Live at St. Joseph Village Board

I was late because it was my dad’s birthday. #happybirthday
There are numerous people are here but everyone is masked. #safety first.

They are discussing the role of a village manager.

Tuscola has a village administrator. I used to work there. Basically a village administrator does the day to day stuff and the mayor is more of an ambassador.

Tami Fruhling-Voges saying that the day to day responsibilities of the mayor have grown where an administrator could be useful.

Discussing where the money for this position comes from. Answer: General Corp probably.

Discussing what they do. Basically, they manage things. Think of them as a project manager. The Mayor is the CEO.

Still discussing the details of what an administrator does. Basically, the board can shape it to do whatever they want.


FOOOOOOOD TRUCKS. Public comment time. Tiffany received three emails. Denise Hatfield is the store manager at Jack Flash and she is opposed to the food trucks.

Traci Trotter emailed and said she saw both sides but whatever is decided needs to be fair.

Roche Cain also emailed saying that every restaurant in town voted no to food trucks and he thinks that should mean something. Rochs is apparently opening a business in Royal.

A resident named Paula emailed. Saying she loves shopping local but sometimes she wants something different. She supports food trucks.

Scratch- Kelly is not in favor of food trucks.

Tami Fruhling-Voges saying there was confusion regarding the food truck that wanted to come to the village. They did have a committee meeting with the business owners but then COVID hit. Julie is saying Piato understood when the village told them they couldn’t bring a food truck and that they aren’t the only community that can’t bring food trucks here.

Fruhling-Voges said there needs to be a policy whether it is yes or no.

One of the board members said that food trucks have no “skin in the game.”

Jennifer Wayland saying she just got her permit and you have to pay your sales tax to the town you sell in.

Kelly asking who polices that.

Art is claiming they voted to support local businesses. the fact is they didn’t vote either way. It is a little alarming that a formal vote wasn’t taken. A committee doesn’t set policy without the whole board voting.

Dan Davis is referencing COVID but lets be honest- the committee meeting this was decided at happened in early February when none of us were even thinking about covid.
Wagner referencing COVID too.

Amber Anderson- speaking for Travis Cain. Suggesting one night a month at Kolb Park for three hours.

Amber agrees that they should be waiting after Covid. Bringing up that brick and motar stores aren’t limited in competition. We have multiple stores that sell the same thing from multiple people. Why aren’t those limited?

Stressing the policy should be uniformed.

The policy should be based on what citizens want not just what the businesses want.

The clerk says it was posted.

Amber pointing out only restaurants were there.

Amber also pointing out that these same comments were made with Jack Flash.

Jeff Van Buskirk asking what Roche spent in donations to the high school.

I think this is a really slippery slope. Why are they trying to decide what businesses should be winners or losers? Is this legit what taxpayers want them to be discussing? #askingseriously

Kelly from Scratch is talking again. Discussing the investment people made in the town by opening restaurants.

Roche saying the food trucks can leave town if it doesn’t work out. He can’t pull up his building and move.

Now that Amber has brought it up this is totally the same convo that was had with Jack Flash. Basically, do you want the village board trying to dictate the free market?

Bob Runck is here. Asking where his sewer bill money is going. Basically… he thinks they are lying about something. Sewer plants are expensive. Anyone can look at their financials. It’s not hidden from the public.

Playgrounds OPEN FRIDAY!!!! BATHROOOMS ARE OPENING TOO. Don’t gather in groups of more than 50 and don’t let your kids lick the equipment or anything. Wash your hands after. (This is from me, not the village.)

They are going to spray for mosquitos. #praisethelord #sendthemtomyhouse #ICANTTOLERATEITANYMORE

Art is talking about a policy to have support documents available ahead of time. #Justfortherecordtheyalwayshaveinformationifitisavailable

He keeps talking about 48 hours but that’s not legal it’s just what he wants. Legally you just have to have the agenda 48 hours in advance.

Tiffany is saying she’s not the village manager and it is not her job to question the trustees and demand things from them. “I give you everything I am given.”

Joe is discussing how things don’t come together for late in the day Thursday and Friday. And discussing the open meetings act and how they technically only have to post the agenda on Sunday night. #TRUEFACTS.

Joe is suggesting they get the agenda out on Friday and ask questions and gather info on Monday.

“If we push it back to Thursday that is five days when the statute says two days,” Joe said.


Wagner is defending the clerk and how the document supply is much better than it was 2 years ago.

Tiffany’s right. She isn’t in charge of collecting the documents. She’s in charge of putting together the packets. The trustees have to provide the documents.

Mike Sennert is here doing IT. We love Mike.

Pool ordinance discussion. I will get the ordinance.

Property owners need to call Julie to have the utilities check if you are putting up a fence.

My hotspot keeps discounting. #VERIZON

Abbeyfield has water in the basement. #OMG The attornies for Abbeyfield are trying to figure out what to do with that.

In short, the drainage tile near the grade school is still a mess.

They are discussing drainage on first street.

The road to the sewer plant collapsed. #OMG but they fixed it. #awesome.

ajourned.