Niles City Council approves insurance renewals, ARPA-funded fire equipment and permits for winter festival

The Niles City Council on Nov. 11 approved a set of routine contracts and budgeted purchases, including a Sun Life stop-loss policy carrying a monthly premium of $41,453.32, renewals of basic life, accidental death and disability and long-term disability premiums, and several fire-department purchases funded with ARPA dollars.

Why it matters: the insurance approvals and ARPA spending allocate recurring costs and one-time equipment purchases that affect the city’s operating budgets and emergency response capacity. Council also approved a vendor for the 2025 Fourth of July fireworks and confirmed an appointment to the Planning Commission.

Council action and outcomes The meeting produced unanimous or near-unanimous roll-call approvals on most items. Key outcomes recorded in the minutes include: the stop-loss policy with Sun Life for Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2025 (monthly premium $41,453.32) and the renewals of life/AD&D/LTD premiums (charged to General Fund and Utilities budgets). The council accepted a $16,500 bid from Kirk M. Proshwitz of Buchanan for the 2025 Fourth of July fireworks and approved ARPA-funded purchases for the Fire Department: hose nozzles ($6,552.00), two portable battery-operated fans ($8,200.00), fire hose ($37,448.00), and a hand-held thermal imaging camera ($3,864.04).

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the minutes) - Approve agenda as submitted — Moved: Councilmember Timothy Rogers; Second: Councilmember Charlie McAfee. Roll call recorded eight yeas (McAfee, Weimer, DiCostanzo, Thompson, Boggs, Bertschy, Dunnem, Rogers); motion carried. - Consent agenda (minutes Oct. 28; bills Nov. 6) — motion carried (roll call yeas listed in minutes). - Payment to Berrien County, $8,277.73 (early voting costs) — motion carried (roll-call yeas listed in minutes). - Hunter Ice Festival permit and fee waiver (Jan. 17–19, 2025) — motion carried. Note: the official minutes contain an inconsistent roll-call entry for this item in which Councilmember Michael Thompson appears both in the yea list and is separately listed as the sole nay; that inconsistency is flagged in the meeting record and may be corrected in the certified minutes. - Stop-loss insurance policy with Sun Life (Jan.–Dec. 2025; monthly premium $41,453.32) — motion carried by roll call. - Insurance renewals (Basic Life, AD&D, LTD) — motion carried by roll call. - Accept fireworks bid ($16,500) — motion carried; minutes record Councilmember Michael Thompson as voting nay on this item. - ARPA-funded fire equipment purchases (hose nozzles $6,552; fans $8,200; hose $37,448) and TIC ($3,864.04) — each approved by roll call. - Appointment of John DiCostanzo to the Planning Commission and ZBA (term ending Dec. 31, 2024) — motion carried by roll call.

Budget and process notes Several approvals direct charges to specific budgets: the Berrien County early-voting payment to the Clerk’s election supplies budget; insurance premiums to the General Fund and Utilities budgets; fireworks to Community Promotions; and multiple Fire Department purchases to ARPA funds. The minutes record motions, movers and seconders for each item and include roll-call vote lists in each case; one item’s recorded vote contains an inconsistency (noted above) in the official minutes.

What’s next Mayor Nick Shelton reminded the council that county certification of the Nov. election is due by Nov. 19 and new councilmembers can be sworn in at the Nov. 25 meeting at 7:30 p.m. The minutes were signed by Tina Bergman, Niles City Clerk.