OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Portage City Council Meeting - September 8, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, September 8, 2026
BodyPortage, Michigan
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, September 8, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:39:04

Transcript — Verbatim
0:04

Good evening.

0:05

I call to order the September 8th, 2026 Ported City Council meeting in honor of all denominations and personal beliefs.

0:13

And as we work together to make our community a place where all feel welcome.

0:18

Please rise for a moment of personal introspection and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:33

At this time, I would like to call Troop 244 from Pathfinder to please come forward and lead us in the pledge.

0:54

And to the Republic for which it stands.

1:05

All right, thank you.

1:06

You can stand right behind the microphone over here.

1:08

And I think one of your troop leaders would like to come forward and um introduce you.

1:12

I understand you are working on your citizenship in the community badge.

1:19

Good evening and welcome.

1:21

Hello.

1:22

We make regular visits to watch this.

1:25

So we have two scouts that have actually in process of getting working on their merit battresses in the community.

1:31

We have Mason Clapp, Morgan Clapp.

1:34

We have my son Will Thornton.

1:37

He has to come to this because mom has to come to this.

1:39

So he gets to watch this every few months.

1:42

But we do enjoy the process on them getting to learn this.

1:45

And it is a unique experience that I think if particularly in this time, they need to see.

1:51

So we thank you for letting them do what they do here.

1:54

Always our pleasure.

1:55

Thank you very much for coming in and good luck with your future badges.

2:05

All right.

2:05

At this time, if I would uh could please ask the clerk to call the roll.

2:10

Yes, Madam Mayor.

2:10

I'll start with Burns.

2:12

Here.

2:12

Let better.

2:14

Miller.

2:14

Here.

2:15

Olmsted.

2:16

Here.

2:16

Pearson.

2:17

Here.

2:17

Randall.

2:18

Here.

2:19

And Young here.

2:20

Thank you.

2:21

All right.

2:21

Now is the opportunity for petition or statement of citizen.

2:25

If anyone is here that would like to approach the council, now is the appropriate time.

2:29

Good evening.

2:31

Yeah, my name is Alan Lovridge, 239-6588 Avenue, Marcellus, Michigan.

2:35

But people struggling, you know, we want to make it easier for them to succeed if they start a new business.

2:40

I believe changes need to be made in the LLC rules and procedures.

2:44

If your business does not last, they should allow LLC 80-year frozen state, so you don't have less worries about a lawsuit with no corporate shield.

2:54

And a person gets injured 20 years after the product was made.

2:57

Do you really want to pay $25 a year and a registered agent $2 a year for 20 years for a product that you sold 10 parts and lost $5,000 trying to set up the business?

3:07

They should also have more information about the things you need to do when you sign up for LLC.

3:12

A list of fair price liability insurance companies is one example.

3:16

Five years ago I was spending 25,000 twenty 2500 a year for coverage that have got could have gotten for $600 a year at today's prices, should have shopped around more.

3:27

Then there's a problem of liability after their business goes down.

3:30

I think we need a new type of post-libility judgment based on the amount of product out there and reducing premium as time goes on.

3:37

Changes in the legislation to reduce the amount of money a lawsuit could win for dead products.

3:42

My feeling is 120,000 with 10,000 attorney fee cap, no appeal to the lawsuit was lost, and no going after personal assets.

3:50

With a maximum payout of 500,000 years if all of victims.

4:10

As far as updates are concerned on product safety, you could create a system where they had emailed receipts.

4:16

You could click on items you wanted to be notified of safety updates and give the store permission to keep records for approved purchases for 90 days so emails could be given for food safety issues.

4:32

A national product library could be made for owners' manuals and such and safety updates searchable by general descriptions who could help with products and companies that no longer exist.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Homelessness███████████████████████23%
Procedural████████████████████20%
Sports Tourism███████████████████19%
Parks and Recreation█████████9%
Public Safety████████8%
Economic Development███████7%
Community Engagement██████6%
Education███3%
Youth Programs██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Portage City Council Meeting - September 8, 2026

The September 8, 2026 Portage City Council meeting was called to order at 4:00 PM. The meeting included the Pledge of Allegiance led by Troop 244 from Pathfinder, a consent agenda, public comments, a presentation on recreational tourism opportunities, approval of a new city manager, a debate on winter sheltering funding, and a closed session for a FOIA appeal.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved unanimously by roll call (all present members voted yes). Items included routine approvals and actions.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Alan Lovridge (Marcellus, MI) advocated for changes to LLC rules, including reduced post-dissolution liability, a cap on lawsuit payouts ($120,000 with $10,000 attorney fee cap), and a national product safety database. He also spoke about the need for affordable liability insurance.
  • Jane Ghosh (Discover Kalamazoo) congratulated the council on the selection of the new city manager, expressed excitement about the recreational tourism feasibility study, and presented a survey for council members to explore tourism opportunities in Kalamazoo County.
  • Carolyn Warren (Portage resident) reported that a neighbor installed a camera pointing into her backyard and bedroom, which she described as an invasion of privacy, intimidation, and stalking. She expressed fear and asked for a meeting to address the issue.
  • Connie Jackson (via phone, Portage resident) followed up on secure parking for first responders, noting it has been over a year since she raised the issue. She also clarified her previous comments about subsidized housing, advocating for law enforcement ability to act on valid complaints and regular drug testing for residents.

Discussion Items

  • Victus Advisors Recreational Tourism Feasibility Study – Walter Franco presented a 250-page draft report. Key findings: Portage has favorable demographics for sports tourism, with high discretionary income. Identified demand for an indoor ice facility (3-4 NHL-size sheets, ~$40 million, operating near break-even) and an outdoor diamond complex (8 adaptable fields, ~$20-30 million, typically operating at a loss but generating higher economic impact). Both projects could benefit from public-private partnerships. Councilmember Young asked about flag football and multi-use fields; Franco noted flag football is an emerging sport but not yet ready for dedicated facilities. Councilmember Miller asked about timeline and public-private partnership models; Franco explained timelines vary (3-9 years) and each city structures partnerships differently.
  • Planning Commission Report – Postponed to September 22, 2026 due to the chair's absence.
  • City Manager Employment Agreement – Council approved the employment agreement with Karen Dempsey Haran (starting November 2, 2026) by a 7-0 roll call vote. The mayor was authorized to execute the agreement.
  • Winter Sheltering Program Funding – Interim City Manager Heringa introduced the item, and Pete Dame (Chief Development Officer) provided details. The program funds emergency winter shelter for unhoused individuals, administered by the United Way of South Central Michigan. Council debated the $100,000 request from the general fund balance, with some members questioning direct impact on Portage residents. Councilmember Miller and others expressed support, citing the moral obligation and the need to lead by example. Councilmember Burns abstained due to a conflict of interest (trustee of Housing Resources Inc.).

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda – Approved unanimously.
  • Victus Feasibility Study – Council received the report and will consider next steps after reviewing the full document.
  • Planning Commission Report – Tabled until September 22, 2026.
  • City Manager Employment Agreement – Approved unanimously (7-0).
  • Winter Sheltering Program – Authorized expenditure of up to $100,000 to the United Way of South Central Michigan for the 2026-2027 winter sheltering program. Approved 5-0-1 (Burns abstained).
  • FOIA Appeal – Following a closed session, council voted to grant the appeal and direct the city attorney to produce documents within five business days, subject to legal redactions (unanimous roll call).

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. I call to order the September 8th, 2026 Ported City Council meeting in honor of all denominations and personal beliefs. And as we work together to make our community a place where all feel welcome. Please rise for a moment of personal introspection and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. At this time, I would like to call Troop 244 from Pathfinder to please come forward and lead us in the pledge. And to the Republic for which it stands. All right, thank you. You can stand right behind the microphone over here. And I think one of your troop leaders would like to come forward and um introduce you. I understand you are working on your citizenship in the community badge. Good evening and welcome. Hello. We make regular visits to watch this. So we have two scouts that have actually in process of getting working on their merit battresses in the community. We have Mason Clapp, Morgan Clapp. We have my son Will Thornton. He has to come to this because mom has to come to this. So he gets to watch this every few months. But we do enjoy the process on them getting to learn this. And it is a unique experience that I think if particularly in this time, they need to see. So we thank you for letting them do what they do here. Always our pleasure. Thank you very much for coming in and good luck with your future badges. All right. At this time, if I would uh could please ask the clerk to call the roll. Yes, Madam Mayor. I'll start with Burns. Here. Let better. Miller. Here. Olmsted. Here. Pearson. Here. Randall. Here. And Young here. Thank you. All right. Now is the opportunity for petition or statement of citizen. If anyone is here that would like to approach the council, now is the appropriate time. Good evening. Yeah, my name is Alan Lovridge, 239-6588 Avenue, Marcellus, Michigan. But people struggling, you know, we want to make it easier for them to succeed if they start a new business. I believe changes need to be made in the LLC rules and procedures. If your business does not last, they should allow LLC 80-year frozen state, so you don't have less worries about a lawsuit with no corporate shield. And a person gets injured 20 years after the product was made. Do you really want to pay $25 a year and a registered agent $2 a year for 20 years for a product that you sold 10 parts and lost $5,000 trying to set up the business? They should also have more information about the things you need to do when you sign up for LLC.

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