HART - The month of October saw the Hart City Council considering several items. At their Oct. 8 meeting, the council approved Resolution 2024-28 to allow a 42-day minimum review period of its 2017 Master Plan. This review period is to allow for the public and area agencies to offer comments on the proposed extension.
According to City Manager Rob Splane, as a Redevelopment Ready Community, the city is required to include a review of its master plan every five years. Currently the city’s master plan meets state requirements, but not RRC requirements. The last time the city’s master plan was reviewed and approved was 2017, prior to receiving its RRC designation.
A copy of the plan is available on the city’s website, www.cityofhart.org > Connect > Public Notices. The public has until the end of December to offer comments via letter, email or in person at the city hall, or during public comment at a regularly scheduled city council meeting. There is a required 42 day-minimum review period, however, the city won’t begin its RRC recertification until January 2025.
Council also discussed the city’s five-year Parks and Recreation Master Plan at their Oct. 8 meeting. “The parks plan will be a full revision, and there will be some public engagement opportunities before it is officially adopted,” Splane said.
This master plan is also available for review by going to the city’s website, www.cityofhart.org > Connect > Public Notices.
Residents and visitors may have noticed the DPW department has begun removing trees in the downtown area. This is in an effort to prepare for Phase I of the TIFA-planned streetscape set to begin Phase I in 2025. “They (the trees) will all need to come out eventually (when we) replace lead service lines. There is an expense to leaving them up. This year, the majority of trees removed were requested specifically by the business or property owners. My feeling is a phased removal gives the community a little bit of a chance to see what it will look like and be open to new planting/design ideas in Phase II,” Splane said.
At the council’s Oct. 22 meeting, the council approved Resolution 2024-29 to have Bendzinski & Company Municipal Financial Advisors conduct a water utility rate study at a cost not to exceed $9,000. In 2022, the city had contracted with Baker Tilly, municipal financial advisors, for the same work, however, the study was never completed. Splane said that at that time the city did not have a good capital improvement plan, therefore the study was never done.
The city’s current municipal financial advisor, Andy Campbell, formerly with Baker Tilly, has worked with the city for a number of years and will be overseeing the study. He has recently moved to Bendzinski & Company, a smaller family-owned company located in Grosse Pointe, Mich. Splane noted that no monies were ever paid to Baker Tilly, and Campbell moved to Bendzinski with their blessing.
Splane added, “Bendzinski’s quotes are equal to or less than Baker Tilly’s, so ultimately it is going to save the city money, with no loss in quality of service.” He expects the study to be completed by early 2025.
A sewer rate study was completed in 2023 and an electric rate study in 2024.
