OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Portage City Council Meeting - February 25, 2026: Moratorium, Flock Cameras, Public Art

City Council — Wednesday, February 25, 2026
BodyPortage, Michigan
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, February 25, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:01:44

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

This nation will arrive.

0:05

Good evening.

0:06

I call to order the February 24th 2026 ported City Council meeting in honor of all denominations and personal beliefs.

0:16

And as we work together to build a stronger community, please rise for a moment of personal introspection and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:34

Please join me in the pledge.

0:37

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

0:43

And to the Republic for which it stands under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:57

And if I could please ask the clerk to call the roll.

1:00

Yes, Madam Mayor.

1:01

Start with Burns.

1:02

Here.

1:03

Ladbetter.

1:03

Here.

1:04

Miller.

1:04

Here.

1:05

Homestead.

1:06

Here.

1:06

Pearson.

1:07

Here.

1:07

Randall.

1:08

Here.

1:08

And Young here.

1:10

Thank you.

1:11

All right.

1:11

We have a special award this evening to a very special student in the Portage Schools.

1:16

And I'd like to turn this over to the city manager, Pat McGuinness to make the presentation.

1:22

Thank you very much, Mayor Randall.

1:24

Tonight we are embarking on a new program for the City of Portage where we are inviting local art teachers to display the work of their students in our lobby and our display cases.

1:36

Assistant to the city manager, Tom Rosseter, has been making connections at all of our elementary schools and has invited students to come in and place their work here in our display cases.

2:00

Overseen very closely by our clerk's office.

2:02

So we know it was a fair and impartial election.

2:05

We got 52 votes, and with 12 votes, Valeria B is here tonight, and she uh is our very first winner.

2:14

So I want to invite her up.

2:15

It's Mrs.

2:16

Pell's fifth grade class.

2:18

Uh and uh the whole month of February, this artwork has been out there.

2:21

And as you can see, it is sitting right in front of me on the uh dais here.

2:26

And I know she's very proud.

2:27

If you want to come on up and I'll I'll give you your certificate and let's give you a round of applause.

2:31

We'll come on back.

2:39

Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us.

2:41

Thank you.

2:42

Okay.

2:42

Thank you.

2:43

Congratulations.

2:44

You can go right on back up.

2:50

All right.

2:51

Um before we begin uh with the typical um petitions and statement of citizens on our agenda this evening.

2:57

Um seems to be a duplication of um uh the same item, um, but it's technically not.

3:05

But this is new territory for our council as well.

3:08

Both of them deal with um establishing a moratorium for data centers and battery energy storage systems.

3:14

I can speak only for myself, but I know that many of the council members um watch the planning commission meeting.

3:21

Um we are not allowed to attend that meeting.

3:24

Um we appoint them and and just our presence might uh influence them one way or the other, so we watch from afar and we can also watch it in the archive tapes.

3:35

So uh I recognize many faces that were there this evening, and basically what the planning commission did was move the item over to the council, and then we are setting a public hearing for March 24th.

3:48

So before that, I would like um to have the um city um attorney uh Catherine Kaufman kind of weigh in and tell the council and the audience what we are trying to do here this evening.

4:01

All right, thank you, madam mayor.

4:02

Um the council wants to or is it uh asked us to develop a moratorium ordinance for both battery energy storage and data centers.

4:12

Um when you adopt a moratorium under law, the most bulletproof and legally defensible way to do it is to adopt both a police power ordinance, which is on your agenda for adoption tonight, and also a zoning ordinance amendment.

4:27

And the logic behind us, there's a case law from the Eastern District of Michigan federal courts that say if you are going to stop the application of any ordinance, you must do that by another ordinance.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Technology and Innovation█████████████████████████████████████37%
Public Safety████████████████████20%
Arts And Culture████████8%
Parks and Recreation████████8%
Procedural███████7%
Public Engagement██████6%
Economic Development████4%
Engineering And Infrastructure██2%
Environmental Protection██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Portage City Council Meeting - February 25, 2026

The Portage City Council met on February 25, 2026, to address a wide range of topics including adopting a temporary moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage systems (BESS), receiving a presentation on the Flock license plate reader system, and hearing public comments on multiple issues. The meeting also featured a student art award, a report from the Kalamazoo County Public Art Commission, and council committee updates.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the consent agenda as presented, which included routine approvals and items available for review on the city website.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mark Anthony Martin (resident, 10519 Dandale Street) expressed concerns about missing kick-out flashing on new houses on Portage Road and Oakland Drive, citing Michigan Residential Code requirements and potential water damage. He also criticized the city manager's handling of a Waste Management meeting regarding the transition to a single hauler, and noted petitions from residents opposed to losing trash hauler choice.
  • John Faber (resident) expressed full support for the proposed moratorium on BESS and data centers, praising the planning commission and city attorney's expertise. He noted that over 12 states have initiated similar moratoriums and referenced a BESS facility in Comstock.
  • Rachel Vignalis (non-resident, Kalamazoo Township) introduced herself as a candidate for the 8th district court judge position, highlighting her background as a public defender and commitment to mentorship and treatment courts.
  • Paige Fraga (resident, 5124 Midfield Drive) urged the council to enact the moratorium to protect the environment and public safety. She cited a Comstock study indicating thermal runaway risks, toxic emissions (hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, etc.), and questioned whether the city has adequate fire safety protocols and bonding requirements for such facilities.
  • Doug Vowden (resident, 2149 Woody Knoll Drive) supported the moratorium, raising concerns about data centers' high energy and water consumption, potential strain on the power grid, thermal pollution of surface water, and limited employment benefits.
  • Caitlin Clary (non-resident, Vicksburg) spoke in favor of the moratorium, citing her background as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear specialist. She feared first responders lack proper equipment for hazmat incidents, and pointed to the East Palestine, Ohio disaster as a cautionary example.
  • Elijah Steiman (non-resident, Western Michigan University cybersecurity research group) raised concerns about Flock Safety camera vulnerabilities, including unencrypted traffic, default credentials, and discoverability via Google dorking. He noted over 100 cameras in the county and urged the city to address security risks.

Discussion Items

  • Student Art Award Presentation: City Manager Pat McGuinness introduced a new program where local art teachers display student work in city hall. Valeria B, a fifth-grade student from Mrs. Pell's class, was the first winner with 12 out of 52 votes. Her artwork was displayed in the lobby for the month of February.
  • Temporary Moratorium Ordinance on Data Centers and BESS: City Attorney Catherine Kaufman explained the legal framework for establishing a moratorium using both a police power ordinance (adopted tonight) and a zoning ordinance text amendment (public hearing set for March 24, 2026). The moratorium will last until December 31, 2026, during which the city will study the issues and consider regulations. The council discussed the need for educational materials, including the Comstock school district study and a summary report from the attorney, to be provided before the March 24 hearing.
  • Flock Camera System Presentation: Public Safety Director Matt Wolf, Sergeant Matson, and Detective Pierman presented the Flock license plate reader system, which has been in use for about three and a half years. The system captures still images of license plates and vehicles, not people or faces. Data is retained for 30 days, used only for active criminal investigations, locating wanted offenders, and missing persons. Policies require a valid case number for each search, and monthly audits ensure compliance. The department does not share data with federal agencies for immigration or reproductive health matters. Council members raised concerns about data sharing with over 1,100 partner agencies, the potential for misuse, and the 14-day retention proposed in state legislation. Representative Matt Longjohn (sponsor of House Bills 5492 and 5493) discussed the bills, which aim to regulate private and public use of license plate readers, including 14-day retention limits and restrictions on use for immigration or reproductive health. The council received the presentation.

Key Outcomes

  • Adopted Temporary Moratorium Ordinance: The council voted unanimously (7-0) to adopt a temporary moratorium ordinance on data centers and battery energy storage systems, effective until December 31, 2026. A public hearing on the zoning text amendment is scheduled for March 24, 2026.
  • Approved Kalamazoo County Public Art Commission Annual Report: The council approved the 2025 annual report as presented by Dana Wagner.
  • Received Letter of Support from Portage Park Board: The council received a letter of support regarding Lakeview Park.
  • Received Flock Camera Presentation: The council accepted the presentation from Public Safety Director Wolf and Representative Longjohn.
  • Council Committee Reports: Councilmember Young reported on the Environmental Health Advisory Committee, noting a presentation on BESS and data centers by Taylor Van Winkle. Councilmember Miller reported on the Discover Kalamazoo board meeting, highlighting tourism master plan updates, indoor sports court progress, and the need for ice rink facilities.
  • City Manager Recognition: Pat McGuinness announced that the Lakeview Park project won the Project of the Year award (1-5 million dollars) from the American Public Works Association at the state level.

Public Comments & Testimony (Continued)

  • Councilmember Ledbetter clarified that the proposed ballot language for the trash hauler referendum could prevent the city from collecting leaves, Christmas trees, and other items, urging voters to understand the broader implications.

Council Statements

  • Councilmembers expressed gratitude for public engagement, welcomed new businesses (Zap Zone and Raising Cane's), and noted upcoming events such as the Board of Review deadline (March 12) and Girl Scout Cookie Bake-Off (March 4).

Adjournment

  • The meeting adjourned at an unspecified time, with the next regular meeting scheduled for March 24, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

This nation will arrive. Good evening. I call to order the February 24th 2026 ported City Council meeting in honor of all denominations and personal beliefs. And as we work together to build a stronger community, please rise for a moment of personal introspection and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Please join me in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. And if I could please ask the clerk to call the roll. Yes, Madam Mayor. Start with Burns. Here. Ladbetter. Here. Miller. Here. Homestead. Here. Pearson. Here. Randall. Here. And Young here. Thank you. All right. We have a special award this evening to a very special student in the Portage Schools. And I'd like to turn this over to the city manager, Pat McGuinness to make the presentation. Thank you very much, Mayor Randall. Tonight we are embarking on a new program for the City of Portage where we are inviting local art teachers to display the work of their students in our lobby and our display cases. Assistant to the city manager, Tom Rosseter, has been making connections at all of our elementary schools and has invited students to come in and place their work here in our display cases. Overseen very closely by our clerk's office. So we know it was a fair and impartial election. We got 52 votes, and with 12 votes, Valeria B is here tonight, and she uh is our very first winner. So I want to invite her up. It's Mrs. Pell's fifth grade class. Uh and uh the whole month of February, this artwork has been out there. And as you can see, it is sitting right in front of me on the uh dais here. And I know she's very proud. If you want to come on up and I'll I'll give you your certificate and let's give you a round of applause. We'll come on back. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Congratulations. You can go right on back up. All right. Um before we begin uh with the typical um petitions and statement of citizens on our agenda this evening. Um seems to be a duplication of um uh the same item, um, but it's technically not. But this is new territory for our council as well.

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