Portage to swear in city council members Tuesday

PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Portage City Council will swear in one new member and three returning incumbents on Tuesday.

They will also pay tribute to 7-term council member Terry Urban, who failed to win reelection this time around.

Resident Tim Earl got a head start with a tribute at their last meeting, saying he will be missed.

“For his 28 years serving our city and this council and the years between boards and commissions, the loss of that institutional knowledge is gonna hurt the city,” said Earl. “If I had to pick one thing that was Terry’s signature accomplishment, it was probably 10 years ago when he insisted they revise the anti-discrimination ordinance to explicitly protect our LGBTQ citizens.”

Council member-elect Kathleen Olmstead and returning incumbents Vic Ledbetter, Jihan Young and Mayor Patricia Randall will take their oaths.

Then they will get right down to business with a full agenda of city matters, including an update to the city’s sanitation code.