Summary of the July 24 City Commission Meeting

The video of the July 24, 2017 City Commission meeting is available here.

Below is the Summary of Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held Monday, July 24, 2017, at 7:01 p.m., in the City Commission Room.

1. Received petitions and communications.

2. Approved the following items on the Consent Calendar

Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held July 10, 2017
Authorize the Mayor and Clerk to sign a three year contract as approved by the labor attorney with Brown & Brown of Central Michigan for Broker services
Bid of Carrier and Gable, Inc. of Farmington, MI for flashing school crossing signs as a replacement for the July 10 award to Traffic Safety Corporation and approve the appropriate budget amendment
Fee/Charges Policy Guidelines as presented
Payroll and warrants

3. Received recommendation from MMMFLA Ad Hoc Committee and set a work session for Monday, August 14, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

4. Denied contract with APM for mosquito control.

5. Authorized the Mayor and Clerk to sign the contract with Renaissance Public School Academy for PEAK services as presented.

6. Confirmed the purchase and development agreement for 410 W. Broadway as
recommended by the EDC.

7. Recessed at 7:44 p.m. and went into a work session on City Commission goals for 2018.

8. Adjourned the meeting at 9:42 p.m.

City’s drinking water meets federal and state quality requirements

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According to the 2016 City of Mt. Pleasant Water Quality Report, the City’s drinking water meets all federal and state requirements.

The Mt. Pleasant Water Department routinely monitors for a number of contaminants in the City’s drinking water. While it is reasonable to expect trace amounts of some contaminants, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets regulations which limit the levels of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems to ensure the tap water is safe to drink.

The report revealed the contaminants detected in the City’s drinking water measured well below the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) set by government regulations. For example, when testing for the presence of fluoride, the amount of fluoride in the water cannot exceed 4 parts per million (ppm). In City water, the fluoride levels averaged at 0.7 ppm.

Additionally, the City’s water system tested well below action levels of the federal Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). The action level of lead is 15 parts per billion (ppb). The level of lead detected in the City’s drinking water was zero.

The Mt. Pleasant Water Department constantly monitors the water supply for various contaminants. Tests were performed for an additional 130 chemicals and no detectable concentrations were found. “At the Mt. Pleasant Water Department, we work hard to provide top quality water to every tap, and our motto, ‘Good Water Every Day,’ reflects this focus,” said Water Superintendent Malcolm Fox.

To see the full report, visit http://www.mt-pleasant.org/docs/dept/publicworks/2016waterreport.pdf.

Online signup and payment for brush chipping now available

Free brush-chipping service suspended

The City’s brush-chipping program operates year-round (weather permitting) and provides curbside or alley pick up of brush that is not eligible for collection by the City’s weekly refuse collection.

NEW! Residents now have the option to apply and pay for the service using a single online form. Find the form here.

Please note: The free brush chipping program offered to residents this summer was recently suspended. The remaining funds from the program were reallocated to support the emergency curbside debris collection that took place following the June flooding event.

Summary of the July 10 City Commission meeting

The video of the July 10, 2017 City Commission meeting is available here.

Below is the Summary of Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held Monday, July 10, 2017, at 7 p.m., in the City Commission Room:

1. Department of Public Works Director Zang introduced newly hired Water Treatment
Plant Superintendent Jamie Hockemeyer.

2. City Manager Ridley gave an update on flood activity.

3. A moment of silence was observed for deceased members of Commissioners’ families.

4. Received petitions and communications.

5. Approved the following items on the Consent Calendar:

Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held June 26, 2017
Bid of Traffic Safety Corp. of Sacramento, CA for the purchase of 14 Solar LED Flashing School Crossing Signs
Resolution in support of modifying the July Board of Review date
Resolution extending MDOT contract for continued operation and maintenance of the airport AWOS
Payrolls and warrants.

6. Held a public hearing on the special assessment roll for Special Assessment #01-17 and
considered approval of resolution #5 for approval of the roll and setting of payment terms for the Principal Shopping District Special Assessment.

7. Motion to approve Resolution #5 for approval of the roll and setting of payment terms for the Principal Shopping District Special Assessment #01-17 failed.

8. Confirmed a contract with Republic Services for disposal of flood damaged items and
approved allocation of funds within the Solid Waste Fund to cover the cost as
recommended.

9. Conducted a work session on Fee/Charges Policy Guidelines.

10. Postponed work session “Goals Discussion for 2018” to a later date.

11. Adjourned the meeting at 7:59 p.m.

Three parks to explore this summer

Mt. Pleasant hosts an array of beautiful parks with more than 10 to explore. Island Park and Nelson Park are two community favorites, but what about the rest of the parks? Here are three more you should add to your summer bucket list.

Chipp-A-Waters Park

With 30 acres of land, Chipp-A-Waters stretches along the Chippewa River. It’s the perfect place to adventure in Mt. Pleasant! Trails and outlooks offer the opportunity to observe nature and wildlife, and the “Access Adventure Trail”, makes it easy through an interactive tour. Check out the park’s other perks:

Canoe launch
Playground equipment
Shelter and picnic tables
GKB Riverwalk Trail access
Restroom

Mission Creek Woodland Park

Get in touch with nature by visiting Mission Creek Woodland Park! There are four trail loops that wind through the woods, including some along Mission Creek. This park has no shortage of things to do– check out the sledding hill in the winter or Hannah’s Bark Park this summer!

60 acres
Two pavilions
Picnic tables
Grills
Open play field

Horizon Park

Although Horizon Park isn’t quite as big as the others, it still offers something for everyone. With a paved fitness trail, it’s the ideal park for those looking to get their steps in!

22.5 acres
Soccer fields, softball field and tennis court
Quarter-mile paved fitness trail
Newly-constructed “Carolynn Cosan Pavilion”
Playground Equipment
Restroom

Traffic stop leads to drug arrest

On July 10, 2017, an officer stopped a vehicle for failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. The driver was identified as Christopher Perez, a 32-year-old Grand Rapids man, whose license was currently suspended. The officer re-approached the vehicle and found Perez chewing a green leafy substance later identified as marijuana. Perez was taken into custody for Driving with a Suspended License and Tampering with Evidence.

While at the Isabella County Jail, the officer searched Perez and recovered 12 individually wrapped bindles of heroin stuffed in Perez’s pants. The total weight of the bindles was 11 grams.

Perez was lodged at the Isabella County Jail. Perez was arraigned on charges of Controlled Substance-Delivery/Manufacture Less than 50 grams-second offense notice; Controlled Substance-Possession-second offense notice; Tampering with Evidence; and Operating-License Suspended, Revoked, Denied-second office notice. Bond was set at $800,000/ten percent.

Perez remains lodged at the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department.

City parking lot and several streets closed this weekend for Classic Car Show

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A City parking lot and several streets will be closed this weekend to accommodate the Classic Car and Motorcycle Show presented by the Home Builders Association of Central Michigan.

PARKING LOT CLOSURE:

Lot #3 (Town Center) will be closed on Friday, July 14 at 5 p.m. until Saturday, July 15 at 6 p.m. Overnight permit holders should use parking lot #2, located behind Max and Emily’s. Cars left in parking lot #3 lot will be towed to parking lot #12 across from City Hall (320 West Broadway).

STREET CLOSURES:

The following streets will be closed Saturday, July 15 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cars left on streets will be towed to parking lot #12 across from City Hall (320 West Broadway).

Broadway from Washington to Franklin
Main from Mosher to Lansing (Please note: Michigan will remain open to through traffic.)
Court from Broadway to Mosher (Please note: Access to parking lot #2 will remain open.)
University from Michigan to Broadway
Franklin from Michigan to Mosher

Mosher and Michigan will remain open to move traffic traveling east and west. Washington will remain open until the roundabout for north and southbound traffic.

Questions may be directed to Downtown Development Director Michelle Sponseller at msponseller@mt-pleasant.org or (989) 779-5348.

5 things to watch at the next City Commission meeting

Here are 5 things to watch at the July 10 City Commission meeting:

Introduction of new Water Superintendent: Jamie Hockemeyer, the new Water Treatment Plant Superintendent, will be introduced to the City Commission.
2017 Solar LED Flashing School Crossing Signs bid: The City Commission will consider approving a contract with Traffic Safety Corporation for 14 Solar LED Flashing School Crossing Signs to be installed at the crossing guard locations. Funds for this purchase are made available by the Tribal 2 percent grant.
Confirmation of emergency curbside pickup contract: The City Commission will be asked to confirm the contract with Republic Services for the July 1 curbside pickup of flood-damaged items.
July Board of Review date: The City’s July Board of Review was scheduled to be held on July 18, 2017. Two of the three Board of Review members have conflict with the schedule and have requested the date be moved to Thursday, July 20, 2017. The City Commission will consider supporting the request to modify the July Board of Review date.
Extension of MDOT Contract: The City Commission will consider extending the contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation for continued operation and maintenance of the Automated Weather Observation and Data Dissemination System at the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport until July 31, 2018.

To see the full City Commission agenda and packet for July 10, 2017, click here.

Mount Pleasant City Commission meetings are held at City Hall on the second and fourth Monday of every month. Meetings begin at 7 p.m.

FEMA teams to survey flood damage

Throughout Friday, July 7, representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Michigan State Police and the City will be out in the community to review the reported flood damage to public infrastructure, and private residences and businesses.

These teams will be wearing recognizable shirts with logos and are carrying identification. If your home is visited by a team, please allow them to complete a damage assessment as this is an important step in applying for state and/or federal aid.

We will keep you informed of next steps as we learn more. Please remember, financial assistance is not guaranteed.

NOTE: Teams will only visit a handful of private residences and businesses that were impacted by the flood, so do not be concerned if your property is not visited.

City to present draft character-based zoning code on July 27

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Character-Based Code Presentation and Public Comment

The City will present a draft of the proposed character-based zoning code to the public on Thursday, July 27 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. The project consultant, Town Planning & Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC), will introduce the new code and kick-off a four-week period for public review and comment. The presentation will air on Channel 188 and will be available on the City’s YouTube page.

Following the presentation, a copy of the draft code will be accessible on the City’s website, and hard copies will be available at City Hall and Veterans Memorial Library. Comments on the draft code should be submitted to the City no later than Thursday, August 24, so a revised code can be prepared for adoption.

Developing the Character-Based Code

The creation of the new zoning ordinance began in September 2016 when TPUDC visited Mt. Pleasant to hear from stakeholders and community members about the current zoning regulations and the development patterns that have occurred in the City as a result. In November, the City hosted its first ever “Planapalooza.” During this four-day event, more than 300 community members participated in discussions and shared their ideas regarding City planning.

“The new code was not only specifically created for Mt. Pleasant, it was really created by Mt. Pleasant,” said Mt. Pleasant City Planner Jacob Kain. “The hundreds of residents and business owners who participated throughout this process provided the direction that has shaped the draft code. We are excited to continue moving this process forward with the introduction of the draft code to the community.”

Purpose of a Character-Based Code

The goal of a character-based code is to create a new city-wide zoning ordinance that would emphasize form and function while updating standards for development throughout the community. This type of code would preserve and enhance the unique character of Mt. Pleasant and improve walkability, bikeability and safety along roads such as Mission Street.

The formal adoption process is expected to begin in October with implementation of the new code occurring in December.

For more information, go to www.mt-pleasant.org/character.