CALUMET – While Monday’s Village of Calumet public hearing was primarily focused on vacating Ninth Street, Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Village Council addessed a multitude of issues.

Early in the meeting, Trustee Kelly Ryan, presented an update on the work of the Organizational Development Committee and mentioned the need for new members. She put out a call to fellow council members as well as the public viewing from the gallery to mention the council’s need to anyone residing in the Village of Calumet who would be interested in collaborative teamwork to help improve life in the village. Later in the session, the reason behind it was revealed in part as they accepted the resignation of Trustee Ariele Pizzo which was submitted on Monday. The resignation came less than a year after Pizzo was sworn in, in July of last year.

Pizzo was filling a void left by Wyatt Behm, the highest vote earner in the November 2024 election. Meeting minutes on the council website show an absence for Behm in the December 2024 meeting, and the listing of “1 Vacant Trustee Seat” starting with the January 2025 meeting.

The council was considering a resolution to decrease their size from six to five trustees at one point, but Pizzo stepped up to take the position. Now, based on Ryan’s comments and Village Manager Megan Haselden’s mention that she would post the vacant position, the council is still interested in retaining their full six-member strength.

Haselden updated the council on the progress of the $400,000 grant from the Michigan Neighborhood Community Development Block Grant, saying she met with the coordinator earlier in the day and they set up the guidelines for the grant process. She is hopeful the applications will be open the first week of June. Information about applying will be posted in newspapers, broadcast on the radio, posted on social media, and documented on the village’s website.

The council heard the grant process is moving along quickly and smoothly. Haselden said she compared notes with Bessemer, which received a similar grant at the same time, and they are in the same position as Calumet. Current village council members will reach out directly to and encourage residents they think will meet the criteria to apply for the grant.

Working with the Calumet Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Haselden said she is applying for a grant to help cover the cost to install security systems in the downtown corridor. Initial plans have an estimated cost a little over $19,000 to put up devices on the village’s Department of Public Works (DPW), 6th Street, Agassiz Field, and the Village Hall building.

Spring cleanup is underway for the Village of Calumet with the DPW collecting yard waste. Haselden reminded residents that leaves should be bagged and branches should be bundled and three-feet or less in length. At some point in June, the village will get a dumpster again which was popular with residents last year. Once the village has procured one, residents can stop by to make a donation to the Village and then use the dumpster.

The Council heard update on the garage collapse at 319 5th Street adjacent to the former Thurner Bakery that closed in 2003. Haselden said the current owner lives in California and has been responsive to the problem, but progress is slow due to the need for asbestos testing. The village tested the rubble from the garage collapse, which tested positive for asbestos, so the material needs to be remediated to be cleaned up. The village does have the option of hiring out a crew to remediate and clean the debris, then invoice the property owner, and they may proceed that way if the property owner takes much longer.

President Pro Tempore Pamela Que gave an update on the Blight Task Force which met for the first time since it was created by the council in September 2025. Pictures of potentially blighted areas will be collected and shown in a presentation to the council for conversation and to make sure there is an agreement between council members on what constitutes blight in the village.

Representatives from Team Big Annie presented its plans for a parade because they were requesting a road closure during the event. On Aug. 22, the team will reveal the Big Annie Statue in the Greenspace Park in downtown Calumet. From 2:30 – 4 p.m., the group wants to block off 5th Street, from Red Jacket Road to just south of Elm Street. The council unanimously approved the application.

In other business, the council:

· approved bills and payroll in the amount of $42,340.86.

· unanimously approved adding $2,500 to the DDA’s approved $12,500 to finish interior repairs to the Agassiz Park Pavillion.

· unanimously approved Haselden applying for a liquor license a ballroom event during the August 22nd Big Annie Statue unveiling.

· announced a secretary has been hired.