The Three Rivers City Commission Tuesday held the first of two scheduled public hearings to discuss proposed amendments to the city code that would allow marijuana facilities within city limits as special exception uses, and get further public input on the matter. Following a lengthy discussion and public comments from a handful of citizens, a thin majority of commissioners expressed support for the proposed changes.
Clayton Lyczynski
Three Rivers High School graduate and community organizer Torrey Brown is running as a write-in candidate for At-Large City Commissioner, a seat currently held by incumbent Clayton Lyczynski who is not seeking reelection.
At-Large Three Rivers City Commissioner Clayton Lyczynski will not seek reelection this fall, citing a desire to prioritize time with his daughters who are fast approaching graduation.
Three Rivers City Commissioners Clayton Lyczynski and Alison Haigh questioned whether Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority Chair Andrew George should be reappointed during Tuesday’s commission meeting. Lyczynski cited George’s involvement in a suit filed against the city concerning a petition to place a marijuana ordinance on last November’s ballot, questioning George’s “integrity” and “desire to do what’s best for the city.”
At the tail end of an hour-long Three Rivers City Commission meeting Tuesday, City Manager Joe Bippus announced City Clerk Melissa Bliss had tendered her resignation.
Christmas Around Town, the annual holiday celebration in downtown Three Rivers, took place this past Friday and Saturday with a lighter schedule than normal. Pandemic restrictions issued earlier this month meant curtailing a variety of things, and organizers further trimmed back an already curtailed event. However, there were still activities, and perhaps 200 people came out on Friday evening and Saturday to partake in them.
During the City of Three Rivers’ annual Organizational Meeting Monday evening, City Commissioners approved a measure to sell the former Carnegie Library building to the Carnegie Center for the Arts (CCA) and to excuse the Three Rivers Woman’s Club (TRWC) from any remaining obligations regarding its current lease of the building. Mayor Tom Lowry cast a “no” vote for the sale.
Three Rivers City Commissioners approved a motion Tuesday to proclaim the city as the “Center of the Universe.”
At a regular meeting Tuesday, the Three Rivers City Commission approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding sewer service for the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) dairy in Constantine.
Petitioners and city officials confirmed a lawsuit has been filed against the City of Three Rivers during the regular Three Rivers City Commission meeting on Tuesday.
Following a request by City Attorney J. Patrick O’Malley, Three Rivers City Commissioners voted Monday to retain special counsel regarding two marijuana-related petitions. O’Malley said the firm of Miller Canfield is handling a number of such petitions around the state, which would place permitting marijuana establishments in cities on local November election ballots.
The Three Rivers City Commission passed a resolution Tuesday supporting the sale of the historic former Carnegie Library building at 109 N. Main St. to the Carnegie Center for the Arts (CCA). The resolution is corrected over previously filed versions with an updated legal property description. CCA occupies the building, which adjoins a historic former bank and a newer building that it already owns.
The St. Joseph County Democratic Party (SJCDP) held a candidates’ meet-and-greet event Saturday morning at its headquarters on Portage Street in Three Rivers. Called “Donuts with Dems,” the event featured socially distanced coffee, donuts, and a chance for citizens to meet and speak with local candidates for office. Watershed Voice spoke to some of the event’s organizers and attendees, as well as the three candidates who were present.
At its regular meeting Tuesday, the Three Rivers City Commission passed a resolution in favor of outdoor, café-style sidewalk seating for the Riviera Theatre Bar. The resolution will help the bar obtain a permit from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), which oversees and regulates street and sidewalk obstructions on North Main Street. Outdoor seating will allow the bar to reopen after pandemic restrictions forced it to shut down last week.
Three Rivers City Manager Joe Bippus received 312 out of 350 possible points in his annual evaluation conducted by Three Rivers city commissioners, according to documents obtained by Watershed Voice via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
The City of Three Rivers saw its first-ever Juneteenth celebration Friday at The Huss Project, as widespread awareness of the holiday has grown in recent weeks with a resurgence in racial justice movements. The event drew approximately 90 people.
The Three Rivers City Commission Tuesday voted unanimously to begin a 63-day public comment period for its 2020 Master Plan, which the City of Three Rivers is required to periodically review and update.