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Proclamations for First Responders Day and Men’s Health Awareness Month

Councilmember Hennen read a proclamation declaring October 28 as First Responders Day. First responders – including public works professionals, police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, 911 operators, paramedics, and other emergency personnel – respond swiftly and courageously to emergencies, often putting their own safety on the line to ensure the well-being of our community. Please join us in thanking our first responders for the substantial contributions they make to protecting our national health and safety and advancing the quality of life for all.
 

Councilmember Patterson read a proclamation declaring November 2025 as Men’s Health Awareness Month. Men are encouraged to grow a mustache in solidarity during the month of November to promote and raise awareness of men’s health issues. Since 2003, this “Movember” movement has raised thousands of dollars to fund more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world, such as prostate nad testicular cancer research, mental health initiatives, and suicide prevention.

Presentations of Reports

Our Director of Communications shared a presentation about the results of the communication preferences survey, which was available to residents over the summer. Based on information gathered from the survey, our website has been updated to be more intuitive, social media posts from our City channels are also shared in community Facebook groups to increase awareness, and a new e-newsletter is in development that will be shared either weekly or biweekly before the end of this year. You can sign up to receive City of Berkley email updates by visiting berkleymi.gov/communications.

Our Assistant to the City Manager shared a presentation of Q3’s Strategic Framework report, detailing accomplishments and updates from July 1 through September 30. Highlights included updated processes such as making ACH payments an option to pay your taxes, community connection at events like Touch-A-Truck and at the Dorothea Pocket Park, and work to identify additional funding strategies and partnerships such as grant opportunities and sponsorships for popular events. The full report and  more information about the Strategic Framework is available at berkleymi.gov/strategicframework.

Spaulding DeDecker Engineering Services Agreement

Council authorized City Manager VanVleck to enter into an agreement with Spaulding DeDecker for engineering-related services. This decision was made after careful consideration and evaluation of several proposals received, as well as interviews with two firms. Spaulding DeDecker was specifically chosen for their extensive experience and expertise in municipal engineering projects. All budgeted engineering projects have been transitioned to the new firm, with the exception of projects that are primarily grant-based, which will remain with the previous firm that started working on them.

Updated PILOT Ordinance and Decision Postponed on the PILOT Program for The Columbia

Council approved the proposed PILOT ordinance in the spring, which means that a developer can submit an application to use the program, and the application will be reviewed against defined standards from the adopted PILOT ordinance. While reviewing the approved ordinance, staff noted that the text for the annual shelter rent payment, the ‘payment in lieu of taxes’, reads that the payment must be 10% of the annual shelter rent. Council’s intention in discussion of the original ordinance approval focused on an annual shelter rent payment of ‘up to 10%’ as opposed to ‘must be 10%’, and a first reading of an amended ordinance corrects this discrepancy. 

The first PILOT application was received for The Columbia Development, which will add 51 “workforce/attainable” housing units to our City’s housing choices. Council postponed the vote on this item again until the next regular meeting on November 17, when the application and its updated terms will be presented. More information about the project and previous work surrounding it is available by clicking here.

The Daily Press Becomes City’s Official Notice Newspaper

Our Council rules and procedures name “The Daily Tribune” as the official newspaper for City notices and updates to be published. “The Daily Tribune” is ceasing production at the end of October, and the rules and procedures were updated to name “The Daily Press” as the official newspaper. There will be no cost increase for the City due to this change.

Want to Learn More?

• Watch the meeting recording

• Review the agenda and minutes

• Join us at our next regular meeting on November 17 at 7 PM - we'd love to see you there!

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