The Dexter Village Council will discuss the development of a comprehensive Health and Safety program and a new public art proposal at its meeting Monday night.
City staff has recommended starting the health and safety project, which would take four to five months and cost just more than $47,000, in April 2014.
Dexter Village Council will decide whether to purchase artist Wendy Baker's "Friendly Troll" sculpture at its meeting Monday night.
From Dexter Village Council Packet
The new plan would cover a wide range of potential health and safety issues ranging from traffic zone safety to pathogen exposure control. The manual would also establish safe work practices for the village for issues ranging from safe lifting practices to spill and discharge control.
The plan is a discussion item and will not be voted on until a later council meeting. Village Manager Donna Dettling and Village Superintendent Dan Schlaff said in a memo to the council that development of the program should be a priority for the village.
“Staff also suggests that a commitment to develop this program go hand in hand with a guarantee to fund ongoing annual safety training onsite and offsite for employees,” they said in the memo.
“Development of a Comprehensive Safety Program will be a waste of time without follow through. [We] are committed to putting safety first, and plan to assign the program to one of the field employees of the village.”
The Village Council will also consider a proposal from the Public Arts Selection Committee to purchase a “Friendly Troll Sculpture” to be placed alongside the Border to Border bike and pedestrian trail. The sculpture will cost the village $4,000.
Eastern Michigan University student Wendy Baker will create the sculpture, selected by the committee and approved by the Arts, Culture & Heritage Committee. Baker was one of two applicants to submit plans for a sculpture when a “call for artists” was put out, and worked with the committee to come up with final plans for the sculpture.
Baker said in her application that her sculpture will be a “whimsical and interactive piece of artwork that will enhance the charm of the Dexter boardwalk.”
The troll will be approximately three to four feet tall and will be set on a base of boulders.
Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Get in touch with Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2