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Local News

Hastings compostable drop-off site to close for winter

The Hastings City Council approved closing the city’s compostable material drop-off site at 1303 West State Road for the winter, effective Friday, Jan. 26. City Manager Jeff Mansfield said they will re-open the facility in the spring. If the city has a major event like an ice storm or wind storm they could always open it up, he said.

Any one with questions on the site's operation or materials that can be dropped off,  can contact director of the Department of Public Services  Lee Hays at:  LHays@hastingsmi.org or call 269-945-2468.

 

In other business Monday, Tom Thompson of Professional Code Inspectors of Michigan (PCI) gave the figures for 2017 in his annual report to the council and also for each quarter of the year. Building permits for the City of Hastings in 2017 totaled 82, with the value of the projects set at $5,414,617.

In the first quarter, PCI issued 22 permits with a value of $1,383,452; in the second quarter, 23 permits with a value of $960,605; third quarter, 25 permits, with a value of $2,236,144; and fourth quarter, 12 permits with a value of $834,416.

 

Thompson’s figures for 2016 show 81 permits were issued with a value of $7,496,389. PCI also inspects Hastings rental properties, 530 of them last year. As of Dec. 31, 2017, there were 895 registered rental units in the city. About 10 percent of the units required some type of very minor repair, he said.

 

Fire Chief Roger Caris reported the boiler at the fire station failed Sunday, Jan 7 and the department replaced it at a cost of $37,215.  Caris said with the trucks in the station, if one of the pumps froze on the truck, it would cost more than $20,000 to repair, and eight trucks have that style pump. Caris got two bids, $38,620 from Pleune and $37,215 from VanDyken.  Low bidder VanDyken was given the job and began the work the next day. Heat was restored Friday, Jan. 12. Caris said “they just got lucky,” because the emergency occurred during a warm spell and nothing was in danger of freezing. Mansfield said the city’s insurance company will pay one-half of the bill.

 

In a workshop before the meeting, the council discussed future and past practices, goal and policy issues to be considered in the budget process for 2018-2019.There were eight main goals, with several objectives within each goal.

They included:

*effectively represent the city and provide community leadership in policies and laws,

*maintain financial stability,

*seek and improve community development in the city,

*improve city infrastructure,

*improve public relations with city residents,

*maintain a knowledgeable and high quality staff,

*develop a six-year capital improvement plan for all city departments, and

*strive to provide a safe community to protect citizen’s lives, health and property.

 

 

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