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Local News

Hastings Council deals with centrifuge repair, downtown parking special assessment roll

The Hastings City Council on May 9 unanimously approved a contract with Centrifuge and Pump Services Corporation for $42,954.99 for centrifuge repair. “It’s temporary, but right now, it’s the best option we have,” City Manager Jeff Mansfield said.

 

The city has two centrifuges at the wastewater treatment plant; the one being repaired is the newer of the two, but still more than 20 years old. They plan to replace both units in an upcoming major expansion of the plant, but they need to keep the two for the next few years and “this will get us by,” he said.

 

In other council business, a public hearing was held on the final assessment roll for the 2016 Downtown Parking Special Assessment District and a resolution adopted to approve the roll. As it has done for several years, the Downtown Development Authority will pay the difference between this year’s $35,618 assessments and those set at $26,540 in 2008.

 

 

The council unanimously approved:

* a contract with Black Gold Paving for $20,275 for City Hall parking lot improvements.

 

* closing one block of Market Street from Apple to State Street for Wendy’s Annual Classic Car Show on Friday, June 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

 

* the purchase of meters and components from Michigan Meter for $8,534.

 

* setting a public hearing on the 2016/2017 budget at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 23. The council will then make a determination on the budget and set the millage rates needed to support the budget.

 

Hastings Fire Chief Roger Caris announced the Hastings Fire Department’s annual Pancake Breakfast will be May 14, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. //

 

The council also approved an annual task; amendments to the Municipal Employee’s Retirement System hybrid pension plan to be effective July 1.

 

New employees have a hybrid retirement plan, with 10 percent of the employees wages paid into the pension plan by the city. The plan has both defined benefit and defined contribution parts and the city’s contribution is split between the actuarially determined part and the direct contribution portion.

 

Each year, the city adjusts the two parts using the actuarial valuation of the defined benefit part with the rest going into direct contribution part. The figures may shift in each case,  but in the end, the overall figure stays at 10 percent

 

The changes include:

Department of Public Services AFSCME employees hired after July 1, 2007, changing the defined contribution employer contribution rate from 5.59 percent to 5.63 percent.

 

General non-union employees hired after July 1, 2008 changing the defined contribution employer contribution rate from 4.69 percent to 5.30 percent,

 

Police union employees hired July 1, 2010 changing the defined contribution employer contribution rate from 5. 74 percent to 5.45 percent per the collective bargaining agreements and the city’s personnel policies.

 

 

 

 

 

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