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EDWARDSBURG — The Edwardsburg Village Council reached a decision regarding the Elkhart Road Trail Development Project during its Monday meeting at Village Hall.

The motion to approve the project failed, with trustees Sam Garwood and Laura Hughes voting for and all others voting against.

The project, a collaboration with Ontwa Township, would have developed an eight-foot-wide trail along Elkhart Road from Gateway to May Street. An affirmative vote would have committed the village to a $120,000 match and permitted the use of the Elkhart Road Right of Way for the construction of the trail. 

A public comment addressed the Elkhart Road Path Resolution on the agenda, expressing that Village residents would pay twice on the path, once in taxes to Ontwa Township and again to the Village of Edwardsburg.

In other business, the council approved multiple grants, financial items, and budget amendments for February.

A public hearing for the Proposed 2024-2025 Budget was approved and scheduled. The hearing will take place during the next regular council meeting on Monday, March 18th at 7:15pm.

The 2024 Village audit, to be completed by Siegfried Crandall, was also approved, with a cost not to exceed $9,000.

The Library Board reported that construction on the new Edwardsburg branch of the Cass District Library is scheduled to begin in March.

During Public Comment, there were requests for a sidewalk from the new library to be connected to other Village sidewalks. There was also a request for transparency for any of the previously discussed improvements to Gunn Park, which had included options to create a new swimming area and an offer by a resident to build a dock in the area.

The council voted unanimously to engage Market Van Buren, soon to be Market One, in their economic development services for one year at a cost of $806.

Also approved was a grant application for $2,500 through the Michigan Township Participating Plan Risk Reduction Grant for the purchase of security cameras. Funding was requested via the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) Requests for funds to update playground equipment at Gunn Park.

The next Village Council meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, March 18 at the Village Hall. The Hall will be closed in observance of Good Friday on March 2.