Niles City Council members will soon be forming a four-person subcommittee to recommend to council members the approval of city festivals and events.

Mayor Nick Shelton will accept interested applicants among elected council members and make official appointments to the subcommittee at a later date.

The discussion leading up to the decision took place during a committee of the whole meeting Monday night.

City Administrator Ric Huff opened the discussion by asking council members whether they believed there should be a more thorough vetting process for approving city events.

“If the city invests into an event there has to be some kind of benefit back to the community,” Huff said. “For instance, is it a nonprofit? How does it benefit back to the community? I just want to open that dialogue and see if there are any thoughts.”

Huff recommended the formation of the subcommittee, the purpose of which would be to advise council members on a decision for approval of events.

While council members seemed generally to agree that the majority of  festivals are beneficial to Niles, bringing traffic to the city and spurring local business, they also seemed to agree that some guidelines might need to be established to determine who can receive a slice of city aid.

Council member John DiCostanzo said this does not mean that they will not encourage city events.

“I do not think we want to totally shut down support of these events,” DiCostanzo said. “They do support the city.”

One such guideline example that council members mulled over was requiring that organizations hosting events be a nonprofit.

Council member DiCostanzo added that city supported events can put a strain on resources, which ultimately costs the city and subsequently tax payers.

“Instead of working in the park or the streets … [city workers] are spending their time setting up barricades or spending time that some city residents are expecting us to do,” DiCostanzo said. “The question is do we want divert that much of our resources to support the festivals?”

DiCostanzo referenced two city residents who spoke up at the last council meeting and called on council members to choose the festival they support wisely, so as not to waste taxpayer money.

Following the discussion, council member John DiCostanzo and Gretchen Bertschy volunteered to be on the subcommittee. Shelton will consider their applications.

Also Monday:

• City Council members approved entering into a professional services agreement with Mead & Hunt Inc., of Lansing, to complete the Airport Improvement Project.

• Council members approved the emergency purchase of on Rock Trap for $3,000 from Performance Machining Inc., of Niles. The tool will minimize discharge of unwanted trash into the Waste Water Treatment Plant. Currently, the septic receiving station at the wastewater treatment plant is not equipped to catch materials like rocks, rags and plastics, a city council report said.

• A quote was approved for $7,941 from Power Line Supply Company, of Reed City, Michigan for the purchase of three current transformers for use at the Southside Switching Station, according to a city council report.