Commissioners decided they need to set a special meeting date down the road to allow for more firms to be reached out to and a Request for Proposal (RFP) be created and sent out by the city. They unanimously agreed to table the agenda item and set a special meeting date for December 8, at 6 p.m. with a location to be determined.
Lucas Allen, Three Rivers At-Large Commissioner candidate filled out our questionnaire, here are his answers.
The Three Rivers City Commission will weigh which firm will conduct the search for its new city manager when it meets tonight, Tuesday, October 20. City Manager Joe Bippus will step down on January 14, 2027 after more than two decades at the helm. Mayor Angel Johnston, who has been critical of Bippus since she was elected last November, expressed frustration with the lack of options presented to conduct the search, and added the city should take its time selecting Bippus' replacement.
Sturgis City Commissioner Aaron Miller says "there can be no coincidence" between the reported actions of Mayor Frank Perez, and the resignation of former City Manager Andrew Kuk. “I have watched a long history of commissioner mistreatment of Mr. Kuk that culminated in these events," Miller told Watershed Voice. "It has not just been this one event. His resignation was announced on the same night that the details of the secret meeting all spilled out before the entire commission, shortly after Mr. Kuk learned about the various details as well. There can be no coincidence."
A group of local musicians will present an evening of music by Woody Guthrie at the Riviera Theatre and Bar in Three Rivers on Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit The Huss Project, a community center owned and operated by Three Rivers nonprofit *culture is not optional.
The November election is quickly approaching with just over three weeks before Election Day on Tuesday, November 3. In preparation, Watershed Voice sent out questionnaires to candidates in local and statewide races. Although some local elections are uncontested, those candidates also received questionnaires.
“We’re talking about a sizable portion of our communities that need support, need to be able to find community, and need folks out there that are advocating for them,” Executive Director Gerik Maverick said. “We have been working with schools for just over a decade. We work with healthcare systems on training to make sure folks are able to get resources. We’re working with the area agency on aging on some very exciting new projects.”
After a closed session during their September 23 meeting, the Sturgis City Commission unanimously voted to release the findings of the external investigation by Miller Johnson that looked into alleged wrongdoing by commissioners. The report details the events leading up to the public controversy, the investigator’s findings, and his legal conclusions regarding the commissioners’ conduct. This story presents the events chronologically, drawing on the investigator’s findings and the accounts of those interviewed.
The unanimous decision to release the findings came after a nearly two and a half hour closed session during which commissioners discussed the findings of the investigation, and what would be released to the public. The decision to open an investigation came after weeks of Vice Mayor Jeff Mullins and City Commissioner Aaron Miller calling for Mayor Frank Perez to step down before attempting to remove and censure him. Mullins and Miller alleged that Perez and other commissioners contributed to an environment that led to former City Manager Andrew Kuk’s resignation. This is a developing story and Watershed Voice will provide updates as they become available. Staff Writer Maxwell Knauer is working on securing the investigation findings and will provide coverage once he has done so.
Kalamazoo City Commissioners passed a policy change which will bring all Flock and related surveillance contracts directly to commissioners for consideration, regardless of the price of the contract.
A NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR
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