Portage City Council Meeting - August 11, 2026

The Portage City Council met Aug. 11, 2026, with all members present. The meeting included public comment, a unanimous rezoning decision, a consent calendar, an extended debate on authorizing demolition of 9303 Portage Road, and reports from council members and staff.

Consent Calendar

• The council approved the consent agenda as presented, excluding item 7, on a unanimous roll-call vote. Item 7, authorization to demolish 9303 Portage Road for the Portage Road reconstruction, was pulled by Councilmember Olmsted for separate discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• A retired minister from the New Apostolic Church described a large dip in the church driveway that he said was created during city sidewalk and road work from Angling Road to the 131 Bridge. He said he had sought an inspection since August of the previous year, noted a funeral with more than 750 attendees, and asked the city to inspect and fix the driveway. The mayor acknowledged the frustration and said the city would follow up.
• Chandra Kinney, district manager of the Kalamazoo Conservation District, announced the launch of the Kalamazoo County Natural Resource Assessment Survey. She said the survey will guide the district's five-year strategic plan and asked Portage residents and municipal members to participate; she left QR codes and paper copies with the clerk.
• Robin Boley, 7116 Balfour Drive, said the city's code enforcement process is outdated and takes too long, citing a flat-tire truck reported in May that remained with two flat tires in August, weed and lawn complaints, and chairs left in a parkway. She asked the council to study how other cities, such as Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, handle code enforcement.
• Justin Hassler, 4317 Foxfire Trail, asked the city to investigate adding a three-way stop at W Avenue and 12th Street because of a blind hill. He also expressed concerns about Flock license-plate reader cameras, possible hacking, stalking cases, shot microphones, and stingray devices, and asked where the council stands on surveillance. The mayor said W Avenue is outside Portage's jurisdiction and offered to send information on Portage's safeguards.
• Al Hopkins, 10510 Sudan Street, asked for traffic safety improvements at the Osterhout intersection, saying a stop sign had been down, an accident occurred, cars speed and pass despite a 40 mph limit, and trees block sight lines. He asked for no-passing signs and more patrols. Acting City Manager Adam Haringa said staff would provide accident data and follow up.
• John Paver, now of Kalamazoo, praised the farmers market, asked the city to clear fallen trees and debris from the creek behind Ritters because it smells and slows water flow, and raised concerns about e-bikes and e-scooters on trails after a near miss with his child. He expressed support for public safety and for Flock cameras, but asked that any new surveillance features, such as device tracking, be brought to the council for review.
• Eric Boris, from Mattawan, said he wants to buy the building at 9303 Portage Road instead of seeing it demolished. He said he has contacted a house mover and needs time to determine whether the structure can be moved to a lot he owns.

Public Hearing: Citywide Rezoning

• Acting City Manager Haringa said the proposed rezoning amendment 26/27-1 is the map follow-on to the previously adopted residential text amendment. He said the Planning Commission recommended approval by a 6-0 vote and described the map change as a formality. The public hearing was opened and closed with no public comment. The council then adopted the rezoning amendment by unanimous roll-call vote, adopting the zoning map amendment described as ordinance 04-2026.

Discussion Item: Demolition of 9303 Portage Road

• Councilmember Olmsted pulled this item from the consent agenda and noted the property is rented but yields only about $10,000 per year to the city. She asked whether the city could consider selling it to Eric Boris.
• Haringa said the property is needed for the Portage Road 360 reconstruction project, including the culvert, two-way traffic, and bike paths. He said the house must be removed before spring construction because heavy-truck restrictions would otherwise delay the project. He described the house as a split-level with a walkout basement and garage on a slab and said moving it would be very difficult given the timeline, nearby creek, potential wetlands, and permitting requirements.
• Chief Development Officer Pete Dame said moving the house is not feasible within the project timeline. He cited a prior experience where a free house took three years to move, noted the house is lightly constructed, and warned that a failed move could delay the culvert work.
• Council members questioned whether evicting tenants was necessary before winter, whether a purchaser could move the house to an unapproved lot, and what would happen if the purchaser did not complete the move. City staff said demolition is scheduled for November and bids would be let before the point of no return.
• Eric Boris told the council he has no house-moving experience, has not yet obtained permits, and has only texted photos to a Michigan mover who estimated 60 days to move the structure. He said his parcel is about 1.1 miles away and he could wait 90 days or longer. Several council members said the proposal was too preliminary, while others were willing to allow about two weeks for more research.
• Councilmember Burns asked whether approving demolition would prevent a later alternative. The city attorney said once a demolition bid is let and a contract is executed, the city could not turn back, but there would likely be two to three weeks to assess the moving proposal. Haringa said the city would not go out to bid without returning to council.
• The council voted 6-1 to authorize the demolition. Councilmember Pearson voted no; all other members voted yes. The council asked staff to continue talking with Boris and to bring back any concrete feasibility plan before the project reaches the point of no return.

Committee Reports

• Councilmember Olmsted reported on a Discovery Kalamazoo Tourism Master Plan subcommittee meeting to narrow 19 focus areas for a 10-year plan.
• Councilmember Young reported that the small business committee has awarded $191,000 in facade grant improvement funds and helped prepare for a Southwest Michigan First town hall held earlier that day.
• Councilmember Burns reported that the Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority millage passed with about 65% support, was ahead in every Portage precinct, and will fund Metro Transit and dial-a-ride ADA service.

Council and Staff Statements

• Councilmember Olmsted thanked the clerk's office and city departments for a successful election day. Councilmember Ledbetter noted the 36% turnout was the highest in Kalamazoo County and raised concerns about Flock camera abuse, including a recent Georgia case, and about stingray devices.
• Councilmember Miller said a petition-driven charter amendment, organized by Community Action Michigan, will appear on the November ballot despite her concerns that a citizen health action committee is not the right role for the city. She also shared updates from the mall and small-business opportunities.
• Councilmember Young warned residents that a mailed Annual Water Test Notice offering free in-home water testing is a scam and not from the City of Portage. She also thanked public safety for a back-to-school bash and reminded residents that city manager candidate interviews are scheduled for the following Wednesday at 3 p.m.
• Councilmember Burns praised the August Portager for condensing the 212-page residential zoning ordinance into an understandable FAQ.
• Acting City Manager Haringa said most road projects will be complete or coordinated before school starts, noted public safety recently rescued a cat and a chicken, and reported that the city closed on two additional homes at Stanwood Crossings, bringing recent closings to seven. He highlighted the hiring of a recent Portage Northern High School graduate and KRESA Career Tech program graduate as a DPW mechanic.
• Mayor Pro Tem Pearson advised the council to monitor reports about Flock camera systems because information shared with other agencies may not have the same safeguards Portage uses.
• The mayor asked staff to keep the council informed on the church driveway, Flock camera information, traffic concerns, the conservation survey, and code enforcement. She praised Councilmembers Young and Miller for their small-business work and noted a visit to a 49-home landlocked development site. The meeting was then adjourned.

Key Outcomes

• The consent agenda was approved as presented except for item 7, which was pulled for discussion.
• Rezoning amendment 26/27-1, the citywide zoning map amendment described as ordinance 04-2026, was adopted unanimously.
• Authorization to demolish 9303 Portage Road passed 6-1, with Councilmember Pearson dissenting.
• Staff will continue to assess Eric Boris's proposal and will return to council before issuing a demolition bid or reaching the point of no return.
• Committee reports were approved by voice vote.
• Staff will follow up on public comments regarding the church driveway, code enforcement, traffic safety, creek debris, and trail enforcement.