Commercial News
three rivers
Vol. 124, Issue #109
TRDDA board chair,
treasurer resign
By Alek Frost
Managing Editor
THREE RIVERS — Just after 1
p.m. on Wednesday, May 9, Three
Rivers Downtown Development
Authority Board Chair Ron
Buckhold and Board Treasurer
Sharon Bachinski sent a joint letter
of resignation via email.
In the letter, Buckhold and
Bachinski state, “in the interest of
maintaining momentum of the
DDA, we feel that with the 4-3 vote
Vago received
overall satisfactory
rating in evaluation
Scored slightly higher in
2018 compared to
previous year
By Alek Frost
Managing Editor
THREE RIVERS — On Tuesday evening,
prior to his resignation on Wednesday,
former Three Rivers Downtown Development
Authority Board Chair Ron Buckhold sent an
email which includes documents that indicate
TRDDA Executive Director Dave Vago
received an overall satisfactory rating on his
2018 evaluation.
The email, which was sent to Vago,
TRDDA board members, AmeriCorps
VISTA volunteer Merritt Dickerson-Weed,
City Finance Director Cathy Lawson and City
Clerk Melissa Bliss, included six evaluation
forms completed by TRDDA board members,
a document containing “all reviews scored
‘H ’e s been done wrong
On Tuesday, May 8, former Three Rivers City Commissioner Diane Clay
addressed the city commission in defense of Dave Vago,Three Rivers Downtown
Development Authority Executive Director, who was recently asked to resign
from his position.
Commercial-News/Alek Frost “illegal meeting” that led to Vago’s
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Thursday, May 10, 2018 75¢
(refusing TRDDA Executive On Thursday, May 3rd, 2018 Dave
Director Dave Vago’s resignation) Vago signed his letter of
that the majority should be the resignation. On Friday, May 4th,
deciding factor in moving the 2018 the DDA met and voted with
DDA forward from here.” a 4-3 vote to rescind the resignation
The resignation letter, in its of Dave Vago. With the interest of
entirety, reads as follows: maintaining the momentum of the
“Ron Buckhold the Chair of the DDA, we feel that with a vote of
DDA and Sharon Bachinski the 4-3 that the majority should be the
treasurer of the DDA are resigning deciding factor in moving the Buckhold, Bachinski resign
from their roles effective today DDA forward from here. Based on Ron Buckhold, chair of the Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority,
and TRDDA Executive Director Dave Vago (right) listen to board member com-
(May 9th, 2018). On April 30th, this, we both respectfully resign
ments during a TRDDA meeting on Friday, May 4. Buckhold and Board Treasurer
2018 we met with Dave Vago the our positions on the DDA, thus Sharon Bachinski sent a joint letter of resignation via email on Wednesday, May 9.
Executive Director of the DDA. allowing the DDA to move forward Commercial-News/Alek Frost
See RESIGNATION, page 3
City commission discusses
proposed FY 2019 budget
By Alek Frost
Managing Editor
THREE RIVERS —Finance Director Cathy Lawson presented the FY 2019 proposed
budget for the City of Three Rivers to the city commission at a special budget meeting on
aggregately in spreadsheet format,” and a
Word Document with a list of comments,
Tuesday, May 8.
The proposed budget calls for $19,226,561 in revenues, $21,387,299 in expenditures, and
both positive and negative, compiled from a use of fund balance/retained earnings of $2,160,738. The projected use of the city’s general
individual evaluations.
Vice Chair Amanda Yearling’s evaluation
fund calls for $4,871,887 in revenues, $5,163,733 in expenditures, a use of fund balance/
retained earnings of $291,846 and an unreserved, undesignated general fund balance
was not included in the email because her projected at 67.87 percent of budgeted expenditures.
General fund revenues by type include tax revenues ($1,990,944), intergovernmental
review “was saved on her Google account”
revenue ($1,651,751), charges for services ($824,696), licenses and permits ($193,750),
and was inaccessible, and one board member’s
name was mistakenly left on their review, interest ($60,000) and other revenues ($150,746). General fund expenditures by function
include public safety ($2,381,560), general government ($1,311,670), public works ($427,468),
which was intended to be anonymous.
culture and recreation ($180,058) and other ($862,977). General fund expenditures by
According to documents obtained by the
expenditure type include salary and fringes ($2,974,089), operations ($1,602,547), and
Three Rivers Commercial-News, Vago
transfers for debt service & capital projects ($587,097).
received 718 of 910 total points or 78.9
General government functions are comprised of seven full-time employees including the
percent of all possible points, which is slightly
city manager, two city clerk employees, and four finance employees, and approximately
higher than his 2017 evaluation score of 78
seven percent of total DPS employees (18 full-time, three part-time).
percent. In 2018, Vago had an average score
The general government functions portion of the budget breaks down as follows: City
of 102.57 out of 130 total possible points
commission ($24,625), city manager ($185,125), city assessor ($75,613), legal & professional
across seven total evaluations, and averaged
services ($130,500), city clerk ($159,078), information technology ($61,800), boards and
four out of five points per review category on
commissions ($2,050), finance ($384,631), building and grounds ($102,645) and cemetery
a one to five scale, with five being considered
($185,603).
above average performance and one meaning
Public safety functions are comprised of 16 full-time police department employees, one
immediate attention is required.
part-time clerk (25 hours per week), 14 part-time auxiliary employees, four crossing guards,
Alek Frost can be reached at 279-7488 ext.
and the elimination of one vacant full-time officer position. It also includes 15 full-time fire
22 or alek@threeriversnews.com.
See 2019 BUDGET, page 3
Concerned citizens address commission about
TRDDA executive director, deride city manager
By Alek Frost resignation. say ‘history repeats itself,’ and I
Managing Editor “To allow these things to happen, happen to be a history buff, and I
without anything being done happen to be a Three Rivers buff. I
THREE RIVERS — The first 25 makes each of you just as guilty as love this town and I think that
minutes of the city’s special budget the person or persons involved in everything we do should be ‘we.’
meeting on Tuesday, May 8 had this type of action. This manager Three Rivers is ours, it belongs to
little to do with its original works for you; his actions are your all of us, we put the work in, we put
purpose, as a number of citizens responsibility. I hope for the future the thought in, we put the care in,
came to the defense of Three of Three Rivers this commission and we put the love in. And I don’t
Rivers Downtown Development will ask for the city manager’s see this happening right now, I see
Authority Executive Director Dave resignation for his latest illegal this being a ‘me’ thing and it’s
Vago, and placed blame for a actions, as many more are going to happened before and I’m afraid it
myriad of issues, including Vago’s come to light in the near future, will happen again,” Smith said.
forced resignation last week, at the guaranteed. Trust, honesty, and “Years ago, I was on the DDA
feet of City Manager Joe Bippus. transparency will move this city design committee — not too long
Doug Bingaman made a number forward, not blackmail and bully ago, I was also on the DDA design
of allegations against Bippus, leadership, and that’s what we have committee — I got married, moved
including that Bippus has “bullied” now,” Bingaman said. out of town and I moved back to
business owners and put some Anna Smith said Three Rivers town. (In the past), I have seen the
’ people out of business after they “belongs to all of us,” and decisions cutting off of the head of the DDA
disagreed “with what (Bippus) concerning the city’s welfare director, and once you cut off the
wanted to do,” and alleged that should be about “we” and not “me.” head, the rest of the body slowly
Bippus was involved with the “I’ve been around Three Rivers dies, and the DDA died. When the
for a long time, and you know they Michigan Main Street program
See CONCERNED CITIZENS, page 3
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OBITUARY 2019 BUDGET
Continued from page 1
department employees, and
MARTHA W. SCHULTE approximately 1,000 hours for
Martha W. Schulte, age 93, of Three Rivers died May 6, 20 on-call fire personnel. The
2018 at Heartland Health Care in Three Rivers. She was public safety functions portion
born March 12, 1925 in Toll Cross, Scotland, the daughter of of the budget breaks down as
James and Martha (Lindsay) Watt. Martha graduated from follows: Police ($1,766,138),
Ithaca High School, New York in 1943 and continued her fire ($470,922), inspections
education at Rochester Business Institute. ($124,500), hazardous
On May 10, 1952 she married Frank Schulte Jr. in Ithaca, structures ($15,000) and
NY. He preceded her in death on Dec. 27, 2008. planning ($5,000).
Martha was employed as a secretary for the New York Public works functions are
State Public School system retiring in 1989 after 30 years of comprised of 18 percent of total
employment. DPS employees (18 full-time,
She was a member of Bethany Chapel in Three Rivers and three part-time). The public
enjoyed traveling. works functions portion of the
Surviving are her daughter Linda (Phil) Hall, of budget breaks down as follows:
Constantine, son Thomas (Debra) Schulte, of Peoria, Ariz., General maintenance
grandchildren Derek (Meilssa) Hall, Heather (Travis) ($174,026), street lighting
Rozner, Andrew (Natalie) Hall, Erica (Dillon) Jordan, great ($114,850), and airport
grandchildren Michael Rozner, Haley Hall, Alec Rozner, ($138,592).
Taylor Hall, Caleb Hall, Chevy Rozner, Kayden Hall, Carson Parks & recreation functions
Jordan and Avery Jordan. are comprised of six percent of
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and total DPS employees (18 full-
great grandson Keegan Hall. time, three part-time) including
Relatives and friends will be received Monday from 10 to a part-time summer animal
11 a.m. at Eley Funeral Home in Constantine. Religious caregiver position.
services will follow at 11 a.m. Monday with Pastor Timothy The other government
Moore, Bethany Chapel Three Rivers, officiating. functions portion of the budget
Interment will be in Constantine Township Cemetery. In breaks down as follows:
lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to
the Bethany Chapel Building Fund. Online messages may be
left for the family at www.eleyfuneralhomes.com.
RESIGNATION
Continued from page 1
in a positive direction.
“The Three Rivers comeback
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moving forward in a positive
direction, consider the positive
additions to our downtown and
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CONCERNED CITIZENS
Continued from page 1
was resurrected — because we
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Insurance ($163,530), employee
benefits (Sick/vacation payouts
and unemployment, $32,000)
tree removal and replacement
($25,000), aid to other agencies
($46,250), other special projects
($16,139), contributions to
other funds ($31,280) and
contributions to CIP
($548,778).
Lawson also reported that
taxable ad valorem value within
the city is down 1.36 percent in
2018 compared to 2017, with a
total taxable value of
$166,319,077 in 2018 compared
to $166,588,458 in 2017.
The commission will
continue to discuss the
proposed FY 2019 budget at its
next meeting on Tuesday, May
15, and Mayor Tom Lowry said
several public hearings on the
budget will be held before the
commission will set a vote on
the matter.
In other business…
•The commission approved a
resolution authorizing “the
of the year one day if we all pull
together. Thank you for caring
about your hometown
Mainstreet! TR Mainstreet is
coming back and we ask that
you continue to support the
positive efforts.
Respectfully submitted,
Sharon Bachinski
Ron Buckhold.”
TRDDA Board Member
Andrew George reached out to
the Commercial-News on
Wednesday to make a statement
regarding the letter. George
said the 4-3 vote refusing Vago’s
resignation on Friday, May 4
was the “right and justified
known him most of his life —
quiet man, nice man, decent
man — he’s been put in a
position where he cannot
handle it. At the meeting on
Friday (May 4), he was
practically a deer in the
headlights, he didn’t know what
he was doing, he was
floundering and I think it’s
really sad when boards are
filled with people who are there
just because they could either
be a friend of the city manager
or could be manipulated by the
city manager.”
Janet Hall said she’s seen
improvements to downtown
Three Rivers since Vago
became executive director, and
asked whether Bippus had to be
on the TRDDA board.
“My heart is in Three Rivers
and whether we agree on things
—and you know I’ve said this to
you Tom (Lowry) — whether
we agree on things or not, we
all really care. There are just
some things we don’t agree
about. But one of the things
that has really made me think
in the last week is what’s
happening to the DDA,” Hall
said.
“I’ve started seeing Three
Rivers — especially on the
eastside downtown — looking
really good, I’m happy for John
Rivers and his wife Sherri, the
other people who are putting
that new building up, and I just
thought, ‘Boy, it’s back to the
Three Rivers that we moved to
back in 1976 and the Newberry’s
was there and the Coney Island
and they had turkey sandwiches
this thick, that little place on
the corner’ — I would love to
see that.
“And I know that there are
other towns that did that, and I
don’t know what your feelings
are or what you plan to do but
if there was some way that with
Joe (Bippus) — if he wasn’t on
that DDA board — does he
Today
publication of a notice of
intent indicating the city’s
intent to issue general
obligation capital improvement
bonds in an amount not to
exceed $2,300,000 for the
“recreation facility” or sports
complex.
The following background
information was provided by
City Manager Joe Bippus and
Lawson in a report to the city
commission and Lowry:
“The attached resolution
authorizes the City’s notice of
intent to issue general
obligation capital improvement
bonds, pursuant to Act 34,
Public Acts of Michigan, 2001
as amended (‘Act 34’), in the
amount not to exceed Two
Million Three Hundred
Thousand Dollars ($2,300,000)
in one or more series for the
purpose of paying all or part of
the cost of acquiring,
constructing, furnishing and
equipping a recreation facility,
consisting generally of athletic
fields, together with all the
decision.”
“I am absolutely thrilled that
this board has made the right
and justified decision. Looking
forward, the DDA still has a lot
of work to do to rebuild
relationships and keep the
momentum going that we’ve
already established under Dave
(Vago). I look forward to a long
relationship between the DDA
and Dave Vago,” George said.
With Buckhold and
Bachinski’s resignations, the
TRDDA board is now a six-
member board with George,
Amanda Yearling, John
Wolgamood, Sherri Rivers,
have to be on that board? Can
that board be independent?
Does it have to have a city
manager on it? Can you let the
people you’ve entrusted on that
board to do things? That’s really
all I have to say, I really do
appreciate you guys.”
Kathy Bingaman said she
was “ashamed” of what she saw
at the TRDDA meeting on
Friday, May 4, and read a quote,
made by TRDDA Vice Chair
Amanda Yearling during the
May 4 meeting, from the
Saturday, May 5 edition of the
Three Rivers Commercial
News.
“‘Joe, I find it very interesting
that in the two leadership roles
you have in city government
that can’t seem to keep a
director for more than two
years are the library director
and the DDA director — and
those are the two areas of
government that you have the
least control over, I find that
ironic. I feel you should let
people govern themselves,’
Yearling said. Bippus
responded, ‘I probably need
more control over them,’” Kathy
Bingaman read.
“And what’s not in the
newspaper is the snicker
afterwards — he belittled what
she just said — it was horrible.
He is not a dictator; don’t let
him act like one. This has gone
on long enough. You guys are
his boss — do something. You
guys apparently appoint the
people on the DDA board, am I
correct? Is that right? Can you
unappoint?”
Mayor Tom Lowry
responded “Pretty much only
for cause.”
“We have cause, want to read
it? Right here (pointing to the
newspaper) — cause. Un-elect
Sharon Bachinski and Mr.
Buckhold — and I have no idea
why our city manager is a
voting member anyway. Total
Thursday, May 10, 2018 – 3
necessary interests in land, site
improvement, parking lots,
lighting, irrigation, and all
related sites, structures,
equipment, appurtenances and
attachments thereto (the
‘Project’).
“Additionally, the resolution
includes a declaration to state
the City’s intention to be
reimbursed from any proceeds
of the bond for any expenditure
undertaken by the City for the
Project prior to the issuance of
bonds.
“Publication of the notice
does not obligate the City to
issue the bonds. If the City
decides to move forward after
the referendum period, it may
proceed to issue the Bonds for
all or part of the Project listed
in the notice. The size of the
issuance can be reduced
however it may not be
increased.”
Alek Frost can be reached at
279-7488 ext. 22 or alek@
threeriversnews.com.
Timothy Raakman and Joe
Bippus. According to Vago,
Board Member Brian McDaniel
has indicated to Vago and
multiple board members that
he will no longer serve on the
board but hasn’t yet done so in
writing.
Vago said Friday’s special
meeting set for 8 a.m. on Friday,
May 11 at the Three Rivers
Public Library will still be held,
and his evaluation will be
discussed.
Alek Frost can be reached at
279-7488 ext. 22 or alek@
threeriversnews.com.
control of everything? It doesn’t
even make any sense. I don’t
remember him voting when I
was on it — is this a new thing
because he wants more control?
It makes no sense you guys,
open your eyes. People are
unhappy, pay attention.”
Former City Commissioner
Diane Clay said Vago has “been
done wrong,” and she is “going
to fight to the death” to keep
him in Three Rivers.
“David has become a friend
of mine ever since — a couple
days he came to the city —
we’ve become close friends. I’ve
seen him do a lot in this city but
I’ve seen also where he’s been
cut down at every step that he’s
(taken). It’s a shame that we
wanted him in — I was sitting
right there (pointing at the
commission) when we gave the
raise for the DDA to get
somebody here — so we have
somebody here and paid them
enough to be here. Now he’s
come to town, he’s brought his
(girlfriend), he’s buying a
house. We’ve talked a lot about
building this city up — because
you all know how much I care
about this city — and David
and I have talked a lot, we went
to lunch and just sat in his
office and talked about building
this city up. He’s the first DDA
(director) I’ve seen in a long
time who really, really cared,”
Clay said.
“I’m so glad they did not
accept his resignation and I’ll
be at the meeting on Friday
when you all decide what it’s
really going to be. But I’m going
to fight to the death to keep this
gentleman here — if he wants
to stay here. It’s gotten to the
point where I’m not sure if he
even wants to, but he’s been
done wrong.”
Alek Frost can be reached at
279-7488 ext. 22 or alek@
threeriversnews.com.