In a 6-3 vote at a special meeting Monday, the commission appointed Frank Perez as mayor for the next year. Incumbent mayor Jeff Mullins, who served for two years, received three votes after nominations closed.
City of Sturgis
The Sturgis City Commission welcomed its newest member Wednesday with a swearing-in ceremony, and two change order requests related to the Sturgis hydro-electric dam near Centreville and the city’s public utilities station were approved.
Sturgis Hospital, Inc. was able to finalize the terms of its acquisition by Asker Corporation, including a management agreement and financial support of the hospital. That agreement will be in place until the acquisition can be approved by the Michigan Attorney General’s office.
The Sturgis City Commission appointed a new member to its ranks, and were updated on the potential sale of Sturgis Hospital during its regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday.
The Sturgis City Commission had a full plate of agenda items Wednesday, hearing a report on underground contamination cleanup progress and reopening the door on a proposed affordable housing apartment complex.
Jamie Eymer, the Sturges-Young Center for the Arts’ event coordinator since June 2022, was hired to the director’s position after the departure of Sheila Bolda in July, effective September 25. Also, an update on Sturgis Hospital.
The fifth annual Sturgis BBQ Fest is slated for Saturday, September 30 in downtown Sturgis with 10 grill/pit masters scheduled to compete. Festivities will take place from noon to 7 p.m. along North and John Streets, and will include live music, several food vendors, kids activities, a beard contest, a corn hole tournament, and of course, live college football on the big screen.
A series of meetings were held Monday in Sturgis, starting with a special Sturgis Commission meeting at 10 a.m., to guide the city through the initial process of authorize a letter of agreement between the Asker Corporation, the city and the hospital, with a $3 million purchase offer.
The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department recently completed a several months long narcotics investigation that culminated in the execution of three search warrants, and resulted in the seizure of hundreds of grams of meth, as well as cocaine, LSD, and other drugs in Sturgis.
A Sturgis city commissioner plans to step down next month, and the next step in the process to open an extreme weather center was greenlit Wednesday by the Sturgis City Commission.
The Sturgis City Commission will hold a second reading for the Extreme Weather Center (EWC) on Wednesday evening during a regularly scheduled meeting. For eight months a local Sturgis group has worked to organize and assemble a location for individuals in need during extreme temperatures, and have faced challenges with zoning, building, and fire codes.
The Sturgis Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is bringing a cool way to beat the heat with the first-ever Dog Days of Summer tonight in downtown Sturgis. Festivities for the evening will include a classic car cruise-in, hot dog eating competition, community dog show, and a showing of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
The Sturgis City Commission will meet Wednesday evening at city hall (130 N. Ottawa St.) for a regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. Items on the agenda for the evening will include an approval of an electric rate plan for utility rates, as well as an adoption of the 2023-2024 fiscal year budget.
The Sturgis City Commission Wednesday voted to have city staff develop a proposed ordinance and corresponding ballot language concerning urban chickens within city limits. The decision of whether to allow urban chickens in Sturgis will likely be placed in the hands of city residents in August 2024.
The Sturgis City Commission will meet Wednesday evening at city hall (130 N. Ottawa St.) for a regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. One of the topics to be discussed will be the first reading of a proposed urban chickens ordinance.
The Sturgis Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is hosting the second annual MI Art Fest today, Friday, July 14 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event promises to showcase the work of local artists in the community, and will also feature a classic car cruise-in, 25 art vendors, art demonstrations, and a color walk.
The Sturgis City Commission provided “forward momentum” Wednesday by voting to approve the development of an agreement between Sturgis Hospital and a potential buyer. The current outstanding debt service on bonds issued by the City of Sturgis for improvements to the hospital stands at $8,567,631.25, which is being considered in any deal the hospital might make. The hospital has had extensive negotiations with Asker Corp. and “minimal” discussions with a second, unnamed potential purchaser.
Following weeks of financial struggles, Sturgis Hospital Interim CEO Jeremy Gump spoke to the Sturgis City Commission Wednesday to provide an update on hospital operations, as well as the process of finding an organization to acquire the hospital. Though the hospital continues to function tenuously day-to-day, Gump indicated time is running out for the facility.