By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Dowagiac announced at Monday night's City Council meeting that it has been recognized for this year by being awarded the program excellence award for intergovernmental cooperation of cities with a population of less than 10,000.
Each year ICMA, the professional and educational organization for chief appointed managers, administrators and assistants in cities, towns, counties and regional entities throughout the world since 1914, bestows special recognition to cities which exemplify the best in city management.
ICMA has almost 8,000 members.
Added City Manager Bill Nelson: "This is a very prestigious award that acknowledges the city's many efforts to look for opportunities for cooperation to improve our community and neighboring communities.
Third Ward Councilman Leon Laylin "concurred with what's already been said. We are unified in what we bring before us. As far as our meeting within the guidelines of the Open Meetings Act, everything is channeled through the manager's office. If we have a complaint, he hears it from us, he conveys it to the mayor and it's worked out in that fashion. We don't caucus outside the presence of the public. That would be illegal. We are complying with the Open Meetings Act."
City Attorney Mark Westrate has worked with four city managers.
Laylin relayed to Nelson a concern he received about parking on both sides of Cross Street north of W. Telegraph becoming a "serious problem, creating a one-way traffic pattern on a narrow street. It should be addressed from a safety standpoint and we should limit parking to only one side of the street."
Council members ended the evening in closed session discussing litigation and negotiations related to the potential sale or lease of real property.
The filing deadline for the Nov. 8 city election is 5 p.m. Sept. 26.