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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Portage City Council Meeting Summary - October 20, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, October 20, 2026

BodyPortage, Michigan

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, October 20, 2026

StatusNEW · FILED

Video Record

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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:04

Good evening.

0:04

I call to order the October 20th, 2026 Portage City Council meeting in honor of all denominations and personal beliefs, and as we reflect on the national effort for all communities to promote healthy drug-free lifestyles and global efforts by Rotary International to eradicate polio in our world.

0:26

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

Speaker 2

0:40

At this time, I would

Speaker 1

0:42

like to call troop number two eighty-seven to please come forward and lead us in the pledge.

Unassigned speaker

0:57

One nation under God, indivisible liberty.

Speaker 1

1:09

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

Speaker 3

1:12

Yes, Madam Mayor Burns.

1:13

Here.

1:14

Ledbetter.

1:15

Here.

1:15

Miller.

1:16

Here, Olmsted.

1:17

Here.

1:17

Randall.

1:18

Here.

1:19

And young.

1:19

Here.

Speaker 1

1:20

Thank you.

1:21

All right.

1:21

We have three proclam proclamations this evening, and we'll start with the recognition and retirement of Portage Department Public Safety Canine Unit, Riggs.

1:32

And if at this time I could please call Brian Mayhew up to read the proclamation alongside Sar Sergeant Jordan Wentworth.

Unassigned speaker

1:46

Speaker 2

1:46

think Riggs is gonna attend as

Speaker 1

1:48

well.

Speaker 4

2:00

So in 2015, Sergeant Jordan Wentworth and I were given the privilege of starting up the Portage Department of Public Safety Canine unit by former director Nick Armold.

2:09

Many will remember that in 2019, a similar proclamation was read in memorial for K9 Zoro, who unfortunately passed away due to a medical emergency.

2:19

Today we read a much more joyous resolution.

2:29

Um wishes him a happy retirement filled with chasing tennis balls, chewing on Kongs, and of course lots of barking.

Unassigned speaker

2:38

Speaker 4

2:39

the resolution for canine officer riggs, whereas Riggs is a Belgian Malinois German Shepherd mix that was born in Hungary on August 16th, 2018.

Unassigned speaker

2:48

Speaker 4

2:49

was acquired by Shallow Creek Kennels in Pennsylvania, where he was hand-picked by Sergeant Wentworth to join the Portage Department of Public Safety Canine Unit on February 25th, 2020.

2:58

And whereas from there, he and Sergeant Wentworth attended Kalamzu Department of Public Safety's in-house handler school in spring 2020 that was led by Knight KDPS Canine Unit Supervisor Sergeant Jeff the Bleak Court.

3:11

Riggs served as a dual-purpose canine, which consisted of narcotics detection and patrol work, which included tracking building searches, criminal apprehension, article

Speaker 5

3:20

searches, and handler protection.

Speaker 4

3:23

And whereas Sergeant Wentworth and Riggs earned patrol dog title certifications through NAT the National Association of Professional Canine Handlers, where they maintain this title through their working career.

3:35

And whereas Riggs loved coming to work each day and was tough and hard worker and being utilized in nearly 200 incidents and conducting 1,753 training hours.

3:46

Riggs was the first Porter's public safety canine to retire.

3:50

He enjoyed narcarta narcotics and building searches the most, as well as barking 24-7 while in his patrol car.

Unassigned speaker

3:58

Now

Speaker 1

3:59

therefore it be resolved that I, Patricia M.

4:01

Randall is the mayor of the city of Portage.

4:14

And thanking Officer Riggs for his service to the city and wishing him many long happy years in retirement.

4:21

Thank you for joining us this evening.

Unassigned speaker

4:34

Speaker 6

4:35

got a couple of questions.

4:36

How many um

Unassigned speaker

4:37

how

Speaker 6

4:37

many canons do we have left?

Speaker 1

4:39

We have two left.

Speaker 6

4:40

Two?

4:40

Okay.

Speaker 1

4:41

Is six years young for um uh police dog to retire?

Speaker 7

4:46

It depends.

4:48

Um different.

4:51

Um the bigger they are, kind of their lifespan or working spans may be a little shorter.

4:56

Uh he'll start developing jaw kind of arthritis.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

Um certification was expiring right around the time.

Speaker 1

5:09

And will he live with you?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Engagement████████████████████20%

Procedural███████████████15%

Public Health Awareness███████████11%

Water And Wastewater Management███████████11%

Renewable Energy Policy█████████9%

Public Safety█████████9%

Environmental Protection████████8%

Economic Development███████7%

Parks and Recreation████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Portage City Council Meeting - October 20, 2026

The Portage City Council met on October 20, 2026, at City Hall. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Patricia Randall with all council members present (Burns, Ledbetter, Miller, Olmsted, Randall, Young). The agenda included proclamations, public comments, a public hearing, approval of the consent agenda, a regular business item, and council reports.

Proclamations

Retirement of K9 Riggs: The council honored the retirement of K9 Riggs from the Portage Department of Public Safety. Sergeant Jordan Wentworth reported Riggs was involved in nearly 200 incidents and completed 1,753 training hours since 2020. Riggs will live with his handler.
Red Ribbon Week: Students from West Middle School and Scout Troop 287 read a proclamation declaring October 23-31, 2026, as Red Ribbon Week, encouraging drug-free lifestyles.
World Polio Day: A representative from the Portage Rotary Club accepted a proclamation declaring October 24, 2026, as World Polio Day. The club reported raising over $10,000 for the Polio Plus fund (matched by the Gates Foundation) and awarding over $20,000 in local charitable grants.

Public Comments & Testimony

Lawn Chemicals & Water Safety: A resident urged the city to encourage residents to avoid applying weed killer and fertilizer to lawns to protect well water quality, explicitly stating he was not requesting an ordinance.
Retirement Plan Distribution (Trisha Kayala): Former city employee Trisha Kayala stated that the city's transition of retirement plan administrators from Mission Square to MERS caused her retirement loan to be treated as a taxable distribution without notice, resulting in an unexpected $4,800 tax liability. She requested the city's assistance and noted other former employees may be affected.
Endangered Species Act (Logan Dow): Portage Northern High School sophomore Logan Dow expressed strong opposition to changes in the Endangered Species Act by the Trump administration. He urged the council to join lawsuits against the ruling.
Pedestrian Safety (Joe Sturgeon): Resident Joe Sturgeon expressed concern about pedestrian safety at the intersection of Milham and Oregon, where students crossing to Portage Northern High School and Middle School face dangerous traffic. He requested safety improvements such as flashing lights or a crossing guard.

Consent Calendar

The council approved the consent agenda as presented, with the exception of Item 6 (Sanitary Sewer Transport Agreement), which was pulled by Councilmember Burns for individual discussion.

Public Hearings & Regular Business

Industrial Facilities Tax Abatement Transfer (MicroLamb Inc.): The council held a public hearing on Resolution #4 to transfer an existing industrial facilities tax abatement to MicroLamb Inc. at 5870 South Sprinkle Road. Acting City Manager Adam Herringa and Deputy Director Jonathan Holmberg stated the transfer supports 17 new full-time jobs and retains 41 existing jobs, with capital investment exceeding $3 million. The resolution was adopted unanimously on a roll call vote.
Sanitary Sewer Transport Agreement (Portage/Pavilion Township): Councilmember Burns withdrew this 30-year agreement from the consent agenda for clarification. Director of Transport Utilities Kendra Gwyn detailed the increased peak flow limit (from 3 to 4.3 CFS) for Pavilion Township development, the fixed fee schedule for new connections, and cost-sharing percentages for operations and maintenance. The agreement was approved unanimously.

Council Committee Reports

Mayor Randall reported on the Environmental Health Advisory Committee, noting plans for a subcommittee to develop county-wide guidance on data centers and battery energy storage systems.
Councilmember Burns reported the Central County Transportation Authority approved its 2027-2028 operating budgets and noted a 55% year-over-year increase in diesel fuel costs.
Councilmember Miller reported on the success of the Farmers Market (30,000 attendees, 41 average vendors) and the Monster Mash event (4,200 attendees), and thanked Acting City Manager Herringa for his service.
Councilmember Young reported on the Michigan Municipal League Conference, congratulated the Public Safety Department on recent promotions including the city's first woman fire marshal, and reminded residents about Halloween safety and the upcoming election.

Key Outcomes

Three proclamations were officially adopted.
Resolution #4 (Tax Abatement Transfer for MicroLamb Inc.) was adopted unanimously.
The 30-year sanitary sewer transport agreement with Pavilion Township was approved unanimously.
Acting City Manager Adam Herringa was thanked for his service; incoming City Manager Kieran Dempsey Haran was announced to start November 2nd.
Councilmembers Ledbetter and Miller stated their personal opposition to the proposed Citizen Advisory Health Care ballot measure, citing a lack of consultation and jurisdictional limitations, and urged voters to research the proposal.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. I call to order the October 20th, 2026 Portage City Council meeting in honor of all denominations and personal beliefs, and as we reflect on the national effort for all communities to promote healthy drug-free lifestyles and global efforts by Rotary International to eradicate polio in our world. 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 number two eighty-seven to please come forward and lead us in the pledge. One nation under God, indivisible liberty. And if I could please ask the clerk to call the roll. Yes, Madam Mayor Burns. Here. Ledbetter. Here. Miller. Here, Olmsted. Here. Randall. Here. And young. Here. Thank you. All right. We have three proclam proclamations this evening, and we'll start with the recognition and retirement of Portage Department Public Safety Canine Unit, Riggs. And if at this time I could please call Brian Mayhew up to read the proclamation alongside Sar Sergeant Jordan Wentworth. I think Riggs is gonna attend as well. So in 2015, Sergeant Jordan Wentworth and I were given the privilege of starting up the Portage Department of Public Safety Canine unit by former director Nick Armold. Many will remember that in 2019, a similar proclamation was read in memorial for K9 Zoro, who unfortunately passed away due to a medical emergency. Today we read a much more joyous resolution. Um wishes him a happy retirement filled with chasing tennis balls, chewing on Kongs, and of course lots of barking. So the resolution for canine officer riggs, whereas Riggs is a Belgian Malinois German Shepherd mix that was born in Hungary on August 16th, 2018. He was acquired by Shallow Creek Kennels in Pennsylvania, where he was hand-picked by Sergeant Wentworth to join the Portage Department of Public Safety Canine Unit on February 25th, 2020. And whereas from there, he and Sergeant Wentworth attended Kalamzu Department of Public Safety's in-house handler school in spring 2020 that was led by Knight KDPS Canine Unit Supervisor Sergeant Jeff the Bleak Court. Riggs served as a dual-purpose canine, which consisted of narcotics detection and patrol work, which included tracking building searches, criminal apprehension, article searches, and handler protection. And whereas Sergeant Wentworth and Riggs earned patrol dog title certifications through NAT the National Association of Professional Canine Handlers, where they maintain this title through their working career. And whereas Riggs loved coming to work each day and was tough and hard worker and being utilized in nearly 200 incidents and conducting 1,753 training hours. Riggs was the first Porter's public safety canine to retire. He enjoyed narcarta narcotics and building searches the most, as well as barking 24-7 while in his patrol car. Now therefore it be resolved that I, Patricia M. Randall is the mayor of the city of Portage. And thanking Officer Riggs for his service to the city and wishing him many long happy years in retirement. Thank you for joining us this evening. I got a couple of questions. How many um how many canons do we have left?

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Portage City Council Meeting - October 20, 2026

Proclamations

Retirement of K9 Riggs: The council honored the retirement of K9 Riggs from the Portage Department of Public Safety. Sergeant Jordan Wentworth reported Riggs was involved in nearly 200 incidents and completed 1,753 training hours since 2020. Riggs will live with his handler.

Red Ribbon Week: Students from West Middle School and Scout Troop 287 read a proclamation declaring October 23-31, 2026, as Red Ribbon Week, encouraging drug-free lifestyles.

World Polio Day: A representative from the Portage Rotary Club accepted a proclamation declaring October 24, 2026, as World Polio Day. The club reported raising over $10,000 for the Polio Plus fund (matched by the Gates Foundation) and awarding over $20,000 in local charitable grants.

Public Comments & Testimony

Lawn Chemicals & Water Safety: A resident urged the city to encourage residents to avoid applying weed killer and fertilizer to lawns to protect well water quality, explicitly stating he was not requesting an ordinance.

Retirement Plan Distribution (Trisha Kayala): Former city employee Trisha Kayala stated that the city's transition of retirement plan administrators from Mission Square to MERS caused her retirement loan to be treated as a taxable distribution without notice, resulting in an unexpected $4,800 tax liability. She requested the city's assistance and noted other former employees may be affected.

Endangered Species Act (Logan Dow): Portage Northern High School sophomore Logan Dow expressed strong opposition to changes in the Endangered Species Act by the Trump administration. He urged the council to join lawsuits against the ruling.

Pedestrian Safety (Joe Sturgeon): Resident Joe Sturgeon expressed concern about pedestrian safety at the intersection of Milham and Oregon, where students crossing to Portage Northern High School and Middle School face dangerous traffic. He requested safety improvements such as flashing lights or a crossing guard.

Consent Calendar

The council approved the consent agenda as presented, with the exception of Item 6 (Sanitary Sewer Transport Agreement), which was pulled by Councilmember Burns for individual discussion.

Public Hearings & Regular Business

Industrial Facilities Tax Abatement Transfer (MicroLamb Inc.): The council held a public hearing on Resolution #4 to transfer an existing industrial facilities tax abatement to MicroLamb Inc. at 5870 South Sprinkle Road. Acting City Manager Adam Herringa and Deputy Director Jonathan Holmberg stated the transfer supports 17 new full-time jobs and retains 41 existing jobs, with capital investment exceeding $3 million. The resolution was adopted unanimously on a roll call vote.

Sanitary Sewer Transport Agreement (Portage/Pavilion Township): Councilmember Burns withdrew this 30-year agreement from the consent agenda for clarification. Director of Transport Utilities Kendra Gwyn detailed the increased peak flow limit (from 3 to 4.3 CFS) for Pavilion Township development, the fixed fee schedule for new connections, and cost-sharing percentages for operations and maintenance. The agreement was approved unanimously.

Council Committee Reports

Mayor Randall reported on the Environmental Health Advisory Committee, noting plans for a subcommittee to develop county-wide guidance on data centers and battery energy storage systems.

Councilmember Burns reported the Central County Transportation Authority approved its 2027-2028 operating budgets and noted a 55% year-over-year increase in diesel fuel costs.

Councilmember Miller reported on the success of the Farmers Market (30,000 attendees, 41 average vendors) and the Monster Mash event (4,200 attendees), and thanked Acting City Manager Herringa for his service.

Councilmember Young reported on the Michigan Municipal League Conference, congratulated the Public Safety Department on recent promotions including the city's first woman fire marshal, and reminded residents about Halloween safety and the upcoming election.

Key Outcomes

Three proclamations were officially adopted.

Resolution #4 (Tax Abatement Transfer for MicroLamb Inc.) was adopted unanimously.

The 30-year sanitary sewer transport agreement with Pavilion Township was approved unanimously.

Acting City Manager Adam Herringa was thanked for his service; incoming City Manager Kieran Dempsey Haran was announced to start November 2nd.

Councilmembers Ledbetter and Miller stated their personal opposition to the proposed Citizen Advisory Health Care ballot measure, citing a lack of consultation and jurisdictional limitations, and urged voters to research the proposal.

Meeting Transcript