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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Portage City Council Interviews Three City Manager Candidates – August 25, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, August 25, 2026

BodyPortage, Michigan

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, August 25, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 3:07:08

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:05

I'll start with Bern.

0:06

Here.

0:09

Miller.

0:10

Here.

0:11

Here.

0:12

Here.

0:13

Here.

0:14

And yeah.

0:14

Here.

0:15

Thank you.

0:15

Okay, so we are officially starting at 12 35 and we will end at 1 35.

0:21

With us this afternoon is Sarah Moyer Kale.

0:27

And we are going to make one slight change to the agenda.

0:31

We're going to have the presentation first followed by the questions.

0:35

So welcome again, and it's so nice to see you.

0:38

Thank you.

1:02

All right.

1:06

So we want to start with that.

1:10

Yeah.

1:12

I have no I have no prompt, so what however you want to proceed, the floor is yours.

1:19

All right, thank you so much.

1:21

So today I will be talking about how pedestrians, bicycles, and micro mobility devices can coexist effectively throughout the city of Portage.

1:34

So the good news is that your master plan goals and complete street strategies are being activated in meaningful ways.

1:41

So this is a good problem to have.

1:43

It means that people are getting out there and they're using the facilities as designed.

1:50

But this also creates challenges.

1:56

There's lack of knowledge about road rules, and there's growing use of micro-mobility devices that weren't even in existence or thought of when some of these facilities were created.

2:09

So we're going to develop a comprehensive strategy with the goals of improving safety, education, and compliance through a nine-step plan.

2:19

The first item to take care of is to identify the scope.

2:23

This has largely been identified.

2:26

We are going to look at the entire geography of Portage and all places where pedestrians, bicycles, non-motorized users, and motorized users may come together and interact with one another.

2:38

So this includes off-road trail systems, roads, and sidewalks.

2:44

We'll then identify data that can be used to help us identify where these conflict points are happening.

3:11

So you can layer things like uh crosswalk locations, uh traffic signals, where accidents are happening, uh, where there's parks, where there's a lot of people walking, um, and try to identify some priority uh areas.

3:26

Then we would identify stakeholders and create an engagement plan.

3:31

In identifying the stakeholders, it's important to think through a variety of questions to make sure that we're being as inclusive as possible and considering all sides.

3:41

So to do that, some of the questions we might ask ourselves is who will be impacted by this project, who can contribute to the conversation, who are the experts, who's already working in this space, what it may be missing, consider hard-to-reach populations and how we may reach out to them and include them.

3:59

And who could stop or disrupt this project is important to get those people involved early.

4:05

So for this particular project, some possible stakeholders may include citizens, the city council, various city departments, uh, the Portage Bike Committee, bike-friendly Kalamazoo, and many others.

4:20

Then we'll move forward to creating the engagement plan.

4:23

The engagement plan is a very thorough outline of how different stakeholders will be engaged.

4:30

The benefits of an engagement plan include helping citizens become aware of the planning processes in which they can take part.

4:37

A lot of times people want to be involved, but sometimes these processes take a very long time.

4:42

They don't really know uh when they should check in, how they fit in, where they can bring about uh relevant uh information in the process, so this helps with that.

4:51

It also increases transparency and accountability, builds mutual trust and understanding, promotes efficiency and decision making, and there's greater acceptance and support of the final result.

5:04

So to create this engagement plan, the first step is to determine what level of engagement is appropriate for the situation.

5:11

Sometimes it may be providing information and allowing feedback.

5:15

Sometimes we're being informative.

5:18

Sometimes we are looking for stakeholders to really almost take ownership over the process and the development of the plan.

5:27

And whatever level of engagement is decided upon, that helps inform how we're going to reach out to those people.

5:36

So that could be surveys, focus groups, service organization presentations, tours, the list is pretty much endless.

5:44

And then it's also important to decide how that engagement will be used.

5:49

Too often surveys are sent out, people answer them, and then you're reading the responses, and it's unclear how the responses to the surveys really led to anything that happened with the plan.

6:01

So it's important to know when you're asking questions and receiving feedback how it is that public input is going to actually be used in the plan development.

6:12

Then we're going to take that data that we've gathered and the feedback from our stakeholders about problem areas and identify conflict points and knowledge gaps.

6:22

So these are examples only.

6:24

This map is made up with these conflict points, but it's just to show how we can overlay some data points, add in user feedback, and identify some priority sites, which are represented in this map as red triangles.

6:40

So this helps us communicate where it is that we're looking to focus.

6:44

So some of the things that we may hear from our stakeholders are accounts of near misses and uncomfortable crossing areas, reports of distracted traffic, poor lighting, e-bikes that are going too fast, drivers who are confused about what they're supposed to do in certain areas.

7:04

Then we will add our preferred solutions that will be determined from that data.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Personnel Matters██████████████████18%

Community Engagement████████████████16%

Transportation Safety███████████████15%

Public Engagement███████████11%

Active Transportation█████████9%

Public Safety█████5%

Procedural█████5%

Economic Development█████5%

Labor Relations████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Portage City Council Interviews Three City Manager Candidates – August 25, 2026

The Portage City Council held a special meeting on August 25, 2026, to interview three finalists for the position of City Manager. The meeting, which ran from 12:35 PM to 1:35 PM, featured a presentation from each candidate on developing a comprehensive strategy for pedestrian, bicycle, and micro-mobility safety, followed by a structured question-and-answer session. Candidates were Sarah Moyer Kale, Aaron (last name not provided), and Karen Demsey Horan. Public comment was received at the conclusion.

Public Comments & Testimony

Daniel Mills (retiree of Portage Department of Public Safety, address 335 Brittany Drive) offered his observations on each candidate. He noted that Sarah Moyer Kale gave a well-prepared presentation but struggled to provide an example of a tough decision contrary to policy; however, her holistic approach to staff performance and the self-reflection remark "being right is overrated" were strengths. Aaron’s presentation was thoughtful but lacked dynamic delivery and confidence, and he could not provide a clear example of a tough decision or self-reflection. Karen Demsey Horan spoke confidently, gave a good example of a tough decision ("the right thing to do"), and offered a strong self-reflection example ("take your seat at the table"). Mills urged council to select the candidate who best fits the organization’s culture and the community.

Discussion Items

Presentation and Q&A with Sarah Moyer Kale:
- Kale presented a nine-step comprehensive strategy to improve safety, education, and compliance for pedestrians, bicyclists, and micro-mobility users. Steps included identifying scope, gathering data, stakeholder engagement, creating an engagement plan, identifying conflict points, determining preferred solutions (e.g., protected bike lanes, improved lighting, pedestrian hybrid beacons), creating visuals, re-engaging stakeholders, developing education materials, considering regulation (noting state law allows local flexibility on e-bikes), communicating the strategy, implementing with assigned leads, and evaluating over time.
- She estimated the first 90 days could cover the first three steps (scope, data review, stakeholder identification and engagement plan).
- Councilmembers asked about enforcement with young riders (Kale suggested involving parents), staying abreast of state law (she cited MML and MDNR guidelines), and examples of peer communities (Coldwater passed an e-bike ordinance limiting speeds in commercial areas).
- Kale also answered pre-approved questions about balancing individual council member wishes (she works for council as a whole, encourages members to advocate among themselves or bring ideas to goal-setting sessions), a judgment call (parental leave policy exception documented with criteria), addressing underperforming leadership (assess reasonableness of expectations, consider personal issues, prioritize discussion, possible demotion), labor negotiations (recent police union negotiation revised promotion process and wages, kept council informed before and during), disagreeing with governing body (minor disagreements on vendor selection, explained rationale), ethics problems (council ethics ordinance after an instance, employee conflict of interest statements), cultural awareness (support existing champions and events), critical feedback received ("stop trying to be right; collaboration matters"), giving feedback (remind staff not to worry about "small people" with limited views), crisis communication (Papa dam sediment example, respond to misinformation by addressing the audience, not the poster, and build transparency), and excitement about Portage (positive reputation, team culture, projects like Portage 360 and Stanwood Crossings land trust).
Presentation and Q&A with Aaron:
- Aaron presented a strategy emphasizing safety through a combination of education, engineering, and enforcement. He stressed gathering data (crash, near-miss, complaint data) and distinguishing data-based issues from anecdotal evidence. Education would focus on driver awareness, right-of-way rules, bike/e-bike rules, with community partners (schools, public safety, bike groups, employers, media, social media). Engineering solutions (lighting, crosswalk markings, signage, sight lines, intersection design, traffic calming) are costlier and data-driven. Enforcement should follow education, with warnings before citations for repeated or dangerous behavior. Outcome measures include crash reduction and resident perceptions.
- In the first 90 days: meet with council, public safety, and staff; review data; identify high-risk locations; plan for gaps; develop initial education and enforcement priorities; present findings to council.
- In Q&A, Aaron addressed how to handle youth violators (partner with schools to educate parents, involve parents in enforcement). He shared Mount Pleasant’s experience with e-bikes on trails: after discussions, they set a 15 mph speed limit on trails and used park rangers and police presence to deter speeding. He discussed how state law informs local regulation (he uses MML committees, state website alerts, and internal professionals). He noted that local jurisdictions have full authority over municipal sidewalks and trails.
- Aaron then answered the same pre-approved questions: balancing individual council wishes (council member can bring items to agenda setting or during discussion; recent example of purchasing policy modification), judgment call (water shutoff for 400 units over a $16,000 bill – chose not to follow standard procedure due to impact on innocent tenants; instead modified ordinance to require deposits), underperforming leadership (coached for 18 months on communication and project oversight; after repeated inability to meet expectations, performance improvement plan led to dismissal), labor negotiations (chief strategist role; recent paid-on-call firefighter negotiation focused on incentive structure for higher call attendance; conceded on wages but shifted funds to incentives; kept board informed via closed session and updates), disagreeing with governing body (electric vehicle charger RFP – council chose local company over higher bid; he executed the decision despite staff recommendation), ethics problem (accounts payable employee discovered stealing rebates from city purchases; investigation led to resignation and prosecution), cultural awareness (open proclamation policy, develop relationships with diverse groups), critical feedback (mentor said best work is achieved only when challenged; he now connects routine tasks to organizational mission), giving feedback (asks permission first, then ties small tasks to vision), crisis communication (early morning plant explosion example; he coordinates operations and ensures regular, consistent information updates to combat misinformation; keeps council informed by email or phone).
- Final question: what excites him about Portage – reputation, growth momentum (2M increase in general fund revenues), and large-scale infrastructure projects like Portage road redo.
Presentation and Q&A with Karen Demsey Horan:
- Horan focused on understanding community desires before prescribing solutions. She outlined a process: identify primary sources of concerns (citizen complaints, public safety, parks, staff), determine specific issues (rules of road, user groups, age demographics), assess community sentiment (surveys, focus groups), get staff input, and understand council’s willingness to invest. Target audiences include pedestrians, riders, drivers of all ages, with particular attention to the 10-15 age group. She emphasized education first (stay right, pass left, audible signals, no distractions), tailored messaging for specific concerns, and leveraging existing programs (coffee with a cop, farmers market booths, safety coloring books). She stressed partnership with school districts, universities, youth advisory council, and other community groups. Horan mentioned federal Safe Speeds Act and potential state-level labeling standardization.
- In Q&A, Horan discussed how she stays current on Texas law (MML in Michigan, Legistar, legislative affairs director). She supports engaging neighborhoods at different stages and using polling tools like Flash Poll. She agreed with re-engaging community after developing a plan.
- Horan answered the pre-approved questions: balancing council wishes (ensure every member heard; majority direction guides staff; conflict should be about subject, not person), judgment call (after failed incorporation election, sent staff thank-you email even though it should have come from another leader; she did it because it was right), underperforming leadership (coached a director-level employee, provided tools and clear expectations; performance improved; otherwise would have pursued progressive discipline), labor negotiations (in Texas right-to-work, only firefighters have collective bargaining; she meets with union despite no legal requirement; negotiates pay, shifts, pension; keeps board informed through budget cycle), disagreeing with governing body (vendor choice – board chose different vendor; she implemented decision; it eventually didn’t work out and they returned to original vendor; as long as not illegal/immoral, she supports council), ethics problem (high-value holiday gift from vendor; sent reminder to staff and had vendor collect gift), cultural awareness (expand public celebrations and internal staff engagement, e.g., multicultural potluck where staff share recipes and stories), critical feedback received (attorney told her to "take your seat at the table" – she now makes sure to participate fully), giving feedback (coached a director who deferred too much to her; encouraged ownership), crisis communication (hurricane example: differentiate facts from opinions; provide factual updates via reliable channels; build trust beforehand; use physical signs at fire stations if digital fails), excitement about Portage (high-resident satisfaction, return to Michigan roots, great team and staff, regional partnerships like Discover Kalamazoo).
- Horan asked council about key issues; Councilmember Burns identified redevelopment of commercial corridors as a long-standing challenge.

Key Outcomes

The council completed interviews with all three candidates. No formal votes or decisions were made during this meeting.
The council will continue the selection process, with a public meet-and-greet scheduled for 4:30 PM at the Senior Center.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 1:35 PM after closing remarks from the mayor and council members.

Meeting Transcript

I'll start with Bern. Here. Miller. Here. Here. Here. Here. And yeah. Here. Thank you. Okay, so we are officially starting at 12 35 and we will end at 1 35. With us this afternoon is Sarah Moyer Kale. And we are going to make one slight change to the agenda. We're going to have the presentation first followed by the questions. So welcome again, and it's so nice to see you. Thank you. All right. So we want to start with that. Yeah. I have no I have no prompt, so what however you want to proceed, the floor is yours. All right, thank you so much. So today I will be talking about how pedestrians, bicycles, and micro mobility devices can coexist effectively throughout the city of Portage. So the good news is that your master plan goals and complete street strategies are being activated in meaningful ways. So this is a good problem to have. It means that people are getting out there and they're using the facilities as designed. But this also creates challenges. There's lack of knowledge about road rules, and there's growing use of micro-mobility devices that weren't even in existence or thought of when some of these facilities were created. So we're going to develop a comprehensive strategy with the goals of improving safety, education, and compliance through a nine-step plan. The first item to take care of is to identify the scope. This has largely been identified. We are going to look at the entire geography of Portage and all places where pedestrians, bicycles, non-motorized users, and motorized users may come together and interact with one another. So this includes off-road trail systems, roads, and sidewalks. We'll then identify data that can be used to help us identify where these conflict points are happening. So you can layer things like uh crosswalk locations, uh traffic signals, where accidents are happening, uh, where there's parks, where there's a lot of people walking, um, and try to identify some priority uh areas. Then we would identify stakeholders and create an engagement plan. In identifying the stakeholders, it's important to think through a variety of questions to make sure that we're being as inclusive as possible and considering all sides. So to do that, some of the questions we might ask ourselves is who will be impacted by this project, who can contribute to the conversation, who are the experts, who's already working in this space, what it may be missing, consider hard-to-reach populations and how we may reach out to them and include them. And who could stop or disrupt this project is important to get those people involved early. So for this particular project, some possible stakeholders may include citizens, the city council, various city departments, uh, the Portage Bike Committee, bike-friendly Kalamazoo, and many others. Then we'll move forward to creating the engagement plan. The engagement plan is a very thorough outline of how different stakeholders will be engaged. The benefits of an engagement plan include helping citizens become aware of the planning processes in which they can take part. A lot of times people want to be involved, but sometimes these processes take a very long time. They don't really know uh when they should check in, how they fit in, where they can bring about uh relevant uh information in the process, so this helps with that. It also increases transparency and accountability, builds mutual trust and understanding, promotes efficiency and decision making, and there's greater acceptance and support of the final result. So to create this engagement plan, the first step is to determine what level of engagement is appropriate for the situation. Sometimes it may be providing information and allowing feedback. Sometimes we're being informative. Sometimes we are looking for stakeholders to really almost take ownership over the process and the development of the plan. And whatever level of engagement is decided upon, that helps inform how we're going to reach out to those people.

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