Mulliken council approves new budget, weighs sewer costs and property eviction

The Mulliken Village Council approved the village’s 2026-27 budget after reviewing general, sewer, major street and local street funds. The treasurer said the general fund budget leaves only a small positive cushion, with limited room for new spending. Council members noted the village may need to keep any park or property work low-cost unless outside money or a sale becomes available.

The treasurer also explained accounting entries tied to state revenue that was received later but had to be shown in the current fiscal year. The monthly treasurer’s report was accepted by vote after brief discussion of bills and receipts. Budget adjustments for the current 2025-26 fiscal year were not approved yet; the treasurer said a full list will be brought back next month.

Sewer costs remained a major concern. The council discussed sewer repair and maintenance spending that is expected to exceed the budgeted amount. Members also questioned the value of continuing to pay a grant consultant connected to sewer funding work, saying the village may be able to gather needed information itself for now. A motion was made to eliminate or stop using that consultant until the village needs that help again, and the discussion indicated support for doing so.

The council received an update on the Hoover property eviction. The village’s attorney has filed a complaint and summons, and officials said the required waiting period has already passed. Council members said the village now has the deed and wants to move forward with cleanup, while also discussing the need for law enforcement presence if anyone goes onto the property because of safety concerns mentioned in town talk.

There was also discussion of possible future use or sale of the Hoover property. One possible buyer was mentioned in connection with a concrete-related business, though no sale was approved. Council members talked about whether the property should be posted online or otherwise advertised if it is sold, and noted the village may need grant money or a buyer if the site is to be improved.

Street and sidewalk issues were discussed, including a reported streetlight problem that was sent to Consumers for repair and a possible sidewalk repair on French Street. Council members also talked about sump pump or footing drain water running into the street, especially where homes do not have a storm sewer outlet. The discussion led to broader comments about the need for permits and better tracking when residents connect to catch basins, replace sidewalks or do utility work.

The maintenance report included several sewer and equipment updates. Pumps and valves are expected to be replaced in the coming weeks. The village applied for a permit to use chemicals to control duckweed in the lagoons, with a lower-cost plan involving village-purchased product and a licensed drone applicator instead of a more expensive outside service. The village is waiting on permit approval before buying the chemicals.

The maintenance report also noted the large tractor needs service before spring, the shop air compressor can likely be repaired with a new pump instead of replaced, and the discharge line still needs attention before spring discharge. Officials discussed possibly finding and fixing a leak without paying for a full camera inspection if that can be done safely and with property access.

A county official gave an update on several county matters. He said a wind energy company is looking at Sunfield Township, and that other nearby townships are already being considered. He also said the county approved an agreement related to Mulliken’s recycling, though village officials said they had not yet received the cost information needed before taking local action.

The county official also discussed the upcoming county budget process, saying he wants to avoid raising taxes and look for cost savings. He said some millages are expected to expire without renewal, while renewals for road commission, 911 and juvenile justice funding are expected to go to voters. Council members also asked about road patrol costs, state police enforcement of frost laws, and how patrol vehicle costs are handled under a county contract.

Zoning and ordinance enforcement came up late in the meeting. Council members discussed vehicles without plates, junk or nuisance properties, and the need to review what the ordinance actually allows before expanding enforcement. They also noted two lots had been bought for possible new homes, including one described as handicap-accessible and another slab-on-grade home.

How this report was produced

This article was generated by an automated pipeline, and we think you should know exactly how. First, the audio of the meeting was converted into text by automatic speech recognition — software that infers words from sound, without a human listening along. That machine-made transcript was then read by Willbot, American2Day’s AI reporter, which condensed it into the report above. No human transcribed the meeting, and no human wrote this summary.