Thursday, November 15, 2012
The council turned down the proposed ordinance to allow residential cultivation at its Wednesday night meeting.
A majority of New Baltimore City Council rejected a proposed ordinance that would pave way for residential medical marijuana cultivation in the community. The 4-3 vote Wednesday night took place after months of debates regarding the cultivation issue and several medical pot dispensary moratorium extensions. However, a separate proposal to allow industrial growth is expected to go before council in upcoming weeks, according to city officials. Mayor Larry Smith said Thursday he cast the tie-breaking vote against residential growth because he doesn't believe it will be positive for the city. He also cited confusion and ambiguity in Michigan's Medical Marihuana Act. "It's a poorly written law," Smith said of the MMA. In the past, critics of …
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The town hall meeting took place Monday night inside Anchor Bay Middle School North in New Baltimore.
An expert on city charter revisions spoke Monday night at a New Baltimore town hall meeting. Voters will decide Aug. 7 whether the city charter should be revised. If approved, voters would then cast ballots to elect nine candidates for the charter commission in November. Those nine people would meet publicly and decide what changes should be made to the charter. The revisions could be anything from adding city positions, updating language in the 1973 documents or governmental reform, said Eric Lupher, director of local affairs for the Citizens Research Council of Michigan. Sign up for the Patch daily newsletter and follow us on Facebook. The commission members, who may be volunteers or paid by the city, would have up to three years to …
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Mayor Larry Smith says the move doesn't affect the department head's pay.
New Baltimore Mayor Larry Smith's decision to tweak an employee's title and create a job description for her came under fire earlier this week. Speaking of emails pertaining to Judy Sproat, Councilman Ken Butler questioned why Smith did not go to council for approval of the changes. "That position was created by a vote of the council," Butler said during the Monday night meeting. "I'd like to see the job description and time table brought to us to approve." After lengthy discussion from township attorney Jack Dolan and council about Sproat, who was not at the meeting, Smith said, "I am not seeing these emails that you're getting. Now you sit here and chastise me and expect me to know what is going on." Butler responded that he was not …
Monday, April 9, 2012
New Baltimore City Council voted Monday night to direct the city attorney to draft proposal language for a city charter revision that is expected to go before voters this summer.
New Baltimore inched closer Monday to paving way for a city charter revision that could ultimately lead to creating a new form of government. City Council voted to direct the attorney to draft proposal language that is expected to go on the August ballot, asking whether the city should revise its charter. If approved, that could eventually lead to the placement of a city manager in the charter—moving away from a strong-mayor form of government. Voters would ultimately decide whether they want a city manager to spearhead operations. Some officials and residents in the community want a city manager because they say it's a more effective form of local government. Meanwhile, others question why the topic is coming up at all. Mayor criticizes …
Friday, September 16, 2011
New Baltimore Mayor Larry Smith's fundraiser is scheduled for Friday night at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 112.
New Baltimore Mayor Larry Smith held an event Friday night in Chesterfield Township to raise money for his campaign fund. Although Smith is running unopposed in the November election, he said he hoped to rebuild his campaign fund to help cover past and future job-related expenses. “People ask me to support different things and all this money has come out of my pocket for the last two years,” Smith explained. “They are all worth while, but I’m just trying to raise a few bucks to put back in my account.” He said he's spent thousands of his own money since taking office for expenses not covered by the city. Smith has served as mayor since 2009, when he defeated incumbent Tom Goldenbogen in the general election. He also serves as president of …
Friday, July 15, 2011
Mayor Larry Smith calls his wedding ceremony duties the fun part of his job.
New Baltimore Mayor Larry Smith is set to officiate his sixth wedding Friday afternoon at city hall. "I think I hold the record," Smith said Friday before the ceremony set to take place at 1 p.m. His seventh wedding ceremony to perform is set for September. The previous mayor, Tom Goldenbogen, officiated two weddings during his time in office, Smith said. Taking a break from city issues to be there for people on the happiest day of their lives is the "fun part of my job," he said. Smith, who was elected mayor in November 2009, is running unopposed for a second term later this year.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Mayor Larry Smith declares Phyllis Roulo as Volunteer of the Year at impromptu ceremony.
Slightly more than a year ago, longtime resident Phyllis Roulo volunteered her photography services to the city of New Baltimore. From her first event--the Citizen and Business of the Year ceremony in spring 2010--to nearly every one in the community since, Roulo has been present snapping shots for the city's website. "You're always there," Mayor Larry Smith said Thursday at the Business by the Bay luncheon in downtown New Baltimore. "You're always ready to help...Thank you so much for that." Smith surprised Roulo with a plaque at the end of the event, which she attended as a guest. "I didn't know anything about it," she said of the award. Roulo said she approached Smith to offer her photography services on a volunteer basis after her …
J Lewis
8:46 pm on Wednesday, July 25, 2012
To let council get that much control is not very smart every government needs a check and balance I totally apples a city manager changing the way government is set is wrong there's a reason for city council and having a mayor the same as president congress and senate don't be blind to council having to much authority it is wrong what next monarchy a king queen come on people think that takes … more ›