In this meeting, one of the more pressing matters the council discussed was the timeline for appointing a new council member. The 60-day window of time would have run smoothly following the resignation of Council Member Jeffrey Weiss, but the council was not able to meet to accept the resignation during a September meeting due to a power outage. The new timeline that was set is as follows.
Accepting application deadline | November 3rd |
Interviews to be held | November 8th |
Council will vote | November 22nd |
There were a variety of other topics discussed in the meeting including a centurion recognition. Stanley Krupa, born in 1921, had his 100th birthday on Oct. 18. He is a WWII Veteran, who also worked at General Motors working in plant protection, and he is a member of the UAW. Mayor Tammy Gilroy wished Krupa a very happy birthday on behalf of the city of Williamston.
“He is just the kindest man, best neighbor, and a wonderful grandfather,“ said Bronwyn Cobb, Krupa’s daughter who attended the meeting, “He is a great father too, he just loves life.”
Cobb went on to say they are hosting a smaller celebration for his 100th birthday when compared to his 90th and 95th birthday parties as he is in rehab after a recent fall.
Action items covered
Other things that were covered included action items such as setting a timeline for appointing a new council member, the second reading of the new parking ordinance, discussion of the information technology management services agreement, the approval of a new fund balance policy, the approval of multiple committees, and awards granted. The last thing that took place in the meeting was the department head reports.
The department head reports consisted of discussions regarding the planning and development committee. The council addressed the work being done in the city as local developers were looking to move forward with a project that would contribute to housing in the area. The project consists of building 12 units of multi-family rental style housing on Rowley Road in Williamston.
The council brought up the public hearing and concerns of the community, as well as the documents needed to go ahead with the project. It was pointed out that there was a lot of comment from the community, but that it was a healthy dialogue.
“There were a lot of good comments and concerns expressed from residents that the applicant’s engineer, builder, and applicant himself attempted to answer in that meeting,” said Corey Schmidt, City Manager and DDA director.
The council expects the project will gain approval at the next planning commission meeting, which will be held in November. They also addressed the housing project, saying that Williamston is development-friendly and that new growth is often exciting for the community.
“I believe that a variety of housing options within a community strengthens the character, inclusivity and diversity of the community,” said Kathleen Bowling, a resident of Williamson, when asked about the new housing development.
The next City Council meeting will be held on Oct. 25.
The video recap of this meeting can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9i3RFymPsM