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Portage proclaims Family Court Awareness Month; residents urge sidewalks and clarity on waste contract
Summary
Mayor Patricia Randall proclaimed November 2025 Family Court Awareness Month. Members of Protective Parents Michigan praised the proclamation and urged state action; residents raised safety concerns and questioned whether the city's single-hauler solid-waste contract covers condominium associations.
Mayor Patricia M. Randall read a proclamation declaring November 2025 as Family Court Awareness Month, asking the community to prioritize child safety and to incorporate evidence-based research into family-court practices.
City Clerk Erica Eklove read statistics and referenced local cases and efforts such as Rowan's Act and Kent County's domestic-violence court initiatives. A caller from Protective Parents Michigan (identified as Geralyn) thanked the city for the proclamation and urged judicial training on coercive control and other abuse types; she urged support for proposed state-level changes such as what the speaker called 'Cadence Law.'
During the public-comment period, Julia Airdi, a lifelong Portage resident who lives at 4818 East Milam, described repeated near-miss traffic incidents on her residential street, lack of sidewalks, and a newly located bus stop that leaves children and pedestrians unprotected. "On Monday, October 20, I was nearly rear-ended going 25 miles per hour... We have no protections," Airdi told the council, and she asked the city to coordinate with residents about adding sidewalks and other safety measures.
Nathan Sackritz, president of the Brighton Lane Condominium Association, raised concerns about the city's single-hauler solid-waste contract. He said the contract's exclusivity clause and the definitions in the document create ambiguity about whether condominium associations that hold one account for multiple units are covered or require an exemption. "Based on these parameters... it looks like the contract would not cover our property," Sackritz said, and he asked the council to confirm that similar properties do not fall under the contract or that an exemption process is available.
Mayor Randall acknowledged the comments, asked residents to leave contact information with the clerk, and directed staff to follow up. The meeting record notes the clerk and city staff will respond to petitioners and that further clarification on contract language will be provided.
Next steps: staff will contact speakers who left contact information to follow up on sidewalks and contract questions and will respond to the condominium association's request about possible exemptions or interpretations of the single-hauler contract.
