Owosso council takes up camping ban on city property Monday
A first reading Monday would bar overnight camping on city-owned land, and the same agenda carries a public hearing on towing cars with unpaid parking tickets plus $92,581 in repairs at Curwood Castle.
Owosso would prohibit camping and overnight occupation of city-owned or city-controlled property under an ordinance getting its first reading Monday night. The item sits on the council's consent agenda for the Sept. 21 regular meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 301 West Main Street, according to the published agenda.
The proposal would add Sec. 21-10, "Prohibition of Unauthorized Camping and Overnight Occupation of City Property," to the parks and recreation chapter of the city code. The agenda does not include the ordinance text, so the packet does not say what penalties would apply or how the rule would be enforced. A public hearing on it is set for Monday, Oct. 5.
Before the consent agenda, the council will hold the public hearing it scheduled on Sept. 8 on towing vehicles over unpaid parking tickets. As The Current reported, the proposed Sec. 33-54 would let the city remove the vehicle of a repeat offender with multiple unpaid tickets. Anyone who wants to speak gets up to three minutes during the hearing.
A second ordinance also gets a first reading Monday, with an Oct. 5 hearing: the single-hauler garbage plan. Council members directed the city attorney on Aug. 17 to draft it, and the agenda now describes amendments to Chapter 34 authorizing exclusive contracts for residential trash and recycling pickup. The stated reason is compliance with the 2022 revision to Section 115 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, which requires that 90% of single-family homes have access to curbside recycling. The agenda does not name a hauler or a price.
The consent agenda also carries several large spending items, all of which pass in a single vote unless a member pulls one out. Change Order No. 4 on the 2025 Well Improvements Project would add $190,628 for rehabilitation and upgrades at the Palmer 2 Well and Local Well 1 and for abandoning the Palmer 1 Well, pushing the contract's final payment ceiling to $2,115,023. A contract with Pleune Service Company would replace the radiator at Curwood Castle for $92,581.28 plus a $5,000 contingency. Fishbeck would be awarded $150,100 for engineering and construction administration on the 2027 Water Service Line Replacement Project — contingent on the city receiving DWSRF bond proceeds, the drinking water revenue bonds of up to $12 million the council moved to authorize in July.
Two vehicle purchases would skip competitive bidding under state and cooperative purchasing contracts: a 2027 Ford F250 pickup for the DPW fleet from Lunghamer Ford of Owosso for $46,575 on the MiDeal contract, and a 2027 John Deere Gator HPX815E with accessories from Hutson, Inc. for $41,330.17 on a Sourcewell contract. The council is also asked to affirm $3,070,454.16 in accounts payable checks and $909,454.51 in payroll for August.
Owosso High School's homecoming parade would close streets listed on the school's application from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, under Traffic Control Order No. 1547.
Under items of business, the council will consider Owosso's annual commitment to the Shiawassee Area Transportation Agency for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, in an amount not to exceed $123,586.75 for public transportation. The council will also reiterate its acknowledgement of Councilmember Ludington's pecuniary interest before considering $1,023.49 in August contracts with Ludington Electric, Inc.
Communications on the agenda include July and August financial reports from Finance Specialist Lucais Allen, August building, code violation, inspection, rental and certificate reports from Planning and Building Director Tanya S. Buckelew, August police, parking citation and fire reports from Public Safety Director Kevin D. Lenkart, and Treasurer Kathy Fagan's utility shutoff statistics for April through June.
What happens next: the council meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall. If the two first readings advance, public hearings on the camping ban and the single-hauler trash ordinance are set for the next regular meeting, Monday, Oct. 5. The agenda also lists nine openings on city boards and commissions, including three on the Planning Commission.
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