Vernon council weighs housing grant, free parking permits Wednesday

The Vernon Village Council meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Village Hall, 120 E. Main Street, and the posted agenda puts three things in front of members that touch money: whether to apply for a Housing Readiness Initiative grant, whether to waive parking lot permit fees, and a budget amendment.

The agenda gives no dollar figures for any of them. The Housing Readiness item appears under the Planning Commission update as "Housing Readiness Initiative program- Consider applying for grant," with no amount and no description of what the money would pay for. The budget amendment is listed only as "Consider approving Budget Amendment" — the packet posted online does not say which line items move, or by how much.

The parking question comes through the Downtown Development Authority, which has two items Wednesday. One is a member resignation and an appointment to fill the seat; the agenda does not name the member leaving or anyone proposed to replace them. The other is "Parking Lot Permits- Consider waiving permit fees." If the council waives them, anyone who currently pays for a permit stops paying; the agenda does not say what the fee is now or how many permits are issued.

Item 4 is an update on the Maple Street railroad track. That carries forward from the special meeting The Current reported on in September: the council's only business at 6 p.m. Sept. 24 was whether to file an application for a Grade Crossing Improvement Project at the Maple Street tracks. The agenda does not say what the update covers — only that there is one. Minutes of that Sept. 24 special meeting, along with the Sept. 16 regular meeting, are up for approval at the top of Wednesday's agenda.

The council also has a neighbor matter listed as business: "Complaint from 412 W. Main St.- 408 W. Main St." The agenda states nothing more than that — not the nature of the complaint, not what action, if any, the council is being asked to take.

Rounding out the night: an update on Christmas in the Village, and correspondence that includes the September 2026 police report from Durand Police Chief Robert Brancheau, the September DPW report from Superintendent Trevor Graves, and September permits. Graves' pay was the subject of the Aug. 26 special meeting The Current covered this summer.

Residents who want to speak get one turn of up to three minutes during the call to audience, under the rules printed on the agenda, and are asked to give a name and address and direct comments to the president.

What happens next: The meeting is at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Village Hall, 120 E. Main Street. Anyone who needs a signer or other accommodation is asked to contact Village Clerk Krista Goodman at 120 E. Main Street or (989) 288-2300 with 72 hours' notice. The dollar amounts behind the budget amendment, the grant and the parking permit fees should be on the table Wednesday; we will report what the council does with each.