Local meeting primer: Sturgis City Commission
The Sturgis City Commission will meet this Wednesday, October 14 at 6 p.m. for a regular business meeting. This will be commissioners’ first meeting since the results of the internal investigation were released, and Monday’s statements from Commissioner Aaron Miller again calling for Mayor Frank Perez’s resignation. While there are no agenda or discussion items related to the results, commissioners will likely discuss it during commissioner comments.
For regular business, commissioners will consider a number of vehicle and project plans, a diesel fuel purchase, and set the meeting date for their first procedural meeting after the November election.
The Sturgis City Commission will meet this Wednesday, October 14 at 6 p.m. for a regular business meeting. This will be commissioners’ first meeting since the results of the internal investigation were released, and Monday’s statements from Commissioner Aaron Miller again calling for Mayor Frank Perez’s resignation. While there are no agenda or discussion items related to the results, commissioners will likely discuss it during commissioner comments.
For regular business, commissioners will consider a number of vehicle and project plans, a diesel fuel purchase, and set the meeting date for their first procedural meeting after the November election.
DWSRF Project Plan
Commissioners will consider $304,022 for Fishbeck Inc. to begin the design phase of engineering services for the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan, which will be utilized to perform Lead Service Line replacements. The city previously submitted for DWSRF funding for five years, however, it was unable to get into the funded range for the projects included, and now the project plan has expired, according to the agenda packet.
Commissioners are now being asked to submit a new DWSRF project that staff say will only be used for lead service line replacements.
“The State of Michigan has Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding which must be used in 2027 and which can only be used for lead service line replacement,” city staff writes in the agenda packet. “Staff believes this opportunity can turbocharge our lead service line replacement program before 2037 and would like to submit a new DWSRF Project plan where lead service line replacement is the only activity.”
Diesel purchase
Commissioners will consider authorizing City Controller Sadie Griffin to make diesel fuel purchases for Engine #6 above the $60,000 threshold of staff’s purchasing authority without seeking additional commission approval during the 2026-27 fiscal year.
The packet says the price of diesel fuel fluctuates daily, requiring staff to make purchasing decisions based on prices available that day. Staff says that due to increased diesel fuel prices, purchases may exceed their $60,000 approval authority, which has not typically been the case.
Because of this, commissioners are being asked to authorize Griffin to approve purchases above that threshold based on quotes at the day’s prices.
Staff says they will soon need to purchase approximately 12,000 gallons of diesel fuel for Engine #6, which will likely require additional approval under the city’s current purchasing policy.
The city has budgeted $200,000 for fuel and natural gas for electricity generation during the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Organizational meeting
The last agenda item of the evening will be approval of the commission’s next organizational meeting, which is when the city commission meets for the first time following an election to swear-in the newly elected and reelected incumbent commissioners to their new terms.
It is being recommended that commissioners approve Wednesday, December 2 for their organizational meeting date.
Commissioners Aaron Miller and Justin Wickey are running for reelection unopposed while Mayor Frank Perez is running for reelection as Commissioner of District 4 against Stoney Summey. Vice Mayor Jeff Mullins is not seeking reelection for District 1 commissioner despite his term ending this November. Former City Engineer Barry Cox is running unopposed to fill that seat.
Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.
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