OpenPublica

Accountability starts with access.

© 2026 · Filed for the public record

Use casesAboutAPIPrivacyTermsLinkedIn
Home/Portage, Michigan/City Council
OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Portage City Council Meeting - October 6, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, October 6, 2026
BodyPortage, Michigan
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, October 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 27:08

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Unassigned speaker

0:03

Good

Speaker 1

0:03

evening.

0:04

I call to order the October 6, 2026 Portage City Council meeting in honor of all denominations and personal beliefs.

0:12

And as we reflect in gratitude, all the public servants that service our city with honor and integrity, including the city council and all people on our boards and commissions.

0:23

Please rise for a moment of personal introspection and remain standing for the pledge of allegiance.

Speaker 2

0:38

Please join me in the pledge.

Speaker 1

0:41

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

0:46

And to the Republic for which it stands.

0:49

One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Unassigned speaker

0:58

And

Speaker 2

0:59

if I could ask the clerk

Speaker 3

1:00

to please call the roll.

Unassigned speaker

1:01

Yes,

Speaker 3

1:02

Madam Mayor.

1:02

Start with Burns.

Speaker 4

1:03

Here.

Speaker 3

1:04

Fledbedder.

Speaker 4

1:05

Here.

Speaker 3

1:05

Miller.

1:07

Here.

1:07

Pearson.

Speaker 5

1:08

Here.

Speaker 3

1:09

Randall.

1:09

Here.

1:10

And Young.

1:10

Thank

Unassigned speaker

1:11

you.

Speaker 1

1:12

All right.

1:13

And we have two members that are attending the Michigan Municipal League Conference up in Traverse City.

1:19

So they are not here this evening.

1:21

And that would be Nicole Miller and G.

1:23

Hind Young, but they are with us in spirit.

1:27

We have no proclamations this evening, so I will begin with petition or statement of citizens.

1:31

If anyone came this evening, would like to approach the council, now is the appropriate time.

1:36

Good evening and welcome.

Unassigned speaker

1:37

Yeah,

Speaker 6

1:37

my name's Alan Lovers, 2396588 Avenue Marshalls, Michigan.

Unassigned speaker

1:42

Let

Speaker 6

1:42

me know in Marcel as I get a front road seat by the firearm land disappearing often in five and ten acre lots.

1:47

We need to do more to use the land in a wiser way.

1:50

I would like to see the power companies use their connection to offer solar program.

1:53

In many cases, homeowners may be willing to offer a long-term lease for a few acres or more at a price fair to both parties.

2:00

In the case of solar panels on roof, they may be able to offer a few thousand dollars the price of a new middle roof

Unassigned speaker

2:05

and

Speaker 6

2:05

then manage upkeep.

2:07

They would own the panels and you would get a slight discount, maybe five or ten on electricity.

2:11

One of the advantages of this is no limits to how much electricase the system can produce, and you don't have to put up with only getting five cents a kilowatt hour for exploring, like when you own your own system.

2:22

No worries about your installer going out of business, which happened to

Unassigned speaker

2:25

me.

Speaker 6

2:26

Without group buying power, the numbers are not attracted to homeowners who want to use their own.

2:32

But maybe the power companies could offer discount for a group buying power for

Unassigned speaker

2:35

the

Speaker 6

2:35

panels and the metal roof.

2:38

For homeowners who want to own, doesn't make much sense to install without metal roofs.

2:42

You pay at least $3,000 or more to have the panels taken off and reinstalling that every four years or more is much better than every after 20 years.

3:07

Also reduces loss of power and distant transmission.

Unassigned speaker

3:11

New

Speaker 6

3:11

topic, public safety.

3:13

Would you pick up your prescription?

3:14

You often have to enter your data birth and other data on a touch screen.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters██████████████████████████████████34%
Procedural███████████████████████████████31%
Public Safety██████████10%
Community Engagement████████8%
Zoning Regulations███████7%
Renewable Energy Policy██████6%
Transportation Safety████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Portage City Council Meeting - October 6, 2026

The Portage City Council met on October 6, 2026, at 4:00 PM (interviews) followed by the evening meeting. Two council members were absent attending the Michigan Municipal League Conference. The meeting included public comments, approval of the consent agenda, appointments to multiple boards, and the announcement of Councilmember Dr. Jim Pearson's resignation after 15 years of service.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent agenda was approved unanimously (5-0) without any items removed for individual consideration.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Alan Lovers (2396 58th Avenue, Marshall) spoke in favor of solar programs offered by power companies, including long-term leases for land and rooftop solar with group buying power. He also raised concerns about public safety regarding touch screens at pharmacies and suggested ultraviolet light sanitization for surfaces. (Position: Support for solar initiatives; concern about public health safety.)
  • John Sloan (8811 Wharf Avenue) expressed concern about inconsistent enforcement of city ordinances, noting that some properties have blight and unpermitted work while he was required to follow all rules as a homeowner. He urged equal enforcement to maintain community standards. (Position: Advocacy for consistent ordinance enforcement.)
  • Alan Hopkins (TED510 Sudan Street) reported three accidents at the intersection of Osterhout and South Sudan in the last four months and requested installation of flashing warning lights. He noted increasing traffic and speeding in his area. (Position: Request for traffic safety measures.)

The Mayor responded that the new city manager would follow up with speakers who provided contact information.

Appointments to City Boards and Commissions

The council held interviews at 4:00 PM and subsequently appointed:

  • Historic District Commission: Karen Wagner (term ending Dec 31, 2029)
  • Human Services Board: Dan Damasca, Chelsea Huber, Pamela Kanous, Jeff Hillman (terms ending Oct 1, 2029)
  • Parks Board: Luann Palmer, Connor Pulsanelli, Jill Ongley (terms ending Oct 1, 2029); Robert Hicks (partial term ending Oct 1, 2028)
  • Senior Citizens Advisory Board: Jean Ballas, Al Al Javier (terms ending Oct 1, 2029) The motion to approve appointments passed on a voice vote with all ayes.

Councilmember Resignation and Tributes

  • Councilmember Dr. Jim Pearson announced his resignation effective at the conclusion of the meeting, October 6, 2026. He cited his desire to retire after the selection of a new city manager, having served on council for 15 years and as Mayor Pro Tem for 12 years, with over 30 years of combined city board service.
  • Councilmembers Burns, Olmsted, and Ludbetter each offered tributes, highlighting his work on the consolidated dispatch authority, Central County Transportation Authority, Lake Center District planning, and unified trash service, as well as his steady demeanor and mentorship.
  • City Manager Adam Herring detailed Pearson's extensive history of service beginning in 1997 on the Zoning Board of Appeals, through the Planning Commission, and multiple committee assignments.
  • Mayor Patricia Randall delivered a personal tribute, recalling their partnership and describing Pearson as her "wingman." She expressed gratitude for his loyalty and forward-focused optimism.

Key Outcomes

  • The consent agenda was approved (5-0).
  • Appointments to the Historic District Commission, Human Services Board, Parks Board, and Senior Citizens Advisory Board were approved.
  • Councilmember Pearson's resignation was accepted, effective October 6, 2026. The city has 21 days to fill the vacancy (per state law).
  • The meeting was adjourned following the tributes.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. I call to order the October 6, 2026 Portage City Council meeting in honor of all denominations and personal beliefs. And as we reflect in gratitude, all the public servants that service our city with honor and integrity, including the city council and all people on our boards and commissions. 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. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And if I could ask the clerk to please call the roll. Yes, Madam Mayor. Start with Burns. Here. Fledbedder. Here. Miller. Here. Pearson. Here. Randall. Here. And Young. Thank you. All right. And we have two members that are attending the Michigan Municipal League Conference up in Traverse City. So they are not here this evening. And that would be Nicole Miller and G. Hind Young, but they are with us in spirit. We have no proclamations this evening, so I will begin with petition or statement of citizens. If anyone came this evening, would like to approach the council, now is the appropriate time. Good evening and welcome. Yeah, my name's Alan Lovers, 2396588 Avenue Marshalls, Michigan. Let me know in Marcel as I get a front road seat by the firearm land disappearing often in five and ten acre lots. We need to do more to use the land in a wiser way. I would like to see the power companies use their connection to offer solar program. In many cases, homeowners may be willing to offer a long-term lease for a few acres or more at a price fair to both parties. In the case of solar panels on roof, they may be able to offer a few thousand dollars the price of a new middle roof and then manage upkeep. They would own the panels and you would get a slight discount, maybe five or ten on electricity. One of the advantages of this is no limits to how much electricase the system can produce, and you don't have to put up with only getting five cents a kilowatt hour for exploring, like when you own your own system. No worries about your installer going out of business, which happened to me. Without group buying power, the numbers are not attracted to homeowners who want to use their own.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com