By HANNAH HOLLIDAY

hannah.holliday@leaderpub.com

DOWAGIAC — In compliance with the Federal Transit Administration and Michigan Department of Transportation’s policies, Dial-A-Ride operators will now be tested for opioids in routine drug and alcohol testing.

City Manager Kevin Anderson said anyone who is going to drive public transportation needs to pass a drug and alcohol test. The new updates from the federal government refine how random selection takes place for the test and adds to the items and types of drugs they test for.

“This is pretty routine business,” Anderson said. “Every two or three years, the feds update their policies and when they do, all the agencies throughout the country have to adopt similar items or you lose funding.”

The drug and alcohol testing policy will now test for opioids, Mayor Pro-Tem Leon Laylin announced to the council.

“That’s why these policies are updated,” Anderson said. “At different times, different drugs come up that pose problems. They want to be sure their tests are aligning with the problems that are current for the day.”

Therefore, the public can be sure the drivers operating these vehicles are safe drivers, Anderson said.

Also on Monday, a new face officially joined the Dowagiac City Council. Randy Gross Sr. took his seat among council after the resignation of former councilmember Charles Burling due to health issues.

Gross was welcomed by his fellow councilmembers, and during his first session of councilmember comments, he said on E. Railroad Street a pair of shoes has been hanging on a wire for some time.

“There’s just a negative connotation when you see shoes on a wire, for somebody coming through town, who has never been here before,” Gross said.

Also Monday:

• A resolution to authorize budget amendments for the 2018 and 2019 fiscal year was passed by the city council. Anderson confirmed the fiscal year ends this month, and the city should not have any big surprises.

• The council hosted a second and final reading of an ordinance to adopt the International Property Maintenance Code for properties within the city of Dowagiac.

• Before the city council ended, Laylin presented councilmember Bob Schuur with a series of photos from a ground-breaking ceremony for Schuur Park, which was hosted last Tuesday. At a city council meeting last month, a resolution was also passed to name a new park at Cass Ave. and Dowagiac Creek Schuur Park after Schuur, who has served as a councilmember for the city for 34 years.

• Anderson also presented city council with more information about the demolition of a property on Bradley Street. Anderson said the city has not heard much back from the property owner at the time of Monday’s meeting regarding a specific plan for the demolition.

• Lastly, the city council discussed the three community open houses hosted in each of the city’s wards. Anderson said several residents brought up concerns about the lack of activities for youth and families happening in Dowagiac. He also said the open houses allowed the city to better help the public understand how certain properties are owned by other people and how the process of rehabilitating buildings works.

Laylin said it is important for the city council to have input from the public in order to make decisions.

“The council really appreciates the input we got at these community open houses,” Laylin said. “If we work together, it will be a good program. If you don’t help us out, then we don’t give you what you want.”