Kalamazoo resident urges filtration, cleanup after finding sludge in neighborhood ponds

Jody Dozeman, who said she lives in Kalamazoo City, told the Commission she had been exploring areas where she found lost kittens and discovered what she described as 'sludge' entering three ponds downhill from a wooded area. She said the sediment left by that sludge showed the same color "in our drinking water" and urged the Commission to fund or facilitate a filtration or settlement solution such as a waterfall or other water filtration systems.

"They should take a part of their funds and put it towards a solution," Dozeman said, suggesting volunteer cleanup events and comparing the effort to pet deworming or other community volunteer days. She named local sites for attention, including the park area and neighborhood filtration points near Lighthouse and Branson Park.

The transcript records Dozeman's concerns and her suggestion that litigation funds be directed toward a remediation solution, but it does not include a response from city staff or elected officials during the meeting. The public comment period ended with no formal direction recorded to staff or a pledge of follow-up at that time.

The Commission's public comment rules for this meeting type were clarified during the session: Committee of the Whole comments are limited to two minutes (business meetings allow four minutes).