Council confirms assistant city manager, approves property purchase and budget amendment; refers tree list and priorities for follow-up

Grandville’s City Council used its meeting to confirm a key hire, approve a real-estate purchase and adopt routine year-end budget adjustments while handling several administrative items.

Confirmation: The council voted to confirm the hiring of Krishan Martin as assistant city manager after a recruitment process that screened applicants and interviewed three finalists. Martin, currently a department head in the city of Wyoming and a Grandville resident, told the council she was honored and looks forward to starting (tentatively July 13). The confirmation passed on roll call.

Budget and resolution: Staff presented year-end, net-neutral budget amendments intended to prepare the city for its audit and address specific overages (including cemetery expenditures). Council adopted Resolution 3397 to amend the fiscal year 2025–2026 budget; staff said the fund-balance level remains near the previously cited 29% threshold.

Property purchase: The council approved a negotiated purchase agreement to acquire the property at 3233 Wayburn for $285,000, with closing targeted on or before July 2 (staff noted an aim of June 29) and an agreement to allow the current owner up to 21 days to remain in the home after closing. The city charter requires at least five affirmative votes to purchase real estate and staff recorded the necessary majority to proceed.

Tree list and priorities: The tree board presented an updated, color-coded tree list based on DNR guidance and the board’s local edits to avoid invasive or maintenance-problem species (for example, species likely to damage sidewalks or storm sewers). The tree board requested the council refer the list to the planning commission for review and to post the updated list on the city’s website; council agreed to defer formal adoption pending planning-commission review. Staff also presented a quarterly priority-tracking update, noting progress on 2025 items and an initial draft 2026 priority list; staff asked council to help define scopes for items such as a sustainability plan and a natural-resources inventory.

Votes at a glance: the meeting record shows roll-call approvals for the assistant city manager confirmation, adoption of Resolution 3397 (budget amendment), the purchase agreement for 3233 Wayburn at $285,000, and approval of the consent agenda (fire and investment reports and planning-commission minutes). Several ordinance introductions and the vehicle-parking and data-center ordinances were introduced and then tabled for further review.