The Hastings Dog Park Companions agreement with the City of Hastings for continued operation of the dog park for the next five years was approved by the council Monday, June 13.
Noting that the park gets a lot of use, City Manager Jeff Mansfield said the city agreed to take over mowing the park at an estimated $2,300 a year and provide a portable toilet for about $1,000 a year.
“They will continue to pick up the trash. There are other things, like lights, that we want to work on with them,” he said.
The council agreed the park could stay open to 8 p.m. instead of dusk, from September to April when it is dark when people get out of work and still want to walk their dogs. Companions estimate 80 people a day come to the dog park.
The council approved City Clerk Tom Emery’s recommendation to retain the Michigan Municipal League Worker’s Compensation Fund, the only one to submit a proposal for the city’s worker’s compensation coverage, through June 2019 for $39,498 the first year.
Also, two companies bid on property and liability insurance for the city until June 2019. MML Property Casualty Pool bid for $97,457 the first year; Triton $94,946 for the first year.
Emery said while MML bid is slightly higher, they have significantly lower deductibles and the deductible difference on just a few claims would mote than offset that. Both coverages through the MML are via Meadowbrook Insurance.
In other business, the council approved:
* spending $42,825 to repair downtown crosswalks, recommended by Director of Public Services Lee Hays.
* ordering two patrol cars for $60,172 for the Hastings Police Department, included in the 2016/2017 budget.
* the Child Evangelism Fellowship of Michigan’s request to hold a five day youth ministry program open to the public at Bob King Park on July 11-15. They will not use the facilities, but need permission from the council for a religious meeting in a park.
* street closures for the Gus Maker Basketball Tournament June 25-26.
