President Irwin called the regular meeting of the Marcellus Village Council to order at 7:00 p.m. on December 16, 2025, in the Marcellus Village Hall. Trustees present: Markle, Engstrom, Irwin, Haley M., Haley G. and Watts. Trustee Webb was absent.
Agenda
Motion by Irwin, supported by Engstrom, to approve the agenda with the following addition:
– Under President’s Report – Add Item B. Update – Roberts Brothers Excavating, Inc.
Ayes: All. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Minutes
Motion by Irwin, supported by Haley G., to approve as presented and place on file the minutes of the December 9, 2025, regular meeting. Ayes: Irwin, Engstrom, Haley G. and Haley M. Nays: Watts and Markle. Motion carried.
Bills
Motion by Haley G., supported by Watts, to authorize the payment of bills in the amount of $30,374.68. Roll call vote – Ayes: Watts, Haley G., Engstrom, Haley M., Irwin and Markle. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Consent Agenda
Motion by Haley M., supported by Markle, to receive and place on file all items on the Consent Agenda. Ayes: All. Nays: None. Motion carried.
President’s Report
Dan Hatch – Downtown Beautification Project Update
President Irwin shared the December 15, 2025, email communication from Attorney Daniel Hatch which informed the Village Manager/Clerk that Balkema Excavating, Inc. is working to finish the scope of work on Main and Burney Street, and that he is in the process of obtaining quotes to replace the window at Patch & Remington and will present the quotes to the Village Council.
Roberts Bros. Excavating, Inc.
President Irwin updated the Village Council that Roberts Bros. Excavating, Inc. has completed repairs to the two stormwater pipes feeding into the Woodland Street manhole.
Work is still underway on North Street, where approximately 40 feet of storm pipe is being replaced. During excavation, the contractor discovered that the new water service line installed as part of the DWSRF Lead Service Line Replacement Project had struck and damaged the stormwater pipe. The crew is conducting another camera inspection to determine whether the stormwater pipe was damaged further along the line. A status update is expected on December 17, 2025.
Clerk’s Report
MSHDA CHILL and MI Neighborhood Programs Update
MSHDA CHILL and MI Neighborhood Team member Seth Carlson updated the Village Council on the CHILL and MI Neighborhood programs as follows:
CHILL Program
Cohort 1 – Closeout All Cohort 1 projects are complete. Mortgage and note documents have been compiled, signed, and notarized. The remaining steps include recording the documents with the Cass County Register of Deeds and submitting originals to MSHDA for final closeout.
Cohort 2 – Construction Phase Seven properties are enrolled in Cohort 2. All required homeowner signatures and contractor bid comparisons are complete. A few revised bids are being finalized, and material invoices are being collected. Construction will continue once these items are in place.
Cohort 3 – Intake Approximately $100,000 remains available, supporting an estimated four to five additional homes. Outreach is underway, with strong interest following recent communications, though many inquiries have come from outside the Village. These are being tracked for potential future eligibility.
MI Neighborhood Program
Construction under the MI Neighborhood Homes program is in its final phase, with work nearing completion at six remaining properties. Closeout for each home requires construction completion, an approved building inspection, and a signed Homeowner Approval for Contractor Payment form. Once all six properties meet these requirements, the construction management phase will close, followed by collection, notarization, and recording of the required mortgage and note documents.
Some participants reached the $40,000 cap under the MI Neighborhood program. In limited cases, additional eligible work may transition to the CDBG funded CHILL program if households meet income requirements, the remaining work qualifies under federal guidelines, and all CHILL onboarding steps are completed.
A press release and program flyer are currently circulating to support outreach and applicant recruitment. A dedicated program phone line is active to streamline intake, with callers advised of a 48 hour response window. A new informational video has also been released and is being shared across community networks to increase awareness and reach eligible homeowners.
Crossing Guard Mary Sammon – Out for 90 Days, Returning April 1, 2026
Village Manager/Clerk informed the Village Council that Crossing Guard Mary Sammon will be out for 90 days following the school’s Christmas break and is expected to return on April 1, 2026.
Michigan State University – Master Trail Plan
Motion by Irwin, supported by Haley M., to authorize and approve the Village of Marcellus’ participation in Michigan State University’s (MSU) CSUS 491 Master Trail Plan class project, including designation of a Village representative to provide ongoing feedback to the student team throughout the semester. Ayes: All. Nays: None. Motion carried.
The Village will partner with MSU’s Community Sustainability Department to participate in the trail building course taught by Dr. Bob Wilson and advised by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The course assigns student teams to communities across Michigan to develop master trail plans, and a group of students will be assigned to Marcellus. The project will require consistent feedback from a designated Village representative throughout the semester. At the end of the course, the students will present a draft master trail plan for the Village. This work is student produced and not an official product of MSU, and additional review and refinement by Village leadership will be required to bring the plan to fruition.
Personnel Committee
New DPW Employee – Damion Fritz
Motion by Engstrom, supported by Irwin, to hire Damion Fritz, pending background check and drug screening, to begin work on December 18, 2025, at a rate of $22.00 per hour and the same benefits as other full-time DPW employees. Roll call vote – Engstrom, Markle, Haley G., Irwin, Watts and Haley M. Nays: None. Motion carried.
DPW Employee Michael Clark L1 License and Correct Water License
Motion by Markle, supported by Engstrom, to approve the addition of $1.00 per hour for water license attainment as outlined in the Village’s Personnel Policy Manual. Michael Clark attained both his S3 and D3 licenses on November 5, 2025, and was awarded a $1.00 per hour raise; however, he should have received $2.00 per hour, $1.00 for each license. This correction is to be made retroactive to November 5, 2025. Further, to approve an additional $1.00 per hour raise, retroactive to November 6, 2025, for attainment of his L1 lagoon license. Roll call vote – Ayes: Haley M., Markle, Irwin, Engstrom, Haley G. and Watts. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Planning Commission
Parks & Recreation Master Plan 2026-2030
The Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on the Village’s Parks & Recreation Master Plan on December 3, 2025, following completion of the required public comment period and voted to recommend the plan for approval to the Village Council.
Motion by Irwin, supported by Haley, M., to adopt Resolution 2025-09, a Resolution Adopting the 2026 Parks & Recreation Plan. Roll call vote – Ayes: Haley G., Watts, Markle, Irwin, Haley M. and Engstrom. Nays: None.
Planning Commission Reminder
Trustee Markle reminded the Village Council and members of the public that the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the Master Plan on January 14, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. during the Planning Commission’s regular meeting.
Adjournment
Motion by Markle, supported by Haley M., to adjourn at 7:57 p.m. Ayes: All. Nays: None. Motion passed.
Jacqueline A. Terrill
Village Manager/Clerk
Dennis Irwin
Village President
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