A black cloth covers the space where Zeeland City Manager Tim Klunder would normally sit at a City Council during Monday’s council meeting. The meeting was the first since Klunder’s death last week.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
It was back to business for the Zeeland City Council Monday night, but it was hardly business as usual.
As the council discussed and approved items ranging from hiring an architect to work on design plans for renovations of the city’s Clean Water Plant to filling openings on the Planning Commission and Board of Review, there was a noticeable absence.
A black cloth covered the space where City Manager Tim Klunder would normally sit during council meetings. Monday’s meeting was the first since Klunder died July 27 of cancer at the age of 57. He was laid to rest Friday in Zeeland Cemetery after funeral services at Faith Reformed Church.
At the start of the meeting, prior to giving the invocation, Interim City Manager Kevin Plockmeyer reflected on the past week.
“Last week was a difficult week for staff,” Plockmeyer said. “We really appreciated the support, not only of the City Council, but the residents and the greater community. We have truly felt blessed here, and covered in thoughts and prayers. That support has made it easier for us. Now it’s back to the rhythm of what’s next.”
Monday would have been Klunder’s turn to give the invocation at the start of the meeting, but Plockmeyer agreed to fill in. He reflected on the word “grace,” a word Klunder himself spoke extensively on in his last public appearance July 8 at an open house honoring the city manager at the Colonial Clock Building.
“This is unchartered territory for us,” Plockmeyer said. “We’ve never had to walk through the passing of this fantastic leader, brother and friend. I personally have asked for a lot of grace through this, because we’re not always going to get it right. We try to do it the best we can.
“We’re thankful for grace in this, and that’s what I would extent to you as council as well. Number one, I ask for your grace the next week, two, three, four, months. There’s going to be difficult times. We as staff want to honor Tim, we want to honor him well.”
The council Monday approved a contract with TowerPinkster to perform architectural and engineering work on the Clean Water Plant renovations, at a cost of $121,500. The project will renovate and modernize about 1,400 square feet of the plant, including its laboratory, as well as its locker room, shower, restroom and custodial support spaces, Plockmeyer said.
“This will give us a design drawing, we can put it out for bid, and they will administer the construction aspect of the project as well,” he said.
“This project does not bind City Council to go forward with (construction). It just gets the design going and gets us rolling,” he added.
The city had set aside $500,000 in its current budget for the project. However, recent estimates put the project cost at about $1.5 million, Plockmeyer said.
“Based upon the preliminary construction estimate, it is likely that the project will need to be modified or incorporated into a multi-year capital improvement plan,” the interim manager wrote in a memo to the council.
The council Monday also appointed Aaron Mason to an opening on the Planning Commission, replacing Amanda Cooper, who recently resigned. Mason is director of strategic partnerships for Westwind Construction. His term will run until Jan. 1, 2029.
The council also appointed former Councilman Al Dannenberg to the Board of Review. Dannenberg will replace Chad Keegstra on the board, with his term to run until May 7, 2029.
Zeeland Record
It was back to business for the Zeeland City Council Monday night, but it was hardly business as usual.
As the council discussed and approved items ranging from hiring an architect to work on design plans for renovations of the city’s Clean Water Plant to filling openings on the Planning Commission and Board of Review, there was a noticeable absence.
A black cloth covered the space where City Manager Tim Klunder would normally sit during council meetings. Monday’s meeting was the first since Klunder died July 27 of cancer at the age of 57. He was laid to rest Friday in Zeeland Cemetery after funeral services at Faith Reformed Church.
At the start of the meeting, prior to giving the invocation, Interim City Manager Kevin Plockmeyer reflected on the past week.
“Last week was a difficult week for staff,” Plockmeyer said. “We really appreciated the support, not only of the City Council, but the residents and the greater community. We have truly felt blessed here, and covered in thoughts and prayers. That support has made it easier for us. Now it’s back to the rhythm of what’s next.”
Monday would have been Klunder’s turn to give the invocation at the start of the meeting, but Plockmeyer agreed to fill in. He reflected on the word “grace,” a word Klunder himself spoke extensively on in his last public appearance July 8 at an open house honoring the city manager at the Colonial Clock Building.
“This is unchartered territory for us,” Plockmeyer said. “We’ve never had to walk through the passing of this fantastic leader, brother and friend. I personally have asked for a lot of grace through this, because we’re not always going to get it right. We try to do it the best we can.
“We’re thankful for grace in this, and that’s what I would extent to you as council as well. Number one, I ask for your grace the next week, two, three, four, months. There’s going to be difficult times. We as staff want to honor Tim, we want to honor him well.”
The council Monday approved a contract with TowerPinkster to perform architectural and engineering work on the Clean Water Plant renovations, at a cost of $121,500. The project will renovate and modernize about 1,400 square feet of the plant, including its laboratory, as well as its locker room, shower, restroom and custodial support spaces, Plockmeyer said.
“This will give us a design drawing, we can put it out for bid, and they will administer the construction aspect of the project as well,” he said.
“This project does not bind City Council to go forward with (construction). It just gets the design going and gets us rolling,” he added.
The city had set aside $500,000 in its current budget for the project. However, recent estimates put the project cost at about $1.5 million, Plockmeyer said.
“Based upon the preliminary construction estimate, it is likely that the project will need to be modified or incorporated into a multi-year capital improvement plan,” the interim manager wrote in a memo to the council.
The council Monday also appointed Aaron Mason to an opening on the Planning Commission, replacing Amanda Cooper, who recently resigned. Mason is director of strategic partnerships for Westwind Construction. His term will run until Jan. 1, 2029.
The council also appointed former Councilman Al Dannenberg to the Board of Review. Dannenberg will replace Chad Keegstra on the board, with his term to run until May 7, 2029.
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