News Photo by Reagan Voetberg The Alpena Public Schools Board of Education discusses various matters at its workshop meeting Monday night.

ALPENA — At their workshop meeting Monday night, the Alpena Public Schools Board of Education got into a heated discussion over the installation of a rain garden that they voted to remove from the agenda in their last regular meeting.

Board member Sarah Fritz expressed her approval for installing the rain garden.

“It’s going to be a great learning opportunity for our students,” she said. “They’re going to be able to design it. They’re going to be able to choose the plants of which they already have a list.”

Fritz questioned what else there was to do with the property since it is a dirt lot. Other board members agreed that the dirt lot where the rain garden would be at Alpena High School is a bit of an eyesore.

Board members Monica Dziesinski, Eric Lawson, AJ MacArthur, and Eric Hansen expressed their questions and concerns about the project.

MacArthur and Lawson reiterated concerns from the last regular meeting about whether the rain garden would be classified as a wetland or not.

Dziesinski said she spoke with the people at the water treatment plant and was told that the rain garden would not have any effect on the cleanliness of city water or the cost. If city water came from wells rather than Lake Huron, then the rain garden would have an effect, she explained.

Hansen was concerned that there would not be enough involvement in the upkeep of the garden. He said that he spoke with staff at the high school and was told that they were unsure how they could fit the garden’s maintenance into their schedules.

Board President Anna Meinhardt chimed in to say that there are plenty of students in the National Honors Society looking for volunteer hours, and the rain garden would be a great opportunity for them.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

Board members heard from Attorney Kirk Herald from Thrun Law about the APS bidding policy.

The board agreed to vote to rescind a COVID-19 policy at their next regular meeting.

Board members received a monthly financial update.

The board heard an update that one of the Wildcat Court lots was given a new lot number due to the house in the adjacent lot being built over the property line. They were told that they needed to vote to sell the lot again. The board voted to sell the lot at their special meeting held after the workshop meeting.

The board set their school visit date for April 9.

The board selected the members of the Sex Education Advisory Board to be voted on in their next regular meeting. The board will consist of the perspectives of clergy, parents, health care providers, students, and educators.