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Gladstone making plan for July 4th

GLADSTONE — Gladstone’s traditional Independence Day parade will not take place this year. However, some other events may be held in Van Cleve Park to celebrate the holiday.

The city’s plans for Independence Day were discussed during a virtual meeting of the Gladstone City Commission Monday evening.

“I figured the number-one question in the last five days has been what’s going on with the Fourth of July,” Mayor Pro Tem Brad Mantela said.

Parks and Recreation Director Nicole Sanderson was present at the meeting to discuss this topic. She said she would be OK with canceling Gladstone’s parade due to both coronavirus-related fears and ongoing road work in Gladstone.

“I’m not real comfortable with the parade, and the roads are torn up, also,” she said.

A motion to cancel the parade was approved.

On the other hand, Sanderson said Gladstone could do something in celebration of Independence Day even without its usual parade.

“I still would like to have some kind of an event in the park,” she said.

She said the event could include beer and food vendors, live music and fireworks.

Mantela agreed that some sort of event should take place in Gladstone to commemorate Independence Day.

“I think we should have something to celebrate what makes this town and this country what we are,” he said.

Commissioner Darin Hunter had some concerns. He said that, by holding an Independence Day event in the park, the city could be viewed as encouraging people to disobey restrictions on large gatherings in Michigan.

“I just don’t think that it’s the right message to send out there, that we’re allowing the executive order to be violated, as much as I want the Fourth of July to go on,” he said.

The possibility of having Sanderson submit an event plan for a potential Independence Day celebration in Gladstone to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office was raised during the meeting.

“I’d like us to do … some due diligence to see if we can do something,” Mantela said.

Ultimately, a motion to this effect was approved.

The commission also approved a motion to move forward with Gladstone’s summer concert series as scheduled with social distancing measures in place. The series will begin Thursday, June 18.

In other business, the commission:

– authorized a number of utility rate changes for the city’s 2020-21 fiscal year. These changes will go into effect on August 1.

Under the changes, monthly charges on residential 5/8″ water meters will increase from the current amount of $10.50 by $2.25 in 2020-21. Another $2 increase has been proposed for 2021-22, for a total rate of $14.75/month.

Wastewater rates will go up from $6.40 per 1,000 gallons in the current fiscal year to $6.50 in 2020-21.

Rates for trash pickup will rise from $11.35 in the current fiscal year to $11.77 in 2020-21.

For electric service, the readiness to serve charge is increasing from $8 to $10 in the coming fiscal year. The energy charge per kilowatt-hour will decrease from $0.12010 to $0.11654.

– agreed to lower the true cash value of a property at 524 Superior Ave. from $13,551 to $5,000. The owner of a home on the property, which is currently in a non-livable state, was planning to go to the Michigan Tax Tribunal in an attempt to lower his taxes.

– agreed to consider the possibility of selling the back half of a city lot located at 2820 8th Ave. W. to Roy and Lisa Nelson if an adjacent property owner does not express interest in building there. The Nelsons had previously purchased the front half of the lot.

– approved the purchase of a 2020 Ford F-250 truck through the MiDEAL program at a cost of $25,600. The truck will replace an inoperable 1998 Ford F-150 that was used by the wastewater plant, and funds to replace the truck were included in the city’s budget.

– authorized the purchase of a Gravely Pro-Turn 160 mower for Fernwood Cemetery at a cost of $7,000.

– accepted a $32,357.50 bid from Bugle Contracting of Cornell for clearing vegetation from around power lines.

– approved updates to the city’s investment policy.

– adopted a resolution to include changes to the city’s flexible benefit plan listed in the CARES Act.

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