City Council, Boards & Commissions

 

ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES

City Council - Five members with staggered, three-year terms; City Council annually selects one City Council member to be the Mayor and one City Council member to be the Mayor Pro Tem during their organizational meeting following the regular City Election in May of each year; authorized by the City Charter, Chapter 3.

• Mayor Rusty Geisler (Council term ending date: May 2011)
• Mayor Pro Tem Jack Kennedy (May 2010)
• Council Member Susan Maroko (May 2011)
• Council Member Ray Lawson (May 2012)
• Council Member Migs Murray (May 2012)

Pictured below, left to right:  Council Member Ray Lawson, Mayor Rusty Geisler, Council Member Migs Murray, Mayor Pro Tem Jack Kennedy, and Council Member Susan Maroko; taken February 16, 2010.

 

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APPOINTED BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
INTERNAL TO THE CITY OF NEW BUFFALO
WITH REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS

Planning Commission - Nine members with staggered, three-year terms; the chair, and vice chair are selected annually in May; authorized by the Michigan Planning Enabling Act (Act 33 of 2008) and General Ordinances, Chapter 2, Article III.

• Chair Marge Kowalec (Commission term ending date: May 2010)
• Vice Chair Rich Shoemaker (May 2012)
• Commissioner Don Hatfield (May 2010)
• Commissioner Dan Saunders (May 2010)
• Commissioner Steve Daniel (May 2011)
• Commissioner Veronica Schroder (May 2011)
• Commissioner Harry Hull (May 2011)
• Commissioner/ ZBA Liaison Donna Messinger (May 2012)
• Commissioner Hillary Bubb (May 2012)

Harbor Commission - Seven members with staggered, three-year terms; the chair, vice chair, and secretary are selected annually in March; authorized by General Ordinances.

• Chair Nancy Smith (Commission term ending date: March 2010)
• Vice Chair Robert Spirito (March 2012)
• Commissioner/ Secretary George Repiscak (March 2010)
• Commissioner Scott Ecklund (March 2011)
• Commissioner Bill Geisler (March 2011)
• Commissioner Calvin Trock (March 2011)
• Commissioner Peter Mrozek (March 2012)

Park and Recreation Board - Seven members with staggered, three-year terms, and one alternate with a tree-year term; the chair, vice chair, and secretary are selected annually in May; authorized by General Ordinances.

• Chair Warren Peterson (Board term ending date: May 2012)
• Vice Chair Arnie Feinberg (May 2011)
• Board Member/ Secretary Karen Harmon (May 2010)
• Board Member Jennifer Vitale (May 2010)
• Board Member Randy Wickersham (May 2011)
• Board Member Chuck Krametbauer (May 2012)
• Board Member Bob Rodgers (May 2012)
• Alternate Member [Vacant] (May 2010)

Business Improvement District Board of Directors - Five members with staggered, three-year terms, including one City Council Member serving as a liaison and Board Member; the chair, vice chair, and secretary are selected annually in May; authorized by resolution of the City Council, pursuant to MCLA 125.981, et seq.

• Chair Robert Kemper (Board term ending date: May 2010)
• Vice Chair Frank Waldron (May 2011)
• Board Member/ Secretary Janet Clark (May 2010)
• Board Member Gary Ramberg (May 2011)
• Board Member/ Council Liaison Migs Murray (May 2012)

 

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APPOINTED BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
INTERNAL TO THE CITY OF NEW BUFFALO
WITH MEETINGS AS-NEEDED

Zoning Board of Appeals - Seven members with staggered, three-year terms, and two alternates with tree-year terms; the chair, vice chair, and secretary are selected annually in May; authorized by the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (Act 110 of 2006) and Zoning Ordinance, Article 21.

• Chair Nora Duffy (Board term ending date: May 2011)
• Vice Chair Nancy Smith (May 2012)
• Board Member/ Planning C. Liaison Donna Messinger (May 2010)
• Board Member Tony Ashbaugh (May 2010)
• Board Member Liz Grim (May 2010)
• Board Member Arlene Pokuta (May 2011)
• Board Member Rich Cooper (May 2012)
• Alternate Member [Vacant] (May 2010)
• Alternate Member [Vacant] (May 2011)

Board of Review - City Charter, 9.6 - Three members with one-year terms ending in February each year:

• Kim Carlson (February 2011)
• Barb Casselman (February 2011)
• Ruth Kelsey (February 2011)

Building Authority Commission - Authorized by Building Authorities:
Act 31 of 1948 - Three members with three-year terms:

• City Manager Chuck Dobbins (December 2012)
• City Attorney Harold Schuitmaker (December 2010)
• City Treasurer Susan Rogers (December 2011)

Civil Service Board - General Ordinances, Chapter 2, Article 4 - Three members with six-year terms:

• Norma Cook (May 2011)
• Joan Weishaupt-Jones (May 2013)
• James Reimann (May 2015)

Construction Board of Appeals - Authorized by the Stille-Derossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act (Act 230 of the Public Acts of 1972) - Five members with two-year terms ending in November of even years:

• Dale Clingerman (November 2010)
• Matt Davis (November 2010)
• Robert Johnson (November 2010)
• Warren Peterson (November 2010)
• Ed Wainright (November 2010)

Local Officers Compensation Commission - General Ordinances, Chapter 2, Article 5 - Five members with five-year terms:

• Daniel Forker (June 2010)
• Lauren Covert (June 2011)
• [Vacant] (June 2012)
• [Vacant] (June 2013)
• [Vacant] (June 2014)

 

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REPRESENTATIVES APPOINTED TO
MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL BOARDS

 

Galien River Sanitation District Sewer Authority Board - One City representative with a six-year term, and one alternate:

• City Manager Chuck Dobbins (December 2010)
• Mayor Rusty Geisler (alternate; December 2010)

New Buffalo Township Library Board - Three City representatives with four-year terms:

• Dan Donnelly (November 2012)
• Nora Duffy (November 2012)
• Nancy Mrozek (November 2012)

Pine Grove Cemetery Board - Two City representatives with one-year terms ending in March each year:

• Council Member Jack Kennedy (March 2010)
• Council Member Ray Lawson (March 2010)

Pokagon-New Buffalo Area Local Revenue Sharing Board - One City representative and one alternate - representatives serve at the pleasure of the City Council:

• Mayor Rusty Geisler (appointed July 2008)
• Council Member Susan Maroko (alternate; appointed July 2008)

The Pokagon Fund Board - One City representative - serves at the pleasure of the City Council:

• Bob Westergren (appointed February 2006)

 

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AD HOC COMMITTEES

Galien River County Park Master Plan Steering Committee - One City representative - City Council resolution, July 15, 2008:

• Park and Recreation Board Chair Warren Peterson

Funding Committee - City Council resolution, March 18, 2008:

• Chair Rusty Geisler (appointed to represent the City Council)
• Arnie Feinberg (appointed to represent the Park and Recreation Board)
• Marge Kowalec (appointed to represent the Planning Commission)
• Migs Murray (appointed to represent the Park and Recreation Board)
• Gary Ramberg (appointed to represent the City Council)

Parking Committee - City Council resolution, July 15, 2008:

• Chair Susan Maroko (appointed to represent the City Council)
• Vice Chair Kevin Murray (appointed to represent the Planning Commission)
• Tom Jennings (appointed to represent the Business Improvement District Board)
• Marge Kowalec (appointed to represent the Planning Commission)
• Ray Lawson (appointed to represent the Planning Commission)
• Gary Ramberg (appointed to represent the City Council)

 

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QUICK REFERENCE CALENDAR FOR APPOINTMENTS

February:

•  Board of Review (all 3 each year)

March:

• Harbor Commission (2 or 3 each year)
• Pine Grove Cemetery Board (2 each year)

May:

• Planning Commission (3 each year)
• Zoning Board of Appeals (2 or 3 each year)
• Park and Recreation Board (2 or 3 each year)
• Business Improvement District Board (1 or 2 each year)
• Civil Service Board (1 each odd year)

June:

• Local Officers Compensation Commission (1 each year)

November:

• Construction Board of Appeals (all 5 each even year)
• Library Board (all 3, next in 2012, then 2016)

December:

• City Building Authority (1 each year)
• GRSD Sewer Authority (1 member and 1 alternate, next in 2010, then 2016)