Three Rivers City Commission discusses revised master plan, approves purchase of police vehicle
The used 2023 Chevy Blazer will be utilized as an unmarked vehicle for the Three Rivers Police Department. The purchase will be covered, in part, by trading in three department vehicles with mechanical issues, along with a $14,760 city contribution.
The Three Rivers City Commission discussed its revised master plan, authorized a winter salt purchase, and made plans to upgrade its police fleet during Tuesday night’s meeting.
The August 19 meeting was held with six commissioners present; Commissioner-at-Large Lucas Allen was absent.
The revised Master Plan was placed on file, triggering a 63-day public comment period. The measure passed on a 6-0 vote.
Mayor Tom Lowry highlighted the diversity section of the plan’s introduction.
“One of the most significant themes is the City of Three Rivers’ ongoing commitment to diversity [and] inclusion within the city, and its acknowledgment that we are a mixture of all kinds of backgrounds. We have a little bit of everybody. And we’re higher than other communities in the county. We are a true melting pot, and I appreciate the Planning Commission and the input that makes that paragraph possible.”
Also approved unanimously were the purchase of $36,500 in road salt for winter maintenance, and the acquisition of a used 2023 Chevy Blazer from Vetter-McGill Chevrolet to serve as an unmarked police vehicle.
The purchase will be covered in part by trading in three department vehicles with mechanical issues, along with a $14,760 city contribution, leaving the department with three fewer vehicles overall.
The commission also allocated $60,000 — $30,000 from the major streets fund balance and $30,000 from the local streets fund balance — for disposal of street-sweeping debris at a landfill.
The next city commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2, at 6 p.m.
Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice
Author
Related Articles
Watershed Voice: Year in Review
Before our three-week publishing pause, Watershed Voice invites our readers to take a look back at the past year in local news. For Watershed Voice, it was a year marked by change, as we transitioned from one staff writer — Najifa Farhat for the first half of the year — to another, Maxwell Knauer, for the second half of the year.
No matter the author of our stories, we aimed to bring prompt, fact-based, independent reporting to Southwest Michigan. Here’s a look at some of our favorite, most impactful, and most-read stories of 2025.
Watershed Voice 2025: By the Numbers
As the year comes to an end, Watershed Voice takes a look back at a year of keeping readers across Southwest Michigan informed.
In 2025, Watershed Voice published 322 stories, averaging 27 articles per month. Over the course of the year, our reporting reached 137,762 total page views from 79,435 visitors.
Remembering the life of a Three Rivers titan: Bruce Monroe
While Bruce Monroe’s restoration work reshaped parts of downtown Three Rivers, those closest to him say it was the care he showed people that mattered most.
“Bruce was my father. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that he was as good of a father as anyone could ever hope to have. My brothers and I grew up with endless love and support from our dad. Our family is all still very close, which I think is a testament to my father and the environment he created and fostered for us,” Bruce’s youngest son, Evan Monroe wrote.
