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Votes at a glance: council approves consent agenda, budget amendments, security purchases, public art license and patrol unit
Summary
The Coldwater City Council approved routine consent items and a set of formal actions including a public art license for a student sculpture, a multi‑site physical security purchase, one patrol vehicle replacement, and the first 2025 budget amendments; council also voted to enter a closed session for litigation strategy.
The Coldwater City Council took several formal actions during its regular meeting. Key outcomes:
• Council excused Councilmember Emily Richman from tonight's meeting (motion carried).
• The council approved the consent agenda, which included minutes (Jan. 27), advisory and commission minutes, BPU reports, financial statements and a memo regarding appointments to the Coldwater Housing Commission (motion carried).
• Bills and accounts totaling $147,859 were approved (motion carried). Staff said the largest items in that batch were the municipal garbage contract with Republic and upfitting of two new police vehicles.
• The council introduced and approved a public art license and related resolution (listed in materials as Resolution 25‑07 and license agreement A2504/A2503) to place an annually rotating student sculpture in the northwest corner of 4 Corners Park; the first installation is scheduled for Arbor Day, April 25 (motion carried).
• The council approved a multi‑site physical security purchase and related resolution (Resolution 25‑06). The purchase splits work between two vendors and covers gates, access‑control doors and camera replacements/additions across city and BPU facilities, parks, the Robert W. Brown Recreation Center, the compost site and DMS assets. The council recorded a city‑side budgeted amount and a BPU portion previously acted on by the BPU board. Staff cited being approximately $8,000 under budget on the city side; vendor awards referenced in the materials were Lakeland Electronics (~$92,058.98) and NightWatch (~$157,499.01) and the city asked council to approve an amount budgeted for the security project of $151,442.39 for its portion.
• The council approved a replacement patrol vehicle (Resolution 25‑08). Insurance paid a $55,000 settlement for a total‑loss vehicle; staff recommended buying a Dodge Durango with available dealer incentives and transferring radios, cameras and other equipment from the totaled car where feasible (motion carried).
• The council approved the first budget amendments for fiscal 2025. Finance staff said the amendments increase the projected deficit from a previously approved $57,000 to $306,000 because of additional staffing overlaps, legal costs, timing shifts on capital and a few newly budgeted items (motion carried). Finance staff said they expect additional revenues (interest, building permits and a possible state distribution) that could reduce the deficit before further amendments.
• The council voted to go into closed session under section 80 of Public Act 265 of 1976 to consult the city attorney about trial or settlement strategy in Thompson Construction Company v. City of Coldwater (roll call vote recorded; motion carried).
Each motion was presented on the meeting floor; where materials listed resolution numbers or agreement IDs, the council moved and recorded approval with the standard "all in favor/aye" voice votes unless a roll call was required.
