KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo City Commissioners have voted in favor of increasing spending by the City Manager position in case future meetings are cancelled due to the coronavirus.
Commissioners approved the measure during a meeting Monday night, during which they were sat further away from each other in accordance with “social distancing” guidelines.
According to city documents, the resolution “temporarily authorizes the City Manager to make purchases and approve contracts up to $5 million provided that the purchase or project is contained within the 2020 City Commission approved budget.”
Previously, the spending limit was set at $100,000.
“The fact that you’re sitting six feet apart with two commissioners at floor level just shows how incredibly challenging this time is for our community,” City Manager Jim Ritsema said. “We don’t know what tomorrow brings, or next week as far as how things are developing, but we do know that we have a responsibility to continue operations of the city.”
Ritsema further explained the resolution to those in attendance.
“In the event that a commission meeting has to be rescheduled or cancelled, it would allow myself to execute any documents and contracts to purchase and enter into contracts,” Ritsema said. “A key to this is first, its any budgeted items in the 2020 budget. The reason the amount is so high is because we have some fairly significant capital improvement projects coming up in those dollar amounts, and we want to continue working on those behind the scenes so that we don’t lose the construction season that’s coming up.”
Ritsema must notify the commission of any such spending within 24 hours before execution.
“The idea here is accountability, but recognizing that we are in unprecedented times, so it’s critical that we continue operations in the city.”
City Attorney Clyde Robinson also noted that the Michigan Open Meetings Act requires public bodies to hold meetings in public places and make them open to the public, and to permit public comment. The resolution is written with respect to this law.
Ideas were also discussed for going virtual for some meetings if need be. Issues pertaining to this idea are that citizens must be able to comment on matters publicly and in person, as interpreted by Robinson. Any methods related to this notion will be discussed at a later time.
This resolution will be in effect until May 1.
