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EDWARDSBURG — The Edwardsburg Village Council welcomed residents for two public hearings, as well as their regular monthly board meeting last week.

Both hearings were part of annual requirements giving constituents the chance to comment prior to final action being taken. The first hearing was about added assessments added to tax bills to pay for delinquent fees while the second was the legally required Public Hearing on Truth in Taxation, which allows the village to avoid the Headlee Rollbacks and maintain the same millage rates as in the past. There were no commenters for the hearings. Both items were approved later in the meeting.

After several months of discussion, the council approved rental fees for the Gunn Park Pavilion at a rate of $50 with an additional $50 security deposit to assure the space is cleaned and left without damage after use. Going forward, new renters are required to sign a rental contract and pay to reserve the pavilion, though the shelter otherwise remains open and available for use for free without a guarantee of availability. All users are required to abide by park rules, including the closing time of 10 p.m. Trustees noted that the fees are not intended as a revenue stream, but to help assure proper care is taken while using the park

Department of Public Works Coordinator Richard Low provided an update on clean-up following severe storm damage in the cemetery and around the village. The cemetery is open again, with tree clean-up and most ground work complete. Various headstones are still in need of repair and a compromised grave is still being restored, pending permitting. That work is being done in conjunction with Paul E. Mayhew Funeral Home and Brutsche Concrete Products, who have donated a casket and vault, respectively. Tree clean-up in the cemetery by Kachur Tree Service came at a cost of $43,800.

Low also noted that road patching in the village would begin soon and that the department was working on a schedule for flushing the new water system. He also presented a dedication plaque for the iron filtration plant that is now functioning after an extended build and permit process.

A new entry door for the water tower building was approved for an amount not to exceed $500 after being damaged during the storms. The council also approved the purchase of a $9800 automated water testing system, intended to minimize staff time and human error for required collecting and reporting of regulatory information. 

The Library Board reported that the new building was projected to be complete by December of this year and that work on sidewalks for the building would begin within a few weeks.

No action was taken after a long discussion about installing a fishing pier in the park. Trustees chose to review the state of village funds in the wake of the storm damage and possibly seek donations for the potential expense of $50,000 for the pier. If the project moves forward, it would be unable to begin until after July due to the fish spawning season and would take about a month for installation.

Speed bumps will be returning to Washington Boulevard after a discussion balancing safety concerns and the desires of residents in the area. There will be two speed bumps installed, as was the case last year, with one being moved closer to the park.

Edwardsburg is researching requirements to begin work on a new village charter. Staff and officials are still researching requirements for the process, which will include the formation of a charter commission. The body will be made up of five commissioners who will be elected in November and then work on language for ballot approval the following year. Any village resident will be able to collect signatures to place them on the ballot as a potential commissioner.

Village offices will be closed Monday, May 26th for Memorial Day. The next village council meeting will take place on Monday, June 16th at 6 p.m.