President Irwin called the regular meeting of the Marcellus Village Council to order at 7:00 p.m. on October 28, 2025, in the Marcellus Village Hall. Trustees present: Markle, Engstrom, Webb, Irwin, Haley M., Haley G. and Watts.
Agenda
Motion by Irwin, supported by Haley M., to approve the agenda with the following additions:
•Under the Consent Agenda –
*Add Item B. Marcus Sandborn October 30, 2025, Email Communication
•Under President’s Report –
* Add Item A. Halloween Hours
• Under Clerk’s Report –
* Add Item J. Mobile Health Clinic
Ayes: All. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Minutes
Motion by Webb, supported by Watts, to approve as presented and to place on file the minutes the October 14, 2025, regular Council meeting. Ayes: All. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Bills
Motion by Haley G., supported by Engstrom, to authorize the payment of bills in the amount of $153,365.52. Roll call vote – Ayes: Haley M., Irwin, Engstrom, Webb and Haley G. Nays: Watts and Markle. Motion carried.
President’s Report
Halloween Hours
Village Council members discussed Halloween hours due to the Marcellus Community Schools football team’s away game, the potential for many families to be out of town Friday evening and organizations around town that have already scheduled activities and programming. Irwin moved, supported by Haley G., to make no changes to the October 31, 2025 Halloween trick-or-treat hours. Roll call vote – Ayes: Markle, Haley G., Watts, Irwin, Engstrom, Webb and Haley M. Nays: None. Motion carried.
MSHDA CHILL and MI Neighborhood Programs Updates
MSHDA CHILL and MI Neighborhood Team member Seth Carlson updated the Village Council regarding the CHILL and MI Neighborhood programs. He noted that both programs are nearing the completion process, which entails a final building inspection, homeowner approval and signoff, release of the contractor and payment; and for those that require it, mortgage and lien documents. The second group of CHILL applicant income verifications and Tier 2 inspections have taken place and are awaiting MSHDA approval.
MSHDA MI Neighborhood 2.0 Grant Program Announcement
Manager/Clerk Terrill shared an October 17, 2025, letter from Chris Lussier of MSHDA informing the Village that its grant application for homeowner rehabilitations has been approved for funding in the amount of $472,000, contingent upon completion of the remaining compliance steps and execution of the reservation memo and grant agreement.
Ray Gyllstrom Memorial/Lions Club Park Refurbishment
Manager/Clerk Terrill reported on her attendance at the October 21, 2025, Township meeting to discuss the Ray Gyllstrom Memorial/Lions Club Park refurbishment project, which is being spearheaded by the Marcellus Community Schools High School Class of 2026. Mrs. Terrill presented the Village’s grant efforts, which included applications to the AEP Foundation and GameTime for $41,335.85. To establish the park upgrades as a community-wide collaboration, she requested the Township Board consider matching the Village’s preliminary 2026 budget commitment of $23,000. The Township Board members received the request positively but indicated they required additional time for consideration before committing funds.
Grant Funding Updates:
Manager/Clerk Terrill provided the following updates on current grant applications for this project:
• AEP Foundation: The 2025 application period closed on Friday, October 31, 2025, as the foundation has expended all available funds for the year. The grant program is scheduled to reopen in April 2026. A foundation representative expressed interest in the project but indicated that the potential award amount would likely be limited unless the Village is able to secure other matching funds.
• GameTime: The grant application was successful. To secure the grant award, the Village must submit a commitment (order and check) in the amount of $62,215.21 by the required deadline of November 7, 2025. The GameTime grant program closed on October 24, 2025, and will reopen in August 2026.
New Funding Leads:
Council members and meeting attendees recommended the following additional entities for grant applications:
• The Edward Lowe Foundation (Cassopolis, Michigan)
• A potential Community Development Foundation (Niles, Michigan)
• The McLoughlin Family Foundation (Cassopolis, Michigan)
• The MEDC’s Public Spaces – Community Places program.
Manager/Clerk Terrill has also begun work on an application for the Consumers Energy Foundation to further leverage funds from different entities and help ensure the project becomes a reality. Given the current grant deadlines and required commitment dates, it is now anticipated that the new playground equipment will be ordered after August 2026.
Ordinance No. 262 – Tree Ordinance
Motion by Webb, supported by Watts, to adopt Ordinance No. 262, and its associated exhibit, An ordinance proving for the care, preservation, pruning, planting, removal or other disposition of trees and shrubs in parks, along streets, in other Village rights-of-way and on private property and repealing Village Ordinance No. 211 (Tree Ordinance) adopted October 9, 2013 and with an effective date of December 6, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. Roll call vote – Ayes: Markle, Webb, Irwin, Haley G., Engstrom, Watts and Haley M. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Bel-Aire Heating & Cooling Quote – Replace PTEC Units in Village Hall Conference Room
Motion by Irwin, supported by Webb, to approve the replacement of the three PTEC units in the Village Hall conference room as quoted by Bel-Aire Heating & Cooling in the amount of $14,152.00. Roll call vote – Ayes: Webb, Haley M., Engstrom, Watts, Haley G., Irwin and Markle. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Document Folder
Motion by Engstrom, supported by Haley M., to authorize the purchase of a Formax FD 300 paper folder for the front office at the Village Hall. Roll call vote – Ayes: Haley G., Watts, Irwin, Markle, Engstrom, Haley M. and Webb. Nays: None. Motion carried.
2026 Meeting Dates
Motion by Haley M., supported by Engstrom, to approve and confirm the 2026 Village Council meeting dates schedule, with noted changes to the December 2026 meeting date: The second meeting in December will be held on December 15, 2026. A notice of meeting dates will be published in The Marcellus News and posted on the Village’s website and at the Village Hall. Roll call vote – Ayes: Irwin, Watts, Markle, Engstrom, Haley G., Webb and Haley M. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Cass Family Mobile Health Clinic
The October 26, 2025, email from Rick Behnke, representing the Cass Family Mobile Clinic, was reviewed by the Village Council. The email informed the Council that multiple entities had approached the Clinic, expressing interest and availability to host the Mobile Clinic during its operating hours.
After discussion regarding the existence of suitable alternative venues, Irwin moved, supported by Haley G., to notify Rick Behnke that the Cass Family Mobile Clinic should utilize the Marcellus United Methodist Church or any other entity that had approached and demonstrated an interest in providing the Clinic with facility access. Ayes: All. Nays: None. Motion carried.
DPW
Clean Earth Quote – Storm Drains
Motion by Irwin, supported by Markle, to approve the quotes from Clean Earth for vactoring storm basins and storm sewer lines and for the previously quoted cleaning and vactoring of the water retention tank at a total price not to exceed $5,000.00. Roll call vote – Ayes: Watts, Webb, Engstrom, Markle and Irwin. Nays: None. Haley M. and Haley G. abstained. Motion carried.
Cairns Concrete
Motion by Engstrom, supported by Haley M., to approve the cost of the following extra work performed by Cairns Concrete of Marcellus, Michigan, at a cost of $2,133.00:
• Extension of sidewalk on North Centre Street all the way to West Read Street, where the original sidewalk stopped short.
• Replacement of sidewalk over driveway on North Centre Street, which was damaged due to the sidewalk being attached to the driveway.
• A second replacement of the sidewalk near the food pantry which was damaged by a truck driver that had removed the barriers and driven over the newly poured sidewalk before it had properly cured
• The addition of a section of sidewalk on North Maple and East Read Street
Roll call vote – Ayes: Haley M., Markle, Webb, Irwin, Engstrom, Haley G. and Watts. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Advertisement for DPW Employee
Motion by Irwin, supported by Engstrom, to approve the advertisement for a DPW Employee to replace Allen Malsch, who had resigned effective October 17, 2025.Roll call vote – Ayes: Haley G., Haley M., Irwin, Watts, Engstrom, Markle and Webb. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Planning Commission
Draft Master Plan – Release for Public comment
Planning Commission Chair James R. Thomas, Jr., reported that the Planning Commission is ready to release the draft Master and Park & Recreation Plans for public comment and noted that the Master Plan has a 63-day required public comment period, while the Parks & Recreation Plan requires a 30-day public comment period.
Chair Thomas also informed the Village Council that the Planning Commission has scheduled public hearings on the plans as follows:
• Master Plan Public Hearing January 14, 2026
• Parks & Recreation Plan Public Hearing December 3, 2025
Motion by Markle, supported by Webb, to release the Master Plan for its 63-day public comment period and to post the plan as required. Roll call vote – Webb, Markle, Haley M., Engstrom, Watts, Haley G. and Irwin. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Motion by Markle, supported by Engstrom, to release the Parks & Recreation Plan for its 30-day public comment period and to post the plan as required. Roll call vote – Watts, Haley G., Engstrom, Irwin, Webb, Haley M. and Markle. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Adjournment
Motion by Markle, supported by Haley M., to adjourn at 8:16 p.m. Ayes: All. Nays: None. Motion passed.
Jacqueline A. Terrill
Village Manager/Clerk
Dennis Irwin
Village President
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