Local meeting primer: Sturgis City Commission

Sturgis city commissioners will meet Wednesday for their first regular meeting since a contentious April 22 session in which Vice Mayor Jeff Mullins publicly asked Mayor Frank Perez to resign, two efforts to formally discipline Perez failed on tied votes, City Manager Andrew Kuk announced his resignation, and Commissioner Linda Harrington announced she was stepping down from the commission. 

The leadership changes remain largely unchanged heading into Wednesday’s meeting. Harrington’s resignation took effect May 10, meaning this will be the first meeting without her on the dais. Kuk is expected to remain in his role until July 24 under the terms of his separation agreement, and Perez has given no indication that he plans to resign. 

Perez recently discussed the controversy during an appearance on the 500 Grand podcast, where he said Mullins and Commissioner Aaron Miller were attempting to bully him and said the fallout has taken a toll on his family.

“You have a former state rep, a Sturgis bank and trust officer and Jeff Mullins, a salesman, bullying me. And we have a problem with that in this country and you have two grown men wanting to bully me? Without knowing the consequences of bringing shame to our community,” Perez said, in part, during the interview. 

Perez said he remains committed to serving, while expressing concern that the highly public dispute could discourage residents from seeking public office, and make it harder for the city to attract qualified candidates to replace Kuk.

During the April 22 meeting, Mullins and Miller accused Perez of behavior they described as unethical and illegal, though neither publicly identified specific actions or statutes they believe were violated. Both said they were limited in what they could disclose because some of the discussion occurred in closed session. 

In a phone interview with Watershed Voice the following day, Miller said Perez was the person best positioned to reveal the details behind the allegations and reiterated his call for Perez to resign from the commission entirely. Perez has denied wrongdoing and did not respond to Watershed Voice’s requests for comment following the April meeting.

Regular business

Despite the unresolved tensions, the commission is expected to move through a full agenda Wednesday. Residents will have an opportunity to speak during the public comment period for items not listed on the agenda before commissioners begin regular business. 

Commissioners are set to consider several major infrastructure and facility projects totaling more than $1 million. 

The agenda includes a public hearing on a project plan that would allow the city to apply for low-interest state financing to replace approximately 477 lead service lines in a neighborhood bounded by East Lafayette Street, North Lakeview Avenue, East Chicago Road and North Nottawa Street. Commissioners will also consider contracts related to resurfacing North Centerville Road from U.S. 12 to just north of West Lafayette Street near Kirsch Municipal Airport, a project supported in part by a federal Small Urban grant. 

For the wastewater treatment plant, commissioners are expected to approve a $51,800 engineering agreement to design the replacement of a screw pump that has operated continuously since 1985. 

The most expensive item on the agenda is a proposed $729,702 contract to replace the Doyle Community Center roof with a new metal system. Because the project cost is far higher than the $325,000 originally budgeted, commissioners will also consider a $20,000 contingency, and a resolution declaring the city’s intent to issue bonds to finance the work. 

Commissioners are also scheduled to vote on a $74,800 exterior rehabilitation project for City Hall and the Sturgis District Library building, with the library covering 60% of the cost under its lease agreement, and a $96,471 contract to replace stage curtains at the Sturges-Young Center for the Arts as part of ongoing upgrades to the facility. 

Other items on the consent agenda include approval of city bills totaling about $2.66 million, the Memorial Day Parade, several public hearings related to sidewalk assessments and a summer literacy event hosted by the Sturgis District Library.

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.