By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
George Bennett Jr., owner of 207 Pokagon St., one of two parcels declared public nuisances Monday night by Dowagiac City Council, said he requested "three or four" years ago to convert the property into a resale shop, but was told "that wasn't possible."
Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Comstock added that Bennett should seek the meeting next week because Nelson is attending Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) training, "All Hazards Recovery and Mitigation," in Emmitsburg, Md., and wasn't present Aug. 22.
The course is a follow-up to emergency preparedness training he and most city department heads attended over the last few years. Jim Bradford, Don Hallowell and Rose Scherr also attended.
Costs for the training and travel, except meal expenses, are reimbursable to the city by FEMA. The training enables city officials to participate in a combination of classroom experiences and mock disaster recovery and mitigation exercises designed to help them better respond and implement disaster policies, strategies, plans and procedures. Each is assigned a role similar to their actual positions with the city.
According to the code enforcement report on 207 Pokagon, the former neighborhood grocery store has been vacant since at least 1989.
Utility records indicate power was disconnected to the one-story, wood-framed, commercial building in April 1994.
The other public hearing concerned a house at 314 N. Front St. owned by Denton Kime of Niles. Kime works in St. Joseph and was unable to attend, but he sent a letter stating, "I regret it has taken me so long on the repainting project. I know it has been frustrating for you, too."
In addition to financial constraints, his wife broke her wrist in July 2004. "That set us back, as I do not want to work off (a) high ladder with no one close by in case of accident. It is my intention to complete the repainting project yet this summer. Most of the prep work has been done, and I have started to paint the scraped surfaces."
Comstock offered on behalf of the mayor the reappointment, which council members confirmed, of former public library director Jackie Baker to a four-year term on the Dowagiac District Library board from October 2005 through September 2009.
Dowagiac's other District Library Board trustee, Judy Lawrence, is serving a term that expires in September 2007, according to Director Evelyn Holzwarth.
In other Aug. 22 business, the council approved Russell Nieb's purchase of two years and two months of Department of Public Services credit.
Cost of the purchase will be paid entirely by Nieb, 59, who has14 years, 11 months credit.
City employees Aug. 3 elected Rose Scherr as MERS delegate and Angie Crocker as alternate. City Manager Bill Nelson appointed Finance Director David Pilot as officer delegate and will be his alternate.
They will represent Dowagiac at the Michigan Employee Retirement System annual meeting and vote on behalf of participating city employees.
The city has belonged to MERS since Oct. 1, 1987.
In the only public comment, Robert Mortimore suggested the city invest in a sidewalk sweeper to deal with broken glass.
Amtrak's monthly update indicates the two lines serving Dowagiac continue to show substantial increases. One a year-to-date basis, the Blue Water line saw a 17.7-percent increase in ridership and a 20-percent increase in revenue. The Wolverine experienced a 10.6-percent rise in ridership and a 14.6-percent revenue increase.