Tracy Bivins is resigning her Wayland City Council post effective June 18 for what she said was for personal reasons.
Bivins first was elected to her first two-year term in November 2012 and was re-elected in 2014 and 2016. She would have been up
for re-election again this November, but has decided instead to step down.
Her last meeting will include a public hearing on the city’s 2018-19 fiscal year budget.
Mayor Tim Bala and council members will have to appoint her replacement, who will serve until the end of her third term and then would be eligible to run for another two-year position in November.
Interestingly, Bivins did not file for her second term until just before the deadline, but fellow councilwoman Jennifer Antel told her she should remain because her voice was valuable on issues in which they disagreed.
In other business Monday night, the City Council:
• Scheduled a public hearing for 7 p.m. Monday, June 18, on the fiscal year 2018-19 budget.
• Learned from City Manager Joshua Eggleston that the state turned the city’s request to designate about 1600 to 1700 feet along 133rd Avenue near the high school a major road instead of local. The city intends to swap Locust Street with 133rd for the designation.
• Learned the family of Jason Morgan has decided to fund the cost of a bench bearing his name to be placed in the city downtown, a place he frequented so often before he passed.
• Adopted a resolution supporting admittance of the Village of Caledonia into the Grand Valley Metro Council.
• Agreed to renew the city’s franchise with Uniform Video Service (Charter Communications) for 10 years with a fee of 5% that amounts to between $47,000 and $50,000 per year.
• Heard from Bivins of several requests to have the skate park moved from its current location behind the old bus garage behind Pearl Street. She said she was told Dorr and Byron Center have skate parks nearer to a major road and they have greater participation.
