GLADSTONE — The Gladstone City Commission has applied for a Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) grant to update the city’s asset management plan, review old records of water taps and do a field inspection to identify older service line materials.

The plan will be updated by adding new assets, as well as information obtained from completing the Distribution System Materials Inventory (DSMI).

The field verification of service line materials in older lines will help determine future costs for scheduled water main replacements. While the newer lines on the bluff are less than 25 years old, older lines in town will be inspected to determine what material the lines are made of.

Coleman Engineering is expected to help the city with geographic information system (GIS) mapping and DSMI data tracking, though no contracts have been signed yet.

The DWAM grant would reimburse Gladstone for labor and engineering services for the project.

In other business, the commission approved drafting a purchase agreement for Great Lakes First Federal Credit Union to purchase the lot at 1011 Delta Avenue. The 26-foot-wide by 140-foot-deep lot sits between the credit union and the Whatever Bar and is currently being used as an alleyway shortcut.

The commission determined the sale of the lot would benefit the credit union more than the city would benefit by keeping the lot, as it is not large enough to make into a parking lot by itself.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Renee Barron said the credit union is an iconic business downtown that draws people to the area and those people spend time downtown doing other business. The city determined it was beneficial to both the credit union and the city to draft the purchase agreement, which provides an incentive for the credit union to remain in its current location.

Barron added selling the lot would relieve the city of the cost to maintain and plow it.

According to Barron, the assessor roughly estimated the value of the lot at approximately $3,000.

The credit union is also considering the purchase of the Whatever Bar. The city’s willingness to sell the lot between the two businesses clarifies renovation options for the credit union.

The sale of the lot is contingent upon the purchase coming back to the commission for final approval.

During the meeting, the commission also discussed transfer of the liquor license associated with the Irish Oaks Golf Course from JDLS Group to Gladstone Oaks, LLC. Tracy Thompson, who intends to run the golf course, a bar and restaurant, is in the process of obtaining the lease from Matt Smith.

In order to get the liquor license transferred, the state is requiring Thompson provide proof of permission from the landowner — the city — for the sale of alcohol on the golf course. Thompson requested the city clerk sign and submit a letter to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission allowing the sale of alcohol on the golf course.

The commission went into closed session to discuss the matter, during which no decisions were made.

Upon returning from the closed session, a motion was carried to table decision on liquor license on leased golf course until the next meeting. A motion was also carried for the mayor appoint a subcommittee to meet with Gladstone Oaks, LLC to gather more information for the concession agreement.

Also during the meeting, the commission tabled the question of whether to change the date of the March Board of Review meeting.