeysett, Treasurer Strawser, Administrative Assistant Lammott and Clerk Strawser. The pledge of allegiance followed Roll Call.

AGENDA
Motion by Brown, Seconded by Mathers, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion passed by affirmation 7- 0.

MINUTES
Motion by Mathers, Seconded by Moore, to approve the Regular December 7, 2009 Meeting minutes as corrected. Motion passed by Roll Call 6 – 0. Voting YES: Brown, Harder, LaFluer, Mathers, Moore and Weiss. ABSTAIN: Brewer.Corrections – Page 1, Last Paragraph & Line – President Weiss entered at 9:50PM. – Change to – President Weiss entered at 9:54PM.Page 3, Paragraph 1, Line 2 – Trustees suggested finding a community comparative to Constantine, preferably within an hour’s drive. – Change to – Trustees suggested finding a community comparative to Constantine, preferably within an hour and a half drive.

NEWSLETTER PRINTING OF MINUTES
Motion by LaFluer, Seconded by Harder, to approve the abridged version of the Regular December 7, 2009 Meeting minutes as amended for printing. Motion passed by affirmation 7 – 0.

PAYMENT OF THE BILLS
Questions were raised on the cost of: squad car repair, computer software support, liability insurance and chain saw repair. President Weiss questioned the cost of attendance and lodging for September’s MML Conference in Kalamazoo (a previously approved bill). Trustee Brown also referred to a policy adopted by the Three Rivers City Commission favoring local businesses for governmental services. Treasurer Strawser pointed out that the Village had not received the Three Rivers sewer bill for two months’ service in time for inclusion with the bills being presented.

Motion by Brown, Seconded by Harder, to approve the bills and make the necessary transfers totaling $102,939.16. Motion passed by Roll Call 7 – 0. Voting YES: Brewer, Brown, Harder, LaFluer, Mathers, Moore and Weiss. Voting NO: none.

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
In response to questions from Treasurer Strawser, Manager Honeysett reported a water line break near the Eastside Elementary School necessitated mutual aid assistance from the White Pigeon DPW and that she was correct in presuming the rental equipment costs, bills yet to be received, would be pricy.

Chief Bedell entered at 7:50PM.

CONSENT AGENDA
Manager Honeysett read the list of meetings he attended in November 2009, expanding on some items as per performance review request:

• Retention meeting with Rexam (for Owens-Illinois) included Michigan Economic Development Corporation and St. Joseph County Economic Development Corporation representatives; the plant manager said despite down sales they do not anticipate any change in operations in the next year.
• Downtown Brainstormers finalized Christmas in Constantine events.
• State Farm Insurance’s Greg Hoover is involved in planning a 5-K and 10-K run on
  May 8, 2010.
  Meeting to review proposals to codify and post ordinances adopted since the last codification.

Police Commissioner Brewer gave a synopsis of the November 2009 Police Department report.

DPW Commissioner Harder gave a synopsis of the November 2009 DPW report. In response to Trustee Harder’s observations, Manager Honeysett said that Byler Electric is working on a proposal to repair the light outside the Village Hall once partially obscured by the recently felled pine.

Fire Commissioner Moore gave a synopsis of the November 2009 Fire Department report. Training was in hydrants and pumping. The department hired three firefighters, one certified, the other two working toward certification.

Motion by Mathers, Seconded by Brewer, to accept and file the Manager’s and Commissioners’ reports as presented. Motion passed by affirmation 7 – 0.

DDA APPOINTMENT
Manager Honeysett said Myra Mathers’ was the only response following a newsletter appeal for volunteers to serve on Village boards and committees, and that he has discussed with President Weiss the need to re-appoint [current] members to the DDA as their term expires. In response to questions, Manager Honeysett said that Myra Mathers would resign her position as [DDA] Incubator Clerk, if necessary, to assume the appointment.

Motion by Brewer, Seconded by Brown, to appoint Myra Mathers to the Downtown Development Authority effective December 21, 2009; term to expire December 21, 2013. Motion passed by Roll Call 7 – 0. Voting YES: Brewer, Brown, Harder, LaFluer, Mathers, Moore and Weiss. Voting NO: none.

OPEN CUT SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT
Morris Excavating reported that de-watering was not necessary on the open-cut work performed in the 100 block of East Water Street, and that cost of the repair was $3,000.00 due to the DPW having extra line available.

CHRISTMAS IN CONSTANTINE UPDATE
Manager Honeysett and the Council expressed their gratitude to the individuals who made Christmas in Constantine hugely successful. The event costs were split between donations from individuals and merchants, and the DDA.

2010 MEETING SCHEDULE
Motion by Mathers, Seconded by Harder, to adopt the 2010 Regular Meeting Schedule as presented - May through September meetings begin at 8:00PM; October through April meetings begin at 7:30PM. Motion passed by affirmation 7 – 0.

SALE OF EQUIPMENT
Manager Honeysett said that upon being approached by the owner of Middlebury Septic for purchase of the grit remover from our defunct sewer treatment facility, he determined its only worth was as scrap; the Village auditor informed him the sale needed Council approval. Motion by Harder, Seconded by Moore, to authorize the sale of the grit remover from the old sewer treatment plant to Middlebury Septic Inc., Bristol, Indiana for $50.00. Motion passed by Roll Call 7 – 0. Voting YES: Brewer, Brown, Harder, LaFluer, Mathers, Moore and Weiss.

CHRISTMAS LUMINARIES
The Village is seeking volunteers to help with the placement, lighting and removal of the Christmas Eve luminaries; disposal of the luminaries is at 7:00AM Christmas Day. Manager Honeysett said that approximately half of the luminaries are now plastic, better able to withstand the weather, with the hope of converting all to plastic containers in the next year.

Adjourned meeting at 8:12PM.

Ruth Strawser
Village Clerk