The Niles City Council will meet at 5:55 p.m. Monday evening to hear public comments on the 2010 City of Niles budget. At the meeting to follow at 6 p.m., Police Officer Chad Mitchell and Canine Officer Rex are to receive special recognition.

The council members will also consider a request from the Four Flags Apple Festival Committee to hold the Youth Parade on Saturday, Sept. 26, from noon to 2 p.m. and hold the Grande Parade on Saturday, Oct. 3, downtown from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Other items under consideration include:

• Approving a request from RKM Fireworks Company to use a portion of the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport property for the purpose of conducting the Apple Festival fireworks display on Friday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3. The Airport Board has approved this request

• Approving a request from the Four Flags Apple Festival Committee to hold the 37th annual event Oct.1 through Oct. 4,  and consideration of approving various other requests for the event.

Approving a request from the Police Department to allow Canine Officer Rex to retire and consideration of transferring his ownership to Chad Mitchell.

The city administrator will introduce the following items for discussion:

• Consideration of adopting a resolution to approve the proposed Fiscal Year 2010 City of Niles Budget.

• Consideration of adopting a resolution to approve entering into a grant contract with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which obligates the City to match a minimum of $170,500.00 to the overall cost of $324,651.00 for the completion of the Riverfront and Plym Park Trail Development Project.

• Consideration of approving a request from Niles Dial A Ride Transportation system to accept the bid to contract with FCC, Inc. of Caledonia, to serve as the General Contractor for the DART Facility Renovation Project and consideration of approving the use of 2007 and 2009 FTA/MDOT capital funds and 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) capital funds to complete the project at a cost of $402,000.00 plus 15 percent contingency for a total of $462,300.00.

• Consideration of approving a request from the Community Development Director to enter into a Funding Agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development which adds an additional $89,632.00 of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) monies to the Community Development Block Grant to be used for sidewalk improvements.

• Consideration of approving a Substance Abuse Policy for the Niles Dial A Ride Transportation system which will apply to all Niles Transit Management, Inc. employees and which is compliant with regulations enacted by the U.S. Department of Transportation.