Purchasing two blighted Mackinaw City properties, bulldozing them, and reselling the land or using a least one lot for a fire hall was debated by the Village Council for the second month at the February 5 meeting. This time, trustees invited their attorney, Tom Evashevski, to provide legal advice on the blight ordinance, which Council is in the process of updating.

Also, the village council is concerned that the blight ordinance lacks a way to address properties that have fallen into disrepair or remain vacant and that are a health and safety hazard to the community.

"Defining blight isn't very hard," said Mr. Evashevski. "Enforcing it is."

Enforcing requires consistency, which becomes an issue when considering degrees of blight, said Mr. Evashevski, citing peeling paint as an example.

The main concern for the village now, said board member Jeff Hingston, is the health and safety of the public over buildings that have fallen into disrepair.

During the February 5 meeting, the village council made no decision to purchase land or how to handle unoccupied buildings, although it did send the blight ordinance back to committee for further review upon Mr. Evashevski's recommendation.

"If a building is not occupied, but it's immaculate on the outside, the grass is mowed, and everything looks fine, I've been unaware of anything that would allow us to say that is a health, safety, and welfare concern and [there's] really not much we can do," said Mr. Evashevski. "Normally, an unoccupied building develops blighted conditions, which you can address."

He added that through research, he recently found that the Michigan Housing Law defines a dangerous building, which includes any building that has been unoccupied for six months unless it is for sale or is a second home.

The ordinance committee is expected to report back to council at a future meeting.

Village President Ron Wallin continued to push Council to purchase two blighted properties and suggested a four-year millage that would levy 0.25 mill a year would pay for the acquisitions. One mill generates about $140,000 in revenue, which he said was about the cost for both properties he has in mind.

Properties under consideration for purchase by the village are at 305 East Etherington Street and 719 West Central Avenue. Both are listed for sale and the proposal now will be sent to the finance committee for further discussion.

Mr. Wallin said he believes it is the Village's obligation to make Mackinaw City a great place to live and for tourists to visit.

Audience member Chris Brown, a local builder, suggested Council follow the lead of other downstate communities and offer tax abatements to those who seek to redevelop their property.

Mr. Wallin said applying for and getting funding for the program would not be easy and the city could quickly take care of the blighted sites, which he said have been a village problem for about 30 years. He questioned the courage of council members to act on the matter.

"I think we can do better than doing nothing," he said. "Doing nothing is what has been done for a long time."

He continued, "People should be on notice that we are going to toughen up our blight ordinance and we will be aggressive in alleviating some of these concerns."

Mr. Hingston said there are other neglected properties in the community, although they are not for sale, and questioned how the village should handle those situations.

With the possibility of using one of the parcels for a fire hall, Mr. Hingston requested the matter be sent to the finance committee for further consideration.

Council member Jim Alford agreed with Mr. Wallin's idea to purchase the properties, however, he said the city needs to prioritize its projects. The city still has not built a new fire hall or finished work at the Village Hall and has streets in disrepair, all of which he said should be done before the city considers buying blighted property.

He also is concerned about the loss of revenue. The properties would be taken off the tax roll if the city purchased them, and there would be additional cost to bulldoze the structures, remove the debris, and keep the sites mowed.

Council member Belinda Mollen did not agree that the village should purchase the property, rather she supported making the blight ordinance stricter, which would allow the city to correct the problem without buying land.

In other business, the board approved a senior millage appropriation agreement with Cheboygan County. The millage already was approved by voters and requires the village appropriate $30,000 for senior citizen services, which includes Meals on Wheels. The village gives the funds to the Wawatam Area Senior Center, a nonprofit group that provides senior services and runs the senior center.

The council approved an ambulance millage appropriation agreement with Cheboygan County. The village provides ambulance service for the residents of Hebron and Mackinaw townships and will receive about $34,000 a year to pay for the service.

The board decided it will allow the Mackinac Bridge Authority to use Conkling Heritage Entertainment Park as a staging area for the annual Mackinac Bridge Walk.

The board approved a contract with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division to use the state's reservation system for transient boat slips. This agreement is for the village marina. The village is paid a portion of each reservation. The agreement is in effect until October 31, 2016.

The Mackinaw Trolley Company received council approval to operate two trolleys from May to November. The company provides guided tours of various sites in the Straits area and has had an agreement with the village in past years.

The following 10 special events were approved by council:

May 2: Fishing Expo requested by Mackinaw Crossings.

May 21 through May 25: Memorial Day Pageant and Encampment requested by Michilimackinac Voyageurs.

June 5 through June 9: Taste of Summer requested by Mackinaw Crossings.

July 4: Strawberry Social requested by the Mackinaw Woman's Club on the marina lawn.

July 18 and July 19: AMBUCS fundraiser for handicapped children requested by Mackinaw Crossings.

August 1 through August 9: Shoreline West Bicycle Tour requested by Michigan Bicyclist. They will use parking near the recreation center.

August 4: Annual Antique Show requested by the Mackinaw Woman's Club for signs announcing the event.

August 14 and August 15: Car Show requested by Mackinaw Crossings.

September 4 and September 5: Hoops of Fun requested by Mackinaw Crossings.

November 15 through November 30: Mackinaw Outfitters Buck Pole.

More information is needed, say council members, before a decision can be made on a request for a Farmers Market at Mackinaw Crossings. Consideration of the matter was postponed until its next meeting.

During public comment, Mr. Brown objected to the business license ordinance. He had voiced his disapproval for the regulation during the public hearing in January. Businesses, he said, do not want the ordinance and the village would be better to spend the money on fireworks.

Council went into closed session to discuss a legal opinion from Mr. Evashevski regarding its proposed business license ordinance. No decision was made following the closed session.

Council next meets Thursday, February 19, at 7 p.m. in Mackinaw City Village Hall.