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And it does not look like the sign will be repaired anytime soon, due to the financial condition village officials are in.

ÒIt needs extensive repairs and we were hoping that the property and buildings committee could do something with it,Ó council executive Janet Person said. She said she had spoken with the chairman of that committee and was informed by him that he did not think it was the proper item for the committee.

Person said, since that decision, she decided to bring the matter before the council to see what they wanted done with the sign. DPW director Ken Stead said the sign was repaired about four years ago extensively and estimated the repairs this time would cost about $672.

ÒIt is going to take a lot of work,Ó Stead said. The sign was originally donated to the village, but the exact donation date and the original donor could not be remembered.

ÒThere is a lot of stuff with that sign,Ó council member Patricia Drollinger said.

Council member James Baker said he had brought up the subject previously and urged that the sign be placed in the current budget. ÒI brought it up before the budget time and asked that it be put into the budget,Ó he said.

Stead said the sign has since been removed, adding it did not bode well to have a sign welcoming visitors to the area when it is in deplorable condition.

Person said the sign could definitely be added as a budget item for the next year and said she would try to find some money to add to the beautification budget, where the sign repairs would be coming from. In other business, council members hired Mancelona Police Department officer Zack Light as a full-time officer for the village, effective May 3. He will be paid $13.50 per hour and there already was money in the budget for his position.

ÒI have heard a lot of comments around town about Zack and they all have been good,Ó said council member Butch Dewey.

ÒIt's obvious he wants to work here,Ó Baker said. ÒHe already has been here five months.Ó

Person also announced she was a speaker at the recent Chamber of Commerce early morning event. She said some of the comments from the audience were they wanted restrooms downtown and an e-mail list for the village newsletter, which would help defray postage costs.

She also said it was mentioned that the streets should be swept earlier and that is currently in discussion with village DPW employees.

ÒThey are really interested in working with the village,Ó Person said of the members attending the meeting. ÒThere were a lot of business owners there and it was a great meeting.Ó