City Lands New Harrison Area Park Structure

By DIANNE ALWARD-BIERY

Cleaver Senior Staff Writer

HARRISON – The March 2 Harrison City Council meeting started its business with adoption of previous meeting minutes and the day’s Council bills. In his Mayor’s Report, Dan Sullivan noted that March was coming in like a lamb and that, hopefully, the lion doesn’t show up.

Reports of Committees and Department Heads began with the fire department report, provided by Remi Lipovsky, as Chief Barry Wallace was attending a weeklong chief’s training class. Lipovsky reported 68 runs year-to-date; three calls in the previous 24 hours: a structure fire the day before, a truck fire that morning, followed by an attic fire around noon. He said those were “pretty good stops” other than the truck fire that had burned sometime during the night, with the owner showing up to go to work and finding the cab and engine compartment completely gone. He identified two new hires as Toby and Greg who had been set up with computer, pagers active and ready to go.

He added having been working on inventories and policies which will set in place some benchmarks for new hires. That would include a probation period lasting until all the boxes are checked: a set before moving to Fire 1 and 2, then stating expectations for probation following certification.

“I’m just trying to streamline things and set a standard for all our people,” Lipovsky said. He then informed Council of comments received after a fire on Budd Lake the month prior.

“We met with the fire investigator, and he actually gave us pretty good praise,” Lipovsky said. “He said he investigates a ton of fires in our area, and we’re just killin’ it. We’re going to fires out in Leota, Temple, Meredith and we’re getting a good stop. It’s just a room and contents, and he said, ‘I can actually go there, investigate it, and find a cause. You guys are doing great – compared to other departments even – you guys are doing a great job.’

“Another second to that, we’ve been getting some mutual aid lately, and some very similar praise: ‘We can call you, we know what to expect, you guys are going to show up…’ So, I’d say we’re doing pretty good.”

Those comments received a round of applause from Council.

DPW Superintendent Sam Russell reported being busy maintaining around town and waiting for the weather to break. He noted a positive EGLE inspection at the sewer lagoons.

Zoning and Code Enforcement Officer Mike Freeman reported things were quiet around town, and that some paperwork had been done with the new owners of Babe’s.

“So, hopefully, that’ll be up and running before we know it,” he said. “Another new business in town.”

Clerk Kathy Maharas informed that she has ballot paperwork, and that the 2026 election filing deadline is 4 p.m. April 20. She also noted the water department was doing well, adding her monthly quip: “The March wind blows, but Harrison water still flows.”

Treasurer Tracy Wheeler-Clay soundly stated that she was officially done collecting taxes in her office.

City Manager Justin Cavanaugh began his list of items with the fact that the water rate increase had not been backdated to compensate as intended, thus not included in the current bill. He said the new rate will begin with the April billing, and procedures had been modified to ensure that error doesn’t happen again.

Also noted was the EMCOG Community Grant which had been applied for, and while the county, Hayes Township and the City of Harrison are working cooperatively on the Parks and Rec Plan, there will not be a joint plan.

Council was supplied with compensation research that Cavanaugh had been working on and informed he would have more information for them at the next meeting.

He also noted that the new park restroom had been placed and expected it would be operational for the opening day of Little League.

Also noted was an internet problem that stemmed from a universal power supply issue, and a new one had been ordered at a cost of $700 plus the IT bill to correct the reset which went back to before the new computers were set up. Fortunately, no data was lost, that it was all working now and he was awaiting the bill – anticipated at about $1,000.

Cavanaugh brought to Council’s attention the House Bills currently in the State Legislature related to zoning which would undo a lot of the items the City of Harrison had just passed with the recent zoning update.

“It would set minimum lot sizes as low as 1,500 [square feet] and the municipality can’t make it higher than that, in any residential zoning district that would be connected to sewer and water,” he said. “Or it would set the minimum housing size at 400 square feet, things like that. There’s several House Bills, and if that goes through, we’re going to be redoing our zoning stuff again.”

Cavanaugh also reported that the City of Harrison’s share of the state’s marijuana licensing revenue would be $54,017.10 this year.

New Business included three items. The first was Resolution 2026-06 – Recognition of Harrison Community Schools All-Sports Boosters Inc. as a Nonprofit Organization. This recognition would enable the group to do fundraising by obtaining a charitable gaming (raffle) license. Attending and representing the booster organization were Carrie Wittaker and Ashley Pratt, who informed that the license was needed for the 50/50 drawing for the Booster’s sponsored golf outing, plus the intended re-raffling of the Corvette previously provided by S&S Collision and re-donated by the original winner. Council then adopted that resolution.

The second was the Leave Water Run Billing Policy which states it as the average of usage September through December, which was approved.

Also approved was the Lift Station SCADA Cellular Modem Upgrade in the amount of $20,450.

Council meets next at 6 p.m. Monday, March 16 at Harrison City Hall, 2105 Sullivan Drive.