The Russells Point Village Council met in regular session Monday night and gave tentative approval for a tax abatement for a major expansion to Lulu’s Diner in the village.
The expansion, expected to cost approximately $3 million, will qualify as a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) and will receive up to a 75% abatement for up to 15 years.
The council seemed eager to approve the abatement, but decided to craft an ordinance for consideration at their next meeting.
In other council business, they decided to send the 2026 council rules to committee for review, and will approve the rules once they receive a recommendation.
The council also began discussing making changes to the Bed Tax ordinance passed in 2024.
President Pro Tem Steve Reid expressed frustration with Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce President Amber Fagen over her apparent reluctance to appear before the council to provide information on where tax monies are going.
Council member Greg Iiams informed Reid that Fagen was told by her attorney that she was not obligated to appear before the council to answer questions.
After a terse discussion, the council decided to drop the matter, leaving the resolution unchanged.
Village Administrator Deanna Roe informed the council that the recent Fluid Prevention Report indicated that eight leaks were discovered, saving the village an estimated $130,381 per year through leak detection.
The next Russells Point Village Council will be on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 7:00 PM.
