The Sturgis City Commission will meet Wednesday evening at City Hall (130 N. Ottawa St.) for a regularly scheduled commission meeting at 6 p.m. 

First responder being sworn in

First on the docket will be a presentation for the swearing in of new Sturgis police officer Dillon Ware, and firefighter/EMT Joshua Clark. Ware is currently in the final phase of the Field Training Program and after completing the training process he will be assigned to a midnight shift platoon. Clark has worked for Life Emergency Medical Services, the Grayling Department of Public Safety Fire Department, and most recently the Pride Care Ambulance as an EMT and dispatcher.

Audit report

The second presentation for the evening will be led by Matt Holland of Gabridge & Company and will be in regards to the audit report of the City’s financial performance for the period ending September 30, 2022. 

Taxes & millage discussion

In new business, a public hearing will be held to set the city operating property tax rate, as well as the rate for the Streets/Sidewalks Improvement Millage, which was approved by voters in 2022 for 3.0 mils.

Due to the State of Michigan’s Headlee rollback rule, the highest millage general operating rate the City of Sturgis may consider this year (without a vote of the electorate) is 11.6818. If this rate were adopted, it would generate approximately $345,000.00 in additional revenue over the 2022 tax rate of 10.4623.

A 1% tax administration fee, in addition to the millage rates, is scheduled to be collected on all City tax bills this year. The fee has been authorized and recommended by the State of Michigan to allow communities to recover the costs of tax collection.

Other new business items will include:

• The discussion of hiring another full-time employee to the Wastewater Treatment Plant
• A request to renew the marketing contract with FocalPoint for Sturges-Young Center for the Arts
• A proposal for contracted electrical engineering and consulting services from GRP Engineering
• A determination on planned utility improvements in advance of The Michigan Department of Transportation’s planned upcoming roadwork
• A second reading and approval of amendments to the City Code of Ordinances, as it applies to fences in the Manufacturing zoning district, the number of accessory structures in residential zoning districts, and dumpster enclosures and screening residential uses from non-residential uses.

Beca Welty is a staff writer and columnist for Watershed Voice.