Plymouth City Council Acts on Ordinance to Vacate Allen Street

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

An ordinance to vacate Allen Street came before the Plymouth City Council on second and third reading when they met Monday evening. City Attorney Sean Surrisi told council members that some changes were made to the ordinance since the first reading.

Surrisi said one revision was cleaning up a street referenced from the last vacation they did that was used as a starting point for this ordinance. He said the memorandum of understanding that will be signed by all involved parties was also revised.

The request to vacate Allen Street first arose during a city council meeting in October of last year. According to meeting minutes, owners of Milten Properties LLC, Dr. Tod Stillson and James Stone came before the council, requesting that Allen Street, which runs from Jefferson Street behind Dr. Stillson’s current office, be vacated and have ownership passed over to them since they were putting their own money into maintenance. Continue reading →

Revisions to 2018 Salary Ordinance Result in Plymouth City Council Approval

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The ordinance fixing the 2018 salaries of appointed officers and employees, as well as fire and police personnel of the City of Plymouth, was recently up for approval by the Plymouth City Council.

The salary ordinance has been a topic of concern since the end of August, when the initial proposal was rejected. A committee was formed in order to review and work on the ordinance to come up with a more suitable solution. The revisions were presented at the City Council meeting Monday evening.

The committee consisted of Council members Shiloh Fonseca, Bill Walters and Don Ecker Jr. They worked with Clerk-Treasurer Jeanine Xaver and Emyle Kruyer-Collins from Human Resources discussing alternative options and looking into the survey that was provided by the city’s consultants Waggoner, Irwin, Scheele and Associates. Continue reading →

Plymouth City Council Approves Tax Abatement for American Containers

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

When the Plymouth City Council met last night, they held a public hearing over the American Containers, Inc tax abatement. No public comments were provided so the hearing was adjourned.

During a previous meeting, the council acted on the resolution approving the location in which American Containers, Inc is positioned to be within an area designated as a Economic Revitalization Area making the company eligible for potential tax abatement.

Last night the council took the second step in the expansion process by holding the public hearing and approving the seven-year, phase in, real and personal property tax abatement.
Continue reading →

Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety & Plymouth City Council Meetings Tonight

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety and the City Council meet tonight to discuss matters impacting the community. The Board of Public Works and Safety meeting will start first at 6 p.m.

Agenda items include a request from the utility superintendent about a water main extension at State Road 17 and W. Lake Avenue as well as an executive order from the city attorney regarding 408 Pierce Street.

Other requests consist of the Chamber of Commerce seeking permission to continue with downtown trick-or-treating this year and a temporary street closing by John Montgomery. The Mayor’s Youth Council will provide a request about the “Adopt a Street” project.

The City Council will convene at 6:30 p.m. or immediately following the adjournment of the Board of Public Works and Safety meeting. Continue reading →

Plymouth Airport Manager Addresses Hazard Regarding Geese

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

Plymouth Airport Manager Bill Sheley asked the city council this week for an exception in its firearm laws in order to address the hazards geese pose at the airport.

He noted that the birds cause a serious danger to aircraft due to the possibility of a mid-air collision. Sheley said the airport has maintained a federal migratory bird depredation permit for several years. The permit allows the airport manager to eliminate the threat of geese. Sheley said he is unable to take any geese as the airport is in the city limits and there is an ordinance regulating the discharge of firearms in the city limits.

Continue reading →

Urban Chicken Ownership Request Submitted to Plymouth City Council

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

The Plymouth City Council received a request to allow urban chickens on properties within the city limits.

The current city ordinance prohibits chickens in city limits.

City Attorney Sean Surrisi said there were some property owners years ago who housed chickens on their property and the ordinance had to be enforced. It was then when a similar request came before the council, but several residents complained about having them in the city.

Continue reading →

Plymouth City Council Approves Building Lease

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
Plymouth City Building

The Plymouth City Council discussed a lease in order to house the mayor’s office and the clerk-treasurer’s office while the city building renovation project is in progress.

City Attorney Sean Surrisi explained that the offices were going to stay in the city building during the project. However, during a pre-construction meeting with the contractors it was felt that moving the offices would be the most effective way to get the project done in a timely manner.

Continue reading →

Plymouth BOW, City Council to Meet Tonight at Alternate Location

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety will open quotes for a crack seal project and discuss the final change order for the Plymouth-Goshen Trail water main extension project when they meet tonight. They will also approve a resolution regarding Halloween and designating surplus property for sale at auction. The members will also receive an update on the Fourway computer product tower equipment.

The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety will meet at 6 p.m.

Continue reading →

Renovation Causes Relocation of City Meetings

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
Plymouth City Building

The renovation of the Plymouth City Building on Michigan Street is set to begin soon. Once the state approves the paperwork, environmental testing will start.

The renovation project will prompt the relocation of city meetings. The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety and the Plymouth City Council meetings will be held at the Plymouth Fire Department Training Classroom beginning Sept. 11. Those attending are asked to use the entrance on the south side of the Plymouth Fire Department building at 111 N. Center Street.

Continue reading →

Plymouth City Council Approves Two Ordinances, Resolution

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

The Plymouth City Council members did approve two ordinances and a resolution on Monday night.

An ordinance to annex approximately one acre into the City of Plymouth was unanimously approved on second and third readings. The Weir family is annexing a portion of their property on Lake Avenue into the city in order to put all of the parcels into the city limits. The eastern portion of the property is in the county’s jurisdiction. The family hopes to sell the house that’s on the property and use the rest of the property for a proposed daycare facility.

Continue reading →

Municipal Excise Surtax, Wheel Tax Ordinance Dies

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

A proposed ordinance that would help raise revenue for the construction and rehabilitation of roads and streets within the City of Plymouth died for a lack of a motion Monday night.

The Plymouth City Council members held a public hearing on a municipal excise surtax and municipal wheel tax ordinance earlier this month and called a first reading on the ordinance. The ordinance was up for second reading during a specially-called meeting last week during budget discussions. It was tabled and brought up for discussion on Monday night.

Continue reading →

Plymouth BOW/Council to Meet Tonight

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
Plymouth City Building

The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety members are anticipated to award a proposal for a short term lease at 220 N. Center Street when they meet tonight. They also plan to discuss a resolution that authorizes the transfer of equipment from the clerk-treasurer’s office to the wastewater utility and transferring equipment to the Plymouth Park Department. In addition, a few requests for street closures and a stop sign will be before the governing body.

Continue reading →

Supportive Housing Project Proposed for Plymouth

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

A proposed permanent supportive housing project could become a reality in Plymouth.

Compliance and Quality Assurance Manager for The Bradley Company Mary Gibson told the Plymouth City Council that the focus is to stop the cycle of homelessness.

“The Plymouth Supportive Housing is considered long-term housing which ties in support services to homeless households so that they can be successfully independent,” said Gibson. “Without the support services, the same households that we’ve housed will go back and cycle through homelessness.”

Continue reading →

Plymouth City Council Discusses Salary Ordinance

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

The Plymouth City Council discussed the proposed 2018 salary ordinance in a special session Monday night.

The ordinance was presented by Emily Kruyer-Collins who works as Human Relations for the City of Plymouth. It details the salaries requested for department heads and employees as given in a salary survey by employee and supervisor input. Supervisors and managers were then given that information to validate the information.

Continue reading →

Plymouth City Council to Meet in Special Session Tonight

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
Plymouth City Building

The Plymouth City Council will meet in special session tonight.

The members will discuss an ordinance regarding a municipal motor vehicle license excise surtax and a municipal wheel tax. The ordinance was called as first reading during the council’s regular session on Monday, Aug. 14. The ordinance would help gather funds for the construction and rehabilitation of roads and streets. It was suggested that implementing a wheel tax could take some relief off of other line items in the budget to help with other General Fund needs.

Continue reading →