If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The citys charter currently states the treasurer and clerk are to be elected. City Hall Hours. Other equipment will be replaced as well, including pumps, blowers, valves, pipes and the motor control center. City Council members can, as the entire council, hire the City Manager. I have a hard time believing that she would need to consistently put in 14- to 16-hour days to manage Ludington during that time.. The Ludington City Council will hold a special meeting at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at city hall to choose which candidates for city manager to interview at a later time. Ludington City Manager John Shay currently works on a year-to-year contract. Because the position is an elected position, even an appointed treasurer must be a resident of the city, who has lived in the city for at least one year. Its wrong to accuse people of stealing from the city never having to submit a shred of evidence of the crimes youre alleging., Barnett added, It just seems wrong to me, and it seems like we can interact without being hateful, and I would challenge all of us to do that.. Once a swimmer starts struggling, they typically become submerged within a minute, he said. Staff Directory Ludington, MI CivicEngage You have to have eyes on the water in real time, he said. Ludington city manager ready for challenges, glad to be back in west Shay starts his job on July 23, earning $123,468 per year. Teams of four players can register online until 11:59PM on June 3, or until the team count of 800 teams is reached. Foster said modern government operations require qualified personnel to handle treasurer and clerk duties. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. After a particularly deadly summer on Lake Michigan, grassroots calls to bring back lifeguards are growing louder. A 42-year-old Ludington woman suffered injuries after the vehicle she was driving left the road, hit a power pole head-on and rolled. She died the next day. The issue of municipal lifeguard liability is set to be heard by the Michigan Supreme Court. In the public comment period, resident Tom Rotta criticized the council for paying Steckel retroactively, since prior to starting the work, she had agreed to the wages. As lakeshore residents brace for the impending arrival of fall, the Ludington Area Center for the Arts (LACA) is adding a new and intimate performance series to its roster of events to accompany the change of season. City Council members have the authority and are responsible for passing municipal ordinances and budgets Qualifications City Council members must be a citizen of the United States and at least 18-years of age. From Jan. 29 to March 17, Steckels typical work days were 14 to 16 hours, and she had to use her personal vehicle to attend daily meetings for the city, she stated. Employee Intranet. DuBois, PA (15801) Today. Previously, Mitchell was the Village Administrator at V Read More Contact Mitchell Foster's Phone Number and Email Last Update 3/19/2023 5:57 PM Email m***@ci.ludington.mi.us Engage via Email Contact Number (231) ***-**** Engage via Phone Mobile Number For this reason it is the policy and practice of this company to not delete postings. Ludington, Scottville, PM Twp. to take action on establishing In April, the position was vacated by Keith Van Beek, who was appointed Holland city manager. We dont have a clear mandate on what the city should do, South Haven Interim Manager Kate Hosier said. Republic is recommending changing the recycling container from an 18-gallon bin to a 96-gallon cart, which would cost recycling subscribers an annual rental fee of $15 per cart, in addition to the 2.7723 millage rate Ludington property owners already pay for solid waste services. The council rescheduled its Committee of the Whole meeting to 6 p.m. April 15, instead of 5 p.m. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Jackies not cheating us.. However the township ultimately chose Steve Bulthuis, former executive director of the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, as its new manager in late February. The grant would be from the Michigan Natural Resources Recreation Passport program, and it must be submitted by April 1 to meet the deadline for the funds to be awarded in 2020. City Manager Mitch Foster said the city has posted the position on multiple sources with an application deadline of Sept. 20. The City of Ludington is requesting contractor bids for the construction of improvements to the area on Ludington Avenue west of Stearns Drive. Hard to say, said Schillachi, who was a beach captain for about five of the years he worked as a lifeguard between 2000-09. After the hike we will have an appetizer potluck near the bridge to celebrate National Trails Day. See related story about MCPs claim that the council violated the Michigan Open Meetings Act. City Hall Hours. Its complicated, and unique in Holland. In all, Schillachi pulled 16 people out of the waters off Muskegons Pere Marquette beach. City of Ludington 400 S Harrison Street Ludington, MI 49431 Phone: 231-845-6237 info@ci.ludington.mi.us; Helpful Links. Scottville City Commission will begin with a public hearing at 6 p.m. addressing the brownfield authority and then will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 105 N. Main St. in Scottville. "West Michigan has its own kind of tempo," he said. Sonja Blakney of South Haven agrees. Link: City Manager Page. And whats the right balance? The council approved changing the traffic flow to make one block of North William Street between Ludington Avenue and West Court Street a northbound, one-way street for vehicles. Shay has previously served as city manager in Ludington, village manager in Almont and has worked in local government for 25 years, according to a release from Wyoming. Shay was selected from a pool of 118 applicants, according to a statement from the county. Due to the larger container, collection times would also be reduced from once per week to once per month. Due to lightning and approaching thunderstorms, The Ludington Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament has been delayed again, this time until 11 a.m. After eight years of working with the City of Ludington to make it a reality, the Ludington Fire Department saw ground broken Wednesday evening for a new fire station that will be located on Tinkham Avenue behind the Lakeshore Resource Network. Drowning victim Jazmyn Patterson was her daughter, and Blakney believes leaders in South Haven need to do more to protect both residents and visitors. But a South Haven Safety Survey, conducted by Western Michigan University between October 2019 through January 2020, received more than 700 responses and found that fewer than half 44% -- of respondents definitely or somewhat supported returning lifeguards to the city. Friends of Ludington State Park is hosting a celebration officially opening the new, highly accessible playground built at the Hamlin Lake beach area of Ludington State Park Thursday, Sept. 20 at 5:30 p.m. MCSO ACTIVITY REPORT FOR THE WEEKEND OF 08/31/2018 thru 09/03/2018: A 66-year-old Ludington woman died from the injuries she sustained from an accident Wednesday night at the intersection of Ludington Avenue and South Jackson Road, according to Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett in a press release. Ludington also, after about a year of effort, got approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to place a gate on its north breakwall that was installed this year, said Ludington City Manager Mitch Foster. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The council, mayor, and staff in the city are all great people and the citizens are wonderful.. On Lake Michigan, theyre pounding you one right after the other real close together.. The county collected resumes for about three to four weeks, then began interviewing candidates. This may be done by editing the posted story or posting a new follow-up story. In New Buffalo, the recruitment process begins for the next season right after the current one ends. Muskegon taps Lundington Police Chief as next Director of Public Safety Cody Morgan Denton, 23, 2630 N. Sherman Road, Ludington, was sentenced in 51st Circuit Court Tuesday to 47 months minimum to a maximum of 15 years in prison on charges of breaking and entering with intent and larceny of firearms, habitual offender second offense. Three ways to help us: Venmo: @MasonCountyPress; Paypal: MasonCountyPress@gmail.com; Mail a check to PO BOX 21, Scottville, MI 49454. Ludington to extend city manager's term? | AP News The Ludington City Council will consider changing its charter to allow for the city manager to serve a term of three years at a time. Dancing With Local Stars raises more than $37,000 for O-Bots No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent. Richards did not know how many times the lifeguards entered the water to assist swimmers in New Buffalo this season. A year after he left, Muskegon eliminated its lifeguard program, citing finances as the reason. The 2018 Ludington Gus Macker 3-on-3 Charity Basketball Tournament has extended the registration deadline to June 3, 2018. Barnett, she said, had requested that all the police personnel become employees of Ludington and that the Ludington Police Department provide patrols in Scottville. And by the time you can start heading toward shore the storm and the wind is on you.. In some instances, untrained bystanders risked and at times lost their lives in futile rescue attempts. Entering into week three, hes learning many aspects of the community. A search committee will narrow down the candidates. The candidate names were apparently not released to the councilors during that closed session. No, they cannot be out in the water when red flag conditions persist, and by the time they are alerted and respond, it is too late, McGinnis said. In January, Steckel was appointed to serve as the acting city manager until the new city manager, Mitch Foster, was hired and began work. The state of Michigan, which operates a dozen state parks with beaches along the lakeshore, had pulled all its lifeguards by 1993. To read the full story, check out the print or E-edition of Tuesdays Ludington Daily News. A lot of times people wont be aware theyre in trouble, Sartini said. Every year the Mason County Garden Club searches out local businesses that do an outstanding landscaping and civic beautification effort. Enter your email address to subscribe to this site and receive notifications of new posts by email. They have a duty to protect their patrons.. Sources told WGVU Tuesday that the job is being offered to Tim Kozal, who has been serving as the Chief of Police in Ludington, Michigan since 2020. Municipal Executives Profiles Mitchell Foster Email & Phone Number - Ludingto.. | ZoomInfo Ludington City Manager Mitch Foster said the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) plans to repave Ludington Avenue and Lakeshore Drive in 2020, but he is recommending a complete reconstruction to solve the underlying road issues. Ludington (/ l d t n / LUH-ding-tn) is the largest city and county seat of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The Ludington City Council Monday evening hired a new city assessor. More than 300 people came to the event, each of them donating canned or other non-perishable food, which was given to the Ludington Area Schools Resource Center. City Manager City of Ludington, Michigan Mar 2019 - Present4 years 2 months Ludington, MI I oversee the day-to-day operations of a full-service city with 65 full-time employees and with. The Ludington City Council will hold a special meeting at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at city hall to choose which candidates for city manager to interview at a later time. Shay won the position among 48 candidates. Kozal began working in Ludington in May 2020, replacing Mark Barnett, who retired after serving the city for 19 years. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. His parents, Dave and Jody Foster, owned Fosters Market. Entering into week three, he's learning many aspects of the community. Parents, sons and daughters, observers, politicians, activists and educators were just some of the people that could be seen Saturday afternoon along West Ludington Avenue, holding signs, clapping, cheering and waving to passersby in the 90-plus-degree heat. City Manager Amy Williams said she recently met with Police Chief Mark Barnett and Ludington City Manager John Shay. However, Kozal is currently using up paid time off and was sworn in Monday, Aug. 29, as the City of Muskegons director of public safety. Shay also served as village manager of Almont for five years. I think the lifeguards are the difference between life and death in many drownings that happened this year, said David Benjamin, executive director of public relations and project management for the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. Two communities still have lifeguards on Lake Michigan Silver Beach in St. Joseph and New Buffalo Beach. Just like if a house is burning, youd expect firefighters would show up. Related: South Haven residents push for lifeguards after rash of Lake Michigan drownings. The Ludington City Council will consider changing its charter to allow for the city manager to serve a term of three years at a time. Steckel stated in a memo to the council that she picked that wage percentage because thats what other city employees have been paid when holding the place of their superintendent. Contact 911 immediately upon discovery of an overflow or backup. All three of the top candidates for the position of Ludington city manager have agreed to be interviewed by the city council on Jan. 24, said Interim City Manager Steve Brock. Hailing from Owosso in the Lansing area, and now living in Northville, Michigan, the couple has been coming to the Ludington area for years. Wyoming City Council said it hopes to approve an employment agreement by mid-May. Former Ottawa County administrator John Shay a finalist for Wyoming city manager, Ottawa County Board abruptly fires administrator, hires former GOP candidate John Gibbs, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Instead of lifeguards, most Lake Michigan beaches use to varying degrees -- a combination of education about swimming dangers, water condition warning systems, life rings and other stationed rescue and safety equipment. The city removed lifeguards about 15 years ago, after spending a year studying the safety, liability and logistics of keeping them, she said. Why most Lake Michigan beaches don't have lifeguards despite repeated Crowdfunding campaign launched for "From West End to Best End" project WEST OLIVE Ludington city manager John Shay has been hired by Ottawa County to serve as the lakeshore municipalitys deputy administrator. Even fewer residents responding to the survey, 42%, supported using existing city funds to pay for a lifeguard program. Ludington City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Ludington Municipal Building, 400 S. Harrison St. in Ludington. On Saturday, Oct. 27, Macunovich will come to Ludington to conduct an all-day seminar for local gardeners.