Study approved for Tecumseh Community Center expansion project

By DEB WUETHRICH

The City of Tecumseh will soon explore the feasibility of expanding the Tecumseh Community Center, following Monday night’s City Council authorization to spend $6,000 toward architectural work to assess possible renovations or additions which could include a new gymnasium. Krieghoff Lenawee would do the work, with the additional $12,000 feasibility price tag to be provided by anonymous donors.

Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch said an anonymous potential donor approached the city approximately a year ago and some talks have been held to determine what steps could be taken to further explore expansion. He said another party, who also wishes to remain anonymous, also has joined some discussions that he has participated in along with Tecumseh Parks and Recreation Director Pat Sorise and Tecumseh Mayor Harvey Schmidt.

“We were approached by somebody who agreed with the city that we need a community center that could afford the opportunity to offer more indoor programs,” said Welch. He said one of the goals would be to offer more physical activity for youth. “We’re still in the very, very preliminary stage to determine whether it’s even feasible,” Welch said. “But we’re looking at whether we might be able to do this at the current site, utilizing the current community center, which we already own, and that seems to make the most sense.”

Currently, several indoor activities are held in locations owned by area partners including the Herrick Memorial Hospital and the LISD’s Milton C. Porter Center gym.
“It’s more than just a gym issue, however,” said Welch. “We’re looking at trying to upgrade part of the current Community Center, and the city has already invested some money in this in the past. We’re at the point where we needed an architect to look at what the needs are and assess what the building currently has and to evaluate the site itself to determine where things could be placed and what it would cost. We’d need to then see if we could even do it,” Welch said. He said it could be at least a year before any actual construction might take place, if then, depending on the outcome of the feasibility study.
Also at Monday night’s City Council meeting, Brookside Cemetery Superintendent Dan Righter presented an annual report and shared how a memorial donation project to replace a stained glass window in the mausoleum had grown to include other donations. “The public influx has been humbling,” said Righter, who said that not only could the window be replaced, but other cemetery projects undertaken as well. Welch said a proposal to officially establish a John Damelio Memorial fund would come before council at a future date. Righter also said that a recent clean-up boost by Tecumseh Kiwanis Club members saved the cemetery staff hours of work and he’d like to see an annual clean-up day manned by volunteers take place that would help keep the cemetery beautified.

In other business, the Tecumseh City Council members:
• Observed a presentation by Mayor Harvey Schmidt to Robert and Janice Salsberry for “Outstanding Restoration and Preservation Efforts” to the exterior of their residence at 207 N. Union Street.
• Set a public budget hearing for Monday, May 5, 2008, at 7:35 p.m. for the 2008/2009 Fiscal budget for the city.
• Proclaimed April 25 as Arbor Day in Tecumseh, and recognized the city as a Tree City USA.
• Proclaimed Saturday, April 19, as American Legion Tecumseh Underwood-Orr Post 34 Day in Tecumseh to commemorate the post’s 89th anniversary.
• Approved the renewal of a Tecumseh Township Fire Services agreement for a period of three years with the township to pay $66,000 the first year, $68,000 he second, and $70,000 the third year. The agreement takes effect July 1, 2008.
• Approved the 5th Annual Great Lakes Truck Show on May 30 to June 1 in the Pamida parking lot with a Parade of Lights show on Saturday night at dusk.
• Accepted a cost agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation for Traffic Signal Control for the M-50/Chicago Boulevard intersections of Union St., Maumee St., Evans St., and Ottawa St. in the estimated amount of $1,944 annually.
• Authorized the reallocation of $20,000 from the 2008-09 budget for tennis court repairs to the Clean Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) II grant to continue plans to work on an asphalt trail running from Russell Road to Union Street. The project should begin sometime in May.