A friendly reminder that the Village does not pick up leaves (unlike Frankfort), and only occasionally picks up sticks and brush. If you choose to make leaf piles and want them to disappear, you may bring them to the Village Brush Pile at end of 1st Street. Please dump the leaves only (no bags) as far back on the pile as possible. Alternatively, leave the leaves where they fell, or use them as excellent mulch in your garden.

The draft Village of Elberta Parks & Recreation 5-Year Plan is ready to view and download!

Public comment is open on the draft Village of Elberta Parks & Recreation 5-Year Plan. The public review period is 30 days beginning November 14, 2024. A public hearing will be held at 7pm on December 19, 2024, prior to the regular meeting of the Elberta Village Council, at the Community Building on 401 First Street, Elberta, MI 49628 to accept verbal comments before the plan is presented to the Elberta Village Council for adoption.  

The DRAFT 2025-2029 Village of Elberta Recreation Plan is also available in hard copy at the Village Office at 151 Pearson Street Elberta MI, 49628 by request. Written comments may be mailed to Village of Elberta, PO Box 8, Elberta, MI 49628, or emailed to clerk@villageofelberta.com, subject line “Park Plan.” 

November 15: Open 30-Day Public Review

December 19: Public hearing + vote on plan 

October 14, 2024 — Please take some time to fill out this survey for our 2025-2029 Parks and Recreation Plan. This is your opportunity to weigh in on how you’d like our parks to be managed and what features you’d like to see, including down by the waterfront. The survey is available online here: Elberta Parks & Recreation Survey, in hard copy at the Village Office, and as a downloadable pdf. See more information below about the timeline for adopting the plan.

In addition to the survey, there will be an initial public input meeting on October 29 at the Life Saving Station from 5 pm to 7 pm.

According to Brett McGregor, who is organizing this process, this open house is an opportunity to meet with Parks & Rec members and discuss ideas for the possible  new parkland on the waterfront.

The full timeline goes like this: 

October 15         

Open public input on Parks & Rec Plan through paper online survey (see above)

October 29        

Collect in-person public input on Parks & Rec Plan at Open house at Life Saving Station, 5 pm to 7 pm

October 30       

Close ALL public input

November 14   

Final approval from Parks & Rec Commission at P&R meeting, Community Building, 6 pm.

November 15   

Open 30-Day Public Review

December 19   

Public hearing + vote to adopt plan at Village Council meeting, 7:00 PM

Hello Village (and Gilmore) Voters,

A reminder that the official secure ballot dropbox is located at the Community Building, 401 First Street, just by the entrance. Please drop your ballots there and not at the Village Office. Gilmore Township runs our elections, not the Village Office.

Early in-person voting began on Saturday, October 26, and happens at Frankfort City Hall from 8 am to 4 pm up until the day of the election.

On Tuesday, November 5, regular in-person voting happens as usual at our precinct, which is the Community Building, 401 First Street. On election day, the polls at the Community Building are open from 7 am to 8 pm!

Thank you for voting!!

Emily Votruba, Village Trustee

Updated October 1, 2024

Because of the 9/17 resignation of Clerk-Treasurer Katherine Ralston and some prescheduled family obligations for other officials, the office will be open by appointment only until further notice. Please call the office for an appointment: 231-352-7201

In the meantime, the hunt for a new Clerk-Treasurer has begun!

The Village of Elberta is seeking a full-time (32 hr/wk) Clerk-Treasurer Official and part-time (up to 20 hr/wk) clerks to perform statutory duties, accounting, utility service, and clerical work. The Clerk-Treasurer is an appointed official position, and the Deputy Clerk-Treasurer and Utility Billing Clerk are at-will employees; all perform duties in accordance with the laws and statutes of the State of Michigan and the General Law Village Act. These duties involve the overall administration and operation of the Village of Elberta.

The Clerk-Treasurer serves council and manages the Village Office, helping to ensure that we follow our policies and fulfill all statutory requirements on time and within budget. Experience with BS&A software is a big plus. The Deputy Clerk-Treasurer assists the C-T in performing clerical and accounting duties to be determined, including tax collection, records retention, permits, correspondence, website, payroll, purchasing, mandatory reports, etc. The Utility Billing Clerk works with the Department of Public Works and Office to achieve accurate and timely water and sewer billing and also manages rentals of our minor properties.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Clerk-Treasurer: Graduation from an accredited college, university, or technical college, preferably with major coursework in public administration, business, accounting, or a related field and/or two (2) years of relevant experience. Clerk-Treasurer must receive Notary Public certification within 1 month.

All positions: Knowledge of computer hardware/software for office administration, including word processing, calendar maintenance, file sharing, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Excel, and accounting/bookkeeping programs. Considerable time-management and organizational skills; ability to prioritize, exercise initiative, and use sound judgment and discretion. Strong attention to detail. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Village departments, officials, and the general public. Must be bondable.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Clerk-Treasurer: Experience with BS&A software, prior municipal accounting or public administration experience, comprehensive knowledge of State Statutes, ordinances, regulations, and other legal provisions related to the organization and function of municipal government. Office management and leadership experience.

Deputy Clerk-Treasurer: Excellent writing and communication skills. Experience updating and maintaining a WordPress website. Proficiency in Excel.

Utility Billing Clerk: Prior UB experience with BS&A and Beacon software

COMPENSATION

Clerk-Treasurer position is salaried at starting at $49,920 with an additional health stipend. Minimum part-time Clerk pay is $18/hr (more with experience). Some potential for remote work for highly qualified candidates. Send letter of interest and résumé to Village President Jennifer Wilkins at jwilkins@villageofelberta.com. Promising candidates will be asked to complete our job application. All positions are open until filled.

Village of Elberta Clerk-Treasurer Job Description

Village of Elberta Deputy Clerk / Administrative Assistant Job Description (Contains Info on UB)

– Location Change –

Monday, October 7, 2024, 5:15 pm

The Planning Commission approved and adopted the final 2024 Master Plan at its meeting on September 4. View and download the plan here and on the Planning Commission page. Copies are also available at the Village Office.

Three seats are up for election for four-year terms on the Village Board of Trustees (Village Council) in November. They are the seats currently held by Ryan Fiebing, Ken Holmes, and Brett McGregor. Fiebing and McGregor are on the ballot, and Holmes will be filing as a write-in candidate. In order to appear as an official write-in candidate for Village Trustee on the ballot for the November 5 election, you must submit the form below to Gilmore Township Clerk Dave Bissell by 4 pm, Friday, October 25. Your name will not appear on the ballot, but you can urge your supporters to write in your name (which must be spelled the way it is on the form). Village Trustee positions are NONPARTISAN, so do *not* add a party affiliation. If you do, your form may be rejected. Anyone who is registered and eligible to vote in Village of Elberta elections may run for Village Council. —Emily Votruba

September 22, 2024

The Friends of the Betsie Valley Trail invites the public to participate in their first Trail Discovery Day on Sunday, September 22. [Autumn Equinox!]

“We put the event together to provide a venue where we can engage with the public,” said Heidi Bolger, Board President of the Friends. “We have lots of great news to share about the Trail. There are several trail improvement projects that have been completed, will take place soon, and are planned for near future – and beyond.”

Trail Discovery Day will take place at several locations along the Betsie Valley Trail. In Thompsonville, North Mitten Events’ Betsie Valley Trail Walk/Run will kick off at 8 AM. From 9 to 11 AM free bike checks will be provided at Coastline Cycles, 1100 Main Street in Frankfort. At 10 A.M. Yoga on Beulah Beach will be lead by Jean Weishaar of Life is Bliss Yoga.

Beginning at 11 A.M. at the pavilion in Beulah Village Park, the Friends will host a light lunch from East Shore Market. The Friends are also introducing new design tech bike shirts that will be available at the event for a special minimum donation of $15 (normally $25 minimum donation). “We wanted to do something different than the usual t-shirts,” said Jan Fiola, one of the event organizers. “We worked with Field Crafts to select and design a fluorescent tech bike shirt trail riders and supporters would really like to wear out on the trail.”

At 11:30 AM there will be a presentation about all that’s happening with the Betsie Valley Trail. More details about the event can be found on the Friends website.