Some 30 applications for the position of Suttons Bay village manager have been received by the village council, according to council president Larry Mawby who is currently serving as manager on an "interim" basis.

Charles M. Stewart had been serving as village manager for more than four years when he resigned last month. His annual salary for 2008 had been set at $66,393.

At the regular monthly village council meeting Monday evening, members reviewed an updated position description and criteria for evaluating village manager applicants as proposed by the council’s legislative committee during a meeting last week.

Before discussing the position description and criteria, village council trustee Steve Mentzer acknowledged that he had a “conflict of interest” in discussing or voting on the issue of evaluating village manager applicants because Mentzer himself is applying for the position. Mentzer had also applied for the position more than four years ago when Stewart was hired.

The council voted unanimously to formally declare Mentzer’s conflict of interest before discussing the issue. Mawby explained that the council’s legislative committee will attempt to narrow down the dozens of applications to a half-dozen who may be interviewed at an upcoming special meeting of the committee.

Tentative plans call for the full village council to interview the top three candidates for the village manager’s position sometime in early March. A final decision on who should receive the first offer for the job will be made during the rescheduled monthly meeting of the Village Council on March 27. In the meantime, Mawby said, the village attorney will draft a proposed contract for the new village manager.

Following the discussion, the seven-member council voted 6-0 to adopt the updated position description for the village manager.

In other business, the Suttons Bay Village Council:

• Held a lengthy discussion about a new method of calculating monthly “ready to serve and capital fee charges” for village sewer and water users. A proposal from Mawby would have resulted in a new “blended” billing formula that Mawby said he believed might be more fair to more property owners. A majority of the Village Council was not convinced, however, voting 4-3 against a motion by trustee Karl Bahle to adopt Mawby’s proposal. Trustees Jackie Freeman, Kara Petroskey, Herman and Mentzer voted “no.”

Mawby agreed to prepare a modified proposal for the Village Council’s consideration at an upcoming meeting.

• Endorsed Mawby’s nomination of Bruce Vaughn and Jason Harrall for reappointment to three-year terms on the village Planning Commission, voting 7-0 on a motion by trustee Donna Herman.

• Learned from village Planning Commission vice chairman Kathy Finch that work is continuing on a joint master plan with the Suttons Bay Township Planning Commission despite the loss of staff planner Rochelle Rollenhagen, who recently resigned. Finch noted that the two planning commissions had recently completed a comprehensive assessment of their efforts, and were moving forward on the joint master plan to meet timelines associated with grant funding they had received for the project. The Village of Suttons Bay, Suttons Bay Township and Bingham Township are currently seeking a replacement for Rollenhagen, who worked in the three municipalities’ joint zoning and planning office.

• Adopted a resolution of support for Suttons Bay Township’s submission of a new five-year recreation plan that also addresses parks and recreation in the Village of Suttons Bay. The village’s endorsement of the plan will enable the township to seek additional grant funding for the proposed Herman Park project and other parks and recreation efforts.

• Adopted a resolution endorsing a liquor license transfer from the owners of Cafe Bliss to CKB Investments, L.L.C., headed by Chelsea Boone and Karen Lautner. Village police chief Del Moore had earlier told the council’s legislative committee that, following a brief investigation, he recommended approval of the liquor license transfer.