Minutes

Welcome to the Village of Constantine web page. Use this site to learn about the village, read past village council meeting minutes and explore our links. Don’t just stop at our web page; come and visit our community!

Constantine boasts being the Seed Corn Capital of the World. The greater Constantine area produces over 10% of the seed corn in the United States. Another 10% of the nation’s seed corn is produced in the surrounding counties. Additionally, the village has many assets we are proud to share with you. The St. Joseph River passes through our village. The river is a hotspot for recreational fishing, boating, swimming and canoeing, and is host to several boat races, along with being the center of other festivals throughout the county. Other recreational opportunities exist in our numerous parks that are located throughout the village. Our National Historic Downtown District is home to businesses that specialize in a unique variety of products and services.

Our industrial base helps provide over 500 jobs in the greater Constantine area. The industrial park and other businesses are serviced by the Grand Elk Railroad along with a modern highway system. We are located less than one hour from Interstate 94 and minutes from Interstate 80/90 and US-12. US-131 is just west of the village limits with a Business Loop US-131 that runs through downtown Constantine.

Recent News

WEEK IN REVIEW

Community Notice: MI Neighborhood Home Rehab Grant (CDBG) Update

The Village of Constantine is pleased to announce an important update regarding the MI Neighborhood Home Rehabilitation Grant (Community Development Block Grant – CDBG) presented by Clayton Lyczynski II at the Constantine Township Library on Thursday, April 22nd.

We have received official notification that our Letter of Intent (LOI) has been approved, and $200,000 in CDBG funds have been designated for our proposal—contingent upon the successful completion of a full application.

Before proceeding with the application process, the Village must review, sign, and return the Designation Memo to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). Once MSHDA receives and countersigns the memo, the Village will receive the full application.

The application process is expected to be completed within the next month, well in advance of the September 17, 2025 submission deadline.

We will continue to post updates as the process moves forward.

For questions or additional information, please contact:

Kassandra Hochstetler

khochstetler@constantinemi.com 269-435-2085

POLICE NEWS!!!

As you may have noticed, our patrol cars look a bit different. This is because we recently contracted with the Village of Centreville to share police resources. It has taken a little time to implement, but both councils agreed in August to the merger that took effect September 1 of this year (2024). With the additional staffing, there is zero additional cost to either village, yet this allows us to staff patrol officers far more than independently! While not quite 24/7 yet, we are very near. In fact, we have been able to hire two new officers, Officer Matt Stark wo is our new Constantine School Resource Officer, and Officer Dave Loza who will be starting field training in the coming days. Additionally, Officer Cole Lusby will join us after graduation from police academy December 5 and will begin his field training the following week. His position is partially funded by state and federal grants that were applied for and awarded in 2023 through 2027.

I would also like to take this time to remind everyone, office hours are not “fixed” in either village, therefore office phones are not always staffed. Our officers are most readily contacted on the police radio, so if you need to speak with a police officer, you must call Central Dispatch. If an emergency, dial 911. The non-emergency number for Central Dispatch is 269-435-4355, however please understand you may not receive a reply for more than a week, depending on that officer’s schedule. So, if you need assistance right away, you must call Central Dispatch to speak with an on-duty officer.

Chief Dan Thayer

Centreville-Constantine Police Department

Constantine Police Department Engages New Body-Worn:

Partnership with Utility, Inc. Furthers Transparency and Safety through Technology Ecosystem

CONSTANTINE, MI (August 16, 2024) – Following a successful training and deployment process, the Constantine Police Department announced that its officers are now equipped with Utility, Inc.’s patented EOS by Utility™ body-worn camera technology. The technology enables policy-based, high-speed data collection to deliver instant, clear and secure intelligence to support an increase in transparency and accountability between the Constantine Police Department and the community.

A statement from Constantine Police Chief Dan Thayer, “We have already experienced multiple automatic activations our previous cameras were not capable of, allowing us to focus on the task(s) at hand and not worry about making sure the camera is on. They are very user-friendly!”

The EOS cameras are embedded in the officers’ uniforms to ensure they remain securely attached. These cameras utilize artificial intelligence to create situational awareness and offer features like a two-minute buffer, capturing two minutes of video prior to activation. The cameras also have automatic, policy-based recording functionalities alleviating the need for officers to manually activate them. These functions will turn the camera on any time the officer:

• Draws their handgun from its holster;

• Begins to run;

• Jostles or shakes, such as during a fight;

• Activates lights and/or sirens in the car;

• Unlocks the shotgun/rifle rack; or

• Lies flat for 10 seconds – this feature, known as Officer Down, notifies all cars in the district that an officer needs immediate assistance.

“We’re proud to serve as a strategic partner to the Constantine Police Department as it furthers its commitment to the community,” said Michael Nark, President and Chief Executive Officer of Utility. “Our goal is to ‘never ask officers to do something that technology can do for them,’ and the implementation of Eos technology provides the Constantine Police Department officers a smart, automated solution so they can maintain focus on those they serve.”

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About Utility

Utility, the innovative technology-enabled service provider recognized for creating groundbreaking digital systems for frontline professions, provides a universe of intuitive products for effectively capturing, managing and releasing video evidence. Technologies include a variety of cameras, sensors and devices as well as situational awareness software solutions for law enforcement, first responders, transportation agencies and utility providers. To learn more about Utility and its technology solutions, please visit utility.com.