City council reviews homeless numbers, considers next steps

The Hillsdale City Police Department received backlash and death threats after Bailey was arrested in March 2022. Police officers were responding to a “disturbing the peace” complaint about Bailey, and when they let him go with a warning, they used pepper spray to deter a loose, barking dog. Bailey confronted them, and one of the officers accused him of obstructing their investigation. The officers then arrested him.

The City of Hillsdale released bodycam footage of the incident that weekend, saying there had been “misinformation and false statements made regarding the Officers’ conduct with this dog.”

Bailey refused to take a plea bargain since he believed he did not commit any crime, Wiseley said. Bailey thought taking a risk with the jury was the best option, according to Wiseley, so they proceeded to trial.

“I decided the resisting and obstructing an officer charge was of marginal quality and that his annoying interference did not exceed the misdemeanor level for me, so I dropped the felony resisting charge,” Brady said.

After Brady dropped the felony charge, Bailey was still planning to go to trial for his misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace.

“I had multiple witnesses who could not appear on the date scheduled for trial, so I had it dismissed without prejudice,” Brady said.

Brady said this means the charge can be reissued in the future.

“They're not going to admit it, but I think at the end of the day they kind of knew there wasn't really evidence of a crime,” Wiseley said. “That’s why they just threw it out.”

By Josh Hypes Political Correspondent

The Hillsdale City Council reviewed findings on homelessness and considered next steps to address the problem during its meeting Monday night.

The council also amended its zoning ordinances and set a hearing for two new special assessment districts Hillsdale’s public safety committee presented its research on the homeless population to the council Monday night, drawing its findings from official estimates made by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The committee said the county is home to about 85 homeless people.

The city defines homeless individuals as anyone whose primary nighttime residence is a place not for sleeping, including cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, airports, and camping sites.

Councilman Greg Stuchell said the public safety committee focused on HUD’s point-in-time count, which counted the number of unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. The highest PIT count was 13 unsheltered people in 2020.

“The reason those numbers are so low is that Hillsdale County’s pointin-time count is during the last Wednesday in January,” Stuchell said. “That’s when they actually go around looking for people sleeping in cars, tents, and abandoned buildings.”

Stuchell said the PIT count does not include people in emergency shelters or the foster care system. While the count might be low, it is only taken once per year.

Stuchell called for the council and its new Homeless Task Force to work with the Community Action Agency, a social service agency in the county, to collect more data.

Several candidates during the 2022 city council election campaigned on addressing homelessness in Hillsdale. After the election, Mayor Adam Stockford formed the Homeless Task Force to study the issue and offer solutions.

The city council also unanimously voted to amend its zoning ordinances, meaning residents will now face zoning violations as municipal infractions punished by fines, rather than a misdemeanor.

Violators will face a ticket of up to $50 after the first violation, $100 after the second, and $200 after each subsequent offense, for instance, a business operating in a residential zone.

John Lovinger, the city’s attorney, said downgrading the offense will allow the city to assess fines for violators and mandate individuals bring the property to compliance through a court order. Lovinger said this lowers the standard of proof from a trial with a jury to a formal hearing in front of a judge.

“If something is a misdemeanor criminal offense, then the ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ standard would apply,” Lovinger said. “If it is a civil infraction, then it is just fines and costs that are assessed, plus the court can enter an order requiring you to bring the property into compliance.”

The council also set a hearing for two new special assessment districts on Uran Street and on Howell Street, Lynwood Boulevard, and Morry Street. The districts would help reconstruct roads, and the hearing will be at the next city council meeting on Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.

Wolfram said she remembers the last time the mill was bustling with activity.

“It was 1989 when my husband and I moved into Hillsdale,” Wolfram said. “I distinctly remember the dozens of Dunkin’ trucks I would see coming in and out of town. I soon learned that the Donut Company of America owned the mill, and they were a primary supplier of the mix that was needed to make donuts.” property currently, we will continue to grow into it in the coming years,” Wheeler said.

Pillsbury purchased the facility from DCA in 2002, and in the years following, ownership changed multiple times with various companies buying the property to strip away valuable machinery.

City Councilman Gary Wolfram, professor of economics and husband to Mary Wolfram, said it is a miracle nobody was ever injured while exploring the empty mill.

“The site quickly became the place to go for adventurous Hillsdale students over the period that it sat vacant,” Wolfram said.

As the company has grown, Wheeler said he has considered ways to give back to the community and take advantage of the fortress-like facility.

By Quinn Delamater Collegian Reporter

The Wellbeing Café is brewing with much to offer.

Rick Tropiano, owner of Johnny T’s Bistro, opened the smoothie café in October 2022. He based his mission statement on Biblical values, and hopes to educate the community on how to nurture themselves both physically and spiritually.

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you even as your soul is getting along well,” Tropiano said, quoting 3 John 2:2 to explain his mission.

The Wellbeing Café, located in The Well Activities Center at 3240 West Carleton Road, focuses on offering healthy smoothies to the community.

“We use whole foods, good foods without a lot of chemical makeup in our ingredients or anything like that,” Tropiano said. “They’re as natural as can be, and good for you, without all the poisons in the fast food industry.”

Camden Dice, coowner of The Well, said the café offers healthier options than many other restaurants.

“The awesome part about The Wellbeing Café is that all of their products are whole foods, which is not seen anywhere in today's restaurant business,” Dice said. “So when you order a strawberry banana smoothie, you get exactly what you asked for: fresh strawberries and bananas in a smoothie. It's not powder or a chemical. Then, you can always add extras like honey, protein, peanut butter, etc.”

Students would often explore the ins and outs of the sprawling facility, according to Wolfram, and some would even climb to the top of the four silos for the view.

Wheeler said he hopes the renovations will let students and residents see the downtown view safely again.

During February, specials will include a chocolate-covered strawberry protein shake, a berries and cream vanillabase protein shake, a coffee protein shake, and the mocha and flax with cold brew blended in.

“My favorite thing is by far the Tropical Paradise smoothie,” Dice said. “I love mangos and pineapple and it just tastes so good. I will even have it after a workout and add a scoop of grassfed whey protein. It's really tough to beat.”

Food items will also be hitting the menu soon, according to Tropiano, who goes back and forth multiple times a day between managing Johnny T’s and the café. He said the process has been a challenge.

“I still have a firm belief that God is in control, and if he wants this to work, even I can’t screw it up,” he said. “We are implementing new things now and have newer equipment. We’re going to start serving food, like sandwiches and paninis that will still be healthy without all the chemicals. Probably by March, we’ll be rolling with that.”

Customers can also watch local basketball teams play a game on a court in front of the smoothie bar.

“We're hoping to see the café pick up a bunch more traction as it begins to add more things to the menu,” Dice said. “The biggest struggle is that people don't know it's in the building. It's an amazing facility with a physical therapy clinic, doctor's clinic, weights and gym floor, but the café really is the cherry on top. It's super convenient to get done with a workout and immediately have something to help your body refuel.”