Edwardsburg council accepts sidewalk engineering bid, considers tree-replacement program and begins cannabis ordinance review

The Edwardsburg Village Council moved forward on preliminary planning and maintenance matters during its April 20 meeting, accepting an engineering bid for a sidewalk project and discussing tree-replacement and ordinance-review plans.

President Dennis Peak said the council received another engineering bid for the Main Street sidewalk project and the council voted to accept Abonmarche's $30,000 bid. Trustee Nancy Stoner made the motion and Trustee Sam Garwood seconded; the minutes record the vote as all in favor.

Peak also informed the council that debris cleared from Center Street last year has reappeared and warned the village may need to budget for another cleanup in the future. Separately, he proposed creating a formal tree replacement program so residents affected by tree removal could select a replacement from a predetermined list; Trustee Nancy Stoner agreed to contact Mark Dussell for recommendations on suitable tree species.

On regulatory matters, President Peak reported that a subcommittee is reviewing proposed amendments to the village cannabis ordinance. He said the subcommittee will present amendments to the Planning Commission, then to the village attorney, and finally to the Village Council for formal consideration.

Trustee Sam Garwood told the council the Planning Commission is also exploring options for repurposing the old library building and is working on a method to evaluate alternative uses. The minutes do not record formal decisions on the tree program or library reuse; both were presented as matters for follow-up and further study.