Lansing City Council approves financing agreements for Highway 9/Main Street project, discusses fireworks and splash pad water usage concerns
by Joshua Sharpe
The Lansing City Council met in a regular session delayed a couple days from its typical Monday meeting night due to schedule conflicts for both the mayor and mayor pro-tem with the Monday, June 1 regularly scheduled meeting date for the council. Instead, the meeting was held Wednesday, June 3, with Mayor Mike Verdon and Councilman Ben Ghelf not able to be in attendance, and Mike Manning serving as Mayor Pro-Tem.
CONSIDERATION OF FIREWORKS REQUEST
The council reviewed city support for fireworks for the Fourth of July holiday, referencing Lansing’s historical practice. City Clerk Teresa Severson noted that the city has contributed $500 annually to that effort since 2010. During the discussion, council members raised concerns regarding the framing and documentation of the expense. Council member Steve Murray referenced a situation involving another city that faced issues with auditors over similar donations, suggesting that Lansing should be cautious about labeling the expense as a donation. He proposed that the city frame it as requesting a service for fireworks.
Manning noted that the city had previously encountered questions during an audit concerning fireworks funding and emphasized the importance of proper documentation in such a matter. He stated that specifying the fireworks to be funded would help address any audit queries. Additionally, Murray recommended obtaining a receipt for the $500 expenditure.
The council also considered whether to maintain the typical funding amount of $500 or possibly request a higher amount. Manning expressed uncertainty regarding whether the amount would remain at $500 or if additional funds were needed.
The council also discussed the proposed location for the fireworks, noting uncertainty about the exact location. Furthermore, councilman Stan Schwartzhoff commented that if an additional budget request would be made, it is necessary for the city to specify how the expenses should be categorized or billed. He noted the importance of clear communication in this regard.
Noting the absence of anyone associated with the fireworks display at the June 3 meeting, Severson suggested addressing the matter at the next council meeting. Due to the lack of complete information regarding the location, the council chose to postpone the discussion of the fireworks location and funding until a future meeting.
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