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Council approves one-year stewardship contract for village butterfly garden, capped at $5,000
Summary
The Village of Michiana approved a one-year stewardship contract with Pizzo to maintain the pollinator/butterfly garden April–November 2025; the contract covers invasive control, seed work and supplies and was approved 5–0 with a not-to-exceed $5,000 cap.
Beth Denton, territory manager for Pizzo Stewardship, told the Village of Michiana Council the firm completed erosion-control work at the pollinator garden and presented a stewardship contract for 2025. The contract would cover April through November maintenance including invasive and non‑native vegetation control via hand pulling and brush cutting, seed collection and dispersal, and travel, time and supplies costs.
Mike Botelho moved to approve a one‑year contract not to exceed $5,000; Nancy Thill seconded the motion. The council approved the contract by roll call vote, 5–0. Council members said they would revisit whether to extend the stewardship into 2026.
The stewardship work will be coordinated with village staff for tree removal and garden access near the creek, and Pizzo will provide before-and-after photos for documentation and to support future budget decisions. Residents at the meeting later raised concerns about animals eating recently planted seeds in the garden; the council acknowledged the comment but did not alter the approved contract.
The contract vote was the main substantive action taken on the garden at the Dec. 13 session. The council also discussed nearby tree removal and coordination with the tree board and public works to support the stewardship work.
