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NILES — A local sewing business will be expanding, thanks to the support of the Niles City Council.

The council agreed to allow City Administrator Huff and city attorney Robert  Landgraf to negotiate a purchase agreement for parcel 11-72-4560-0042-03-7. The city was approached by the owners of Sew Happy Sales and Service,15 N. 2nd Street, with interest in purchasing property owned by the City adjacent to their business with the purpose of constructing an expansion to its current business.

According to city documents, a title search has been completed and confirms the property is owned by the City of Niles. There are several easements on the property and there may be a desire by the City of Niles Utilities Department to maintain an additional easement on the property for future infrastructure. Once a purchase agreement has been drafted it will come before the Council for approval and consideration of the sale.

Additional business:

• City council approved the request by the Downtown Development Authority/Main Street to conduct the 18th annual Hunter Ice Festival and the 12th Annual Frigid 5K Run event in the downtown area Friday, January 14th through Sunday, January 16th, 2022, and waived all fees.
• Council accepted the estimate of $2,691.67 to be charged to the Parks Repairs and Maintenance Fund from Creative Vinyl Signs of Dowagiac, for the necessary repairs to the Welcome to Niles sign at Donovan Park and authorized City Administrator Huff to sign the estimate.
•     ​​Council conducted the first reading of an ordinance to regulate possession and consumption of alcoholic liquor in the Social District’s Common Area. If approved, the ordinance would restrict public alcoholic liquor consumption to the Social District’s Common Area, as approved by Council, and only alcoholic liquor purchased from Social District’s Common Area licensed businesses is permitted in the Common Area.