City Commission

Sturgis Planning Commission members this week voted to not recommend urban chickens in town. Despite Monday’s vote, members of the Sturgis City Commission may proceed as they wish, as the planning commission is a recommending body to aid city commissioners in making an informed decision. If the city commission decides to move forward, the planning commission would support the measure …

Constantine municipal officials are looking into moving its Civil War cannon at South Washington Street Park to the township cemetery. Village resident and local historian Rebecca Shank last month asked the council if it would consider relocating the cannon to a place of honor. A cemetery, she said, would be more appropriate than a community park. Shank said the cannon …

Sturgis City Commission members voted this week to approve the city’s 2023 street rehabilitation project. The city received a single bid by the May 1 deadline, submitted by Northern Construction Services Corp. of Niles. Its bid was for about $720,000. The three segments in the project are South Orange Street from Wenzel to West South Street; South Nottawa Street from …

Sturgis Interim City Manager Andrew Kuk last week accepted an offer from the city commission to become city manager on a permanent basis. Kuk has served for more than 15 years as assistant city manager, assuming the interim primary role in January after former manager Mike Hughes accepted a new management position at a local manufacturing company. The city commission …

A number of local entities, including the villages of Burr Oak, Centreville and Constantine, featured uncontested races. In Colon, six trustee candidates vied for three seats to Colon Village Council. Winners were Jodi Gross, Dillon Baker and Marvel Delp. They were challenged by David Senkewitz, Donald D’Water and Thomas Whitford. Gross and Delp are incumbents. In Three Rivers, Lucas Allen …

Sturgis Hospital is facing mounting financial deficits, and officials from the medical facility have turned to the city for help. Hospital officials approached Sturgis City Commission last week to ask for a $645,000 loan to keep the facility open until a decision is made for $15 million in emergency funding. If approved by the state, that $15 million to fund …

Sturgis City Commission is seeking applications to fill the seat recently vacated by Karl Littman. The seat is for the 4th Precinct, which covers the boundary of Sturgis north of East Chicago Road and east of North Prospect Street. To qualify for consideration, prospective applicants must be a registered voter in the 4th Precinct. Correspondence with name, address, phone number, …

The village of Colon is expecting to see a number of infrastructure and ordinance improvements in the new year. Sharon Craun, village president, said one project includes the installation of two new lift stations, and upgrades to the municipality lagoons and inlet structures. She said the village was fortunate to have been chosen for the Michigan State University Sustainable Built …

Two options for design work at and around the forthcoming splash pad at Thurston Woods Park next year were recently presented to members of the Sturgis City Commission. Eventually, one of the options was selected with further examination set to take place in 2022. City staff has been working with Abonmarche Consultants Inc. on the site plan design for the …

Sturgis commissioners are reviewing a plan calling for development of a trail on leased Michigan Southern Railway right-of-way. The proposed route would extend from west of Big Hill Road west to North Jefferson Street, then south to Chicago Road. Initially, the scope of work consists of preliminary design layout, final design, preparation of contractor requests for bids, evaluation of bids, …