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EDWARDSBURG — The Edwardsburg Village Council met for the first time this year on Monday January 29th, after multiple reschedulings due to severe weather.

During his report, President Dennis Peak asked the council for feedback on an offer he received from a resident to install and maintain a dock in Gunn Park at their own expense, in exchange for allowances in Lindbergh Park adjacent to their property. Though initial discussions were just beginning and no decisions had been made, the details included the offer to install an eight foot wide dock, extending at least 50 feet into the water, ending with a 30-foot T-shape to allow for benches and other amenities. 

Trustee Hughes, along with other council members, raised concerns about the possible loss of the swimming area at Lindbergh and ensuring that all agreements were binding before making any changes. Peak noted that the idea was only being brought for discussion and that several steps would need to be taken before any decisions were made. He noted that he would like to see a new swimming area opened up in Gunn Park before anything changed at Lindbergh. Members of the council agreed that the new park would have to be ready first.

“I want to make sure there’s a place for people to swim,” said Peak.

The village’s new iron filtration plant continues to make progress after extended delays due to permitting backlogs at the state level. The roof, chlorine room, and gas connections have been completed, with electrical work to be completed next.

The village council approved a new Short Term Rental Ordinance, identical to the one currently active in Ontwa Township. While the council stated that no problems with short term rentals had arisen thus far, they wanted to be prepared for instances in the future and give code enforcement authorities a clear set of guidelines. They also appointed a new member to the planning commission to replace a recent vacancy.

The Cass District Library has updated their website to include videos, images, and a timeline of the construction of the new Edwardsburg Branch Library. The page, which can be viewed at cassdistrictlibrary.org/edwardsburg-build, will be updated regularly as the project progresses. Bids are scheduled to be opened up on February 7th. Representatives from Abonmarche presented the final site plan, which showed walking trails and described the “natural feel” planned for the area. Once all approval and permits are complete, construction is planned to  start in the spring and last about one year. The plan, which was already approved by the Planning Commission, was approved by the Village Council.

Michigan’s Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will be testing the property at the Sinclair Service Station for asbestos in February. Once clear, EGLE will be paying to have the property demolished.

The council approved a variety of financial reports and purchases. Among them was the purchase of flood lights for the well field for $1060 and a magnetic locator for the Geographic Information System at the cost of $575. Water tank cleaning by Nelson Engineering was also approved at a cost of $4,850, as well as an already completed emergency repair of the road salt spreader at the cost of $2,165.

The council set a date for their budget work session on 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. The next regular council meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26.